Dog whines in blind

[snakelander]

I have a 3-year old GWP who has has developed a whining problem when a shot is fired. He has an insane desire to retrieve and his whining habit seems to be in anticipation of the expected retrieve. Problem is I don't always hit every bird I shoot at (yeah yeah) and I'm left with a fired-up, disappointed, whining dog. He's steady in the blind until I release him, just noisy. This problem has carried over into the off-season where he even whines while I shoot clay pigeons. I'm a novice trainer and I'm sure this problem can be traced back to something I did wrong.

I've done some preliminary research and I haven't found any good solutions. Any suggestions or advice?

Thanks in advance


Jake

[mandrakeduck]

I'm a novice trainer and I'm sure this problem can be traced back to something I did wrong.

Was at the Oregon Waterfowl Festival. Met a nice couple with a very calm GSP. They tried hunting it in the blind... but the dog whines So now they only use it for jump shooting. I think this is more the norm than the exception for pointers that were bread to run. They want to run and point birds... not sit and shiver in a cold duck blind.

I use my GSPs in the blind and stop the whining- 100% of the time- with use of the DT H2O waterfowl collar. I merely push the vibration function and it reminds the ladies to stop the whining. It works like a charm. I know there are trainers who would never use the vibration function as a warning... but its humane, works for me ,and I enjoy hunting with my dog.

BTW- I've hunted with a few labs that whine in the blind.

[Hattrick]

Sounds like you need to shoot better:-)

[Bossman27]

I have the same problem with my GSP, beeping/knicking him doesn't seem to work. I asked a trainer what the best thing to do is and he said use a soft/foam wiffle ball bat. Don't beat the dog down with it but just wap him on the snout when he whines. Haven't tried it yet but I guess its worth a shot.

It should be noted that the trainer also said hes a GSP and they're notorious for it so it may not work.

[deke]

My yellow lab does the same thing, to the point where we just stopped taking him duck hunting. He would stare at us and just whine till we took him back to the truck. Now he just sits at home on the couch in the nice warm house while we freeze our tails off in the duck blind. Guess he is not as dumb as I previously suspected :roll:

[4dabirds]

Dogs vocalize as a strategy to get what they want. They learn very early that the vocalization gets them a reward. At this point you could just correct the dog every time it vocalizes and never reward the dog when it does. Sometimes the attention is all the reward the dog needs so your correction may not be significant enough to carry any weight. The dog needs to understand that the correction is in response to the vocalization. The only way to guarantee this is to train the dog to be quiet. You would first need to teach the dog to vocalize on cue , then once this is accomplished you would start to train the dog to be silent. Clicker training works well for this as the click can mark the behavior of the sound as well as the silence. Over time the click is given at longer and longer intervals for the silence. Overly a command for silence and the dog will then fully understand why it is being corrected. At this point you would stop rewarding the vocalization and only reward the silence, this will lead to a dog that is silent as a way of seeking reward. The correction at this point will carry much greater weight as it is in opposition to the reward. Given the choice of correction or reward the dog will chose reward as long as it understands why it is rewarded or corrected.

[polmaise]

Don't shoot the messenger'!
But you won't solve the issue now or in the future.

[crackerd]

Don't shoot the messenger'!
But you won't solve the issue now or in the future.

Dunno, Robt., 4dabirds' treatise sounds good in theory, but in application? Hmm...Don't shoot either of us messengers

NAVHDA training could help and enable the dog to eventually overcome the vocalizing in a controlled situation. But in a duck blind sitting still for hours on end with birds coming in and shooting salvos? Like you say - presumably from experience with clients' dogs - and which I concur with, from experiencing many other dogs, namely the "versatile breeds," with this affliction: ain't gonna happen.

MG

[polmaise]

Hear ya ' Crackered,
But many don't!,,,They don't do it wrong!,,they just don't do it Right?
It don't have to be a blind!...It happens waaaaaaaaaaay before that, and this one had a noise!...But none no'more?
Hah!...many weeks before this was the solution!..and it 'wisnae' on game!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VanUIPniNhc

[Lucky Dog]

I've hunted with some whiners, never seemed to bother the ducks, just the owner.

Just be thankful you have a dog with a strong desire to retrieve and take her hunting.

Oh yea, taking some shooting lessons won't hurt either.

[crackerd]

don't have to be a blind!...It happens waaaaaaaaaaay before that, and this one had a noise!...But none no'more? Hah!...many weeks before this was the solution!..and it 'wisnae' on game!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VanUIPniNhc

Wunnerful, wunnerful! as farmboy's N. Dakota friend Lawrence Welk would have it, Robt. By "blind" I'm meaning the hide, not a blind retrieve - but "opening up the view" for the dog to spectate on the shooting whilst in the hide also can bear fruit of silence. Of course, that also portends having a steady dog - oops. You may need to come across and offer your services for rectifying these misdeeds - there'd be many takers, I'm sure of that.

MG

[CDN_Cocker]

If I had to sit in a blind with a whining dog I'd probably end up shooting it. I hate whining. Does the dog get every retrieve you throw it?

[Stilly Bay]

Throw the poor guy a bumper when you miss, let him run around for a minute or two just to get that energy out of his system, no one says he has to stay in the blind all day long unless its for a retrieve.
Above all else just try to ignore your dog while it whines, corrections can just make it worse if you don't know what your doing or turn the whines into squealing, screaming, or barking- which is truly obnoxious and something that will flare ducks.

Just remember YOU get to choose when he can run around and get it out, after some practice his nervous whining will get better.

[gonehuntin']

If you don't like hunting with a whiner, then don't let it whine!! This requires discipline on your part. Whenever the dog makes a sound, command "No Noise"! And pinch his nose. Never, never, ignore it when he whines. It can be broken and is behavior I will NOT tolerate!

Let him get away with it once and he'll do it again. I'm also bettin he whines more places than in the blind!

[Stilly Bay]

If you don't like hunting with a whiner, then don't let it whine!! This requires discipline on your part. Whenever the dog makes a sound, command "No Noise"! And pinch his nose. Never, never, ignore it when he whines. It can be broken and is behavior I will NOT tolerate!

Let him get away with it once and he'll do it again. I'm also bettin he whines more places than in the blind!

what a terrible piece of advice, thats a great way to make the dog flinch from your hand every time you got to pet him or take a bird out of his mouth. I wouldn't recommend it.

[crackerd]

Hardly a "terrible piece of advice" - given the circumstances, it's the most effective and immediate way of putting the quietus on a whiner. gonehuntin's probably trained more gundogs, professionally, than everybody who's even looked at this thread combined. The duck blind is a controlled situation and the dog returning into the blind makes for another controlled situation. If the dog "ducks" away a little from your extended hand for taking the bird from it, you simply extend your opposite arm over the top of the dog and come in from the other side with the other hand to receive delivery. Thus if the dog turns away from you - out of avoidance, or "flinching" or hand shyness - it also turns right into your waiting hand for getting the bird off the dog. The chap with the recalcitrant cocker - in the Hesitant to Give Up Bird thread - might try same.

MG

[EvanG]

I think it's an excellent piece of advice. That undesirable noise in the blind is a training issue, just like any other undesirable act. A hunter/trainer who needs to effectively manage such behavior must have enough self discipline to pay attention to his/her dog enough to effectively train through the issue. Excellent advice by gonehuntin' and MG.

EvanG

[Georgia Boy]

I think it's an excellent piece of advice. That undesirable noise in the blind is a training issue, just like any other undesirable act. A hunter/trainer who needs to effectively manage such behavior must have enough self discipline to pay attention to his/her dog enough to effectively train through the issue. Excellent advice by gonehuntin' and MG.

EvanG

I totally agree but think sometimes there is also a genetic component with a dog that will not be calm and quiet in the blind or similar situation. I personally would not breed a dog that has these problems if it is not easily corrected.

[clink83]

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 don't have to abuse your dog.

[CDN_Cocker]

Maybe you should buy a clicker to appease the masses :roll:

[polmaise]

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 don't have to abuse your dog.

Hmmm! I don't think 'every thread'!...
Low setting for some is nothing? and high setting would /could have adverse effect?
You could use a 'Dazer'?.. (now while you google dazer) I must add, that like every tool in the box,you have a small window that requires precise timing and match of tool to the individual in the environment.
Makes me wonder what kind of people offer advice or idea's when they haven't had experience of other peoples dog's? So this (my) advice is circumstantial

[gonehuntin']

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 don't have to abuse your dog.

Pinching a dog's nose is abuse? You must be a real touchy feely sort.

[slistoe]

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 don't have to abuse your dog.

I have pinched the nose on every single dog I have ever owned and/or trained - that is a goodly number of dogs. I have never had even one of those dogs be hand shy or show any type of adverse effect from it. The only thing that happened is that they developed good mouth and voice behaviors quickly and with minimal fuss and stress on both mine and the dogs parts.

[birddogger]

It seems that to some, any type of discipline=abuse.

Charlie

[snakelander]

Thanks for all the advice and comments. I've got a few different things I'm going to try, getting rid of my dog or shooting him is not one of them. Thanks again

[EvanG]

It seems that to some, any type of discipline=abuse.

Charlie

You're right about that Charlie! They're a sad, but busy little demographic!

EvanG

[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 don't have to abuse your dog.

You do realize that a lot of people view electronic collars as implements of torture.

As long as there is an association made between the correction and the behavior, I feel that this is reasonable discipline.
We're not talking about grabbing his nose with a pair of pliers.

Nate

[gonehuntin']

Thanks for all the advice and comments. I've got a few different things I'm going to try, getting rid of my dog or shooting him is not one of them. Thanks again

That was stupid and demeaning advice. Whining shows great desire, you just have to control it. I'd far rather hunt with a dog like than than a slug that lays around then lethargically goes out to retrieve a bird. I have a Draht that did the same thing and I broke her. Just do what I suggested and be consistent, you'll be fine.

[CDN_Cocker]

Lol I wasn't serious about shooting the dog, was just trying to get across how much whining annoys me. You have been given some solid advice. Pick one and be consistent with it.