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Most important commands

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2018 10:08 am
by mzombek
Good morning guys. My wife bought a 1 1/2 year old Irish setter. The dog spent her entire life in a pen outside so she doesn’t know any commands. What command should she learn first?

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2018 6:38 pm
by zrp
Here

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2018 9:48 pm
by oldbeek
That sounds silly but I have seen dogs sent to a trainer and they do not even know the concept of here, or know their name. Agree, first command is here and I mean now.

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2018 10:58 pm
by greg jacobs
This is for the future. Sonny has taught me that the most important command is no command.

Him hunting all day, doing what needs to be done, and I never give a command.

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2018 9:49 am
by setterpoint
hear for safety, and when your ready to go hunting or headed home

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2018 10:02 am
by mzombek
She does come back when I give here the here command

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2018 1:10 pm
by Timewise65
As most others have said, HERE is critical! But is must be taught so that the dog will return on command regardless of what distractions they may have, that is a lot harder than getting a dog to come to you in a calm setting. Get that dog around a crowd of people, or have a deer/rabbit run in front of him/her, think of it like if your dog was hot on the trail of a 'running pheasant' and you notice a barb wire fence right in front of that dog, could you be sure a 'here' command would pull her off that bird and away from the danger?


Aside from that command I think the 'Drop' or 'Leave it' commands are critical for gun dogs! 'Drop' if they pick up something dangerous and leave command to pull them off of a snake or anything on the ground you do not want them smelling or touching....

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2018 1:30 pm
by polmaise
mzombek wrote:Good morning guys. My wife bought a 1 1/2 year old Irish setter. The dog spent her entire life in a pen outside so she doesn’t know any commands. What command should she learn first?
Every one ! ..But one at a time first .!
Imagine a Martian landing in your home and start from there . :wink:

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2018 8:16 pm
by averageguy
I echo Here as the most important command.

Kennel and Hunt Dead are the next two in line in terms of frequency of use and importance with my dogs. Can't smoothly get a dog in and out of a truck, a kennel, a crate without the Kennel command, and hopefully your hunts will yield a recurring need for the Hunt Dead command to recover downed birds.

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 5:53 am
by Trekmoor
I agree with the others that "Here!" is the first command to teach. It should be taught with no strong distractions around to begin with and then with increasingly strong distractions. It should also be taught in as many different locations as possible. Dogs that "Do it fine in the garden or yard" tend to only "do it" in those places.

Bill T.

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 2:44 pm
by Sharon
averageguy wrote:I echo Here as the most important command.

Kennel and Hunt Dead are the next two in line in terms of frequency of use and importance with my dogs. Can't smoothly get a dog in and out of a truck, a kennel, a crate without the Kennel command, and hopefully your hunts will yield a recurring need for the Hunt Dead command to recover downed birds.
Agree. "Kennel" is definitely #2

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 3:01 pm
by shags
I think "Leave it" comes in handy all through a dog's life.

Chewing shoes? Leave it!
Harassing the cat? Leave it!
Running down the driveway after a rabbit? Leave it!
Eating deer poop or rolling on a dead possum? Leave it!

It's good to call a stop to just about anything. I wish I could bottle it :lol:

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 4:35 pm
by Sharon
Yep. Ties for 2nd place. :)

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 4:56 pm
by polmaise
Anything other than a command is a request .

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 6:10 pm
by gonehuntin'
Two most important commands are NO and HERE. No negotiation on either one.

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 10:35 am
by JONOV
Here followed closely by "Leave It!"

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 8:36 pm
by ezzy333
gonehuntin' wrote:Two most important commands are NO and HERE. No negotiation on either one.


This probably is as close as you can come.

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:17 pm
by Max2
mzombek wrote:Good morning guys. My wife bought a 1 1/2 year old Irish setter. The dog spent her entire life in a pen outside so she doesn’t know any commands. What command should she learn first?
How are you making out with the new pup ? Just reading through here this evening and it appears everyone feels the same pretty much about what should be taught first. I see this is an older thread from Oct.

What grabbed at me was your pups age. I remember about 41 yrs & - 7 or 8 months ago . Myself and a young lady I was involved with rescued a dog from a backyard party. A "hippie dog" :D about 1.5 yrs old no training just a bum around dog who probably did time before showing up at the friend who was having the party's house . The dog's care giver picked him up at a supermarket & brought him home . I still have the original picture that was posted in the supermarket with free to good home written on it . In any case in no time we had that dog coming when called and being part of our pack. I hope your gett'n there with your pup ! How about an update !

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 4:54 pm
by mnaj_springer
There's an interesting thing a guy I train with says: "I can solve any problem with his butt on the ground."

He's a retriever guy and the "he" is his retriever, but in a way it makes sense. Not saying I agree, but yelling "here" to a dog that is on the other side of a busy highway is dangerous. A staunch "sit" or "whoa" would be ideal then.

I think it's more of a 1A, 1B ranking, but I thought I'd share that.

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 5:52 pm
by cjhills
I used to train my to sit on a long blast on the whistle. I quit that when I got into the games and other people stopped my dogs. But I still believe the most important command is a absolute stop command in all dogs and even more so in appointing dog...…...Cj

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 8:02 pm
by Sharon
We all have our different thoughts, but I think "come now" is the most important command. Can save a dog's life. Starting at 7 weeks I NEVER call my pup without getting up to go get him/her if she/he doesn't come. I get up everytime no matter what I am doing. Makes a HUGE difference over the years.

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 8:38 pm
by Timewise65
Here to keep the dog safe!

Drop it to keep the dog safe...if you drop a pill you were taking, if you drop a peace of plastic wrap with food on it, etc. etc. Everyday events can put a pup at risk!

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 9:46 pm
by Sharon
Very true.

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 8:33 am
by birddogger2
For a dog in the yard or around the home I think for me the #1 command is HERE or COME, and as previously mentioned by others, that command is NON- negotiable and must be obeyed instantaneously. The #2 command in the yard for me is NO or LEAVE IT. #3 in the yard for me is probably KENNEL UP if the dog is in an outside kennel or WAIT or WHOA for an inside dog(to keep them from busting past you(and wrecking doors or your knees in the process) when you open doors.

In the field for a pointing dog the #1 command for me is still HERE or COME IN. However, the # 2 command for me becomes WHOA... which is also NON- negotiable and must be obeyed instantly. For me it is a safety thing, more than anything else. I guess sit command would be #2 if I had a flush or retriever breed dog.

RayG

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 10:11 am
by JONOV
I know RayG's field trial heart will infarct at this, but I'm really happy I taught "DOWN!" in a big way. I taught it for duck hunting and other small game pursuits, but use it most often out and about. If I have him at the park I can blow him down from 40 yards away and let kids or bikers or joggers walk past him or up to him, etc...

I used the method in the NAVHDA Green Book, generally regarded as old and archaic in its methods but this one worked well for me.

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 5:58 pm
by birddogger2
JONOV wrote:I know RayG's field trial heart will infarct at this, but I'm really happy I taught "DOWN!" in a big way. I taught it for duck hunting and other small game pursuits, but use it most often out and about. If I have him at the park I can blow him down from 40 yards away and let kids or bikers or joggers walk past him or up to him, etc...

I used the method in the NAVHDA Green Book, generally regarded as old and archaic in its methods but this one worked well for me.

You have cut me to the quick! How could you?? :D :D

Seriously...that is not something I would do with my guys... but if it works for you and keeps the dog and everyone around it safe...I am ALL for it.

A well behaved dog in a situation full of distractions... is both a joy and a source of pride to its owner.

I also don't want to hear about old and archaic. I AM old and... well, archaic sounds too much like arthritic so I just might be BOTH! I don't want to tell you how thick the layer of dust is , on my copy of the green book, but the green color might be partly due to mold!

RayG

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 8:09 pm
by Featherfinder
I agree with "come" being most critical. "Here" for my canine pupils means you are going in the wrong direction. "Here" here means get your butt over "here" in this direction - the direction I am going in. "Come" means come....right to me...facing me. Don't use too much of either but if I verbalize, you (the dog) have been warned.
"Come" can save a dog's life.

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 8:06 pm
by Coveyrise64
My most important commands are Heel, Here, and Whoa. With those three basic commands you can just about take your dog anywhere and expect obedience. I also like the "Kennel" command around the house but with the three basic commands I can at least take the dog hunting and expect a certain level of obedience.

"Heel" - I don't like a dog pulling on a lead especially in the field where the footing can be an issue or the dog is injured. Heel is often used as a command but it is actually a position which is right by my side waiting for my next move. If you run trials or Hunt Tests the command is useful for those venues.

"Here" - I prefer "Here" to "Come" as it carries further in the wind and has more of an authoritative sound. I never use the recall command as a way to turn the dog in my direction. That is what the dog's name is for or a whistle blast. For me the recall means get your A$$ in here now. I've seen too many use it to turn their dog and then use the same command expecting the dog to come to their side. Confusing to the dog especially when the handler is moving as well. Consistency is the key to good obedience.

"Whoa" - Pretty basic....Stop and don't move until I tell you to.

I overlay "Here" and "Whoa" with the e-collar and then add the Tone for silent recall and Stop-to-Nick for whoa for stealth mode when hunting.

I have found "Lay Down or Down" to be useful when tending to an and injured dog, trimming nails or putting on dog boots. I have dogs hips x-rayed without sedation because they would lay quietly positioned on the table.

Not much to it, just things I that I have found useful for me.

cr

Re: Most important commands

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2019 6:38 pm
by straightup1
Here, Heal, Whoa, Deadbird, Give, Kennel and they need to turn on a whistle. Nothing more needed.