One of our goals – retrieve to hand, every time.
On a long drive back from the last TV shoot of the season yesterday, I reflected on a number of priorities for this spring and summer … anticipating fall with a mature Flick, more “fun” hunt time than usual, and a chance to explore the west a bit more than most years.
Rising above it all were my expectations for Flick’s training and how I could help rather than hinder. You know that feeling, too, I’ll bet. There are times we might be better off letting the birds teach our dog!
Toward that end, to help me and perhaps you, here are some random thoughts for “training season.”
- Think like a dog. Understanding his perspective (literally and figuratively) might be a sound foundation on which to build expectations and teach skills. He really is all about pleasing himself, not you. The sooner you understand that his goal is bird-in-mouth, not a pat on the head from his human, the better. And if you’re thinking fear of the e-collar is the best motivator, please stop reading and sell your dog.
- Be consistent. New command, new word. Always use the same one. In my own mind, I’m trying to work through the command and outcome before I start teaching it. I’ve played with some pretty famous musicians, and none of them ever regret a dress rehearsal.
- Raise the bar. If a dog is “phoning it in,” he’s not challenged enough. Yes, repetition is how dogs learn. But why not raise your expectations and forestall boredom for both of you? Retrieves from the table, blind retrieves and dead bird searches are all similar, but incrementally more difficult versions of the same command/skill.
- Baby steps. Dogs only have room for the next thought. Pile too many on top of that, and he might retrieve your cat. Classical musicians learn the hard parts first, no matter where they are in the score. I take that a step farther and start at the last portion so it gets easier as we learn.
- Think twice before you set up training scenarios. Who doesn’t love a dog slamming into a rock-solid point, then maintaining that rigidity through the wing-shot-fall? Consider the worst case before you bring your dog into the picture and stage-manage it for flawless execution. In this case, know the wind direction, use a checkcord if you need to, ensure the bird can’t be caught, and if necessary, have a gunner drop that bird so you can concentrate on the dog.
You have your own list and I wish you luck. Add to this one, if you like, in the comments section or on Facebook. Maybe we can compare notes in the field this fall.
Scott Linden Outdoors 
I have just discovered your podcasts and am really enjoying them. One subject you touched upon was a a first time dog owner and training. When I was given my first bird dog, an English Setter, I had never been hunting but wanted too, my solution to learning how to train my dog was to find a trainer here in Oklahoma and just asked if I could be his assistant so for 10 weeks I was an apprentice trainer helping bring the dogs out each morning, cleaning kennels and anything else I was asked to do. In return I received much knowledge and since then have trained my own dogs, not to field trial level but to a level that gets me a dog that points, whoas and retrieves. You are however so right in that training and live by with the new pup is way more fun than leaving a dog with a trainer.
Great story!