-
- Species
- Whitetails
- Rut Reporters
- Deer Camp
- Big Game
- Small Game
- Birds
- Special Methods
- Bow Hunting
- Conservation
- Heroes of Conservation
- Hero for a Day
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
- Land for Sale
-
- Species
- Bass
- Trout
- More Freshwater
- Saltwater
- Special Methods
- Fly Fishing
- Hook Shots
Presented by
- Conservation
- Heroes of Conservation
- Hero for a Day
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
- Land for Sale
-
- Health & Fitness
- F&S Adventurer
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
-
- Rifles
- Shotguns
- 2nd Amendment
- SHOT Show
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
Contest: Tell Us Your Best Dog Training Tip. Win Free Gear.
Recent Comments
- Box Call on Can You Put a Price Tag on Hunting With Your Gun Dog? (2)
- Box Call on Bear Attack Leads Florida Woman to Stolen Champion Hound (5)
- Trapper John on Learn How Traps Work: It Could Save Your Dog's Life (40)
- shotgunlou on Dog is Only Cure for 13-Year-Old with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (8)
- 1uglymutha on Bear Attack Leads Florida Woman to Stolen Champion Hound (5)
Categories
- Big Game Hunting (2)
- Bird Hunting (333)
- Deer Hunting (4)
- Fishing (3)
- Fishing Gear (1)
- Fly Fishing (1)
- Gear (10)
- Guns (1)
- Hunting (322)
- Hunting Gear (10)
- Shotguns (1)
- Small Game (9)
Recent Posts
- Bear Attack Leads Florida Woman to Stolen Champion Hound
- Can You Put a Price Tag on Hunting With Your Gun Dog?
- Dog is Only Cure for 13-Year-Old with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
- Learn How Traps Work: It Could Save Your Dog's Life
- National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic: A Hunting Expo Worth Attending
- End-of-Season Reflections: Looking Back and Ahead
- Oldest Dog in the World Dies at 26...er...24...25?
- Blank Headstones Call For Good Dog Quotes...Obviously
- Ten-Month-Old Basset Hound Eats $4,500 Wedding Ring
- Dog Survives Avalanche That Killed His Owner in Montana
Archives
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
Syndicate
Man's Best Friend
in your Inbox
August 31, 2009
Contest: Tell Us Your Best Dog Training Tip. Win Free Gear.
By David DiBenedetto
Ever since this blog began I’ve been really impressed by the training knowledge of those of you who post your comments here. And I like to think that we’re all learning from each other. So in the spirit of continuing our education we’re going to give away some free training gear for the best tip you have.
Here’s how our contest will work: In the comments section below give us your best piece of dog training advice or tip. It can be simple, complicated, big picture, little picture—whatever you want. And it doesn’t have to be just about retrievers. The tips can cover bird dogs, hounds, good ol’ fashioned house dogs, etc. Finally, don’t worry if you’ve given the advice or tip in a previous post. Anything goes.
Courtesy of our fine friends at Cabela’s, the winner will receive: one 3-pack of training dummies (above), one check cord, one whistle lanyard, and one Roy Gonia Special Whistle. The first-place-prize value is worth over $50, but there’s more.
The runner-up will receive a Spotless Paw Dog Paw Cleaning Glove from the folks at BrightSpot Solutions. (I’ve tested one, and though I was skeptical, the glove worked very well on Pritch’s wet, dirty paws.) It’s perfect to keep by the front door or in the truck.
The contest will end Monday, September 7, at midnight. The entries will be judged by F&S editors, and I’ll announce the winners next Wednesday, Septemeber 9.
Good luck. I’m looking forward to your responses.
ADVERTISEMENT
Today on Field & Stream
Loading...
Visit Our Sister Sites at Bonnier Corporation
| Enthusiast | Kiteboarding | QUAD | SKI | Skiing | Scuba Diving | Sport Diver | TransWorld Ride BMX | TransWorld Business | TransWorld Motocross | TransWorld SKATEboarding, | TransWorld SNOWboarding | TransWorld SURF | WakeBoarding | WaterSki | Warren Miller Entertainment | WindSurfing |
|---|---|
| Travel | Caribbean Travel & Life | Destination Weddings & Honeymoon | Islands | Meeting Traveler | Resorts & Great Hotels |
| Lifestyle & Shelter | Florida Travel & Life | Garden Design | Home Ft. Lauderdale | Home Miami |
| Luxury | SNOW | Spa |
| Marine | Boating Life | Cruising World | Fly Fishing in Salt Waters | Power Cruising | Marlin | Motor Boating | Sailing World | Salt Water Sportsman | Sport Fishing | Yachting | NewBoats.com | UsedBoats.com | YachtBroker.com |
| Outdoor | Field & Stream | Outdoor Life | SHOT Business |
| Parenting | Babytalk | Parenting |
| Science | Popular Science | Science Illustrated |
| Saveur | Saveur |
| Working Mother Media | Working Mother |
| Entertainment / Events | World Entertainment Services | World Sports & Marketing |
Fieldandstream.com is part of the Field & Stream Network, a division of Bonnier Corporation.
Copyright © 2012 Bonnier Corp. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Comments (33)
the best tip is to study the parents before you buy the puppy. a dog's bloodline is often worth more than countless hours of training.
One great tip is is if your pup doesn't want to retrieve right away go kennel him. Wait two hours and go take him out. Right away try to get him excitied to retrieve and if he still doesn't want to repeat it and sooner or later he will get that you want him to retrieve.
Best tip I can think of is to work consistently. Last year I got a Brittany pup. Our training was a little haphazard until this spring, meaning sometimes we'd work at lunch, sometimes in the evening, sometimes with other dogs around, sometimes on one thing, sometimes on everything (sort of), etc. She did OK but really started to shine when I got consistent.
For the last 4 months I've gotten up early nearly every morning to work her before heading off to work. Generally we just work on hunting related obedience commands - here, whoa, heel - and save bird work for the weekends. This last weekend after not working on birds for 4 weeks she performed spotlessly in preparation for the Blue and Sharptail Grouse opener this week.
I would also say that consistency in the command and in your delivery of the command is key.
The best thing that ever happened to me with dog training was finding and joining my local retriever club. I met like minded people who were as into dogs as you can get. Breeders, pro trainers and guys like me who just wanted to work their dogs with other people. I work with a pro all the time by throwing birds for him and he helps me with my dog. I started doing hunt tests because of it. I never thought I would be able to do that but when you are around those kinds of people all the time it prepares you for it. And being around dog people is one of the greatest experiences of my life. They are the kindest most helpful group I have ever met. It's just like when David blogged about his trip to that pro and then she actually posted a comment on this blog. Name one blog on here where the guides or gun manufacturers ever do that. And from what I have read so far on here everyone is always nice and helpful not hatefully opinionated or negative like on the others. There is always so much joy in watching dogs work it just makes it better when you have great people to watch with you.
The best tip I have is training to sit during different situations. Training your dog to sit when your about to put it on a leash at home or in your car/truck. You don't want your dog jumping out of your car or truck when you open the door, so training them to wait will save a lot of frustration.
best i can think of is if its a puppy work him a little first so hes not so hyper and will be able to pay attention but dont work them so hard they cant do anything. when a dogs a puppy as you already know their much more hyper then as adults but make them so they dont want to run as much and you can teach them without having them book and not come back good luck training
Shake-easiest commant to teach unless you have no anticipation. You can tell when your dog is about to shake to shed water from swimming or a bath. Just as he is about to shake, say the command "shake". Do this a few times for a week or so and your dog will have it down. So now when you want him to dry off, just say "shake". Easy, unless you are a flat foot floggy.
If your dog gets hit by a car all else is moot. So I trained my GSH Jill not to cross roads without permission. It has already saved her life. Two days ago we went for a run and a cottontail jumped right under her nose and ran across the street in front of a car. jill just stood and watched him go, she doesn't chase rabbits ordinarily but this one was very tempting. All I did was start with a leash having her sit by the road until I said come. Use a dead end street with little or no traffic to start. Soon she would run until she gets to a street and stop & sit until I get there. Jill watches the cars go by until they all stop and I say come or the traffic clears and she gets the go ahead. We get lots of smiles and waves from the folks driving by.
BTW Jill loves to hunt. She sight points robins and doves when we run. Most of the time she will raise a front paw. Anyway she is bred to a dog with many champions in his bloodline and due to deliver in about 10 days.
I like Del's answer. It seems like a surefire way to save a trip or two to the vet. I'm not even going to try to beat that.
The best training tip I can give is take your time and be patient make training fun for the dog so its not like work and be steady with the techniques and commands.
Attaching a glow-stick to a hound or cur's collar makes keeping sight of them a lot easier at night, especially when they range far after hogs or raccoons. The sticks are cheap and last long enough for an entire night's hunt.
My advice is simple. Get an E-collar and learn how to use it.
The most important tip in dog training is PATIENCE and PERSISTENCE! When training a dog, the dog isn't going to pick up on everything the first time you command it to do something. Some dogs pick up faster than others and it can get frustrating so you have to be patient. Take your time and work with with your dog about 20 minutes at a time. They have short attention spans, therefore, I will work my dog about 20 minutes in the morning and then let him play a while and put him up, and I will work him about 20 more minutes in the evening. I always work him first thing when I get him out of the pen, so when I let him out he knows it's time to go to work and learn. You also have to be persistent and don't skip steps in the teaching process. It is very important for them to KNOW the basic commands before you try to teach them the more advanced commands and hand signals. It all goes back to being patient. You will find that the more patient you are with your dog, the better he will perform, and better attitude it and you both will have.
I ran into a young woman this morning while out walking my dog. She had a 2 year old min-pin mix who barely knew SIT, let alone any other commands. She told me 2 people had told her that she should carry some rolled up newspaper, and when her dog 'misbehaved' she should smack the dog across the snout.
HERE's the advice I gave her: first, you need to teach your dog what a command means before expecting him to follow it. And yes, she should carry the newspaper -- and the next time she sees these idiots, she should bonk THEM over the head.
Lots of great advice here... I've already learned a thing or two from this blog and the comments!
The one piece of advice I keep having to give myself is this--I am ALWAYS training the dog. When he does well, it is because the training was sound and he is smart. When he does poorly, it is because the TRAINING was poor and he is smart. Toby watches us constantly, looking for ways to please us and to establish his place in our family/pack. All of his mistakes and shortcomings have actually, when I'm honest, been MY mistakes and shortcomings as a trainer.
If you put as much effort into training the trainer as you do training the dog, both will be much better for it!
No matter what you're training your dog for - field trial, hunting, or biscuit eating - cherish every day with your friend. It doesn't matter how much they test you or fail to live up to the mighty expectations we set on their shoulders (and our own), you will be more than willing to have them disobey the easiest command, just to have the opportunity to be with them once more when they go to that big blind in the sky.
When training our lab about 5-6 years back, we noticed that using treats and other dog snacks caused the pup to gain a bit of weight. We found using baby carrots not only was good for the pup's teeth but he seemed to be very excited about anything brightly colored. Not to mention it got me eating more carrots out of habit as well.
I'm still learning new ways of training my pup, and there are a lot of great tips on here. I'll have to try some. My tip is spend alot of time with your dog. Get a strong bond, so they are happy to please you during hunting, sitting next to ya while fishing and what not. If you have that bond and they know your the boss they seem to listen better.
Whether you are running hounds, pointers or flushers, we can all agree that a pup will be a pup. When calling a pup out of the field many of us have played the "catch me if you can" game - when the pup gets just close enough to get a leash on, but jumps away playfully - this can often go on for a while. One thing I have done to my pups is to attach an eight foot piece of weed-eater cord to their leash during training sessions. Because of the stiffness of the cord, it will not wrap around brush, trees, etc. When the pup gets close enough, you can grab the cord and call him in. It is important to grab the end of the cord and call the dog in, not to pull him in. He will eventually learn to keep the games out of the field. Best of luck!!!
To teach your retreiver not to retreive "short"when you can't use a dummy launcher and your throwing arm ain't what it used to be,use a tenis ball and an old racket.Easy to hit a ball 100 yards down wind.
Allot of waterfowl work occurs in dim light so have your dog practice retreiving in the dark.Makes them use their nose more ,watch closer and what else are you up to after dark:)
Dummies or tennis balls are fun in deep snow,again makes the nose work more important,helps break up a long winter off season and the dogs love it.
-when I said to attach the cord to the leash, I meant the collar. haha
Del
thats pretty cool i should teach my dog that hes always wondering off not to run away but well let him outside (he walks himself) and hell go visit a neihbor he smells or hears we didnt ever teach him not to because a lot of our neihbors are elderly or realy little so they all love to see him
I bought my check cord at the local hardware store. $1.25 for the clip and $6.00 for a 30 ft. length of yellow rope that the guy cut for me. Works as good as the fancy ones you buy at the big Outfitter store 1/3 the price.
If you have any questions dont be afraid to ask.That is my best advice as a DIY dog trainer.I belong to many hunting forums with very many professional dog trainers ansering questions for DIY dog trainers.Even pro trainers ask other pros for help.There are many pheasent hunters forums, waterfoul and other upland game forums such as Hunt smart.com and great blogs such as this one to get input on many different ways to train or tackle a problem.Find one that will work for you and your dog.This will enlighten many people on many subjects.
Raven777 My wife bought my Mendota trainer check cord 50ft.and paid only 13 dollars for it online.I saw one for 11 dollars from another company.Just type in check cord and check the prices.It came in handy for the 10 homers, 10 rollers and pheasent I got to help finish my UK Springer.You could cut it at 30ft. if that is what you prefer for a quartering check cord and still have 20ft. for a training check cord.For four dollars more you have two professional cords made to last for many years and dogs.
After all they dont hunt tennis balls canvas or plastic dummies they hunt birds and that was what the birds were for.
This is handy if you have limited time and need to have your dog relieve themseself. Whenever your dog does their business you praise them and give them a treat and say, "get it done." Eventually you can stop giving the treats and just praise them. And eventually when ever you need the animal to do their business you just say, "get it done." My dog will go on command. It comes in handy when we are on a road trip or about to leave for one. It is a technique used by some trainers who have dogs on TV shows and who don't want to ruin a great retrieving scene with a dog squatting.
I taught my wife's 12lb Yorkie to sit, stay, come, lay down, fetch, and force fetch. That's right, a Yorkie, sit, stay, come, lay down, fetch, and force fetch. He's like a mini-Lab. #1 thing - like I read above - BE PATIENT! Dogs don't speak English. You have to teach them, and before you can teach them - you have to teach them to be taught. That comes with regular work, consistency, and always letting your dog know that you're the master and their duty is to serve you. They need a leader and perform best when they've got structure in their life followed by love and affection. Training a dog should be treated like a habit, not a one shot deal.
The best training tip I know, and possibly one of the most important, is for training your dog to avoid snakes. I do a lot of bird hunting in West Texas and for anyone who knows, the area is full of rattlesnakes. Simply when you're out in the field with your dog and you find a snake, go ahead and kill it and cut the head off (Sorry PETA). Then let the dog get up close to the snake and sniff around at it for a second, so he can get the scent, then give him a sharp buzz on the shock collar, if the dog continues to sniff the snake, continue to shock him in slightly higher increments, it usually only takes once or twice and the dog wont go anywhere near a snake. Snakes are an unavoidable part of hunting where I live, but this tip can help save a curious dog from getting bit.
Do not train too long at one session, paticulary with a young pup. Your want to the quit before the enthusiasm on the training session ends. You want the dog to be excited and have the same enthusiasm when you start your next session. Don't do the same thing over and over as they get bored, too
Good comments all. My suggestion is to steal a phrase "start with the end in mind". Go hunting with several people with good dogs or go to a few field trials. See what really good dog work looks like, not just one dog. Establish what your standards are and then train to those standards. Be patient but don't compromise your standards.
I love these contests! You all should get something for great tips. No better teachers than the people who have gone through the steps themselves and found what works and what doesn't.
My advice get a dog during March or April. Then if you can take the summer to get to konw and understand your dog. It will make your relationship much stronger and the love between you will go. Between man and dog there should be NO servant and master CRAP because when you are doing that you are depressing the dog and not letting it show its full devotion to you.
Post a Comment
The most important tip in dog training is PATIENCE and PERSISTENCE! When training a dog, the dog isn't going to pick up on everything the first time you command it to do something. Some dogs pick up faster than others and it can get frustrating so you have to be patient. Take your time and work with with your dog about 20 minutes at a time. They have short attention spans, therefore, I will work my dog about 20 minutes in the morning and then let him play a while and put him up, and I will work him about 20 more minutes in the evening. I always work him first thing when I get him out of the pen, so when I let him out he knows it's time to go to work and learn. You also have to be persistent and don't skip steps in the teaching process. It is very important for them to KNOW the basic commands before you try to teach them the more advanced commands and hand signals. It all goes back to being patient. You will find that the more patient you are with your dog, the better he will perform, and better attitude it and you both will have.
If your dog gets hit by a car all else is moot. So I trained my GSH Jill not to cross roads without permission. It has already saved her life. Two days ago we went for a run and a cottontail jumped right under her nose and ran across the street in front of a car. jill just stood and watched him go, she doesn't chase rabbits ordinarily but this one was very tempting. All I did was start with a leash having her sit by the road until I said come. Use a dead end street with little or no traffic to start. Soon she would run until she gets to a street and stop & sit until I get there. Jill watches the cars go by until they all stop and I say come or the traffic clears and she gets the go ahead. We get lots of smiles and waves from the folks driving by.
the best tip is to study the parents before you buy the puppy. a dog's bloodline is often worth more than countless hours of training.
Best tip I can think of is to work consistently. Last year I got a Brittany pup. Our training was a little haphazard until this spring, meaning sometimes we'd work at lunch, sometimes in the evening, sometimes with other dogs around, sometimes on one thing, sometimes on everything (sort of), etc. She did OK but really started to shine when I got consistent.
For the last 4 months I've gotten up early nearly every morning to work her before heading off to work. Generally we just work on hunting related obedience commands - here, whoa, heel - and save bird work for the weekends. This last weekend after not working on birds for 4 weeks she performed spotlessly in preparation for the Blue and Sharptail Grouse opener this week.
I would also say that consistency in the command and in your delivery of the command is key.
The best thing that ever happened to me with dog training was finding and joining my local retriever club. I met like minded people who were as into dogs as you can get. Breeders, pro trainers and guys like me who just wanted to work their dogs with other people. I work with a pro all the time by throwing birds for him and he helps me with my dog. I started doing hunt tests because of it. I never thought I would be able to do that but when you are around those kinds of people all the time it prepares you for it. And being around dog people is one of the greatest experiences of my life. They are the kindest most helpful group I have ever met. It's just like when David blogged about his trip to that pro and then she actually posted a comment on this blog. Name one blog on here where the guides or gun manufacturers ever do that. And from what I have read so far on here everyone is always nice and helpful not hatefully opinionated or negative like on the others. There is always so much joy in watching dogs work it just makes it better when you have great people to watch with you.
The best tip I have is training to sit during different situations. Training your dog to sit when your about to put it on a leash at home or in your car/truck. You don't want your dog jumping out of your car or truck when you open the door, so training them to wait will save a lot of frustration.
The best training tip I can give is take your time and be patient make training fun for the dog so its not like work and be steady with the techniques and commands.
Attaching a glow-stick to a hound or cur's collar makes keeping sight of them a lot easier at night, especially when they range far after hogs or raccoons. The sticks are cheap and last long enough for an entire night's hunt.
I ran into a young woman this morning while out walking my dog. She had a 2 year old min-pin mix who barely knew SIT, let alone any other commands. She told me 2 people had told her that she should carry some rolled up newspaper, and when her dog 'misbehaved' she should smack the dog across the snout.
HERE's the advice I gave her: first, you need to teach your dog what a command means before expecting him to follow it. And yes, she should carry the newspaper -- and the next time she sees these idiots, she should bonk THEM over the head.
I bought my check cord at the local hardware store. $1.25 for the clip and $6.00 for a 30 ft. length of yellow rope that the guy cut for me. Works as good as the fancy ones you buy at the big Outfitter store 1/3 the price.
One great tip is is if your pup doesn't want to retrieve right away go kennel him. Wait two hours and go take him out. Right away try to get him excitied to retrieve and if he still doesn't want to repeat it and sooner or later he will get that you want him to retrieve.
best i can think of is if its a puppy work him a little first so hes not so hyper and will be able to pay attention but dont work them so hard they cant do anything. when a dogs a puppy as you already know their much more hyper then as adults but make them so they dont want to run as much and you can teach them without having them book and not come back good luck training
Shake-easiest commant to teach unless you have no anticipation. You can tell when your dog is about to shake to shed water from swimming or a bath. Just as he is about to shake, say the command "shake". Do this a few times for a week or so and your dog will have it down. So now when you want him to dry off, just say "shake". Easy, unless you are a flat foot floggy.
BTW Jill loves to hunt. She sight points robins and doves when we run. Most of the time she will raise a front paw. Anyway she is bred to a dog with many champions in his bloodline and due to deliver in about 10 days.
I like Del's answer. It seems like a surefire way to save a trip or two to the vet. I'm not even going to try to beat that.
My advice is simple. Get an E-collar and learn how to use it.
Lots of great advice here... I've already learned a thing or two from this blog and the comments!
The one piece of advice I keep having to give myself is this--I am ALWAYS training the dog. When he does well, it is because the training was sound and he is smart. When he does poorly, it is because the TRAINING was poor and he is smart. Toby watches us constantly, looking for ways to please us and to establish his place in our family/pack. All of his mistakes and shortcomings have actually, when I'm honest, been MY mistakes and shortcomings as a trainer.
If you put as much effort into training the trainer as you do training the dog, both will be much better for it!
No matter what you're training your dog for - field trial, hunting, or biscuit eating - cherish every day with your friend. It doesn't matter how much they test you or fail to live up to the mighty expectations we set on their shoulders (and our own), you will be more than willing to have them disobey the easiest command, just to have the opportunity to be with them once more when they go to that big blind in the sky.
When training our lab about 5-6 years back, we noticed that using treats and other dog snacks caused the pup to gain a bit of weight. We found using baby carrots not only was good for the pup's teeth but he seemed to be very excited about anything brightly colored. Not to mention it got me eating more carrots out of habit as well.
I'm still learning new ways of training my pup, and there are a lot of great tips on here. I'll have to try some. My tip is spend alot of time with your dog. Get a strong bond, so they are happy to please you during hunting, sitting next to ya while fishing and what not. If you have that bond and they know your the boss they seem to listen better.
Whether you are running hounds, pointers or flushers, we can all agree that a pup will be a pup. When calling a pup out of the field many of us have played the "catch me if you can" game - when the pup gets just close enough to get a leash on, but jumps away playfully - this can often go on for a while. One thing I have done to my pups is to attach an eight foot piece of weed-eater cord to their leash during training sessions. Because of the stiffness of the cord, it will not wrap around brush, trees, etc. When the pup gets close enough, you can grab the cord and call him in. It is important to grab the end of the cord and call the dog in, not to pull him in. He will eventually learn to keep the games out of the field. Best of luck!!!
To teach your retreiver not to retreive "short"when you can't use a dummy launcher and your throwing arm ain't what it used to be,use a tenis ball and an old racket.Easy to hit a ball 100 yards down wind.
Allot of waterfowl work occurs in dim light so have your dog practice retreiving in the dark.Makes them use their nose more ,watch closer and what else are you up to after dark:)
Dummies or tennis balls are fun in deep snow,again makes the nose work more important,helps break up a long winter off season and the dogs love it.
-when I said to attach the cord to the leash, I meant the collar. haha
Del
thats pretty cool i should teach my dog that hes always wondering off not to run away but well let him outside (he walks himself) and hell go visit a neihbor he smells or hears we didnt ever teach him not to because a lot of our neihbors are elderly or realy little so they all love to see him
If you have any questions dont be afraid to ask.That is my best advice as a DIY dog trainer.I belong to many hunting forums with very many professional dog trainers ansering questions for DIY dog trainers.Even pro trainers ask other pros for help.There are many pheasent hunters forums, waterfoul and other upland game forums such as Hunt smart.com and great blogs such as this one to get input on many different ways to train or tackle a problem.Find one that will work for you and your dog.This will enlighten many people on many subjects.
Raven777 My wife bought my Mendota trainer check cord 50ft.and paid only 13 dollars for it online.I saw one for 11 dollars from another company.Just type in check cord and check the prices.It came in handy for the 10 homers, 10 rollers and pheasent I got to help finish my UK Springer.You could cut it at 30ft. if that is what you prefer for a quartering check cord and still have 20ft. for a training check cord.For four dollars more you have two professional cords made to last for many years and dogs.
After all they dont hunt tennis balls canvas or plastic dummies they hunt birds and that was what the birds were for.
This is handy if you have limited time and need to have your dog relieve themseself. Whenever your dog does their business you praise them and give them a treat and say, "get it done." Eventually you can stop giving the treats and just praise them. And eventually when ever you need the animal to do their business you just say, "get it done." My dog will go on command. It comes in handy when we are on a road trip or about to leave for one. It is a technique used by some trainers who have dogs on TV shows and who don't want to ruin a great retrieving scene with a dog squatting.
I taught my wife's 12lb Yorkie to sit, stay, come, lay down, fetch, and force fetch. That's right, a Yorkie, sit, stay, come, lay down, fetch, and force fetch. He's like a mini-Lab. #1 thing - like I read above - BE PATIENT! Dogs don't speak English. You have to teach them, and before you can teach them - you have to teach them to be taught. That comes with regular work, consistency, and always letting your dog know that you're the master and their duty is to serve you. They need a leader and perform best when they've got structure in their life followed by love and affection. Training a dog should be treated like a habit, not a one shot deal.
The best training tip I know, and possibly one of the most important, is for training your dog to avoid snakes. I do a lot of bird hunting in West Texas and for anyone who knows, the area is full of rattlesnakes. Simply when you're out in the field with your dog and you find a snake, go ahead and kill it and cut the head off (Sorry PETA). Then let the dog get up close to the snake and sniff around at it for a second, so he can get the scent, then give him a sharp buzz on the shock collar, if the dog continues to sniff the snake, continue to shock him in slightly higher increments, it usually only takes once or twice and the dog wont go anywhere near a snake. Snakes are an unavoidable part of hunting where I live, but this tip can help save a curious dog from getting bit.
Do not train too long at one session, paticulary with a young pup. Your want to the quit before the enthusiasm on the training session ends. You want the dog to be excited and have the same enthusiasm when you start your next session. Don't do the same thing over and over as they get bored, too
Good comments all. My suggestion is to steal a phrase "start with the end in mind". Go hunting with several people with good dogs or go to a few field trials. See what really good dog work looks like, not just one dog. Establish what your standards are and then train to those standards. Be patient but don't compromise your standards.
I love these contests! You all should get something for great tips. No better teachers than the people who have gone through the steps themselves and found what works and what doesn't.
My advice get a dog during March or April. Then if you can take the summer to get to konw and understand your dog. It will make your relationship much stronger and the love between you will go. Between man and dog there should be NO servant and master CRAP because when you are doing that you are depressing the dog and not letting it show its full devotion to you.
Post a Comment