Canine prey drive is the instinct that makes many dogs love to locate, pursue, and catch game. It鈥檚 a trait that has its roots in wolves, but that鈥檚 been honed through breeding over centuries. A strong prey drive, once integral for the animal鈥檚 survival, is now the trait that鈥檚 often the best predictor that a pup will make a good working dog in any field.

Man鈥檚 association with the wolf and, later, its domesticated descendants extends back more than 15,000 years. This relationship evolved first out of scavenging鈥攚olves following nomads and living off their waste. But rest assured, man quickly recognized the gifts and abilities of these animals to hunt and track prey. Well before the shotgun, hunters in Europe pursued rabbits and fowl with falcons. And they used dogs to locate, pursue, and flush game for the birds much like they do for the gun. In today鈥檚 dogs, you can see prey drive in a number of different incarnations:

• Retrievers to fetch game.
• Hunting hounds to pursue foxes, raccoons, and other animals.
• Narcotics dogs that sniff out drugs.
• Border collies that herd sheep.
• Any dog that鈥檚 ever bolted after a squirrel.

But prey drive isn鈥檛 limited to hunting or even to working animals. Prey drive also translates into a dog鈥檚 motivation to perform. And as a testament to the selective breeding process that鈥檚 been honed over centuries, certain elements of prey drive have been deselected. Retrievers, for example, have been bred to pick up game but, contrary to a pure prey instinct, not to consume it. That trait is known as soft mouth. On the other hand, dogs used for hog and bear hunting have been selected for their instinct to catch, hold, and kill game as a pack.

Now if you鈥檙e thinking this doesn鈥檛 relate to you because you鈥檙e not in the business of pursuing feral pigs behind a pack of dogs, I鈥檝e got news for you. Any of these traits鈥攂oth desirable and not鈥攃an be present in shelter dogs of the type that commonly end up in homes. Evaluating a dog鈥檚 prey drive should be of paramount consideration to you in selecting a pet or a working dog alike. Does the untrained dog have any interest in thrown objects? Will he give them up after fetching them or does he clamp down fiercely?

CONTROLLING PREY DRIVE
The Wildrose training methodology is designed to bring out the natural abilities of dogs (instincts), apply controls, and forge a working 鈥╮elationship (bond) between the dog and the handler. This is where prey drive becomes important. We want to promote natural instincts like tracking, flushing, and retrieving, but control them so that the dog is looking to us for guidance and not bolting at the first sign of a bird. We accomplish this 鈥╞y establishing a positive relationship between the handler and the dog and relying on a training methodology that uses fulfillment of a dog鈥檚 natural desires as rewards for calm behavior. You give us what we want; we give you what you want.

This article originally appeared on 国产吃瓜黑料 K9, the former dog blog of 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine, on July 27, 2009.

The post The Predator Inside: Controlling Your Dog’s Natural Prey Drive appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Summer months provide the opportunity to keep our dogs in shape, improve their skill levels, and, perhaps, rectify shortcomings identified in the field last season. But you should remember to use the cool, damp mornings and be careful of the summer heat. Exhaustion can be a killer.

Retrievers, pointers, and other high-energy, athletic dogs have enormous enthusiasm for the job, often working to the point of self-injury. On hot, dry days, body heat builds up quickly in the active dog. And because they don鈥檛 sweat there鈥檚 no way to dissipate the heat.

The key is to recognize the warning signs of exhaustion early and to avoid training during the hottest part of the day. Warning signs include excessive panting, frothing at the mouth, lethargy, and dizziness. Some exceptionally driven dogs won鈥檛 slow down as they overheat. You鈥檝e got to be exceptionally vigilant and stop training and cool them down with water.

Get the dog in shape before active training programs. If your dog has been out of service for a while or has become overweight and out of shape, begin conditioning with long walks practicing heel work and swimming retrieves on cool mornings. Swimming is more aerobic, easier on the dog鈥檚 joints, and cooler than running. Gradually extend the duration and intensity of the sessions getting the dog accustomed to working in warmer conditions.

Train in the early morning hours when the ground and air are cooler with less humidity. The dew is a bonus鈥攎uch better than a sun-baked field. Involve lots of water work and choose places with a large tree canopy for shade. Plan sessions. Each exercise should have a training objective to prevent wasted energy, which builds body heat. Hold off long lining, casting, or pointing training for cooler weather. You can run four 25-yard retrieves with brief rest periods between each retrieve and keep the dog cooler than running one 100-yard retrieve.

This article originally appeared on 国产吃瓜黑料 K9, the former dog blog of 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine, on July 6, 2009.

The post How to Keep Your Dog From Overheating appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Time for our young Cooper to learn the fundamentals of steadiness and stillness, patience and quietness. Place is a concept we teach early at Wildrose. This is where we teach a dog to tie out* quietly and stay calmly in a specific spot. These skills are the foundation for a dog that鈥檚 civil at home, on the trail, or in the field. Pups as young as three months can grasp the concept of place.

Place teaches dogs to remain still in a particular defined location鈥攁 dog box, a roll-up mat, or a platform. Grayson Schaffer never fully understood this with his dog Danger. He wanted to know when there was a time for the dog to be aimlessly roaming the house. Short answer: never. Place training is how we get the dog to want to stop roaming. Once the place habit is entrenched, pups will enjoy the comfort and security of a place just for them, the same way they fondly regard their crate. When the pup is in place, they may move about freely, sitting, lying about in any position as long as he doesn鈥檛 leave that mat.

Other reasons we take place training so seriously:
聽聽 聽1.聽聽 聽It reduces potential territorial dominance problems.
聽聽 聽2.聽聽 聽It makes travel convenient.
聽聽 聽3.聽聽 聽Our dogs remain relaxed and quiet at fireside on the mat in camp.
聽聽 聽4.聽聽 聽In a kayak, canoe, or raft, the dog must remain calm for his safety and yours.
聽聽 聽5.聽聽 聽When hunting, our dogs must remain still and quiet, either in a blind or on a dog stand.

HOW WE TEACH PLACE
1. Get a mat鈥攁 dog bed, a dog mat, a piece of carpet, or a crate pad, something comfortable. We鈥檝e been using these from Mud River, lately.

2. Introduce the mat. Have the puppy walk over the mat or bed. When your pup is on his mat, give the sit command and then a release command like 鈥渙ut鈥� or 鈥渙ff.鈥� Repeat this until he鈥檚 readily going onto the mat and sitting calmly and then releasing on cue. Now add the command 鈥渓oad鈥� or 鈥減lace鈥� for the linked behavior of going onto the mat and sitting. Encourage the pup to hop onto the 鈥減lace鈥� with a treat.

3. Place the pup on the mat beside your chair. Now sit down by the student, lead in hand. Without a word, ignore the pup and begin to watch TV or read. If the pup is quiet a calm 鈥済ood dog鈥� is in order. Just don鈥檛 overexcite the pup and lose the tempo and control of the moment.

4. If your pup decides to exit the mat, redirect the youngster back to the mat with the lead and your 鈥減lace鈥� command. As the pup begins to stay longer without fussing, reward him with a little treat. Treat him for breaking his own personal best record, but don鈥檛 get in the habit of paying him to stay. Some dogs will continue to work for the treat. Others will get frustrated or think the drill has ended. The idea here is to build a habit that鈥檚 independent of reward. The dog stays because it鈥檚 all he knows how to do. Soon, our student will relax, lie down, and go to sleep. The process of place training has begun.

5. As we progress, we teach our youngster to stay on the mat as we move away. In time, it will become easy to move completely out of sight without attention barking. Deke, the Ducks Unlimited mascot, was totally place trained at home by the time he was six months old. I can get up and move about the house, but he鈥檚 going to stay put unless I ask him to move.

Raising a puppy isn鈥檛 easy. A young dog will want to play and run and nip. Keeping yourself from giving into those behaviors isn鈥檛 easy. Everybody loves to play with a cute puppy. But if you can keep your dog calm and build focus early on, that temperament will last a lifetime.

*A word on tying out your dog: Tying out your dog can be very dangerous, so exercise the utmost caution when you do it. Don鈥檛 tie out your dog on a deck, where he can fall off and hang himself. Never tie out a young pup when other dogs are loose nearby unless you want your pup to become a canine tetherball. Never go beyond earshot when your dog is tied. Tying out quietly is an important skill for dogs, whether you鈥檙e leaving them outside a coffee shop, tying them away from the food in camp, or travelling cross-country with an eight-dog trailer the way we do. Tying is not a subsititute for a secure kennel or fenced yard. Tying your dog out as a regular means of confinement is inhumane.

This article originally appeared on 国产吃瓜黑料 K9, the former dog blog of 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine, on June 9, 2009.

The post Place Training: How to Get Your Dog to Want to Stop Roaming appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Our training at Wildrose Kennels is based on a positive-reinforcement methodology, although we do use occasional corrections (positive punishment) to build boundaries and stop unwanted behaviors. These are the five reinforcers we use as rewards. The key is figuring out which rewards work best for your dog and then making sure that each of these rewards are earned and never given indiscriminately. The dog must learn that all of these rewards come through you.

THE TREAT
Food is a primary motivator. That means the dog doesn鈥檛 need to be taught to think of it as a good thing or reward. At Wildrose, we鈥檒l use treats to begin training dogs and then move to other, secondary reinforcers (below) that have certain advantages over treats. One thing we鈥檝e noticed over the years is that an overreliance on treats can lead to latent dysfunctions like nipping at the trainer鈥檚 hand, dropping bumpers prematurely to go for the treat, or sniffing the ground to find any dropped morsels.

THE RETRIEVE
For many breeds and just about every retriever, this is also a primary motivator. Many animals will even value the retrieve more highly than a food reward. Some dogs may not view the retrieve as a reward, but many of those will view an object like a fun bumper or a Kong as a reward. Retrieves (and any other object you want to give your dog) must be earned; impatience, nosiness, breaking, or any disruptive behavior should never be rewarded.

AFFECTION
A vigorous pet鈥攁lways on the shoulder or back and not on the head or belly鈥攁nd enthusiastic 鈥済ood dog鈥� is a huge motivator when properly timed. Indiscriminate petting is seen as a weakness in the pack hierarchy. Save the petting and affection to reward the best behaviors during training. Affection and verbal praise are secondary motivators in that the dog learns to like them by their association with fun things like retrieving and eating.

THE BRIDGE
We鈥檝e talked about the bridge before. It鈥檚 a sound or cue that bridges the time between the behavior one wishes to reinforce and the resulting reward. Many use a clicker. In dolphin training a high-pitched whistle is commonly used. At Wildrose we use a verbal 鈥済ood鈥� quickly and powerfully delivered at the same time the behavior we wish to reinforce occurs. With young pups, the bridge comes just before a primary motivator like a food treat or a reward. By association with those primary motivators, the bridge becomes a powerful motivator of its own. And the best part about instilling a motivating bridge word is that you can project it into the field to a dog that鈥檚 working. We can鈥檛 do that with food. A dog that hears 鈥済ood!鈥� just as he鈥檚 obeyed a whistle stop or cast knows that he鈥檚 done the right thing and that a reward like affection is coming.

INCLUSION
For most dogs the opportunity to be with their owner (the pack leader) and the pack, whether it be other dogs or the family, is a powerful motivator and is reassuring to the dog. Banishment from the pack is certainly a form of correction of an inappropriate behavior much the same as it is for a child when put into time out. The disruptive dog is removed from the activities and is only allowed to re-join when they demonstrate the desired behaviors.

As with any reinforcers or corrections, it is imperative that they are properly timed, consistently applied, and not overused to the point that their value is diluted. Normally our reinforcers are progressive. Only the better behaviors are to be recognized to promote behavior modification. In all cases, training is repetition and consistency to the point of habit formation. As always, remember Wildrose Law #5: 鈥淢ake haste slowly.鈥�

This article originally appeared on 国产吃瓜黑料 K9, the former dog blog of 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine, on June 18, 2009.

The post What Dogs Want: 5 Reinforcers to Use When Training appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Once you鈥檙e getting a consistent glance away from a bumper or treat, it鈥檚 time for the more advanced levels of focus. Gradually build in each of these levels in parallel to your basic obedience and socialization training.

STAGE II
In obedience training, every command is preceded by the pup鈥檚 name. This will eventually allow you to work multiple dogs without confusion. Get the youngster to look you in the eye at the sound of his name. Once you鈥檝e got eye contact, then give the command.

Sequence: “Deke” 鈥�> eye contact 鈥�> 鈥渉别别濒鈥�

Gradually lengthen the duration of the eye contact. This helps build focus no matter what you鈥檙e training your dog to do. Then use the whistle instead of the dog鈥檚 name. The objective: The peep gets the pup鈥檚 attention and the eyes. This is where whistle stops begin鈥攂y building up a solid foundation.

Sequence: Whistle 鈥�> eye contact 鈥�> 鈥渉别别濒鈥�

STAGE III
Another point at which to gain focus is during hold conditioning, which we鈥檒l get to. (This is teaching the dog specifically to hold an object gently in his mouth without any chomping or chewing.) When teaching hold, maintain eye contact. Provide lots of praise. Later in the progression, as the youngster wants to take and hold the bumper to receive the immediate affection and praise, you may utilize a variation of Stage I. Hold the bumper to the side, and, without a word, wait for the eyes to lock on yours. Then, quickly, give the bumper and praise.

STAGE IV
Later, in stop-to-the-whistle training, I once again emphasize eye contact. During whistle stop exercises, hold those eyes for a brief period before the next command or cast. Do not allow glancing about or head swinging. If the dog looks about for the bumper (a behavior that can deteriorate into self-employment if the dog decides he knows better than you where that bumper is) or focuses on a thrown diversion bumper, use the whistle to regain the eyes and hold the focus briefly before the cast.

If you build up the behavior gradually over time, every whistle stop will result have your dog instantly hitting the brakes and looking to you for direction. We鈥檒l build in this same default response for every diversion, flush, gunshot, or bird down: eyes on their handler for instruction, which will ultimately be followed by the reward of a retrieve and lots of praise.

This article originally appeared on 国产吃瓜黑料 K9, the former dog blog of 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine, on May 19, 2009.

The post Getting Your Dog to Focus, Part II appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

No matter what discipline鈥攈unting, service, adventure鈥攜ou鈥檙e training your dog for, he鈥檒l require one very important behavior for success: focus.鈥� Focus is a byproduct of patience, concentration, and biddability (the dog鈥檚 willingness to please). If a young dog lacks appropriate focus, he鈥檚 neither going to learn nor retain what you teach him. Eye contact is the benchmark of focus. I like to see the dog stare straight into my eyes for a few seconds, awaiting instruction. (This means you can鈥檛 train with sunglasses, handlers!)

If you hold the dog鈥檚 gaze, you鈥檙e a leader and your instructions will likely get the attention they require. Learning will take place. Own the eyes and you own the dog. No eye contact, on the other hand, is indicative of an independent nature, lack of concentration, or avoidance. Before you can go on to any other training, build focus.

I look for three levels of focus in training, each occurring at different stages. Here鈥檚 Stage I. We鈥檒l get to Stages II and III in future posts.

With the young pup鈥攖hree to five months old鈥擨 expect brief but direct eye contact. At this age, I鈥檒l use a primary motivator like a treat, food at feeding time, or the youngster鈥檚 favorite bumper. (One of the reasons I withhold chew toys is because they lessen the value of the object as a reward if the pup can have access to them any old time. This way, we reinforce that all good things鈥攂umpers included鈥攃ome through me.) When your youngster offers eye contact, immediately reward the behavior with a verbal 鈥済ood鈥� and a quick treat. Once the pup understands how to sit patiently, set the pup off the ground on a bench. Hold the treat out to the side at arm鈥檚 length. Remain perfectly still and quiet. This must be a voluntary action on the part of the pup. When the pup glances at your eyes, reward him/her with a verbal 鈥済ood鈥� and the treat. The pup quickly learns the association: eye contact = verbal marker = reward. Gradually extend the duration of the eye contact required to earn the reward.

I鈥檓 very cautious about the use鈥攐r, rather the overuse鈥攐f treats for training retrievers. Treats often promote mouthing problems and, later, delivery difficulties. Remember Wildrose Law #4: Do not condition in a problem that must be trained out later. Limit the use of treats by moving to the bumpers, praise, and pets as rewards as soon as the dog is willing to offer behaviors for those other motivators.

Focus is a must for handling retrievers, adventure dogs, and alert dogs. These dogs are biddable team players requiring an interdependent relationship with their pack leader. Eye contact is the first step.

This article originally appeared on 国产吃瓜黑料 K9, the former dog blog of 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine, on May 11, 2009.

The post Getting Your Dog to Focus, Part I appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

OK, so we have an independent-minded, self-employed dog that just will not come when there are tempting distractions. What then?

If parts I and II of our recall training did not work, we have the final option of force. An effective tool is the electric collar. I recommend e-collars only as a last resort for stopping a determined dog from engaging in dangerous or uncontrollable behaviors like chasing cars, bolting, or chasing animals. Using a modern e-collar with variable levels of intensity, we can apply just enough discomfort to get results. The training begins at the lowest setting of intensity that will get a response from your dog.

First, teach the dog the appropriate command as we did in parts I and II. You can鈥檛 teach anything with an e-collar鈥攐nly reinforce what the dog already knows. To assure a response in the field when those interesting distractions appear, we will want to begin training with our dog close to us backed up with a 50-foot check cord.

1. Place the e-collar on the dog as instructed by the manufacturer.

2. Work the dog for several weeks through obedience skills just wearing the collar so they become accustomed to it.

3. Test the level of responsiveness on the lowest level possible. Walk the dog forward, then abruptly back away in a reverse heel while calling the dog to you. As the dog turns, activate the collar as you give the recall command. Hold the button down until the dog takes his first step toward you. If he doesn鈥檛 respond, use the check cord to encourage them forward.

4. Our student quickly learns that coming toward you relieves the discomfort. Now, gradually lengthen the distance and distraction of your recall in small increments. Each time, be consistent: 1) Call the dog, 2) activate the collar, 3) release the button as the dog comes forward.

CAUTIONS, WARNINGS, AND DOWNSIDES
1. Never use an e-collar to punish a dog, and never lose your temper. E-collars are incredibly powerful tools but can deliver incredible pain (like a wall socket or stun gun) at the touch of a button. Treat the button with respect.

2. E-collars are a good training tool when they鈥檙e necessary, but they make a terrible training methodology. As with a choker chain and other training equipment, an e-collar shouldn鈥檛 be used as a crutch to make up for a trainer鈥檚 lack of ability or experience. Before you convince yourself that your dog is too stubborn to learn, have a professional evaluate your training style. Oftentimes it鈥檚 the handler and not the dog that needs correcting.

3. If you鈥檙e using an e-collar, you鈥檙e using it to correct undesirable behaviors. You鈥檒l know you鈥檝e succeeded when you no longer have to use the collar. Always keep this in mind. Once you start using the collar, it鈥檚 hard to stop.

4. If you use the collar for any length of time, you鈥檙e certain to end up with a dog that has two personalities: One with the collar on that obeys; one without the collar that does what it wants.

An electric collar is often euphemistically described as 鈥渟timulation鈥� or 鈥減ressure.鈥� That鈥檚 not quite right. An e-collar produces an electric shock that all dogs (and humans and just about everything else with a nervous system) know to avoid after very brief contact. The dog avoids the shock or relieves the shock by responding to the command. Never use the collar until the command is totally understood, then keep the collar on for extended periods of time so your dog does not become collar wise.

This is the training method of last resort, never to be considered a shortcut, only used for the most difficult subjects that continue to behave in a dangerous or uncontrollable behavior.

This article originally appeared on 国产吃瓜黑料 K9, the former dog blog of 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine, on April 6, 2009.

The post Dog Recall, Part III: Finger on the Button appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Getting a reliable recall in older dogs without previous training or breeds commonly known to be less biddable and more independent (hounds, pointers, and such) will require commitment and effort. First, you鈥檝e got to train out the old problem and then train in the new, desirable behavior. Here鈥檚 how we鈥檒l do it.

1. Teach the command 鈥渃ome鈥� or 鈥渉ere.鈥�

2. Consistency: The reinforcement and the command must be presented the same way each time. Introduce a reward your dog likes for a correct response.

3. Condition with distraction. You want your dog to come to you despite any distractions out in the world.

4. Gradually extend distance of your recall.

It鈥檚 easy to teach the 鈥渉ere鈥� behavior. Just walk along with the dog at heel on lead (leash). Then stop and quickly walk backward, showing your positive reinforcer, like a treat, and use your recall command. Use a bridge like 鈥済ood dog,鈥� 鈥測es,鈥� or a clicker, and mark the behavior as the dog starts toward you. Deliver your reward as the dog comes in. I call this exercise a reverse heel. Next, leave the dog at sit. Attach a long cord for safety. Walk out, give the command, 鈥渉ere,鈥� and show the treat. No compliance? Use the cord for encouragement. Keep distances short to teach the command and introduce the reinforcer.

Use a trill on a whistle to signal the recall as well. I prefer high-pitched ACME dog whistles because they don鈥檛 draw a lot of attention from people, but the dog can hear it just fine over long distances.

Now here鈥檚 the key: Just because your dog is coming to you doesn鈥檛 mean he鈥檚 necessarily trained for recall. You鈥檝e got to get a 100-percent response rate in five different locations (yard, field, park, etc.) to call it a trained behavior. On average, getting to that point will take about 1,000 repetitions with increasing levels of distraction. No, it鈥檚 not quick, but it鈥檚 worth it.

THE MOTIVATORS
Some positive reinforcers: A treat, food, or perhaps a toy; or, for some dogs, a retrieve of a ball or training dummy; and there鈥檚 always the big one, lavish affection. The goal: Convince your dog that you are the best thing going. A big, fun reward is waiting for an immediate recall. If it鈥檚 more interesting to be with you than on an independent frolic, training the recall shouldn鈥檛 be hard at all.

A tough rule: You cannot maintain the integrity or value of a primary reinforcer if it is inappropriately or indiscriminately given out. If you鈥檙e giving out treats or lavishing affection any old time, you鈥檒l diminish the effectiveness of the reward as a motivator.

FOCUS
You must get eye contact. Total attention is needed if you intend to become the leader. Practice holding your dog鈥檚 attention for increasing lengths of time with direct eye contact. You cannot do so wearing sunglasses. Treats work well: Say the dog鈥檚 name and give a treat after a few seconds of eye contact. Gradually lengthen the time required to earn a treat. Then add distraction. If you walk in a circle, will the dog follow you with his eyes? If you raise your arms, will he maintain eye contact?

DISTRACTION
Once you have a basic recall down, start to add distractions. Throw a ball over your dog鈥檚 head as he鈥檚 coming in. Have a friend bike or jog by. Have a child playing elsewhere in the yard. Start adding distractions in an enclosed area鈥攁 garage, fenced yard, using a check cord. You want to control the situation so that your dog is successful almost all the time. Failure weighs heavily on most dogs and quickly leads to confusion and disengagement. Timing is crucial. Wait until there鈥檚 a pretty good chance your dog will look up from whatever he鈥檚 doing before you give the recall command. Every time you try and fail, you鈥檙e reinforcing the dog鈥檚 tendency to ignore you.

Once you get five recalls in five places with minor distractions, move to big distractions: Water, other dogs, interesting smells, people, and wild animals. The only way to desensitize your dog to the effect of these is to repeatedly expose him to all in a controlled environment. First, at short distances, then gradually extend the distance of compliance.

Dogs are pleasure seekers. Make coming to you more rewarding than whatever else is going on and reinforce it time after time and you鈥檙e on your way to a reliable behavior鈥攁 habit.

PITFALLS
1. Never chase the dog.

2. Never call your dog to punish, confine, or provide any negative experience. If your dog doesn鈥檛 like being put outside, never call him to you to put him outside.

3. Don鈥檛 dilute the value of the positive reinforces with indiscriminate application. The dog needs to work for everything.

4. Time the marker reward for the best behaviors, exactly when they occur. No delay. Timing is crucial.

This article originally appeared on 国产吃瓜黑料 K9, the former dog blog of 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine, on March 31, 2009.

The post Dog Recall, Part II: The Old, the Habituated, and the Just Plain Stubborn appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

With a good recall, your dog will come when called鈥攚henever, wherever, despite other distractions. It鈥檚 an important behavior for any dog, yet our dogs鈥� internal monologues are often different from our own:鈥� 鈥淗e鈥檚 pleading with me to go over there鈥攂oy this is an interesting scent I鈥檝e discovered;鈥濃�� 鈥淣ow he鈥檚 shouting鈥擧ey, this deer really needs chasing;鈥濃�� 鈥淲e鈥檙e hunting birds? Naw, how about this rabbit!鈥濃�� Too often, dogs grow an opinion about recall. And if your dog thinks recall is optional, you鈥檝e got a problem. Recall, like all other behavior, is the product of a conditioned response, a trained behavior, and, once ingrained, a habit.

In the following three lessons, I鈥檒l teach you training methods that will produce effective recall behaviors. In all cases, build in the recall habit at a young age. Habits instilled as a pup will follow the dog for a lifetime. It鈥檚 a bond between the owner and the dog: Trust and respect. A relationship is more easily established when pups are young, but older, more biddable dogs are not out of the question. Whatever you train into a pup between six weeks and six months of age will not go away, so put in the right stuff.

1. Use any or all of voice, body language, hand signals, or the whistle to signal your recall.

2. When your pup is just a few yards from you, move away quickly and excitedly and your pup will follow. Once the pup has learned the behavior, add the recall command repeatedly. The pup will identify the signal with the behavior being performed.

3. As the dog comes in, offer a big reward: A treat, affection, whatever your dog loves most.

4. Then immediately release the youngster. Nothing negative should be occurring when they come to you. No crating, medication, scolding, leashing, or correction. Find other opportunities to approach the pup for these things.

5. In early field outings, don鈥檛 let your pup roam too far. Every reward should be found close to the handler in the early months. This reinforces his desire to be with you and to heed you. Distance is one of the primary distractions. Try to recall your dog from too far away without building up to it, and he鈥檚 likely to ignore you. As you walk, change directions frequently, so your pup learns to keep his eye on you. Occasionally call your pup in for a treat, a pet, or a retrieve. Don鈥檛 call your pup in when you can see that he鈥檚 preoccupied with a distraction.

Every time you try to call your dog and fail, you鈥檙e training in an 鈥渋gnore鈥� response. Set your pup up to be successful every time. Repeat the lesson with consistency, reward the desirable behavior, and gradually extend the distances. The same conditioning model is used for older dogs as well. Biddable dogs will respond to these methods at any age. More independent-natured dogs like pointers and hounds and those with pre-conditioned habits will need special attention, which we鈥檒l will explore in part II (coming Thursday) and part III (coming Friday). For now, shaping the habit is the order of the day.

This article originally appeared on 国产吃瓜黑料 K9, the former dog blog of 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine, on March 31, 2009.

The post Dog Recall, Part I: Come When You’re Called appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The world of the versatile sporting dog is where we live daily at our 鈥攄ogs capable of pricking waterfowl by morning and hunting upland birds in the afternoon that also possess the temperament to make a great family member that evening. Today, many sportsmen hunt a variety of game in various locations across the country. These enthusiasts also wish to have a companion for other outside pursuits and travel. The one-dog-fits-all objective is a tall order to fill for any animal, but there are breeds of sporting dogs and some select trainers producing just this type of dog.

One of my clients, Joe Auteri, says of his lab Flynn, 鈥淗e goes with my wife, Maria, when she drops off the kids at school riding in a red convertible VW bug. With Flynn on the front seats, she says she gets more comments about the dog than she does about her prized car.鈥�

Auteri says Flynn travels each year with his buddies to the Colorado River to hunt duck and fly fish. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a fantastic hunter, family dog, and patient in temperament.鈥� He hunts duck with enthusiasm and accompanies Auteri on float fishing trips. Flynn is a true, versatile sporting companion.

There are five main categories of sporting dogs to consider, each with varying attributes: pointers, retrievers, flushers, treers, and trackers. First, to understand versatility, keep in mind instinctive traits as opposed to skills trained in. No single breed will perfectly match all the necessary skills one might wish for in versatility. Pointers may lack a bit at retrieving ability. Certainly spaniels, traditionally bred to flush birds, may be compromised as a pointer. Select breeds based upon your primary desired utilization and keep expectations for other skills reasonable.

Next, match the energy level of the dog to yours and your lifestyle. Performance-bred, competitive retrievers may prove to be a handful on a duck hunt or a hike. A dog from show lines can be an attractive specimen but lack the natural gamefinding abilities and trainability for field pursuits. Pointers and hound breeds are independent in nature and may not be enjoyable on a hike or a float trip.

IN SELECTION, THINK:
Desirable skills needed鈥�
Energy level and lifestyle considerations鈥�
Reasonable expectations

THE VERSATILE BREEDS
Retrievers: Labrador Retriever, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Golden Retriever, Nova Scotia Towler鈥�
Pointers: German Shorthair Pointer, Hungarian Vizla, Brittany Spaniel, Wiemarener鈥�
Spaniels: Field-Bred English Cocker, English Springer Spaniel, Boykin Spaniel

This article originally appeared on 国产吃瓜黑料 K9, the former dog blog of 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine, on May 6, 2009.

The post Finding the Perfect Sporting Companion appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.