As I've mentioned before, I now spend most of my summer helping my friends train flushing spaniels in New York's Hudson Valley. Summers in upstate New York are beautiful, though periods of July and August can be so hot and humid that trainers work early and late to avoid the hottest midday hours. Fall and spring are glorious, but winter is another story. Weather conditions in a northeast winter are unpredicatable to say the least, and it is not uncommon to be faced with some cobination of rain, snow, ice, and freezing temperatures, often in the same day afield. You learn quickly that that working flushers in cold climates poses a host of challenges to dogs and trainers alike.

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