Welcome to the June/ July issue of Bird Dog & Retriever News. Ron and I have been running our dogs in the hunt tests and trial series in our area. Both of us titled our dogs in the Junior Hunter Hunt tests since last we talked. We have added a page for those monumental times when you titled your dog to get your picture in print. We have also added a section for hunting spaniel results since they are no longer readily available in print. We'll feature this section though this fall and decide upon its response if it will be a regular section. If our readers want trial and test results we'll just add more pages to the magazine. There are days when we don't appreciate the artists we have right in front of us. Between Bird Dog & Retriever News and our Canine Today magazines I may e-mail or talk with a dozen writers a month. Many times it is the wanna be writer that wants to break into the field that includes long hours and little pay. And writing in the environment where you know at least one of your readers will probably know more than you, no matter what topic you choose. Yet the professional writers put their name and their reputation out there every issue. I am frequently asked about what topic new writers should select. My typical response is there are a thousand topics about dogs, pick one and make it interesting. If someone were to suggest they were going to write about the "sit" command I think my response would be: "What can you say about such a simple command?" Well the god of all the dog writers, Dave Duffey, did just that in this issue. And you know what, the article is a work of art! Is Dave Duffey slowing down? I think he is aging like a fine wine. If you run pointers, setters, spaniels or retrievers, "Sit!" by Dave Duffey is a must read. Never would have I believed such a simple subject was so interesting and could make you think about how you work with dogs. Great piece of work Dave. So what's in this issue? Dave Duffey as I have said tells us about teaching us which and when we should teach which dogs to sit. I get asked about technology all the time. So in this issue I take a look at a good digital camera that can handle the hunt and dogs and still deliver great pictures and movies. Jerry Thoms looks at rescue dogs. I want to welcome Joe Spoo DVM to our writing staff. This issue Dr. Spoo will be writing about dog allergies. Bill Hanus reports about what he saw in the way of guns and ammo at the SHOT Show. Robert I. Egbert looks at size of dogs. This issues book review is Voices On The Wind By C. Stanley Mason. That and much more for you in this issue of Bird Dog & Retriever News See you in the field or at the shows, Dennis Guldan Publisher Bird Dog & Retriever News