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Photo by Bill Massey
Neil Lessard with two of his dogs at Stockley Kennels in Eastville.

By Bill Massey
Neil Lessard, 44, owner of Stockley Kennels in Eastville, always has appreciated a good hunting dog. Growing up in Virginia Beach, he used to hunt quail; and as he became older, neither his love of hunting nor his appreciation of a good hunting dog lessened. In his eyes, there was always a special bond between the two. He wouldn't consider hunting without a dog; and because of this, he began to develop an early interest in training hunting dogs as well.

For awhile, in the mid '80s, Lessard tried to operate his fledgling construction business while training hunting dogs on the side, but it didn't work out. In 1988, he decided to give his full attention to dog training and in 1991, he, wife Judy, son Clinton, and daughter Tammy made the big move to the Shore, and started Stockley Kennels.

"I train English setters mostly," Lessard began easily. "They're bred to point birds. What you have to do is bring their natural ability out to hold point to flush. The flush," he explained, "is the hunter going to the area where the bird is and getting the bird to leave it, thereby giving itself away."

In 1998, Lessard and Eastville native Freddie Gray's dog, Stonegate Rolex, won the prestigious Champion of Champions Trial in Amo, Ind. The only dogs which could participate were point-accumulated champions.

"English setters are easy-going dogs," Lessard pointed out. "However, if you're going to use them for a pointer or hunting dog, turning them loose to roam freely on their own is not recommended. They lose their discipline and become 'self' hunters."

Lessard started with 10 kennels, but now has 30. His kennels have produced 45 "National Shoot to Retrieve" champions in the last 15 years.

"We start our dogs out at about 6 months," he said. "The sex of the dog makes no difference, by the way. What we do first is attach a quail wing to a fishing pole and flick it around in front of a puppy to evaluate the puppy's pointing interest. We study the puppy's style on point, concentration, and intensity. Following this, we introduce them to game birds. We have electronic release traps that hold homing pigeons which I also raise here. We first work the dog with the homing pigeons. Then, if they show they have the talent, we keep working them until they're complete. Depending on the dog, it takes 3 to 6 months.

"I train dogs for pointing and hunting five days a week," Lessard continued. "On weekends I'll run local field trials with client's dogs for enjoyment. I'll go away for two weeks in October for field trialing in Indiana. Then I spend the next three months training dogs, and wild bird hunting here at home. In February I run another champion field trial in Florida. Then I return home again, and do more training. Then it's back to Indiana again in late April for more field trialing. In the summer, the training starts at 5 a.m. to beat the heat. I try to finish by 10."

Besides his own grounds, Lessard trains dogs on a 30-acre farm he leases, and on the newly established Eyreville Plantation Shooting Preserve, owned by Roger Buryn.

On this particular day Lessard is beginning preparations for a trip to Hutchinson, Minn., for the Grand National Championship, June 6-9. It's restricted to dogs who qualified in the previous four national championships. Lessard will be taking two setters.

"Every dog I raise here," he said, "is a dog I'd have myself. By this I mean, I'm breeding a dog you can teach which isn't high strung or hyperactive, but will have the potential to make a great hunting companion. The only problem I occasionally have," he smiled, "is with the owners. Sometimes, with some of the owners I've seen, I wish I could train them to be as professional as the dog. An owner can easily undo all the training I've done in about a tenth of the time."

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