Meet Our Trainers

Russell MacLennan

     Russell is a respected bird dog breeder, trainer and upland hunting guide. He began his amateur training career in 1989 with a black lab named Buddy. Buddy was the result of Black Forest Kennel's first litter. Since then he has trained all breeds of sporting dogs and their owners for performance in the field and basic obedience in the home. Russell has been professionally training for the past 7 years.

     Russell is no stranger to competition, at age 14 he competed in the Colorado pheasant hunting championships, hosted by Pheasants Forever. Along with the help of Sir Hershey of Surrey and Delery Guillory they won top honors. Since, Russell has trained for, and competed in a variety of competitions including: National Bird Dog Challenge Association, A.K.C. hunt tests and horseback trials, A.P.L.A. qualifiers and many local hunting trials. Russell and his dog "Boo" own the record for the fastest time set in the Colorado Open Pheasant Hunting Championships. In 1997, Russell and "Boo" completed a six pheasant run in less than 5 minutes, posting one of the highest scores ever.

     Russell was born with a gift to understand dogs and the patience to teach their owners.

     Russell's favorite food for thought:

      Contact Russell at: gundog1976@aol.com

Jeff Orwat

     As a young boy, Jeff received his first bird dog. Passion in its rightful place, he studied both dog and sport and took to the field. He has hunted grouse and woodcock in the hardwoods of the Upper Midwest, chased quail throughout the Southeast United States and battled with the prairie country of the Upper Plains. In the early 1990's, he began to specialize in helping to train the family hunting companion years before he graduated from Michigan State University. He saw many dog lovers become frustrated with their companions and began to realize that every dog has different abilities and should be handled and trained in a specific manner.

     Jeff's goal is to bring out the maximum potential in your hunting partnet and teach you what he has learned these past twelve years. That there are few things more satisfying than having a fine, four-legged companion that you can trust in the field, rely on in the woods, and enjoy in your home. He offers a variety of services to meet your precise needs.

      Contact Jeff at: Jeff@ValhallaHuntClub.com