Singing to your bird dog.

ben33127 · Post by **ben33127** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 3:32 pm

So i had someone tell me you are supposed to sing to your birddogs, I have never heard of this. If you sing to yours, why?

Vonzeppelinkennels · Post by **Vonzeppelinkennels** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 3:35 pm

It's Romantic!!

Chukar12 · Post by **Chukar12** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 3:36 pm

With big running dogs we 'sing' to them to give the an audible way to locate you. In heavy cover or varigating terrain it keeps them from having to make visual contact. I personally find less use for it walking and hunting than I do when I am on horseback...

brad27 · Post by **brad27** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 3:40 pm

Yep I sing to mine. "oh girl" is what I say. I do this when she starts go the wrong direction (moving behind me). I also will sing to her when she can't see me so she knows where I'm at so she can get to where she should be, to the front.

Ron R · Post by **Ron R** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 4:29 pm

Mine prefer listening to the radio or thier mp3 player rather than here me sing

.

mcbosco · Post by **mcbosco** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 4:38 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwjKxT5uAB0

This one is a favorite of the dogs.

Ahumphers91a · Post by **Ahumphers91a** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 4:39 pm

I sure do LOL shhhh... I sing Rooster by Alice In Chains, yeah they've come to snuff the rooster.... HAHAH

mcbosco · Post by **mcbosco** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 4:46 pm

This is a classic that some of the old timers on here will know:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqA4IviTEwQ

snips · Post by **snips** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 5:30 pm

I was singing a Beyonce tune this morning...They loved it!

Cajun Casey · Post by **Cajun Casey** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 6:10 pm

You train them to come round and check in when they hear you so they don't get driven in with an e-collar. Simple avoidance tactic.

settergal83 · Post by **settergal83** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 6:18 pm

Would rather sing to my dogs than the general populace. The dogs don't give me a hard time for not being able to carrying a tune in a bucket. In the field i do kind of a long drown out Woooooooooooop boy/girl and like a yodel noise...lol don't really know how to describe it to be honest. Was how I was taught.

Post by **Sharon** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 6:20 pm

mcbosco wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwjKxT5uAB0

This one is a favorite of the dogs.

That was great;I had forgotten that song. Thanks . ( My Dad named his beagle "Elvis" after "You aint Nothing But a Hound Dog"" It was also fun calling for Elvis in the fields. :roll:

mcbosco · Post by **mcbosco** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 6:42 pm

Yeah I thought you and Ezzy would like that.

jmsgunner · Post by **jmsgunner** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 7:20 pm

My Gunner sings to us. He will go on and on and on! Cracks me up.

http://youtu.be/NznyfCxgB9U

Hattrick · Post by **Hattrick** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 8:06 pm

Well i hate to admitt it, i sing

(rap ) to my girl to jack her up for duck search sometimes it works .. i dont think she needs but its but its fun

Hattrick · Post by **Hattrick** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 8:11 pm

kinda goes like this :: my dog good!!! my dog bad!!! my dog do things other dogs don't!!!! repeat... then go to my dog sicker part then back to first verse LOL!!!!

prairiefirepointers · Post by **prairiefirepointers** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 10:25 pm

Don't sing to em, really. However I always keep country radio on at a mellow level for all the pups and dogs in the kennel.

Its soothes them. Kinda like "Brick" and his ketchup packets on the T.V show "The Middle"

Onk · Post by **Onk** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 10:45 pm

strike up the banjo music.....really, sing to your dogs.....I draw the line at singing something like muskrat love or hot blooded to my dog. First of all why would I want to torture them that way. I think sometimes we go a bit overboard on this pet/owner relationship stuff! My dog wants food, fun, play and praise....my singing does not even cross his mind! Nor should it! Come on, lets get real about this,....whatever you think your singing does for your dog, you are wrong!

Post by **ezzy333** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 11:12 pm

Onk wrote:strike up the banjo music.....really, sing to your dogs.....I draw the line at singing something like muskrat love or hot blooded to my dog. First of all why would I want to torture them that way. I think sometimes we go a bit overboard on this pet/owner relationship stuff! My dog wants food, fun, play and praise....my singing does not even cross his mind! Nor should it! Come on, lets get real about this,....whatever you think your singing does for your dog, you are wrong!

Most handlers singto the dogs when they are running them in a trial. It's a little like calling the cows and not a song. You let the dog know where you are and what direction you are going so it can stay out in front without having to come in and check which is just wasted time and energy.

Ezzy

Onk · Post by **Onk** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 2:34 am

ezzy this is just hard for me to get my mind around....I guess if everyone heard me sing you would know why!

settergal83 · Post by **settergal83** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 3:05 am

I know a guy that sings Woah Black betty ...and yes his dog is Betty :roll:

brad27 · Post by **brad27** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 2:22 pm

Onk wrote:ezzy this is just hard for me to get my mind around....I guess if everyone heard me sing you would know why!

it's not sining in the traditional sense.

I know a guy that sings Woah Black betty ...and yes his dog is Betty

does the dog stop everytime he gets to the chorus.

Vonzeppelinkennels · Post by **Vonzeppelinkennels** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 2:32 pm

They call it singing but I haven't heard a single handler that would make it onto American Idol.

That Black Betty made me think of this.The guy that I bought my first GSP from in 1974 bred one of his females to my solid lvr dog about 4 yrs ago.He told me I could have pick of the litter for Stud fees & would sell her for me if I didn't want to keep her.
I said ok so when they are about 5 wks old I go to see them & pick one out.There was a couple pups in that litter that were down right ugly im my eyes & I guess in his too.
One of them was a female & he says why don't you take that one & name her Ugly Betty,I said why don't you just keep her & you name her Ugly Betty.

birddog1968 · Post by **birddog1968** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 2:54 pm

Singing = Hollaring at the top of your lungs

I didn't hear nobody singing to birddogs on the prairie

Post by **ezzy333** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 4:06 pm

Onk wrote:ezzy this is just hard for me to get my mind around....I guess if everyone heard me sing you would know why!

You don't sing a song, just a two or three syllable phrase. Doug Favor had a video of his dogs a while back and he was searching for them and was singing to them so they would know where he was. Maybe you could find that or he might re-post it so you can hear. But everyone has a different sound they sing.

Ezzy

birddog1968 · Post by **birddog1968** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 7:28 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9FukGHrhm0

ElhewPointer · Post by **ElhewPointer** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:37 am

Cajun Casey wrote:You train them to come round and check in when they hear you so they don't get driven in with an e-collar. Simple avoidance tactic.

You couldn't be more wrong. Actually, you sing to them to keep in contact with them. When they hear you, they know they are fine right where they're at. You can use it to make them turn if they are taking an edge out of pocket or to grab their attention so you can turn your horse so they can visually see which way you want them to go. Its used as a confidence builder with young dogs that don't want to range far. Even as pups walking 10 feet in front of me, I sing to them so they know im here and everything is alright.

Ahumphers91a · Post by **Ahumphers91a** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:51 am

ElhewPointer wrote:
Cajun Casey wrote:You train them to come round and check in when they hear you so they don't get driven in with an e-collar. Simple avoidance tactic.

You couldn't be more wrong. Actually, you sing to them to keep in contact with them. When they hear you, they know they are fine right where they're at. You can use it to make them turn if they are taking an edge out of pocket or to grab their attention so you can turn your horse so they can visually see which way you want them to go. Its used as a confidence builder with young dogs that don't want to range far. Even as pups walking 10 feet in front of me, I sing to them so they know im here and everything is alright.

That's the way I see it too Elhew

kensfishing · Post by **kensfishing** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:28 am

It's also so if the dog's on point he knows your're coming. My voice used to go away after a long weekend of handling dogs.

RayGubernat · Post by **RayGubernat** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:39 am

When I sing to my dogs during a trial, I do it for several reasons.

First and foremost, of course is to keep te dog out there. They are conditioned(supposedly) to stay out front when i am vocalizing and to come back in if I shut up. Sometimes is actually works that way.

I also sing to direct the dog, particularly if the dog is on the wrong side of a field and i want it to come around because there is a turn coming up that will take me away form the dog if it continues straight on. I do this by turning my head and cupping my hand around my mouth, effectively throwing my voice in the direction I want the dog to think I am heading. I can use this tactic to swing a dog around and make it look almost like the dog did it on their own instead of hacking at the dog.

I do also use a couple different intonations when I sing. My typical intonation conveys the message" Everything is OK you are doing good, keep on kee[in' on." There is also an intonation that means "PAY ATTENTION and do what I want...NOW!!" Again, when it works, it is much more pleasing to hear than me having to hack at the dog. or worse, having to go chase it down and bring it back and around.

RayG

Ahumphers91a · Post by **Ahumphers91a** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:00 pm

your telling me; casey that when you sing or talk to a baby it doesn't calm them? Same with dog's. it helps them relax and know it's all good.

Cajun Casey · Post by **Cajun Casey** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:07 pm

Ahumphers91a wrote:your telling me; casey that when you sing or talk to a baby it doesn't calm them? Same with dog's. it helps them relax and know it's all good.

I don't like babies, so that's not a question I can answer. If I have to get on my dog, it will be all good if he gets his rear around where it belongs.

birddogger · Post by **birddogger** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:15 pm

I don't like babies, so that's not a question I can answer.

For some reason that doesn't surprise me.

Charlie

Cajun Casey · Post by **Cajun Casey** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:36 pm

birddogger wrote:
I don't like babies, so that's not a question I can answer.
For some reason that doesn't surprise me.

Charlie

I don't know why you would give it enough thought to be surprised or not. It's rather irrelevant to the topic at hand.

I will say that training with GPS cuts the need to sing to a dog to a bare minimum and has really helped me learn my dogs and modify their natural behaviors without confusing them.

birddogger · Post by **birddogger** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 1:08 am

I don't know why you would give it enough thought to be surprised or not. It's rather irrelevant to the topic at hand.

I didn't have to give it any thought at all. Of course, it is the first time a comment was made that wasn't relevant to the topic at hand. :roll: One in particular comes to mind but I am not going to bring it back up.

Charlie

Max2 · Post by **Max2** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 4:38 am

Ahumphers91a wrote:your telling me; casey that when you sing or talk to a baby it doesn't calm them? Same with dog's. it helps them relax and know it's all good.

I totaly agree with you Max always seems to calm himself when he hears the theme song from " hunting with hank"

It's one of his favorites .

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