Gun Dog Forum

Katy just turned 8 months old. This video was filmed during her training sessions last week. Here she's demonstrating a high level of cooperation and steadiness with the Flush/Stop cue. As is the custom in the UK , Europe and most other countries, we want the dog to aggressively flush the bird on command then stop (no chasing).

I think she likes her birds!

https://youtu.be/6OUyGt-NzLQ

Brad Higgins
Higgins Gundogs

Mr. Higgins, I am curious why you are going back to the west method for your dog work. How come you have again switched away from the "Higgins Method"?
Before, you tried to sell, that no dog ever needed the ecollar, pinch collar, or even a check cord. This dog here, has it all. Why doesn't your method, work, for/on it? Thanks Jonesy

Hello Jonesy,

Everything here is based on my method of trust and cooperation. Some clients want a recall with e-collar backup. No problem. Never has been. I always start young dogs with checkcords. Check out my videos.

You don't believe my method works. To each his own. It probably would not work for you. Others are interested in what I do. My method is for them. Let's leave it at that.

Brad Higgins
Higgins Gundogs

Your video posted, contradicts, everything, that you have said on, or about, the "Higgins Method".
You also, are using the ecollar, to stop the dog, on the chase. If not, he/she wouldn't bark, nor, be wanting to do the sitting, when, it isn't allowed the chase.
You tell the dog to flush, I guess, at the time of working, but you don't hear the barking, plus, you ask it with ecollar, and voice, to stand still. You can see it when you nick the dog as a reminder, softly. You see it in the dogs body posture, and tail, for sure when its sitting.
You have stated for a while, with the "Higgins Method," that there isn't anything, needed to be said.
There isn't anywhere in the video, that you show, the ecollar, used only for recall, as you have stated, that the owner wants. Thanks Jonesy

She is lovely.

I liked the dog work on your video, but I don't think a command flush would be useful in a hunting situation when you can only take a cock bird. I noticed the dog in your video spitting out feathers...i've seen more than a few hen pheasants killed by flushing dogs, also watched a buddy send his pointing dog into flush...the young dog jumped back with pocupine quills in his face! I just don't get training flushing to a pointing dogs....get a flushing dog.

I think if you tried letting the pointing dog do the flush on command you'd find that the dog would "clue you in" that the creature it is pointing is not a bird ....or even a rabbit. I've had dogs point stoats, otters, foxes, feral cats, adders and a feral pig. Every dog that did that sort of point had the hairs up all along the spine and when I saw that I'd change the load to something more suitable to deal with the situation.
I've shot stoats, cats and a fox following points and flushes. Out of all of those creatures the adders were the most worrisome. That species of snake is not deadly poisonous but they have killed a few unlucky small dogs.......or so I'm told. If the type of ground was adder territory , such as a grouse moor, I'd see the dog's warning signs and not command the flush. I just put the dog on a lead and moved away from there.

We are not "blessed" with some of the creatures you have over the pond though so I can't say for sure how a dog would behave with them.

Bill T.

Higgins wrote:Katy just turned 8 months old. This video was filmed during her training sessions last week. Here she's demonstrating a high level of cooperation and steadiness with the Flush/Stop cue. As is the custom in the UK , Europe and most other countries, we want the dog to aggressively flush the bird on command then stop (no chasing).

I think she likes her birds!

https://youtu.be/6OUyGt-NzLQ

Brad Higgins
Higgins Gundogs

Nice
Looks like one you could have a good day hunting with.Nice touch at the end

nevermind wrote:i've seen more than a few hen pheasants killed by flushing dogs

Sounds like a pretty lousy flushing dog.

nevermind wrote: but I don't think a command flush would be useful in a hunting situation when you can only take a cock bird. I noticed the dog in your video spitting out feathers...get a flushing dog.

lol..I call that a 'Positive Flush' ..any more than that would be an unproductive flush . The video is showing /teaching/learning 'steady' to that 'flush' (I believe) ..unless some 'nevermind' .
A 'flushing' dog btw is a 'Bird dog' ..no matter the breed .

.

When younger, I would let my GSP's flush the birds. Problem #1 they were all deaf by age 9. Problem #2, they tend to lung at the bird when it goes up. That got one dog shot. Problem #3 One did get a face full of quills. Totally my fault! Older and wiser now! Question ? I watch Mr Higgens give the bird to the dog instead of dog retrieve. What happens after the dog has the bird?

oldbeek wrote:When younger, I would let my GSP's flush the birds. Problem #1 they were all deaf by age 9. Problem #2, they tend to lung at the bird when it goes up. That got one dog shot. Problem #3 One did get a face full of quills. Totally my fault! Older and wiser now! Question ? I watch Mr Higgens give the bird to the dog instead of dog retrieve. What happens after the dog has the bird?

That was my thought also sooner or later you have to take it away or let the dog keep it and I guess eat it.......Cj

I don't shoot birds for a pup until I have done the steadying work. I never just "give" a bird to a dog, it isn't necessary.
The reward for my dogs lies in finding the bird as it hunts, the retrieve I treat as a whole separate thing.

From my way of looking at things I'd rather have seen the pup in the film hunt like the clappers and maybe even bump up the bird than look slow and get so close to the birds it pointed. I don't train in the Higgins way however so maybe the pup is fine as a hard going hunter ?

Bill T.