“MARTIN KNOWS DOGS”
by Jim MacKrell
I don’t know who said this, but I know that it is true. “Dogs know people, but very few people know dogs.”
This I can vouch for from personal experience – Martin Bell knows dogs. He knows how they think, how they love, why they work and why sometimes they are bad, how they look at life, and how they look at people. Let me say it again — Martin knows dogs.
And why shouldn’t he. He was born in that section of England where hunting and hunting dogs rule supreme. Jim Bell has that magical touch that English trainers have and this touch was passed on to his son, Martin, almost as if it were in the genes.
Cornwall, England boasts of many things and one of them is the birthplace of some of the finest Cockers and Springers in the world. It also was home to Martin, born some five miles down the road from the famous “Cocker” trainer, Hedley Millington. Millington’s record of 10 English Field Champions impressed Martin, but Millington’s ease and gentle hand with the dogs set the stage for Martin’s life work. John Banning, gamekeeper for Sir Martin Evans-Bevans for 62 years, employed Martin, and in the truest sense of English apprenticeship, passed down time-honored methods of molding hunting dogs as opposed to forcing them with pain. From Commander Collard, Martin learned that a dog will never respect you without first sensing your respect for it. I could go on adding names like pro-trainer Guy Wallace, noted author of training books, but without adding the names of great Champion Cockers and Springers you will never know how Martin became one of America’s foremost dog trainers.
That brings us to my first statement. Martin knows dogs, and that knowledge is passed on to his clients. It was in the field that Martin suggested that I get on my knees, take off my sunglasses and look up through hip-high grass directly into the sun and then ask myself why my dog missed a mark.
Martin’s training is from the dog’s point of view, and he can teach it to you. You can learn how your dog thinks, why your dog does certain things, and how you can read the signs in “doggy” language that will let you communicate with your canine friend.
Martin can help you understand that ninety-percent of the time it’s a people mistake and not a dog error.
I know this is true, and I can vouch for everything I’ve said. I have two Spaniels that join me in my training sessions with Martin, and so far haven’t scolded me or said a sour word. They trust me to continue learning, so that one of these days I can prove myself a trustworthy owner who can say –I know my dogs.
Jim MacKrell
Actor, Spokesperson
Owner of 2 NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association) and AKC Field And Show Champion German Shorthaired Pointers
Owner of English Cocker Spaniel and English Springer Spaniel Hunt Test and Field Trial Dogs
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