Words of Wisdom

[labman21]

A dog is only as good as his trainer.

[LokiandGunnar]

Train a dog 5-10 minutes a day, preferably in more then one session, 5 days a week, and in a year you will have a dog that everyone will love.

[daniel77]

Slow will get you there Fast
Fast will get you there Slow, or not at all


Strive each day to be the man/woman your dog thinks you are.


If you are driving down a deserted highway and see a beautiful young woman standing on the side of the road, alone and with nothing. Seriously consider passing her up. Someone probably left her there for a VERY good reason.

[smokinsam]

just because a certain technique worked for one person don't mean it will work for every dog all the time.
suck up all the info you can and use what works best for that particular dog and yourself.be creative and make it fun for you and the dog.
common sense goes a LOOOOOOONG way!

[Ryman Gun Dog]

Gentlemen,

Never discipline your dog when you are argry.
RGD/Dave

[RayGubernat]

Timing is everything when training a dog...if you have thought out the lesson, including what can go wrong and how to handle when (not if but when) it does... you will be in a postition to react at the exact right time in exactly the right way.

Plan your work

then

go out and work your plan.


RayG

[Iowa]

Dont train the dog train the handler.

I cant tell you how many neighbors and friends want me to train their dogs. Somehow its never the dog

[AZ Brittany Guy]

the key for perfection is setting your dog up for failure and then correcting him.
T.Smith
TopGunCopper JH NA1

That may be true but only when he knows what to do in the first place.

[triplebbirddog]

consistancey and praise.

[SHORTFAT]

consistancey and praise.

and PATIENCE!... the dog is born with his... learn yours!..

oh... and don't bet on boxers that cross their legs between rounds...

[pointshootretrieve]

Cross your I's and dot your T's. Train to perfection, back off and admire what you and your best bud have become. Consecutive correct repetitions and PRAISE

[Pappy]

Keep your hunting dog within shooting distance

[wills1235]

It's okay to share food but you should each have your own water bowl.

[Onk]

Not sure this counts but, owners should practice with their guns as much as the dogs practice finding birds. Nothing worse than having your dog give you that , why am I even finding these birds for you, look! Remember dead birds make owner and dog happy!

[Vman]

If you are a novice, contact a trainer before you screw the dog up,,, not just after.

Every dog is different. What worked on the last dog may not work on the next.

Start`em young. If you don`t have a bird crazy pup,, the pup is not ready for formal training.

If the young dog is not bird crazy and out of control, there is nothing to put control on.

Always quit with the youngster wanting one more.

[Vman]

Plan your work

then

go out and work your plan.

Fail to plan,,,,, plan to fail!

[poudre river gundogs]

Learn how to think and communicate like a dog. It will do more for your success as a trainer than all of the methods put together.

Gary

Poudre River Gundogs

[big steve46]

Among many other things, milk bones and positive reinforcement. Frequent rewarding of a dog for doing something correctly will make the dog want to be correct more often. Simple but true.

[Meatballs]

Very helpful thread

[wes_gsp]

Every dog is different and therefore not every dog should be trained the same as the next. Repetition and consistency is essential in any training program along with proper association.

[K9luke]

Every trainer gets the dog they deserve.

[longarm]

If you are driving down a deserted highway and see a beautiful young woman standing on the side of the road, alone and with nothing. Seriously consider passing her up. Someone probably left her there for a VERY good reason.

Been there!
Does this only happen to guys named Daniel?
Dan

[Modi]

I have only trained a couple of dogs, so I am basically a beginner. Train with a group. The best thing I ever did was to get together with people who knew more than I did. Be it NAVHDA, a retriever club, whatever. There is no short cut to wisdom, and someone who has trained dozens of dogs is going to see things and be able to read dogs better than a beginner like me.

I learned a ton from other trainers watching my dog. He was doing things right that I never recognized.

[huntcrazed]

GREAT DOGS ARE BORN that way.

You can not train a dog to be what was not born to be.

A bad handler can take away from a good dog but they can only have a horrible dog if they both have bad genes.

The best dog trainer is a person that does not talk to their dogs in the field and uses other means to train.

Show me a hunter good enough to be able to lead on purpose a young puppy with out talking to wild birds a few times and I will show you a dog that hunts for that hunter like no other

Too many wild birds is the best training for a great dog.

If they are born great, with too many WILD birds they will be great real young and the good ones when older.....again all they need besides great food is lots of wild birds and a smart handler that speaks and understands dog language.

Mario

[jlowery]

It is o.k. to loose a battle every now and again as long as you win the war.

An ol'timer once told me," You can always give a dog brakes but you can't always give'em gas."

Really like that one... Very new to the Gundog world, and its an up and down battle, but when you when a battle is won, its was all worth the time and Effort... And when Doubt falls upon you... back out, find out, and start slow... Currently working on force fetchin my 1.5 old Britt, and for a Rookie like me... Its been up and down, but when the light goes on for you and the Dog... Life couldn't be better...

[lucas85]

First of all pick a right dog breed for a gun dog.
Don't think that bloodhound could be easily trained to be a retriever.

[AZ Brittany Guy]

It is o.k. to loose a battle every now and again as long as you win the war.

An ol'timer once told me," You can always give a dog brakes but you can't always give'em gas."

Really like that one... Very new to the Gundog world, and its an up and down battle, but when you when a battle is won, its was all worth the time and Effort... And when Doubt falls upon you... back out, find out, and start slow... Currently working on force fetchin my 1.5 old Britt, and for a Rookie like me... Its been up and down, but when the light goes on for you and the Dog... Life couldn't be better...

Have you been to see Delmar Smith yet? I think he's you neighbor and he is the Guru of Bird Dog Training, Brittany's in particular. He is an irreplaceable resource that won't be with us for too many more years.

[KelseyCooke]

Dogs don't work for us; they work with us.

And:

Never make your dog do something; ask them to.

[jlowery]

Have you been to see Delmar Smith yet? I think he's you neighbor and he is the Guru of Bird Dog Training, Brittany's in particular. He is an irreplaceable resource that won't be with us for too many more years.[/quote]

Haven't been to see him, but my realtor grew up with Rick Smith, and hopefully next time he is in town he said we will let me meet him. Perfect guy to talk to, when i am on the verge of going Gundog junkie, HAHA!!!

[ironwoodsfeist]

Start young. Dont ouer due it and be jental.

[Retiredbirddogman]

You can beat, or shock, a dog into compliance. It takes patience in
training to achieve superior performance.

[AZ Brittany Guy]

"Never Squat while Wearing your spurs"
Wil Rodgers

[northUpland]

Fun. Reptition. Clarity. Consistency. Fun(again). In that order if possible...Also. Never wear sunglasses when training. A bird dog needs to see into your soul for proper direction in life. -Mark

[deke]

This is what the guy who I bought my Pup from told me about using a shock collar.


Unless he is screwing a deer, dont shock him. Atleast till he is big enough to reach.

[Retiredbirddogman]

If your in a bad mood - don't start the training. No good will come from taking out your frustrations during a training session.

[jcbuttry8]

Remember, even when your not training, your puppy is learning.

[GUNDOGS]

it takes longer to teach a dog correct behaviour then for them to learn wrong behaviour....ruth

providing a dog with a good foundation in training early on is a must!!....ruth

[brad27]

Sometimes, to move forward, you have to take a step back.

[yellowdog]

Spend a few bucks on an hour or 2 with a professional trainer- they are worth their weight in gold. Doesn't matter if it's your first or 10th dog- use a trainer for at least an hour session. They will be able to idedntify what your hurdles will be. And really- you're getting trained, not your dog. Take what you learn home and lots of yardwork and practice. Birds, birds, birds.

[outdoorman]

If anyone out there is most interested in training a grouse dog, here is one thing i found that will help you but more birds in your game bag. If you have any dove in your area, find out where some of them roost and about a half hour before dark walk your dog to ther roosting area (upwind) very slowly, you won't see the birds, they will be in good cover ( protection ) from owls and other predatory creatures, but your puppy should pick up their scent, when he does stand still and let him do his thing, eventually the dove will loose it's nerve and flush, let your puppy chase it; two things happen here. 1. Your puppy will learn fast he can't catch it. 2. He will learn that birds do hide in tree tops, as do many grouse. You will find the same dove in the same tree the following evening, do this often enough and your puppy will learn that birds are not just on the ground and the day will come when your dog goes on point in the grouse woods, you will learn to look at your dogs eyes to see where he's looking; don't be surprised to see those eyes checking out the tree tops.

[flpucknut]

1. May I be half the man my bird dog thinks I am.

2. They are not machines, they are all different and should be treated so.

3. 99.9% of errors in the field are human problems, not dog.

4. Go solo once in a while and just follow and watch your dog without any corrections. You might be very surprised as to what happens.

[Texasdogtrainer]

My number 1 training rule.

Every training method or technique is correct ( right technique), when used with the right dog.

[honestcharlie56]

just a few things I've learned with Bella so far. If they even hint to getting bored, stop. Learn from that and always end the session positive and before they've lose interest. If you lose your temper with the dog you've lost any progress you've made that session.

Keep the comments goin, I've learned so much in the hour and a half I've been reading this.

[nanney1]

Stole this quote from a book that is not about dog training:
"Mistakes are inevitable. But smart people don't nurture them."

[GSPDoglover]

The most important command is the sit command. If your dog is steady on the flush the battle is half won.

[ultracarry]

The most important command is the sit command. If your dog is steady on the flush the battle is half won.

I hope you were joking with the sit thing?

4&5 commands, one to turn, one to fetch, one to kennel, one for recall and whoa is optional.. Sit is not needed but required/desired for some dog games.

[GSPDoglover]

Wasn't joking. Sit is probably the easiest command to teach, and usually the first. It is used in initial obedience training. Once established the rest of the commands are easier to teach.

The worst thing a dog can do whilst hunting is chase after a flushed bird, as it is dangerous to the dog. So with a simple sit command you can teach the dog to sit on flush, untill he does it automatically.

If the sit command is enforced and you are able to have the dog sit on command at say a 100yards you have better controll and from there you can recall the dog if neccesary.

[ultracarry]

A very bad thing your dog can also do is sit while going through the breaking process. Your dog will revert to sitting because its the "go to" command.

Have you ever wondered why pointing people train "WHOA" its better for the dog so you don't have to fix "sit" later. Pointing breeds are not dumb by any means and whoa is easy even for a puppy. I don't know how you use your dogs or the setting you run them but its not good practice out here.

To blow a whistle or yell and have the dog sit at a dead run would be more like having a trained lab.

[ezzy333]

Sitting is not allowed in the field for any pointing dog competition and no one wants a pointing dog to ever sit. That may work well with retrievers but NEVER with a pointer. If I don't want my dog to chase I teach by training the dog to stop to the flush or if necessary using the whoa command. If I want the dog to come I teach come and when the dog is doing something I don't want it to I teach STOP. And I never teach any of those things by teaching sit. And I really don't think you will find any that does.

Ezzy

[Coveyrise64]

GSPDogLover is from South Africa. I think the expectations they have for their hunting dogs, field trials and test are different from what is desired here in the US and might require different training styles.

Coveyrise64