Scott Linden Outdoors

You’da thunk I’d remembered …

I wrote about it in my book, have talked about it on the show. But only by re-learning the hard way did I recall the most important ratio in puppy raising: seven to one. Pro trainer after pro trainer has drilled into my head the importance of steaming, heaping piles of praise in relation to tidbits of correction. The ratio for most is 7:1. But that hasn’t stopped me from heading out to the field, checkcord in hand and Flick on the other end, head down and glum for one or more reasons.

Wrong-foot start equals an uphill battle. Without positive reinforcement, a puppy has nothing on which to frame his behavior. Imagine a highway with no lines – that’s a pup with no parameters. He’s weaving, hitting the shoulder, crossing into oncoming traffic and just once in a while keeping to the speed limit.

But halfway through yesterday’s first go-round, the light bulb flashed on again and everything he did right got a “good boy,” treat, or cheerleading session. I remember several female Drahthaar handlers who gushed, fawned and baby-talked their young charges into world-class performance on both sides of the Atlantic. At the time, it seemed over the top. With Manny, it would be, he’d probably wonder what I’d smoked that day.

But with Flick, and I bet with your young pup, all those silly words in a squeaky voice are the fuel of a productive learning session. I might still have trouble being that overt in front of others, but for an audience of one, 17-week-old wirehair, I will show my feminine side if it gets us closer to “fetch!”