Exclusive! We get the lowdown on new Purina dog foods the day they hit the shelves. Dr. RuthAnn Lobos (@petvetruthann), senior veterinarian at Purina will outline the rationale behind their new "Advantedge Plus" senior and digestive formulations, and why many of us should consider one or the other. We'll parse ingredients, specs, and the new product development process from a researcher's notion to stocking retail shelves.

We'll cover why and how dogs "choose" favorite foods, when our dog actually becomes a "senior" citizen, indications of a dog's aging, and find out what ingredients go into the new formulations and why. Dr. RuthAnn talks about why we shouldn't feed prior to a hunt, how Purina "taste tests" new foods, and defines a healthy physique for a sporting dog.

"Fix It" keeps your dog warm after a cold wet hunt, and listeners tell us what they're giving their dog for Christmas or Hannukah.

And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Why isn't he retrieving well? This time in the season, it seems like everyone is wondering what happened to their dog. From not bringing birds all the way back, dropping birds or just going hunting again, many upland dogs are just not delivering, literally, these days.

Retriever Hall of Fame inductee, pro trainer, and now successfully transitioned into pointing breeds, Jim Van Engen of Right Start Kennel has answers to our pressing questions. Simply put: force fetch. He'll hit the critical points in a dog's retrieving training whether flusher or pointer, and how to teach those important steps. Of course, we'll talk all things hunting and hit some of the high points of this new phase in his training career.

Listeners sound off on safety practices in the field, and "Fix It" has a suggestion when the walk-in spot looks crowded.

And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, RuffLand Kennels, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, CableGangz, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Most of us, most of the time, could use some help when it comes to the business end of our shotgun. Recently, a guide friend said most of his clients have no idea what choke tubes were in their shotgun. Scary! Bottom line? You'll shoot better with the right choke tubes.

Scott Trulock of Trulock Chokes joins me to cover it all, from billet to "boom!" We'll get advice on materials and engineering, care and selection, patterning the right way, and how steel can turn your removable choke tube gun into a fixed-choke gun (yikes). Scott tells a little about how tubes are designed and made, and why a little old company in Wigham Georgia makes over 3,000 varieties of chokes.

Insider editions are brought to you by CableGangz tie-out systems and Heartland Lodge, where you'll get special freebies and gifts for every booking (learn more here).

[Take 10% off your next order at CableGangz.com with the promo code CG10.]

Make your social posts really pop with better photos. Who better than pro photographer Brian Grossenbacher to help? You've seen his images on the cover of every outdoors magazine, and he's certainly spiffed up some of my articles. He's shot for everyone from YETI to Mossy Oak, Field & Stream to Gun Dog magazines.

Whether you're shooting with your phone or a fancy SLR, we'll cover ways to tell a better story with your photos, simple tips on making each picture more engaging to the eye and the heart. Brian will show us one easy way to make your dog (and human) photos stand out, and offer alternatives to the cliche' tailgate photo even non-hunters will love. 

"Fix It" helps you differentiate between good Hun cover and sharptail habitat, and listeners chip in with how much water they carry and why. 

And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Don't panic, no e-collar for you, just an argument for you getting deeper into the dog training process before, during and after you get your pup back from a pro trainer. In fact this guy says you may need more training than your four-footed partner. Talmage Smedley has suggestions on how to look - differently - at how your dog learns, then adjust your training approach accordingly. A look inward wouldn't hurt, either.

Open your mind, ask yourself a few questions, and your dog might perform as well in the middle of the season as he did when you brought him home from the trainer.

Listeners share their unique takes on early-season hunts, and in "Fix It" we help a listener find training birds.

And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, RuffLand Kennels, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Why we go ... what we're grateful for, and why. Listeners share their own thoughts, new and classic, and I'll help with a few reasons of my own.

If you're looking for more reasons to go hunting, here they are.

Insider editions are brought to you by CableGangz tie-out systems and Heartland Lodge, where you'll get special freebies and gifts for every booking (learn more here).

[Take 10% off your next order at CableGangz.com with the promo code CG10.]

Got a good hunting dog? Prove it by passing the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association's new Gun Dog Test. This is a practical exam in all things a journeyman hunting dog needs to master the field and water.

NAVHDA Director of Testing Dan Wittman outlines the origins of this test, replacing the Utility Preparatory Test, explaining the components and why it's become so popular in its first year. We'll cover every aspect, and how it differs from other tests in the NAVHDA system, then delve into some hunting and training tips.

We'll cover some warm-weather dog care tips, talk a little sharptail and desert quail, too.

"Fix It" suggests a solution to what you might consider an obedience problem in the field (it's not), and listeners share their post-hunt celebrations.

And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, RuffLand Kennels, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, CableGangz, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

From his experience as a military K9 handler, training and showing dogs of all stripes, to authoring multiple books on the topics, Dr. Cartrell Cooper knows a lot more about how a dog thinks than we'll ever know. I caught him between seminars at Pheasant Fest to explore his unique methods and thought process on everything from motivating your dog, to how and why he reacts to everyday behaviors we exhibit and situations he'll encounter from gunfire to birds.

"Fix It" offers a water-finding tip for your online mapping app, and listeners tell us where they're going on opening day.

And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, RuffLand Kennels, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com. 

On a recent visit to Heartland Lodge in Illinois, I cornered the new-ish owner Tim Duoos, and communications manager Zach Jumps and peppered them with questions about the facility. From how they earned an Orvis endorsement, to maintaining great habitat, we'll get the lowdown from an insider's perspective.

We also dig into how we should shop for, and what our expectations should be from, a hunting lodge. Whether you're heading for an entry-level preserve or planning for the trip-of-a-lifetime, you'll be better prepared after our talk.

Insider editions are brought to you by CableGangz tie-out systems and Heartland Lodge, where you'll get special freebies and gifts for every booking (learn more here).

[Take 10% off your next order at CableGangz.com with the promo code CG10.]

Four of my friends call in with on-the-ground reports from the upper Midwest, Arizona, Utah and Oregon. What they've learned could help you as the season progresses - from habitat to hatch reports, strategies to tactics for quail, chukars, Huns, pheasants, ruffies, blues, and woodcock.

"Fix It" helps your shooting ... and listeners share their "big trip" memories and photos.

And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, RuffLand Kennels, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.