Gun Dog Forum

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

sean english wrote:
Sharon wrote:Never used a heeling stick . Always used a "wonder lead". How does the heeling stick work?
What is a Wonder Lead? How do you use it?

www.huntsmith.com

Nate

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I use the Hickox method. http://www.georgehickox.com Begin with a lock wing pigeon, and encourage the pup to pick up the bird. Be upbeat, but give the pup a chance to learn. The lock wing bird can't flap or otherwise intimidate the pup. Once the pup will pick up a lock wing, toss out a clip wing pig...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

We live in south central MN and our usual pheasant release this year was cut in half so I was just checking to see if it was viable to release quail. We are a bit farther north than their normal range but the habitat they are going in seems ideal. Their release would be about 45 miles north of Mank...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

polmaise wrote:
big_fish wrote:Does anyone train their pointing dogs to flush the bird on command after it has pointed it?
And,stop after it has flushed.

That's the key, and arguably the most difficult behavior for a dog to learn. At least one that has been trained to flush aggressively.

Nate

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

time to adjust to the e collar not just for a shut down zap but to help teach him how to go with you and listen to you... This is the process I go through to help teach young dogs to contact points to help the Go WITH me and then Come to me http://www.kninebirddog.com/understanding-the-e-collar.htm...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

RayGubernat wrote:
DoubleBarrel GunDogs wrote:
EvanG wrote:If you want to learn the proper use of the heeling stick...BUY THE VIDEO.

RayG

Fair enough. I can do that.

Nate

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

No need to kill the messenger; I'm sure Mr. Hickox knows what is going on here and if wanted to can defend himself. Would be nice if someone else from the seminar would share their view on what happened. Messinger? Without verification it is unfounded accusations. And if it costs George even one cu...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

The concept of the command sit. If sit and heel were taught properly there would be no need for a crop or heeling stick. Nate Absolute rubbish. This is a confession of ignorance. Nothing more. EvanG Perhaps so, but I still don't see any need or benefit of using a stick or crop on a 7 month old pup....

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I've never used a crop, but have seen them used by some retrieve folks, and always as a crutch for lack of training. And once again - as with your commodious account of Hickox "teaching" kennel with the e-collar - you're speaking out of the overloaded, undereducated side of your mouth. A heeling st...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

Read about the wonder lead on http://www.huntsmith.com. I don't know if you'll find it right for you, but I haven't found any dogs that it won't teach a proper heel on. Including my wife's Jack Russell. I've never used a crop, but have seen them used by some retrieve folks, and always as a crutch fo...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I think your pretty accurate in your assessment and use of these products. A lot of this stuff is just a marketing ploy. Just as most fishing lures are designed to hook fishermen not fish.

Nate

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I don't think there's really anything wrong with mixing systems. The problem occurs when you change course with a particular dog, and the dog becomes confused. Extra care must be taken when you introduce something new. Dogs don't understand concepts very well. That's a difficult thing for many peopl...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

At 6 1/2 weeks you have to remember the pup should still be with its mother and siblings for another week and a half at least learning from them. I wouldn't be doing much of anything with a baby that age other than trying to socialize it with people and other dogs. The pup does not need to be runni...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

DSCN0044.JPG Aulrich, here a couple of pics that show what I do if I need a helper. The cords I make, and the one with the loop at the end is made specifically for steadiness training. The helper I bought from Lion Country. When you stop the dog, the cord will be behind him. Give the dog maybe a 5-...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I wouldn't suggest repeating the command however if the dog is already displaying the desired behavior. There is no benefit to telling the dog whoa if he is already at a stop. The reason is, this will teach the dog that shot means whoa. By doing so several times in a row like this, it really ingrai...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

Get him to several different training fields before you move ahead. If you don't, you'll maybe find that the only place he'll do it is the one field he learned in. +1 On generalizing the cue in various locations. First you need to be sure the dog understands the cue. Vman explained a method I call ...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

You could try using a different word for a notification of correction that's unfamiliar to your other dog. Like: Wrong!, for example. However, it is likely that its much more than the word used that's making your older dog fearful or apprehensive. Tone of voice and posture can be perceived as cues a...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

The first seminar was in Ohio in April, 2013. The second was a series of four Saturdays in June of this year in Bismarck ND. In Ohio we were working in an outdoor pavilion with a kennel on the ground. The point being this was a 6 month pup, new enviroment, with 10 people standing around. He asked m...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

It seems that your Dad and your Uncle would be best served owning flushing dogs, and not flushing GSP's but Labs or Springers. A pointing dog that is allowed to root out birds is no longer a pointing dog. You don't want your dog flushing birds out of gun range, and the only ways to prevent that are ...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I had the same problem after Hcikox collar conditioned my 6 month old high drive, bold and confident, GWP pup to kennel at a four day seminar I attended. I attended another of his seminars two months later and the moment he took the lead, she shutdown. He handed her back to me proclaiming "I can't ...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I run pigeons, so when I loft fly or trap train young I keep mine dog in the house, until the birds are all back in the loft. If I don't he will try to figure out how to get to the top of a 2 story house. I don't think having them has hurt my pointing dog. x2 Use pigeons instead. They are much more...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

Take it outside and let it chase butter fly's. If you need to build desire, you bought the wrong pup. Even a show dog from a long line of show dogs will chase a crossed wing pigeon. Maybe so, but will it pick one up or will it eat a bowl of dog chow if offered in its place? I'm in the camp of build...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

6 months old is a bit young for formal training, IMO, but it depends on what you are looking for. Three months is about right for a trainer to get something meaningful done. If you are wondering what to do... may I suggest you put the dog with a good trainer who is hopefully relatively close by and...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I have three main questions: 1) is there a specific training schedule/routine that you follow when you are working with your dog? I use a combination of these 2 programs. www.georgehickox.com. www.huntsmith.com. However, I believe you should choose a single proven program and stick with it. A semin...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I have been fortunate enough to avoid heat stroke in my dogs. The only bit of advice I can add to what's been offered is to keep ice in a cooler, and insert some ice into the dog's anus in the event of an emergency. You need to quickly lower the dog's body temperature if it reaches 104 degrees, and ...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

Congratulations! Are pups ever NOT born in the middle of the night?

Nate

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I have a two year old GSP and I am having trouble getting him to swimm. Any tips or tricks would be great. When he enters the water he panics when he cant touch. When I get in with him he will swim but acts like he gets water in his ears. All 8 week old pups can swim, but there are a lot of dogs th...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

If you have to bribe and coax her, she has won the battle and defeated you. A dog obeys because it HAS to, not because it WANTS to. If I think this is where the divergence of two training methodologies is happening and the crux of why there is a difference of opinion on this thread. The entire emph...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

And for the LOVE OF GOD...if you have the resources go to somebody's class or seminar. Joe x2 That's an uphill battle Joe. Kinda like chukar huntin' :D You will learn a great deal more from a seminar than a DVD. However the Great Beginnings one does lay out a pretty good path for that first year. I...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

So, this went over you guys head earlier, don't know why, but it did. If the dog likes the bird, why cant you use it? When it doesn't want to come out of the box, why couldn't you tape a wing to the body, play with it in front of the dogs nose, and toss it 4-7 ft in front of the kennel? You cannot ...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

Why does every thread devolve into people hurting their dogs? Makes me wonder what kind of people give that kind of advice. Here's an idea, every time he whines bump him with the e collar on a low setting, without saying a word. Then he will associate it with his own actions instead of you, and you...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

What's going be the fix, or helper on the fix, when the kennel area, becomes a hot spot? And dog becomes very nervous around it? Or wants to blink it totally, because it cant do anything right, when it deals with it? Just curious? Thanks Jonesy That's an interesting, but very separate question from...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

Aye! well anyway...............3 card trick will sort it ,no matter the program! :mrgreen: Are you suggesting he set three dummies in front of the dog, hide a buscuit under one and then shuffle them around or what? Your ambiguity could baffle even the most accomplished trainer. Unless your actually...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I am using the Hickox training program for my lab. She is 7 months old. She is great at going into the kennel. My problem is that she doesn't like to come out some times. Is this normal in the beginning? Apparently you are using George's old DVD. Watch the new Great Beginnings DVD for retrievers an...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

If you pop the bird as soon as the dog makes scent but doesn't stop, what keeps the dog from going right in on the planted bird unless the launched bird takes its attention away from the planted bird. That is a variable and potential problem in your training situation that you are not controlling w...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I know I've posted this numerous times on multiple threads, but at the risk of sounding like a broken record, here it goes. Don't let the dog scent a bird in the launcher. The problems associated with doing so, are that the dog will tend to get too close to it because the bird scent will be camoflag...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I would keep them separate as much as possible to keep the peace. Kennel the new pup and take him with you wherever and whenever possible. You don't want to take a chance with him getting hurt. Fact is, they may never coexist well.

Good luck,

Nate

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

RoostersMom wrote:
DoubleBarrel GunDogs wrote:
Have you ever personally waited out a whiny shorthair?

Try the figure 8. Life's too short.

Nate

I've been waiting out my Vizsla for nigh onto 9 years now - are you telling me I'm waiting in vain?

You're a very patient woman. That or you're masochistic.

Nate

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

Sticking to the subject...think of this situation. You have a racecar, and you take it to a normal shop for maintinence. Sure they know how to chainge oil and stuff but they have never raced a car and dont know exactly what specifications it needs to be so it can preform. Not the best analogy but i...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I strongly believe that shaping a behavior with positive reinforcement, and later making a transition to the e-collar (avoidance training), is preferable to teaching a dog to learn a behavior by avoiding stimulation. I also believe that a pup trained with positive reinforcement will develop into a d...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

She had 4 training sessions with birds. Yes it was her first experience. The drill was done once..... with one shot( small 22 cal) she reacted by running back to me The trainer was approx. 50 - 80 yds away with the shot fired behind him. The trainer suggested taking it slow, to put some of the othe...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

Chuck,

You make a good point. The dog should be able to handle the pressure while on point. I guess I just don't see the point in messing with them when they are showing the correct behavior in the field. Dang, that's an awful lot of points!

Nate

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

My wife and I were involved with an ESS rescue organization for a while. We fostered several dogs until they were placed for adoption. There was 1 Brittany in the mix that I decided to keep. She was a bit of a project, but it seemed at the time, to be worth the effort to make a gun dog out of her. T...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

A whiney dog is usually whining because it is anticipating something it usually doesn't have to wait for.... make it wait. Its like dogs whining waiting for a retrieve... clearly they have got the majority of retrieves thrown/shot and their handler needs to start picking more up for themselves. Hav...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

What was going through the dogs mind when it did the right thing (ie point or back like it was supposed to) and you waltzed in, picked it up and set it down on a pallet? It surely couldn't have thought it did the right thing. And it don't matter if Bill Rayl or Oscar the grouch trained it. No dog l...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I would work them separately until you get them both steady or to whatever level you consider finished. You run the risk of the older dog influencing the younger dog in a negative way if you don't. Read Rick Smith's answer to training multiple dogs via the chain gang and figure 8. www.huntsmith.com ...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I have to disagree with some of what was said. I think in order to finish a "Hunting" dog you need to train in and hunt over it on wild birds, not pigeons or pen raised birds. We all know a wild bird will have more tricks up its sleeve than a pen raised one. I think experience is a big portion of t...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

This may sound a little shady, but you could send the remote in for repair/inspection to dt immediately after purchase at no additional cost. The warranty is only 1 year, and odds of it failing after that seem to be pretty high. 5 years after sending mine in for repair, it still works without fail. ...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

I'd bet the dog is not being allowed out to do his business often enough or doesn't know how to alert the new person of his need. As a dog needs to be corrected within 30 seconds of a behaviour, punishing him later than that, is a bad idea. Not trying to hijack this thread, but that timing is misle...

DoubleBarrel GunDogs

When hunting less traveled areas: 1. Get off the beaten path. 2. Use maps and a GPS to give you confidence in an area where you're concerned about getting lost. (Be prepared in back country.) 3. Dog GPS units are great for similar reasons as #2. 4. Pack plenty of water. When hunting over hunted publ...

Search found 499 matches