Arizona Outdoorsman / AZOD

Developing a Flushing Dog – Part 2

Submitted by

Kurt Caldwell Owner and Head Trainer of Hup Now Gundogs

Phone (623) 225 - 6455

Email: Hupnow@yahoo.com

http://www.hupnow.com/

At last writing we talked about free hunting your pup and the benefits. Like most owners of pups, your time and trips up north might be limited. Try to expose your pup as much as you can to the free hunt sessions. The free hunting will help build a solid confident hunting companion. I got my first spaniel in 1981 and the versatility of a flushing dog was the main reason. I have enjoyed countless trips in the field with flushing dogs, shooting everything from rabbits, pheasant, chukar, ducks, geese, quail, squirrel, grouse and dove. Fur or feather the dogs have brought it to hand with fire and enthusiasm, much like the inherited desire of the pointing instinct in the pointing breeds.

Flushing dogs from proven hunting lines have a very strong retrieving instinct. This can be seen by watching young pups from good hunting lines carrying objects around at 3 to 4 weeks old. The instinct only gets stronger as the pup gets older. Our job as a trainer is to develop this instinct and to instill in pup, a love to retrieve. This will be accomplished by our golden rule at HupNow Gundogs; quality sessions over quantity sessions...The old hallway method with all the doors shut is by far the best way to teach a young pup the fun game of retrieving. By using your hallway with all the doors shut, you are giving the pup less room for error as its one-way down and one-way back and the pup gets to play fetch in a controlled area. This will encourage the pup to deliver to hand. To start playing fetch with your pup there is some simple rules we use:

Never correct your pup when its carrying an object in its mouth, for instance you probably have seen a pup carrying around a shoe or clothes. The pups instinct is telling it, “Hey pick this up and carry it.” If you see your pup with something it shouldn't have in its mouth, it's better to encourage the pup to bring it to hand and then give it something it can have in its mouth like a chew toy. Correcting the pup without it understanding why it was corrected can make a pup quit retrieving. Pups can be very unforgiving when they don't understand why they are being corrected...

To control the dog’s body, you must train its mind…

Rule number two in our training program is if you want to control the dog’s body, you have to train its mind. By training the dogs mind the body actions of the dog will follow. After all, the dogs mind is what makes the decisions. I use a puppy training canvas buck, the only time a pup will see this buck is when we are playing fetch, so take that pup of yours to the hallway. I always hold the pup I'm working in one arm then tease the pup with the buck with my free arm, when I'm sure the pup has its attention locked on the buck, a short toss down the hallway and pup explodes out of my arms. I always wait until a pup has the object in its mouth before I start encouraging them to come. A lot of novice handlers will start calling the pup before it’s picked the object up and the pup will often come running in without the buck. Once pup has the buck, encourage him to come. I play fetch with pups 3 times a week and pups have very short attention spans so don't push it, too much and a young pup can get turned off of the fetch game, or any type of training.

Stay in the hallway until that pup is bringing that buck right into you without any problems. Another tip is if you play fetch and let the pup drop the buck and you keep repeating this over a long period of time you have taught the pup to drop the buck. I take advantage of the pup’s size to keep the pup from dropping the buck. When it is bringing the buck back, I let the pup come into my arms I pet him and hold him and don’t rush taking the buck from pup. Let him enjoy the moment with you and then just say give and you are already set up to repeat your drill with the pup in your arms.

If I was going to put a number of times on playing fetch with a pup I always

Try to get 5 to 10 throws in the hallway. I can't stress enough to watch your pup’s enthusiasm if you see the pup getting bored quit while you are ahead.

Try to work your pup away from all distractions. Make these sessions just you and the pup. There will be plenty of time for the family to love up the pup when you are done.

3 times a week is good start for now, short and sweet sessions and remember to tease your pup with the buck before each toss and when you are done tease the pup with the buck not letting have it and put the buck up Your pup will only see this buck during these sessions. By doing this you will see the excitement in that pup of yours when that buck is in your hands. Now your pup is retrieving like gang busters in the hallway and running right back to you with the buck. Now is the time to take the next step and move the pup to the backyard. Sounds simple enough yet to that pup is a whole new ball game. More room and more distractions. I always let the pup run around the yard a bit just to bleed of excess energy and allow pup to familiarize himself with his surroundings. After a while I’ll call the pup to me and pet and praise him and let him know I have not yet thrown the buck. I just want to get in the pups head a lil bit right now, training the mind, remember?

After the pup has responded to the here command a few times without the stimulation of a retrieve, I call the pup in and again holding the pup in my arms I pull the buck from my pocket and give it a short toss in the yard. If all goes well and the hallway should condition the dogs mind to bring it to hand, as the pup picks up the buck get excited and encourage the pup to come to you. Don’t forget to praise pup for a job well done. In the event pup tries to take advantage of the wide open spaces and runs from you, don’t chase your pup as this will only encourage a game of keep away. Sometimes running away from the pup and calling the pup to you will bring the pup in. I have often just walked to the door that leads back into the house and the pup usually thinking its time to go in will readily bring the buck to me. I then go back to the hallway for some more training. If your backyard has the same type of a controlled area by all means use it as this will help the pup also in the transition from inside to outside in the retrieving game.

When training a dog of any age, I have learned over the years that there are two types of dogs. One dog thinks thru stimulus the other dog reacts thru stimulus. Understanding this will go along way in helping your gun-dog prospect. The pup that thinks thru stimulus will readily bring the buck in when brought outside. The pup reacting thru the stimulus of the retrieve will run away with the buck. So let’s say both types of pups are coming when called, without the stimulus of a retrieve. Now we throw the buck and pup #1 runs out grabs the buck hears the command “HERE” and shoots back into you. Obviously this pup has thought thru the whole process and understands the command here and can recognize when the buck is thrown and despite a great deal of excitement, retrieves the buck to hand.

The #2 pup would run out and do the same thing except he will not come directly to hand. He is reacting to the excitement and not thinking thru the stimulation. The pup is reacting; he knows the command here, without the retrieve he just reacts to the excitement of the game and the open area. No worries they both will make good gun-dogs in time one just will take a tad longer to train then the other. That is why most pro trainers can't honestly tell you how long it will take to train your dog. Each dog is different and some will breeze thru training and some will have problems with certain areas of the training process, just as you will find out in training your gun-dog.

So your pup is now retrieving to hand in the back yard now let’s take the pup to the field and throw a buck. I always let the pup run a bit and explore and take care of personal business before starting the session. Just as you did in the backyard tease the pup and throw the buck. Keep the distance short at first and as your pup becomes older you can increase the distance. If all goes well the pup will bring it to hand and you will give the pup praise for a job well done. If your pup struggles meaning runs around without coming in. Just take a step back and go back to a controlled area and work the pup thru it all over again. Cooler head always prevail and in training a pup success often comes by taking a few steps back to get a giant step forward.

Next time we’ll begin teaching pup basic commands such hup/sit and stay. We’ll also begin the process of getting pup ready for his introduction to game and gunfire.

Hope to see you & your dog in the field real soon. Until then happy training!!!

Kurt Caldwell