Probably questioning whether the public will put up with another generation of “Duffey on Dogs” observation and opinions, “the kid” cleverly disassociated himself from “the old man’s” ravings and rantings in his maiden column in The Versatile Hunting Dog, newsletter of the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA).

According to Mike, the one book he recalls from among the many on my library shelf is a thick, hardbound volume entitled, in embossed gold lettering, What I Know About Dogs by David Michael Duffey. Presented by a practical joking friend (the late Grady Marler), the book contains nothing but blank pages.

To further ensure that no one can accuse him of learning anything he knows about dogs (which is considerable, in his opinion) from the old man, Mike has this to say:

“For those of you lucky enough not to know me, I grew up the son-of-a (not what you think) little known and obscure outdoor writer named David M. Duffey. His passion was (and still is) hunting dogs. He’s always been a believer in knowing what he writes about through firsthand experience and, as far back as I can remember, we always owned at least eight and sometimes as many as 20 hunting dogs of various breeds.

“Since he traveled a lot and my sisters preferred dishwater to dog (expletive deleted), I grew up and learned much of what I know about dogs at the back end of a shovel. If I had a penny a pound…”

Fathers being more charitable about their sons (even smart-ass ones) than the other way around, Mike has more credentials than he confessed to, including considerable experience and success as a professional trainer. How far he goes in the writing game is still speculative. Fortunately, modesty is not a requirement for being a successful scrivener.

Mike has independently concocted eight basic rules for successful dog training that he unblushingly entitled “Mike Duffey’s Golden Rules of Dog Training.” They make sense and tie in with the gun dog guidelines already suggested. So I’m repeating them here:

1. THE FIRST SIX MONTHS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME IN A DOG’S LIFE. Don’t waste it. If you want your dog to develop his full potential, this is the time to introduce and expose him to birds, fields, water, retrieving and all kinds of other things that will be an important part of his adult life.

2. THE SECOND SIX MONTHS ARE THE NEXT MOST IMPORTANT. Most good dogs should be capable of putting in a productive hunt sometime between six months and one year of age. Certainly, they won’t be finished performers, but they should be able to give you an enjoyable day in the field, finding, pointing and retrieving at least a few birds. By the time most dogs are two or three years old, they should be coming into their prime. People who make excuses for a four- or five-year-old dog that is not everything he should be are just kidding themselves.

3. KEEP PUPPY/PLAY TRAINING FUN FOR BOTH DOG AND TRAINER. If you don’t really enjoy fooling with your dog, you’re better off doing something else you enjoy or get paid for and buying a trained dog or hiring a pro to train yours. By the same token, if the pup is not enjoying it, you’ll never develop him to his full potential.

4. LEARN TO “READ” YOUR DOG. Always be aware of what he is telling you by the look in his eye, the way he carries himself and the way he holds his head, ears or tail.