A focus on dogs, hunters and the outdoors

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We specialise in conservation/hunting dog training, hunter education and the outdoor lifestyle . Within that discipline, the focus is predominantly on huntiong pigs with dogs.  The dog training is based on The Makim Method, a system designed to narrow the dogs' focus to you and the pigs to the exclusion of all other distractions.

The object is to develop a calm, manageable dog that can operate independently or under command within a given set of boundaries despite the highly charged environment of pig hunting.

We also seek to help the owner/handler develop their capacity to bring out the best in their dog through a recognition of how hunting dogs see the world and their relationship with people.

The photo at left is of a 13 year old Ned Makim working on some treat training with rabbit/fox/pig/cattle dog Toy, pound for pound the toughest dog in the Makim dog history. He would grab anything he was asked to up to and including bulls, but was predominantly used to go into rabbit burrows or fox dens and bring out the occupants, usually a cartoon like dust storm of fur and fight. A lot of that hunting was done on a horse called Doug, with Toy jumping onto a riding boot in a stirrup and climbing up to ride the pommel of a stock saddle. He would be lowered by hand as I leant out of the saddle at pace in pursuit of whatever we'd come across on the Inverell Common (now the Barayamal National Park).

My father was a horseman and not much of a dog handler so I learned some things I had to relearn in later life to achieve what I wanted from dogs. I also had to work on my capacity to work with whatever the dog brought to the table and my own patience in accepting that. The end result of that was the release of The Makim Method in 2012 and the gradual growth of our field training of working conservation dogs.

Along the way I've learnt from older and younger trainers and handlers and continued to adapt and develop our training base.

Today the objective is to continue that structural development to provide the best possible introduction to conservation/hunting work for dogs and their handlers. We have expanded from dog training to hunter education, training products and events. 

So feel free to contact us and have a chat. But be patient. A lot of our work is outdoors and in remote areas and our focus at that time is on the safety, welfare and education of the clients , canine and human, in front of us.

Cheers.

 Ned Makim Proprietor