Training Books

jager meister · Post by **jager meister** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 12:42 pm

Can anyone suggest any books that you would consider to be a "MUST HAVE" for a beginner dog trainer with a 5 month old GSP. I have never trained a dog and am listening to EVERYONE on this forum and at a hunting club I am a member at, I want to have a well trained dog (HE IS DOIGN VERY WELL AS FAR AS I CAN TELL) and want to do what is best for him, and in turn me. If anyone has video series that they ould suggest and are woth mentioning please let me know. Thank you all in advance for the help. This sight is GREAT!!!!

kiddcline · Post by **kiddcline** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:41 pm

Anything Richard A. Wolters. Go to amazon.com and buy used ones for under 10 bucks. Gun Dog and Water Dog use simple trainig methods and they have good pictures and easy reading. obviously there is a lot of controversy on his books but alot of trainers use some of his techniques. find out what works best for your dog.

WildRose · Post by **WildRose** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:16 pm

The Wolter's books would be at the bottom of my list. Wolter's was not a dog trainer. He was a writer that bought and trained a couple of dogs and wrote books about how he did it. There's some good information in his books but there's also a whole lot of bad information.

The definitive book on pointing dogs and more particularly pointing dog training philosophy is the book on the "Delmar Smith Method" by Bill Tarrant.

Paul Long's book "Training Pointing Dogs" is said to be a good one as well but I've never read it myself.CR

kiddcline · Post by **kiddcline** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:25 pm

WildRose wrote:The Wolter's books would be at the bottom of my list. Wolter's was not a dog trainer. He was a writer that bought and trained a couple of dogs and wrote books about how he did it. There's some good information in his books but there's also a whole lot of bad information.

Some people on this forum just can't resist a low blow at another person. Always need to make some one feel stupid.

TheShadow · Post by **TheShadow** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:26 pm

yeah i'd skip the Wolters stuff. Even those DVDs are a good watch if that. I watched them all: Water Dog (Labs), Game Dog (Labs), Gun Dog (Pointers), Top Dog (ecollar use) and Top Dog II (ecollar use) and its all the same. They kinda take clips and edit them and put them in this vid and that vid. Since you have a GSP you could RENT Gun Dog and watch it. It was an interesting watch for me even though I don't have a pointer.

I know a lot of pointer guys who love Huntsmith (Rick) methods so you may want to check that out for now.

gonehuntin' · Post by **gonehuntin'** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:39 pm

kiddcline wrote:
WildRose wrote:The Wolter's books would be at the bottom of my list. Wolter's was not a dog trainer. He was a writer that bought and trained a couple of dogs and wrote books about how he did it. There's some good information in his books but there's also a whole lot of bad information.

Some people on this forum just can't resist a low blow at another person. Always need to make some one feel stupid.

I don't think that Rose was trying to make you feel bad, he was stating a fact. Many trainers thing Wolters did more to harm the lab breed than anyone in history.

It's one thing to take shot's at people and another to try to help a person not make a large mistake. Wolters is a large mistake.

As far as recommending a book, I think Delmar Smith's is excellent. I also like the NAVHDA "Green Book" as well as the Orange Book. The Orange book is more up to date but in my view, solid training advice is solid training advice and it rarely becomes obsolete. Baileys book on training pup's and raising them is also excellent but there is nothing of value in it for the older dogs.

kiddcline · Post by **kiddcline** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:52 pm

Perhaps someone can pm me and inform me why Wolters did more damage than good. I've read many of his books and used his techniques with 4 dogs now and the techniques seem to work quickly and effectively.

I know that I'm an amateur and my opinion doesn't mean a lot to the long time trainers. So enlighten me.

okiebirdhunter · Post by **okiebirdhunter** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:59 pm

All I needed was the pictures of Wolter's beating a dog with a leash to dislike the books.

For a GSP, I would go Delmar Smith all the way. No doubt about it. It's a good read even if you don't like the methods.

John Bellah

midwestfisherman · Post by **midwestfisherman** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 4:35 pm

I've always liked: Training Pointing Dogs by Paul Long. It's relatively inexpensive and a nice book on the basics.

http://www.amazon.com/Training-Pointing ... 810&sr=1-2

jager meister · Post by **jager meister** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 5:47 pm

from what I can tell the Delmar Smith is not really for beginners, will I be able to sort out what he is askingme to do with out the "step by step" in the first book mentioned (right or wrong).

WildRose · Post by **WildRose** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 7:01 pm

I don't know why you would think that "The Delmar Smith Method" would not be a good choice for a beginner. You cn learn a great deal not only about dog training but about what makes dogs tick and how to approach different things by reading it.

In my opinion it's probably the best book a first time pointing dog owner could read. CR

Casper · Post by **Casper** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 8:24 pm

I too would recommend the Tarrant book. Just keep in mind that improvements have been made to the whoa post.

FWIW

okiebirdhunter · Post by **okiebirdhunter** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 8:26 pm

I began training my dogs when I was 14 using the Delmar Smith book. It's not hard at all... "think like a dog"

John Bellah

whitedogone · Post by **whitedogone** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 8:43 pm

Casper wrote:I too would recommend the Tarrant book. Just keep in mind that improvements have been made to the whoa post.

FWIW

What improvements? WDO

Windyhills · Post by **Windyhills** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:36 pm

First timer with a pup? I'd go with Joan Bailey's book, "How to Help Gundogs Train Themselves" is the name, I think.

Of the others I have, Dave Walker's (Bird Dog Training Manual) would probably be my next suggestion, for several reasons. His is the only one I've seen that explains the differences in training between trial/big country horseback dogs and most others, for example.

AloysiusZ · Post by **AloysiusZ** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 1:41 pm

I'm new to this game too. I have consulted 9 training books, including ones by Richard Wolters, George Hickox, Joan Bailey, Bill Tarrant, and Vickie Lamb, as well as the "Gun Dog" DVD based on Wolters methods.

I liked the Wolters book and the Delmar Smith method, but the other books offer good information too.

I would suggest, "Dog Training Retrievers and Pointing Dogs" by Jason Smith for a concise, step by step guide for training a pointer puppy. And I would suggest a DVD on training so you can see how its done.

I don't think there is one right method. I think the key is to understand the goals of training and to adjust your method to your particular dog's personality and temperament. You should "know" your dog and get a sense for what methods will work for him and when he is ready for the next step. For example, an e-collar might not be necessary at all. The books and DVD's give lots of great SUGGESTIONS for getting your dog to do what you want it to do.

DKA · Post by **DKA** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 6:27 am

Thanks for the discussion on training books, just ordered, Delmar Smith Method and Train pointing dogs by the Long Fellow. I have a 4 month old GSP and don't want to make too many mistakes.

kiddcline · Post by **kiddcline** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 6:20 pm

www.dobbsdogs.com has some really good training material for free. Just click on the type of training you're looking for.

corytch · Post by **corytch** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 9:11 am

WING& SHOT I HAVE ALSO READ GUN DOG BY WOLTERS MADE SOME GOOD POINTS BUT I THINK THERE IS BETTER BOOKS TRY GOING TO A SIMINAR WITH A TRAINER I THINK THAT IS BEST HANDS ON ALWAYS WORKED FOR ME