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Honoring Point

December 6th, 2011 at 7:50 am

Question: I have a two-and-a-half-year-old male Brittany that I'd like to get an A.K.C. Senior Hunt test title on. My main problem is getting the dog to honor another dog's point. He will not back another dog that's on point. Any suggestions?

Doug B., South Lyon.

Answer: After having Doug bring the dog to my shooting preserve, we tried setting birds and running his dog with one of mine on the birds. When one of my dogs found a bird first, it became obvious what Doug was talking about. The young male Brit did everything possible to ignore the English Setter pointing the bird. What we have here is a dog who doesn't want to back another dog.

Backing or honoring is a situation with pointing dogs where when one dog finds a bird, the other dogs hunting with it must stop and ‘honor' the pointing dog's point. The backing dog must not encroach upon the dog on point or the bird, and must stay back at a reasonable distance so as to not interfere with the dog on point. An ‘honor' should be held through the flush, shot, and retrieve. Many dogs do it naturally while others, such as this Brit, must be taught. There is also honoring for retrievers. With retrievers, ‘honoring' usually involves holding back while the lead dog completes a retrieve.

Not all problems with dogs are fixable. It isn't like fixing your car where everything is replaceable, so don't assume that the problem will be easy to remedy.

We tried several times with different dogs to make it clear on what we waned. Many times, Doug ‘whoa'ed his dog when it wouldn't acknowledge or stop for the other dog on point to no avail over several sessions. The dog clearly understood what we wanted, but refused to comply. If Doug didn't whoa the Brit around another dog on point, it would simply steal the point, advancing in front of the pointing dog.

I advised Doug to go home and make a wooden cut-out of a dog on point with a detachable tail. I also advised him to paint one side brown and the other side black and white to resemble different dogs depending on which side he had facing his dog. I told him to make the Brit ‘whoa' the cut-out every time he saw it for a few weeks, and then try a live dog again.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

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Aggressive Started Dog

December 6th, 2011 at 7:49 am

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Early Puppy Work

December 6th, 2011 at 7:42 am

Spring and summer is the peak season for puppy buyers. I'm not sure of the exact figures, but this time of year, the papers and magazines seem full of adds for bird hunting dogs. While most of the hunters are golfing, fishing or boating, guys like me are working young dogs on birds in preparation for next season. We've been releasing quail for our summer training season. We try to establish at least two coveys on the grounds that revert quickly to the wild with a little supplemental feeding. When training, we release birds specifically for the dog we are shooting over. If the young dog does not hold point sufficiently, the bird is not shot and it has the opportunity to join up with the covey. All of the quail come from the same flock and we do not shoot birds out of the coveys.

The birds that have reverted back to the wild are an excellent source for bird contact for the dogs. By helping birds survive on the grounds, we can insure the dogs opportunities to encounter birds in as wild and natural situations as possible. This also helps to draw some of the attention off of rabbits and deer. The wild coveys will move around as they are pressured and may even move off of the farm if bothered too much. Once these birds know their habitat and become predator-wise, they will last all summer.

Pups need bird contact to blossom into hunting dogs. Even pups that are twelve weeks old will show instinctive interest and pointing responses to birds. Although we do not start working our pups until they are about six months old, we will start running them at ten to twelve weeks. When I say ‘working,' I mean training and shooting over them, and when I say ‘running,' I mean off-lead in a natural area that is low enough for the young pup to run in.

It is our experience that the average new puppy owner is in too big of a rush to introduce their new pup to formal training programs. A pup of four or five months has the attention span of a three-year-old child. Small doses of positive reinforcement training is all that can be expected from these youngsters. I cringe when I hear people talk of the rare ten or twelve-month-old pup that has passed a Senior or even Master Hunt test.

Although I believe if you do have one of the rare precocious pups that can focus early, you might as well proceed with the training. The problem is that these pups are a rarity and many young dogs suffer at the hands of overzealous owners pushing their pups towards a title they are not ready for. In the majority of circumstances, the pursuit of titles is driven by the owner's ego.

The basics of hunting a dog is to be able to control them off-lead in the field. Also, bird dogs need to understand that they are hunting for you and should periodically check in. The best way and time to teach this is when they are very young. The method is very simple. Take them for runs in open areas. Sorry, there are no hidden secrets or unique new ways of training them. The basics have remained the same for many decades. The big challenge is to tailor your program to your dog's needs. Start running them at ten to twelve weeks of again, and start training them to ‘whoa' at sixteen to twenty weeks. Whoa is just a ‘standing stay' command, and young pups shouldn't be expected to stay at a whoa when other pups are present or for long periods of time. Remember the short attention span.

Even from the same litter, different pups will develop at different rates. By running your pup in the field and releasing birds occasionally, your pup will focus on birds and learn to hunt for you at a very young age. Of course, later during the teenage stages, you will need to do more, but for the young pups that are younger than five months, keep it simple and fun.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

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When To Train

December 6th, 2011 at 7:40 am

Question: I have an eight month old English Setter puppy that I would like to start breaking to the gun and begin training. I have heard of many different methods and am not sure which to use. Can you give me any advice?

Kenny P., Madison Heights.

Answer: I advice my customers to let me introduce the gun while the dog is here for training. This first step in becoming a gun dog can be tricky with certain dogs. My experience has been that about one-third of the dogs being sold as potential gun dogs are noise-sensitive. Some were born that way and some were created by their environment. On the plus side, about one-third of the potential pups are not and never will be bothered by gunfire. The final third are dogs that, with proper introduction, will learn to take exposure to gunfire as part of a hunting dog's life.

Pups that we have in for training are run in groups of two to three for exercise and socialization. Once they are comfortable in their new surroundings, I'll do a noise test. I'll have my gunner follow behind me by about fifty to sixty yards with a .410 bore shotgun. While the eight to ten-month-old pups are running and playing, I will signal the gunner to fire a shot away from us. Towards us would have a louder muzzle blast. If there was no reaction, I repeat the exercise. This will give me some indications if one of the pups is noise sensitive.

Next, we will spend three to four days introducing quail. The birds will be released in a large field and each pup will be allowed to chase them, alone. Any reluctant pups will be encouraged to chase or run with another pup who is chasing. The point here is to build desire for game and to focus the pups on quail instead of rabbits, mice, or butterflies. If the pup points the bird, we say ‘whoa' in a soothing voice and tell them ‘good dog'. We also introduce the word “bird” at this time and only use it when there are birds present. I am not concerned if a pup is not pointing at this time.

What is important is that the pup is having fun. Birds must be fun and exhilarating, and the desire for birds must be strong in order to carry the pup's interest through training. This introduction time is short, around fifteen to twenty minutes for just three or four days. On day three, I have my gunner shoot away from us while the dog is chasing the bird. If there is no reaction to the first shot, he will shoot at the next bird and try to hit it in one shot. If he misses, he'll let it go. At this time, shoot only once at each bird and stop at three birds. Do the same on day four.

Now is the time to start training. Do not run the dog on birds again until you have the dog reasonably ‘whoa' broke. This means the dog will stop for you while you are out in the field off-leash with no birds present. This may take one week or it may take three. Once you have the dog ‘whoaing' in the field off-lead, you can go back to the bird work. Once again, set three birds, except this time, keep the dog on a long line. Lead the dog into the wind towards the bird. When you see the dog pick up the scent, tell him ‘easy'. If he points, tell him ‘whoa' and ‘good dog', then have your gunner flush and shoot the bird.

If the dog does not point, but flushes the bird, jerk him back with the long line while loudly saying “whoa!” I start with a choke collar and move up to a pinch collar if the dog is very strong or rambunctious. Do not ‘whoa' the dog before the flush. Allow him to make the mistake, then voice your command, ‘whoa!' And of course, tell your gunner not to shoot any birds that are not pointed. If a dog won't point after repeating this once a day for two days, you will need to go back to open-field ‘whoaing' with no birds present. When you are taking a young dog into birds tell him ‘birds here, find them. Easy now, easy.' Remember, at this time, we are training for bird handling, not hunting and searching for game. That will come later.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

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Starting A Pup

December 6th, 2011 at 7:39 am

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Purchasing a Puppy

December 6th, 2011 at 7:37 am

Spring is here and puppy sales are at their highest. Breeders tend to have more litters in spring and summer due to the weather, mainly because warmer temperatures are more conductive to healthy pups. If you are a first-time puppy buyer, here are a few tips to help make the transition of bringing a new pup home easier.

First, buy a dog crate. The airline-approved plastic type work well, as do the metal cage type. Take into account how big the dog will become when it is full-grown. There is no real advantage to buying a crate that fits the pup, then buying another larger one later. The crate will assist you in house training the new pup also. Place the pup in the crate at bedtime and whenever you are leaving the pup unattended. A young pup does not know the rules of the house. It may chew things it should not, or get on furniture, or relieve itself in exactly the wrong place. By placing the pup in the crate when you are leaving, you eliminate the unpleasant experience of coming home to mass destruction by your happy little pup. Discipline should be loud and vocal, not harsh and physical, and only when you are able to witness the infraction.

At as early as eight weeks, I start setting the parameters for the pup. I also start using the same commands that I will use for the rest of the pup's life. "Stop it!" is a useful one and should be said firmly and loudly when the pup is caught in the act of misbehavior. Let's say if the pup is chewing on the corner of the couch and you walk into the room. Say in a gruff voice “stop it!", then move the pup away from the spot he is destroying. Give the pup one of his chew toys and speak to him in a soft, soothing and friendly voice while petting him. At this age, puppies are not able to understand language, but voice tones and body language will get your point across. All dogs of any age should have toys and chew things to play with. Young pups under six months should not be given rawhide or bones. There is a lot of discussion as to whether dogs should be given bones at all. Pieces of bone can break off and become lodged in a dog's throat or intestines. I give my dogs large bones that I have baked in the oven at three hundred degrees for an hour to kill off any parasites. I can usually get these bones at the meat counter of the super market, sold as soup bones. Cow knee and shin bones have worked well for me. Do not give pork or chicken bones to a dog because they can splinter and become lodged in their throat. I know people who have had this problem with steak bones as well. Rawhide chews are much safer but watch out for ones that are bleached excessively, as they may upset the dog's stomach. There are nylon chew bones on the market that work very well and are much safer for young dogs.

Stuffed animals and squeaky toys are good to have around for when the pup is chewing something it should not. Remove the puppy from the spot of the infraction and if it is chewing something that can be picked up and removed from the area, do so. Then replace the object the pup should not be chewing with either a nylon chew bone or one of the other toys you have purchased for him. The act of chewing is necessary for dogs of all ages. It helps to relieve stress or boredom and is important in the teething process.

Bonding with the pup is important at this time, and that essentially means spending time with it. Pick the new pup up on a Saturday morning so that you will be able to spend a lot of time with it for a couple of days. For the first couple of nights that a new pup spends in my house, I will sleep on the couch with the pup curled up on me. This really accelerates the bonding process. Remember that puppies have spent all of their short lives with plenty of company and attention. You should make a point of having everything ready before you bring the new pup home. Crate, blanket, newspapers, toys, bowls and puppy chow all should be set up for the new arrival. When putting a pup in a crate while you are away, make a nest in one corner for sleeping and make sure you have a grate on the cage bottom to keep the pup out of any messes that will surely appear.

Eventually as the pup grows, it will not want to mess in the crate and house training will be made easier. Try not to get into the habit of teaching the pup to go in the house on papers. It is easier to train them to go outside right from the start. Buy a collar that fits the pup. Most stores will allow you to bring the dog in for proper fitting. Unlike the crate, you will end up buying new collars as the old ones are out-grown. A collar will give you a handle to hold onto the pup so as not to injure it when the need arises to take control. A light leash, preferably six feet in length, should be used when taking the pup out to go to the bathroom. I use a light choke chain at this time so the pup cannot slip out of a regular collar, but I only use it when on-lead.

I get calls from people with young pups that are eight to fourteen weeks old who want to start some type of training. Play retrieving can start at this age. A wing on a fishing pole will help the pointing breeds to demonstrate pointing instinct. Twitch the wing in front of the pup. If it lunges after the wing, flip it out of reach. Do not let the pup catch the wing when doing this. Put the leash on the pup and throw a wing a short distance, say four or five feet. This wing should not be attached to a string. Say 'fetch' and let the pup chase and catch the wing. Then coax the pup back to you using a high-pitched, friendly voice saying 'come'. If needed, reel it in with the leash, all the while saying 'come' in a friendly, high-pitched voice. The earlier you start the pup carrying a feathered object, the better. If you can get pigeons or quail, kill and freeze a couple for these retrieving sessions. Fresh-killed and still-warm birds are the best.

Teaching a pup to sit at this time is good also. I do not recommend teaching a young pointing dog to 'heel' yet, at least not until the check cord work is finished on birds. Retrievers should be taught to ‘heel' early. For all the bird hunting breeds, I first teach a command of ‘stay close' instead of ‘heel' on the leash. The ‘stay close' command will become very important as the dog grows large enough to run out from the handler at a greater distance then is desired.

The last bit of advice I give to new owners is to take your pups on walks. Do this off-lead and in areas where the pup will not have too much trouble walking. Save the heavy cover for when it is old enough to get through the cover. Try to do this in an area where you and your pup can be alone, and start early before the pup is big enough and bold enough to go to far from you. You will be setting a pattern of you being the leader and that the two of you are out together as a team. A young pup will look to you for protection and most will be afraid of getting lost. The older and bolder the pup, the more important a name tag on the collar will be.

Good luck with your new family member and remember to have fun with the training process. A sense of humor and plenty of patience are the two greatest assets to successful training.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

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New Pups

December 6th, 2011 at 7:28 am

Question: I really enjoy reading your column in Woods N Water News, so much that I finally took the plunge and (with my better half's blessings) bought a German Short-haired Pointer named Rudy. He is only ten weeks old right now. In your opinion, what should I be working with him on other than taking care of business outside and introduction to the kennel. So far, I've been trying to give him plenty of exercise and letting him socialize. He's pretty good with my command to come. Is there a preferred time to begin using an electronic collar? Do you have any suggestions for the teething, other than chew toys? Sometimes he gets a bit rough with my daughter. As you can probably tell, I'm a rookie, but I'm excited about the future and I want to do this right as best as I can. Can you recommend a book or video that could point me in the right direction? Can you also send me the information regarding the Michigan Hunting Dog Federation? I appreciate any suggestions or advice you're willing to give.

Jeff and Rudy.

Answer: You've apparently learned some buzz words but unfortunately, not what they mean. First, let me put things in perspective for you. Your ten-week-old pup is equivalent to a three-year-old child. What do three-year-olds need? Love, understanding, guidance, some structure and plenty of playtime. I hope you aren't pushing your daughter into college preparation when she's still in grade school. Likewise, don't push the pup to preform complex tasks before his young brain is ready. You're in a bonding period with your pup, not a training period. In case you haven't noticed, your pup has an attention span of about one minute. He needs plenty of stimulus to keep him interested. When you say plenty of exercise, I hope you mean you're taking him for walks in low-cut fields. By starting this early on, you'll be setting a pattern that you're the leader in the field and it is you who decides how face and what direction you go in. This should be done before the pup is old enough to run off on you.

I'm not sure what you mean by socializing him, either. If you can expose him to other pups his age, fine. If you mean exposing him to older, strange dogs, stop. Socializing with older dogs will come later. Teething takes place at about six months of age, which is when the puppy teeth are replaced by adult teeth. When you say the pup is a bit rough with your daughter, I'll assume you mean he is play-biting. This should be discouraged by reacting as if it hurts. Say ‘ouch!' and back away. If the pup persists, say ‘no!' sharply and loudly. If the pup still doesn't adjust, smack him on the head with a rolled up newspaper and say ‘no!' When he adjusts his behavior to being gentle, praise and pet him. This will help him understand that the biting hurts you and that you don't like it. Play-biting is natural for dogs. This method is also useful for jumping up. Jumping is learned at a young age and if it isn't stopped early in the pup's life, it will become a life-long habit. The command to ‘come' will be more of a challenge as the pup's independence grows. You may use treats to lure him in when this happens, but do not reprimand him for not coming. Remember to praise him for good behavior and scold him for bad behavior. Books and videos give a generalization of training and aren't capable of addressing individual needs. Stick with me and I'll guide you through the process so that you have a training program that meets your dog's individual needs. Your pup is in the ‘introduction and encouragement' stage, not the training stage, of his life.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

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Pointers as Flushers

December 6th, 2011 at 7:26 am

Question: I've heard that you use your pointing dogs to flush after the bird's been pointed. I have a German Short-hair I'd like to do this with. Can you give me any advice?

Jack R., Trenton.

Answer: There are instances when hunting thick cover with pointing dogs that require assistance from the dogs to get the bird in the air. I'll pause here for a moment to allow the moaning and hand-wringing from the competition crowd to subside before I continue. But seriously, this is a fact of life for bird hunters who use pointing dogs. Quite often, birds will be found in very thick cover, making the possibility of getting a shot impossible for the person doing the flushing, especially with birds who like to run, namely pheasant and late-season grouse.

Hunting late-season grouse requires a savvy dog who will move with the bird when necessary while maintaining proper distance to avoid flushing the bird before the gunners are set. A rock-solid, never-budge-on-point dog will be accused of false-pointing and will provide very few shooting opportunities. Believe me, I've tried it both ways. This isn't to stay that there aren't problems related to allowing the pointing dog to move off point. Some dogs will never perfect the system.

My dogs point hundreds of wild birds and thousands of pen-reared birds a year, thus putting them at a much higher level of experience than the average dog. The basics remain the same. They must first point the bird and wait for my command. It's imperative that the dog be completely ‘whoa' trained. The dog must obey the command immediately under any circumstances, and for most people, this takes several years of hunting. When hunting pen birds, especially quail and chuckar, pressure from the dog makes for a better flush. Pen birds learned long again that people can't catch them and that there's little to fear from us. When the dog goes on point, the hunter will approach to flush and, more times than not, the bird will run instead of flying. One of the biggest problems we have on the shooting preserve is hunters who've steadied their dogs down to competition standards. There is some speculation that the early setters were crossed with or bred to herding dogs. This is apparent when watching a dog work a group of running birds on a preserve.

Having said this, let me confuse you even more by saying that I don't use my pointing dogs to flush pen birds. I'll allow the dog to help flush wild birds, which are much more skittish than pen birds. Our system as Wing Shooters is to use pointing birds, in our case, English Setters, to find and point the birds. We then use our Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, which are kept at heal, to flush when the gunners are in position. The gunshot is the release for my pointing dogs, making them free to retrieve. I think the best system might be to allow only the retrievers to retrieve birds, but my Setters like to retrieve and they must do so when retrievers aren't present, such as in the wild. Of course, all dogs must honor the retriever and not try to steal the bird once it's in another dog's possession.

You may have seen this done down south on plantation hunts, where the pointing dogs have to work in the heat and they must cover large sections of ground. Quite often, these pointers come from field trail stock that don't retrieve, but the fact remains that a pointer that has to find and retrieve down birds will burn out and tire faster in the heat.

I've trained several breeds of flushers and retrievers for this and I've found that Chesapeakes work the best.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

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