Dennis Brath
Dennis had dogs most of his early life and started training them to be better hunting dogs. Through hard work and dedication to his effort he was able to display quality dogs to others who asked if he would help them with their hunting dogs. In 1977 he started training professionally. For the next twenty years he gave seminars to groups on weekends. Many of those people were just wanting a class hunting dog but others had their eyes set on AKC Hunt Tests for pointing breeds. Over the next several years he continued to mentor many individuals wishing to finish a Master Hunter which would produce over 50 all handled by their owners or Dennis. He would always encourage the dog’s owners to handle their dogs in the test. At this point, many were not satisfied with just the Master Hunter title so they would point toward walking field trials. It wasn’t long before Dennis had twenty dogs in training for the coveted Field Champion title. His owners would handle their dogs in Amateur stakes and Dennis would handle in the Open stakes. After a few years of this, with great success most would transition to AKC and American Field horseback trials. Dennis encouraged his owners to handle their dogs in Amateur stakes and would provide them with the horsepower needed.
In 2001 the GSPCA National Championships Field Trail Chairman asked Dennis to co-chair the event with him. In 2001 and 2002 Dennis co-chaired the Nationals and in 2003 and 2004 he chaired it by himself. Dennis remained on the committee through 2016 doing whatever needed done to keep the trial running smoothly. That included releasing bird’s morning and night for that entire 16 year period. A task that was essential to giving every dog an equal chance at success. During the National Amateur he would be in the saddle gunning, releasing birds, or marshaling whenever needed. Knowing that the amateur was the key to our sport Dennis made it his goal they were treated fairly and equally while at the Nationals.
As a professional trainer his success with dogs is evident. He has finished over 25 AKC Field Champions, handled one National Champion, and one Futurity winner. He also trained one National Amateur Champion which was owner handled by a client. In addition many of his dogs have placed at the Nationals.
On the American Field side Dennis has trained and handled 16 dogs to Championship titles and numerous dogs to runner-up placements. In 2011, 2012, and 2013 Dennis was named the GSP handler of the year. He served as President of the National German Pointing Dog Association for two years and was a key member of the National Field Trial committee for many years. His dogs have won the NGPDA National All Age Championship and the National Amateur Championship and placed on other occasions.
Over his entire training and trialing career, amateurs and their success has been his motivation to give back to the sport he loves
