Question: I work for the state police and I'm by the animal shelter fairly often. I recently rescued a young German Short-haired Pointer of about twelve months of age. He is a very nice dog, but he's hard to control. He's also taken to jumping over my fence that's around my yard and about a month ago, was hit by a car on one of his escapades. After several hundred dollars in vet bills, he's back to normal. I'm not sure if I can train him to be what I want. What do you suggest I do?

John C., Saginaw.

Answer: Set up an appointment and bring him to me for a two-week evaluation. At the end of he two weeks, he will either be well on his was to being a trained dog, or he'll be washed out an designated to ‘pet only' status.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

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Question: I'm working with my five-month-old English Pointer pup on retrieving birds. The problem I'm having is that she doesn't want to bring me the birds and she'll sometimes run off and bury the bird. Is this normal and what can I do to change this behavior?

Andy T., Adrian.

Answer: I'm not sure that this could be called normal, but I've seen this type of reaction many times before. I believe it is based in a deep desire for birds, which is a good thing, and a possessiveness for this treasure makes them unwilling to share it with you. To correct this reaction to game, you must not run this dog with other dogs when birds are to be shot. By having another dog present, you'll only increase the possessiveness. I recommend using a check cord of at least twenty feet on the pup when working on retrieving. Throw a dead bird for the pup and allow it to pick up the bird while you hang on to the cord. Once the pup has the bird in its mouth, cheerfully tell the bird ‘fetch' and then ‘come'. Praise the pup while you reel it in to you, even it is struggles against the cord. Once you have the pup back to your side, continue to praise it while you hold the bird. Allow the pup to mouth and sniff the bird while you hold it. Now throw the bird about ten feet away and tell the pup to fetch again, repeating the process. Do so several times, and do this for three to four days in a row, then go out without the check cord. Usually, more bird contact will ease the problem. Don't become harsh or cross with the pup, for fear it'll stop retrieving all together.

Charlie Linblade

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Question: I have just purchased a ten-week-old German Short-haired Pointer. My last dog was a big-running Brittany that I could never control in the field. He eventually ran away and was never recovered. How can I prevent this new dog from running too big while we are hunting?

Tom K., Grosse Point.

Answer: Tom, there are several things that can be done to prevent either self-hunting or a dog that ranges further out than the handler wants. The first thing you should be doing with your new pup is getting acquainted. Spend a few days together having fun. This is your bonding time. After a while of this bonding and getting to know each other, start taking the pup for walks. Your walks should be done away from other dogs and in an area where you and the pup can be alone. These walks should be done off-lead and where the pup can run free without danger. A park or a field with short grass would be ideal. This is an activity that should become part of your weekly routine for the life of the dog. After all, going hunting is basically going for long walks with the dog. It isn't important to find birds during your walks at this time.  With these walks, you are setting a pattern of behavior with your pup that will last a lifetime. You will find later in the dog's life that she will be more responsive to where you are and to staying in touch with you in the field.

When the pup is about twelve weeks old, you can start some leash work. Fit the pup with a collar and buy a six-foot-long light lead. Start by sitting down before you attempt to walk. Let the pup discover the limitations of the lead before you attempt to walk her on-lead. Once this is done, take her for walks on-lead. When the pup starts pulling on the lead, either by trying to get further away from you or by trying to pull away from the lead, gently tug her back while saying ‘stay close'. Allow the pup the full length of the lead before you start your ‘stay close' work. After a week of this, start varying the length of the lead that the dog is allowed to use. Give the pup six feet of lead to work with for five minutes, and then shorten it to three feet for five minutes. When the pup pulls the slack out of the lead and starts pulling on you, give a ‘stay close' command and tug the pup back, but not violently. A ‘stay close' command can be transferred to your off-lead walks and later used during hunting when the dog is working further away from you than you feel comfortable with. A ‘heel' command shouldn't be taught until after the ‘stay close' command is set.

Charlie Linblade

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Question: I have a four-year-old male English Setter. I have tried to train this dog myself and I feel I have done a pretty good job, with one exception. I cannot get him to hunt closer to me. He wants to hunt around two hundred to three hundred yards away and he can be very hard to find in thick cover. How do I shorten his range?

Paul S., Attica.

Answer: Paul, you didn't mention the type of cover that is being hunted. Two to three hundred yards in flat, open country is alright with me, although I do like a dog much closer than that in the woods. I like to watch the dog in action and I get a great thrill out of seeing him come upon bird scent and work it into a point. I think the important point here, no pun intended, is that is should be up to the handler to decide what range is acceptable. An experienced handler will usually tolerate more range on a dog than a novice, who usually expects the dog to be within forty yards at all times. A four-year-old dog has established behavior patterns. He's also established his range in the field and the change that you mentioned will take some time. First, start doing the leash work described in the previous response. It will take two to three weeks of this type of leash work before the ‘stay close' command should be used in the field. Once using this ‘stay close' in the field, do not make the dog come all the way back to you.

After several weeks of leash work and some off-lead field work, I would put an electric training collar on the dog. Take the dog to an open field area where the dog is visible for hundreds of yards. When the dog is running at a greater distance than you want, call out the ‘stay close' command. If the dog doesn't respond, give him one quick hit with the collar and say the command again. If the dog yelps and comes all the way back to you, take a minute to reassure him. Pet him and tell him ‘good dog.' It's important to not scold the dog or to show anger in your voice. Gently tell him to ‘stay close' and reassure him, then give him the ‘okay' to hunt on. The electronic collar shouldn't be used as a punishment tool, but merely as an attention-getter. The intensity of the electric charge differs between dogs. A dog that yelps in pain should have the intensity lowered. You don't want to use too much power and shut the dog down, where as not enough power will cause the dog to ignore the stimulation. If your dog does shut down, pet and reassure him until he starts to hunt again.

Remember, you shouldn't expect to change this behavior pattern in a matter of days. It could very well take months. Never use the collar in anger or to punish. Never scold the dog after hitting him with the ‘juice,' but rather reassure him and show him kindness. Act as if you wish to help him and don't realize what is hurting him. The worst-case scenario is when a dog realizes the handler is the culprit. This dog will usually run away from the handler instead of to them, making the collar useless.

Charlie Linblade

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Michigan Pheasant Hunting

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Question: I have a five-year-old female Brittany that ranges too far out for my liking. I have taught her to heel, stay, whoa, sit, and come, all of which she does quite well, but I can't get her to hunt closer. When she is ranging too far, I make her come in and heal for a bit, but as soon as I release her, she goes right back out to a distance that I'm not comfortable with. Should I just give up and buy another dog or what?

John C., Saginaw.

Answer: If this is the only problem you're having with the dog, I wouldn't give up or get rid of her. By calling the dog back in to heel, you haven't conveyed your desire for her to hunt closer. What if when you were in school and every time you misspelled a word, your teacher made you stand in the corner but didn't tell you why you had to stand in the corner. You might have never figured out what she was trying to accomplish.

This problem, like most, is easier to fix earlier on in the dog's life. After five years, most problems are now behavior patterns which take much longer to solve. The command I use is ‘stay close' and it means just that. Ideally, I teach this command when the dog is young and before I have taught the dog to heel. I usually teach this command during the same time that I'm teaching the ‘whoa' command, or as with retrievers, when I'm teaching them to sit on a whistle command.

When a dog is young and full of life, walking on a lead can be a tug-of-war exercise. Young dogs may strain at the leash, pulling to get ahead. Now, the traditional methods say to put a choke or pinch collar on the dog and snap her back when she pulls while saying ‘heel.' A sharp pull will discourage her from pulling and after a few trips out, she will stop pulling on the lead. I have several problems with teaching the heel command too early in a pup's life. A pointing dog that is heel-broke before it is whoa-broke and is steadied on birds will heel when the check cord is put on. A dog that is heeling next to you isn't searching for birds.

While a young dog is in the pulling stage, I firmly but not violently pull on the lead while saying ‘stay close.' I use a regular safety collar, not a pinch or choker, which I would use for the whoa or for heel work. A few good, hard tugs with a choke or pinch collar stops most dogs from pulling altogether. This command takes weeks to set into place and needs to be transferred to off-lead in open fields, same as the ‘whoa' command. It is more of a nagging command and not an abrupt, about-face as with ‘whoa' or ‘heel.' You also need to vary the length of the cord that the dog is allowed to walk with. A few minutes at two feet, a few minutes at ten feet, then maybe a few minutes at six feet, all the while firmly pulling back when the dog tries to pull forward. Some dogs need to be pulled quite hard to get their attention but do not go to a pinch or choke collar. When transferring this to off-lead, you need to use some leg slapping and non-verbal communication.

With an older, heel-broke dog, you may not have much luck with this since the dog is no longer pulling at the lead. In this case, I use the stop to the whistle command that is popular with retriever trainers. Years ago, I was guiding some older fellows on a planted bird hunt. They wanted to hunt pheasants and were planning to use a flusher. I did my best to talk them out of releasing all of the pheasants for fear that the old timers wouldn't be able to keep up with the flushing dog. Hunting with flushers had always been a foot race for me with the dog flushing a fair amount of birds out of gun range.

This group of gray beards never moved faster than a slow walk. As the dog got birdy on my first set, I tried to hurry the group up and into position. The owner of the dog gave a long blast on his whistle and the dog sat obediently. The handler then turned to me and said “son, we've been hunting pheasant for more years than you have been alive. Will you please be quiet and stay back behind us?” “Yes, sir,” I replied, and I proceeded to watch these three old timers get every one of their birds while never once breaking stride. Every time the dog looked as if it had bird scent and was out of shooting range, the handler would hit his whistle and put the dog on sit until they could get into range so that he could then release the dog to hunt on.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Question: I am a young hunter who is looking for a hunting dog. I'm sixteen and starting to drive, so I want a dog to do more than hunting with. My problem is that I don't have much money. Is there some way to find a pointing dog that is either cheap or free?

Danny R., Marquette.

Answer: There are several rescue organizations who place dogs that need a good home. Once you choose a breed, you should contact the rescue people for that breed and register with them. Check your local shelter for contact numbers. The rescue people will contact you when a dog that fits your needs becomes available. Another way to find a less-expensive dog is by adopting from your local shelter. This may require you to keep regular contact with the shelter until a dog becomes available. Many breeders are sympathetic to young people in your situation and may consider selling you a pup at a reduced price. It doesn't hurt to ask. I'll let you know if I come across something.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

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Question: We are looking for a puppy to serve us as both a pet and a hunter. What advice can you give us?

Tom and Sharon W., Lansing.

Answer: Simple solution, pick the best parents for hunting and pick the best pup for pet qualities. When it comes to hunting, genetics are the most important factor. You must see both parents in the field to make this determination and, of course, accomplishments in competitive events help to determine this. Once the right parents are found, the job of picking the right pup is much easier. Look for happy, outgoing, confident, and friendly. Not too sleepy or active. Basically, the middle of the road. Remember, puppies aren't usually a mixture of the two parents. They tend to take after their mother of father. Negative traits in parents tend to show up in the offspring. Good luck.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Michigan Bird Dog Training 

Question: I have a thirteen-week-old Brittany pup and I'd like to start training her. I've talked to one trainer who says I should enroll her in one of his seminars.It's a four-class seminar, with each class lasting four hours. It'll have ten other pups in the class. Do you think this is much too soon for this young of a pup?

Dave R., Brighton.

Answer: The short answer is yes. This is like enrolling a four-year-old child in junior high instead of preschool. Your ‘trainer,' and I use this term loosely, is more concerned with getting your money than training your pup. A four-hour class for a young pup is about three and a half hours too long, and eleven pups in one setting is ridiculous. This is just one of the problems with the current crop of seminar-givers. Most of them will not take on a dog to board and train because then they'll have to prove that they can actually train a dog, rather than just lecture you on their opinions. You'll find that most of the current seminar-givers aren't recognized by any organization as bonafide professional trainers, nor do they have any titled dogs in any venue.

Leave your money in your pocket and take your pup on a nice walk for some playtime until she grows up a little more. The ‘introduction and encouragement' stage starts at about six months of age. Actual training starts at about eight to ten months of age.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training