Gun Dog Forum

EvanG

Evan - I do have a Labrador. I would love to do the training on my own, but due to school (taking summer classes all summer) I cannot find the time/locations to have accomplish good consistent work. I start classes first week of June and also have a job. So, this is the perfect time for my lab to g...

EvanG

FORMAL RETRIEVER BASICS For anyone wondering what that is. The components of Basics in order 1) “Here” 2) “Heel & Sit” 3) “Hold”; automatically evolves to Walking “Hold, Heel, Sit” 4) “Fetch”; ear pinch, which evolves into Walking “Fetch” & “Fetch-no-fetch”, e-collar conditioning to “Fetch” 5) Pile ...

EvanG

Could anyone give me the number for Dave Jones at Jonesy's Gundogs? I misplaced his number. Thanks in advance. Your dog is a Labrador, correct? It's not likely you'll get a pointer pro who even knows how to do formal retriever Basics. I'll be glad to help you, but you need to converse with me on th...

EvanG

Forget the "best" "best" is what clicks with and makes sense to YOU - learn to read your dog as he/she matures while setting basic guidelines and enforcing/fostering absolutes (whoa,come,etc) Your dog will show you his or her nature if you give him/her the opportunity to do so..once you know what y...

EvanG

QuillGordon wrote:

Terrific photo!

EvanG

EvanG

So, Saver, are you still out there?

EvanG

EvanG

Forget youtube and get on a good modern program. THIS! You Tube videos can be somewhat helpful. I have around 40 of them. But they are not programs in and of themselves. They are snapshots of training techniques at best. They are meant to provide insight, not replace a program. Do yourself and your...

EvanG

My first suggestion would be to pick a program and follow it. You're force fetching, and you have SmartFetch, the most detailed and complete course there is. I recommend following it. Do you have the DVD, the book, or both?

EvanG

EvanG

Dude the fact that the little researcher could pull up said mike Gould got pushed out of the retriever training world might suggest you chill out, drink some better kool aide and start learning from real pros before getting in over your head. Heck you already annoyed Evan graham who is a major lead...

EvanG

If that is your view, it may be best for you and your dog if you take up blue gill fishing. If you truly desire to learn and grow, ask civil, well thought out questions, okay? EvanG Well put, but if you ask my wife about my bass pro trips, she'd not say nice thing about my fishing expenses either h...

EvanG

I don't believe in hunt tests, field championships, trials or any of that jazz. Training a dog for serious collection of game birds should be realistic. Field trials are fake and have nothing to do with REAL-world hunting. It appears your posting here was hit and run. But just in case you may actua...

EvanG

Anyone who thinks field trials have nothing to do with hunting have never been around one of the two. I've no use for a retriever, but if that was my interest I'd be looking at Tom Dokken. He knows what he's doing. Does Tom Dokken put out books, videos or both? What there is of Tom's program is goo...

EvanG

I am currently in the process of FF. He has hold down pretty good. He holds for over a minute now with chewing or dropping so I moved on to the fetch command. Then you moved on too fast, too soon. But the rest of your post tells the real story. I have him on the table and he does reach out for the ...

EvanG

How are you formalizing your fundamental obedience commands? "Here", "Sit"; how do you enforce those commands?

EvanG

EvanG

Hello all. I am working slowly to train my 10 mo old Gordon Setter to retrieve a small bumper. I have only done this in the house with a check cord. He is consistent with the return but I have yet to train him to hand it back. I want to know what are the proper steps for doing so? Take him all the ...

EvanG

In the words of the late Hall of Fame trainer Rex Carr, "Just train the dog." Take this dog thoroughly and completely through a full course in a modern sequential force fetch program that ends with Water Force.

EvanG

EvanG

Are you at all interested in doing some or all of the training yourself?

EvanG

EvanG

Follow that course to completion. Problem more than solved. Let me know if I can be of help as you go.

EvanG

EvanG

Yes it will. Study the principles first. What Smartwork materials do you have?

EvanG

EvanG

I did not go through with full force fetch because i did not feel like i needed it based off other other local guys i have talked to after i enforced the hold he would retrive to hand. thanks You would do well to study force fetch from someone who actually knows what they're talking about. First of...

EvanG

deseeker wrote:
crackerd wrote:

MG
You need a bigger dog or a smaller goose

Where you see a small dog I see a big heart! That puppy has a future.

EvanG

EvanG

Why is it that people think their dog bred to want birds needs to be introduced to them? Not everything that occurs naturally is good or constructive. Often times puppies will run off with birds, roll on them, chew on them, and a host of other non-productive, or downright destructive behaviors unle...

EvanG

birddog1968 wrote:Little early to tell yet....is it an energetic dog with some drive or a dead head? How's she bred?

There is that very good question. But also, have you had this dog on real birds yet? It's what the good ones live for!

EvanG

EvanG

Welcome to the forum. :) No expert on retrieving , but do know some about 2 1/2 year olds. This is often the time period when a dog says " Muck you. I'm doing what I want." - like a teenager. This is why many folks force fetch their dogs . That way they have something they know to do when the dog s...

EvanG

Susie wrote:
Ez4 wrote:The dog is around 9 months, large female Chessie.
Your in northern CA? Just curious who got your CBR from?

Are you taking your Chessie through formal Basics? If so, where are you in the process?

EvanG

EvanG

Quite a few questions in there Don. :D Yes, that is a cocker pup and it is behaving as we would expect a well bred pup to behave without any need for force fetch or for check-cords or for treats. No it isn't me in the little video .... I'm much better looking and twice as suave and sophisticated ! ...

EvanG

Alright here is the situation: I have a 3 year old GSP that i just got back from two months of training. I went out with him the morning of picking her up and he said that for the first 6 weeks of training she was doing really well, however the last two weeks of the training she had been blinking h...

EvanG

"old and bold enough" EvanG I have heard this said many times being new to this could you expand especially the bold part. Thanks I think the "bold" aspect isn't completely accurate. 'Old' is a matter of chronology. 'Bold' is more a matter of maturity. I use very little actual pressure during FF, u...

EvanG

Evan, As long as you're off topic I had a question about the video in the original post. Why change the in heel/sit position in the dog from left to right? Nate, Two-sided heeling is, of course, a retriever thing. But it's a helpful nuance in several applications. For over a decade, Mike Lardy pret...

EvanG

How have you all had success in transitioning the retrieve to hand? Are there a couple of steps that you have used to enforce it? The dog's desire to retrieve is strong and will always return within a couple feet of me, but I can't seem to get her to willing or calmly retrieve to hand consistently....

EvanG

Evan I do train or allow the pointing dogs to learn the handle. It starts early with younger dogs and it might include a whole litter learning at the same time. It takes boot leather, birds and time. The finished product should look like there is no handling from the trainer. The dogs should cue of...

EvanG

Evan I do train or allow the pointing dogs to learn the handle. It starts early with younger dogs and it might include a whole litter learning at the same time. It takes boot leather, birds and time. The finished product should look like there is no handling from the trainer. The dogs should cue of...

EvanG

In the specific case of my retriever, I felt he was a handling dog when he could apply handing while hunting and our teamwork took him to the bird. When he applied this in varied and unexpected situations with ice, cripples WAY out and picking up ducks for another dog that he never saw... that's wh...

EvanG

You cannot put something into a dog without taking something out. If you believe that intellectually vacuous notion it's no surprise you believe the nonsensical stereotypical notions that keep trainers from working at a higher level. If YOU, personally, cannot figure out how to put something into a...

EvanG

I would say actually training him to come when called is far superior to either one regardless of breed.

EvanG

EvanG

I've got a pointer that will do blinds tho he will not handle like a finished retriever...and I really can't think of a reason I would want him to. He has brought back birds dropped an hour prior but sailed off a couple hundred yards or more. I can line him up , send him and he does the rest. Not s...

EvanG

You take a retriever hunting. A pointing dog takes me hunting, there is a difference. I expect my finished dogs to go with me and include me in the hunt. I do not believe in micro managing a pointing dog. If they have been develop right they know more about where to look for birds than the hunter. ...

EvanG

birddogger wrote:Stop retrieving games while you are FF !!

Charlie

That's excellent advice. The chances of something going wrong are far greater than something going right.

EvanG

EvanG

Evan, During a dark period of my life I got into retrievers, and during that time I wanted to learn everything I could, so I started to hang out with a succesful local ameture. During that time I saw some VERY good dogs, and some Very poor dogs and an awful lot that filled the middle ground. From w...

EvanG

Here's why I asked this question. I tend to get a lot of training questions, and lately many have indicated that newer trainers appear to believe that once a dog has gotten sharp on T work (and perhaps Swim-by) that he's now a handling dog. All too often that leads them charge out and start running ...

EvanG

:lol: I liked the fun reply but more seriously I think I call a dog a really good handling dog at about the time it does things with the minimum of handling. Bill T. True enough. If the dog takes fewer handles he must be taking accurate ones. If he's doing that in a cold blind application he is the...

EvanG

Three replies so far; no one with a clue?

EvanG

EvanG

I really was unfair in even posting the video because it does more to distract from the real question. At what point in training/development do you believe your dog deserves to be called a handling dog?

Does that help a bit?

EvanG

EvanG

At what point in development do you feel a dog becomes a "handling dog"?

Click on image for video clip

EvanG

EvanG

I used treats, but as my dog got older I went to the check cord, and eventually the ecollar. You may want to go away from the treats, and start with a check cord. If you reinforce the behavior with click and treat, and teach the cue or command with click and treat - it will make the transition to c...

EvanG

Is this a dog you are going to hunt with? If you are , he is going to have to respond to voice commands , not treats , out in the field . As he is 7 months old , I assume you may be starting field work and treats should end. I've not used treats ever but ....................... Clicker training is ...

EvanG

Currently I have Water Dog, 10 Minute Retriever, and The Working Retriever. 10 Minute Retriever seems good so far, Water Dog seems old, haven't yet gotten into the third. Are there any other books folks would recommend for training both an upland and waterfowl retriever? http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/gun...

EvanG

Couldn't agree with you more, grousehunter, especially when an unexpected problem like a dog eating birds has cropped up - but I also believe Mr. Graham's step-by program can get a novice through force fetch with flying colors. Particularly if used when a dog or pup is at the most suitable age for ...

EvanG

And let me know if I can be of help. It sounds like you could use it about now. Good advice so far. This is not a problem for "tips and tricks". It's a problem that needs to be trained through, and right away! EvanG Keep this simple: in the words of the late Rex Carr, "Just train the dog." I hope y...

EvanG

A little backround... I have a 7 month old YLF. Following Dokkens program mostly. Im doing gun conditioning at this point with frozen birds. Everything is good other then shes realized that she can eat the birds. Retreving and obedience is going well with bumpers or dokkens mallard. When shes retur...

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