How much do you train?

[Mistletoe]

Should be now, instead of playing on here. Now with taxes over, my aim is daily, outside of what I do around the house, on the table with the clicker and the treat. I was on cane about 6 months before the Nationals and so I got the dogs on the table, stood them as they would be in the show ring or pointing a bird, clicked & treated. Then the fight started as who was going to be on the table, sometimes 2 or 3 at a time. Liked the liver treats. Kept building up length of time standing still which is what you want on a whoa. I really don't care about the show ring, the necessary evil. The breeder flew in from England, practiced a bit with each dog, ran them around, and they stood fine. But that was months of practice. When I teach same thing in obedience class, 7 weeks long, by the end of the 7 weeks, those that worked at home were able to walk all over the tennis court with their dogs on a whoa. Course now it has to go to the next level, out of the confines of the fencing into a football field, then bird field. I like to do it every direction also.
Mary Carson
www.FlintknapperKennel.com

[Mistletoe]

BFSkinner at Harvard in late 30's came up with operant conditioning and trained pigeons during WW2 to pinpoint bombing in Germany. Skinner's second PhD Dr Marian Bailey took it one step further, 47 years training dolphins, for the army,navy,etc., pigs, cats, etc. Her husband died, and later she married Bob Bailey who trained the Vietnam dogs, with Clickers.
It's the hottest new method, vs jerk pull or electric, for animals, autistic, alzheimers, etc. Click hits front of forehead and immediately tells you that what you just did is correct, and you give a treat, pat, etc. Treat within a nanosecond. Do a search on here, clicker training-whatever animal you want, and see the thousands of websites with info. I got a dog thru Master Hunter using the clicker or click with mouth when you kicked the horse to get him going. www.clickandtreat.com www.dontshootthedog.com www.clickersolutions.com will get you started. Postives instead of toooo many neg's in training.
Sample/ You want dog off of you. Everybody says down. Down means flat on ground, see dictionary explanation. OFF means off of my body. Teach behavior first. Dog jumps up whichis a learned behavior when pup was nursing mom who wanted it over with and she is standing up trying to get away, and as pup drops to ground, click and give treat. After many times I insert word "Off" and dog drops off of me to the ground.
If you find anything written by Dr Marian Bailey PhD or Bob Bailey, save it, they will be future gems.
www.FlintknapperKennel.com

[Country-Side Breeders]

Training goes on here 4/5 days a week. The closer it gets to bird season, the training picks up to daily. Pups get more training with shorter sessions and the adults get longer sessions, usually after the pups are done. Seasoned hunters generally get once/week sessions, just to keep them polished up.

[Helen]

I try and do some training every day. Sometimes it's only 5 minutes and sometimes it's 20 minutes.

Even whilst walking the dogs, I do recalls, sits, stays and whistle work. Keeps them on their toes.

Helen

[raven]

I try to do some form of training every day depending on weather of course . I try o keep the sesions to 15-20 somtimes a little longer so he dosn't get board and starting in June I will start taking him and run him in the woods so he gets a chance to work real birds. I also use Pigeons at least 3-4 a day. I feel birds a very important tool in training

[grant]

I train about 3 to 4 days a week for about 15min. each dog in the off season.

[GRIFF MAN]

Every day should be a training day even if it is manners . In the field training is as often as the lord and my wife let me ( not in that order)

[JJ McGuire]

I do something every day.

[Duane M]

Young dogs or owners dogs I work at least 3 times a week usually four, some knuckleheads get it 5 times a week. My older finished dogs get roaded a couple of times a week and field work at least 1 day a week. They never quit learning just need it less as they get older and better.

[Mistletoe]

I teach obedience for years and find with 10 dogs, for the field work once a week in field as that's an 85 mi RT. However, since my yard is an extension of the field, formal is out there daily at least 10 min per day.
I am going for Master Hunter, which is steady to wing and shot, with tap on body to send, no words needed. Dogs learn from each other, so many times it is group whoa, with click and treat. I start by counting up to 10, click/treat. Then to 15, click/treat. At some time there is a breaking point, then I treat lots for standing still. I want to build up time.
The MH will stand forever, since I am on cane, then wait until I come. Bird will stay penned with dog.
That's what a good genetics base will do for you. I have seen folks try repeatedly with some of their non-birdy dogs. Been there, and I finally found get a good animal with proper credentials, and the rest is pretty easy.
www.FlintknapperKennel.com

[Country-Side Breeders]

Good lines make ALL the difference in the world. I've trained both champion line and backyard dogs...no comparison. Best to have top lines on both sides. Often times, one side isn't good enough.

[B-townhunter]

I try to get about 2 10-15 min. sessions a day, 6 days a week. I think keeping it "short and sweet" is by far the best for a young dog, it's hard to keep them interested much longer than that. Unless with my lab it is water training, he doesn't want to stop!

[Mistletoe]

The breeder in England walks thru the forest daily, goooood 1/2 run in which the encounter native birds,rabbits, etc. And some good field work is completed. Then the rest is done in the house or yard daily. That's why
My Deepthatch Lassie's sister is #1 Field bitch. Her niece just won at Crufts
Gamekeeper's Award, beating out 24 sporting dogs, including labs, etc.
It's the daily grind, which is the same thing I had the classroom, over and over until you wanted to scream, especially in the tables.
Lots of good info on clicker training on web, vs. electric collar and if you haven't looked into it, might start reading. Names to watch for Karen Pryor PhD "Don't Shoot the Dog Book" telling how companies, etc. can use the same principles. Bob Bailey who is almost 80 and was in charge of Vietnam dogs used clickers for 80% of training, Deb Jones PHD.
PhD votes have trained mice as part of their research usually, and you really get a feel. There's lots of games on here where you click/chicken/food, and I still am slow. Do yourself a big flavor, favor also, look it up, and you can always click with your mouth. After all, you are now using a computor, where's snail mail? Like old training methods, sometimes newer is faster.
www.FlintknapperKennel.com for livers!

[boykinhntr]

I train nearly everyday. Usually the sessions last 10-15 minutes/twice a day. Many of them are while we are walking or swimming in the ponds.

[Mistletoe]

Great, was curious what you mean? I have formal lessons where I teach a specific topic just as when I was in a classroom. Then informally as I walked around the room, I would play catchup and teach individuals small things they might have missed in the general lesson.
But if you teach all day, you must be a professional and have students.
I have students at various times during the day, but at home, it's live and let live. Let dogs be dogs, just as in a classroom, and when necessity demands it, we have small lessons on individual problems.