Joan Bailey is one of the founding members of NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association), was a field judge of versatile hunting dogs for 28 years, judging in field tests in all parts of the U.S. plus Ontario and Quebec, Canada. She received 13 awards from the Dog Writers Association of America. Larry Mueller, hunting dog editor of Outdoor Life, refers to her as "the gifted editor of The Gun Dog Supreme," and Larry calls her "one of America's great dog people."
Joan Bailey began upland hunting during her college days in Montana, then in Eastern Ontario, Canada for ruffed grouse and woodcock. Most of her hunting was in Eastern Nebraska for pheasants and quail and occasional jump-shooting ducks. More recently her hunting is in the heart of the Charlie Russell country of Montana, and in Eastern Oregon.
She was editor of The Gun Dog Supreme for 26 years and a founding member of the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA), working closely with Bodo Winterhelt, becoming a NAVHDA judge, as well as a judge for the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Club of America (WPGCA) and for the Klub Deutsch Kurzhaar (KDK-USA.). Bailey’s earlier book, How To Help Gun Dogs Train Themselves, gained national and international attention from outdoor writers Larry Mueller, Outdoor Life, Bill Tarrant, Field & Stream, Bill McClure, American Hunter, John McGonigle, Gun Dog and is now in its 4th revised edition. This now classic book takes the reader through the first 12 months of the dog’s life. In 1996 Bailey’s GRIFFON, Gun Dog Supreme provided the first comprehensive history of the breed and was hailed by outdoor writers such as Larry Mueller, who said, “Because of her truth and honesty, Griffons and their breeders will benefit from this book for all time…This is THE breed book for ALL breeds.” A large section of the book was devoted to the testing, judging and breeding of versatile dogs. In 2008, Joan published her third book, How to Have the Best Trained Gun Dog. Bailey received 13 awards from the Dog Writers Association of America. |