I just moved from Cassils myself, to take up here in Lethbridge.
Good people around Brooks, salt of the Earth most of them. So many of them are good about giving permission too. Hunted for 10 years with my Vizsla along the river, and all over the prairies. Used to love those wild birds around the River, and North of town. Dog no longer with us, and i don't feel like replacing him yet, so missed this season for the first time in a long time!
Your spot on with the Hutterites, great guys, and always happy to have you hunt there land, especially if you are shooting coyotes. I couldn't believe how welcoming they are.............and they like a piece of venison when they can get it. I hope they are as friendly around Lethbridge!!
If your into Sporting Clays, you must have been to the Brooks club out at the Hatchery, i maybe saw you there. Ron and his guys have done a great job out there, and i miss that facility for sure. Hope to make a trip or two up there come Spring. They tell me the place is really well supported now, good on yer.
I considered training dogs for people for a while but couldn't see the customer base to make a full time job of it. I hope you'll forgive me for saying that 8 months is VERY young for any pointer to be out in the field, except under strict supervision, or developing bad habits, at that age they should be just getting steady on the basics, and working on pointing and simple retrieves, preferably on a looooong lead! Whistle commands should have been started by now, in conjunction with hand signals, but ONLY when the dog cannot ignore you, or be chastised immediately for violations!!
There are lots of good books out there, but if you want to speak offline, i would be happy to help.
Enjoy GunNutz.