Blackwater, MO, 65322
Professional Dog Trainer
Since 1970
Chuck�s interest in bird dogs began at a very young age. While following his father bird hunting, Chuck was consumed by the thrill of the hunt with quail exploding from their hiding places, and most of all, the pointers and setters covering the countryside in pursuit of their quarry.
Chuck worked with his father�s young dogs and developed his first pointer, a female out of the Gunsmoke Line. His dad�s hunting partners soon realized Chuck�s talent with dogs and began coming to him for help. This was the beginning of his career working and developing gundogs.
In the early 1980�s, a friend invited Chuck to bring his best bird dog and accompany him to a Shoot-to-Retrieve Field Trial in North Missouri. Although Chuck was reluctant, he accepted the invitation and came home with a placement. The seed was planted for a career in the field trial world.
Soon Chuck was entering his dogs in the Mo. National Birdhunter�s competitions, placing in most, and winning a majority. He realized that by competing with dogs he had steadied to wing and shot and force-broke to retrieve, he had a large advantage over his competition. At the inception of the N.B.H.A., dogs were not required to be steady to wing and shot. Consequently the extra finish would sometimes be the deciding factor in close decisions.
Chuck and his father were in the restaurant business in Boonville, Mo. where his father managed the forty year old restaurant, The Stein House during the daytime while Chuck took over the evening shift. This allowed him to train dogs and hunt quail during the day.
Soon Chuck had a formidable string of shooting dogs and derbys and was training dogs for his Amateur Field Trial participant friends. Some of the dogs that were current champions and winners of significance were Surpass, Purpleline Jack, Purpleline Jill, Garrett�s Rough Cut, Garrett�s Skyrocket, and Walmart Rip, owned by Bud Walton of Walmart fame.
Horseback trials on the weekend level were Chuck�s next interest. His love for riding and showing horses in his youth, left riding second nature to him, and so combining horsemanship with bird dog talents was even more exciting. Chuck began competing in the Open Shooting Dog stakes, always with a small string of dogs, but dogs that were prepared to win, and win they did, taking at one time or another most every state championship he entered, as well as the National Shooting Dog Championship and the Invitational Championship for the top dogs in the country.
Champions developed by Stretz are Rock Candy Man, Boy Rocky Pride, Surpass, Walmart Rip, Steven�s Super Thriller, High Country Blackie, Sports Addition, Mechlin�s Super Dog, Mac�s Silver Charm, Miller�s Kentucky Spirit, Gridlock, Intrigue, Southern Cross, Adrian, Elhew Tova, and Havalock Blacksmith.
Chuck realized after losing two great strings of dogs to unforeseen injury and illness that the key to staying competitive was to raise several litters of well-bred puppies and to always have top-notch derbys in his string to replace dogs that might fall to injury or illness. Over the years Chuck has continually proven his uncanny skills in the development of outstanding derby winners in many of the best derby and futurity trials in the country.
Chuck�s work ethic has always been �top drawer.� His philosophy holds that most dogs will make some kind of a useful bird dog whether for pro trailing or just for hunting if given a good foundation and lots of time in the field. That work ethic spills over to his horses. He is always mounted on a hoarse that he self-cultivated to meet all the needs of a field trial handler. A love for animals and a God-given talent to know their thoughts and sense their needs, Chuck continues training with over twenty years in the professional arena. He has yet to lose the love of the game or the thrill of the hunt.