# Steadying



## ryanps18 (Jun 23, 2006)

How many of you train your dogs to be steady to flush and shot? 
I can't decide weither to do it or not. My dog is steady when throwing bumpers and honors well but thats where it ends.

If your dog is steady any advise for a wannabe trainer would be great.


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## jwdinius1 (Dec 14, 2006)

I know this wot help you a lot but i have the same problem? so any advice would be great?

Thanks :beer:


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## jonesy (Aug 3, 2006)

sure.....why not, first it helps you learn dogs and training, plus you have a great and valuable safety feature, for hunting and working with others. Jonesy


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## cedarsedge (Sep 21, 2006)

I train all my dogs to be steady at the shot, I usually hunt them all together and this keeps from all running after it and fighting over it. It is also nice if you hunt with other people so your dog doesn't turn into a bird hog and retrieve every bird.

Some will say "I would rather have them right after the bird after it is shot" but a dog can't mark as well when running as sitting still.

Dan


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

I started my dogs very young on the "hup" (stop, sit) command, reinforced with a single whistle blast. All I can recommend is that you be consistant in your training, and never lose patience. When the dog moves after the command, catch him and without any ranting, physical or verbal punishment, simply return him, however far it might be, back to the spot where the command was given. Repeat the command and release him after a short amount of time. It's a good idea to vary the time the dog is required to stop, to avoid them anticipating your commands.
Once my pups were fairly steady in the yard, we took this into the field. After four years and many, many commands and corrections, they are fairly reliable on the flush, only needing an occasional voice or whistle command to remind them when they err. I do not steady my dogs to the shot. Pheasants are our primary quarry, and the sooner they get onto a poorly shot bird the better.
Training dogs is very seldom easy, and requires huge amounts of patience. Keep training sessions short, no more than ten to fifteen minutes for most dogs and trainers, and repeat the sessions two or three times a day if possible. Bring your dog close to reliability with one task before introducing or layering in, another. Lately, I've been training my dogs to lie down patiently and wait for their share of the popcorn while watching TV in the evening. I have met with limited success :wink: .Training is tough but can be really enjoyable. The eventual rewards are enormous. Patience, consistancy, repetition. Good luck, Burl


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## ryanps18 (Jun 23, 2006)

thanks for the tips I am going to get on it


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

If you've steadied him to fall and shot in the yard, and done it thoroughly and well, the field is no problem, but you must CHALLENGE him in the yard. Have him sit steady, walk off from him, and throw clippies all around him firing each time a blank pistol. If he twitches a muscle, buzz him with the collar, commanding NO, SIT!! (or down, whatever position he's in). Don't let him have a bird. If he does well let him pick up a bird or two. Now walk around the yard with him at heel, shoot and throw a bird. Have a CC on him. If he breaks don't say anything, let the evil Check Cord tip him upside down and calmly command, NO, HEEL. Alternately, each time you throw a bird and shoot, blow the sit whistle so he automatically sits whenever he sees a bird flush. When he is doing all of this perfectly, transfer it to the field. You have to be consistent with this, even during hunting. When a bird flushes and he doesn't sit, nail him with the collar. You probably won't get the bird, but you'll end up with a fine dog. Always, always, always, challenge the dog. There's an old trainers saying " If you train for the rediculous, the trials come easy". Same with hunting dogs. It's not the freat mystery everyone thinks it is.


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## tallgrasser (Nov 18, 2005)

I've taught my up and coming dog to be steady to wild flush, steady to flush, shot and fall. The one aspect that puts the most game in the bag is steady to wild flush. I have pointing dogs and when they run they can get quite a distance away. If my Samie dog accidently flushes up a group of sharptails she'll stop and allow me to walk up to her and shoot at any late rising sleepers that maybe there. If she points a running pheasant and it chooses to get up out of range I don't have a dog that's running all over the place flushing any other birds that maybe in the area. I can walk up, release her and have a chance at any other bird that maybe in the area. There's no reason a person can't do that with a flusher.


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## jonesy (Aug 3, 2006)

hey Gonehuntin....gonna pick your head a little
if everytime you tell him/her NO for breaking.....is that gonna send a mixed signal? We want the retrieve.....so if everytime they booger up......the handler jumps in its butt, sayin NO!! think we might start gettin rejections?? Why not just sayin here?? or just heel?? it will be hard for an amatuer to get timing correct if he starts burning for breaking.....might start blinking?? just a thought. Jonesy


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## cedarsedge (Sep 21, 2006)

Thhat is why at a young age you should train your pup not to leave until your hand comes down above there head. they know if the hand doesn't come down they better not go. This will eliminate the confusion from being sent for a mark or bird and breaking.

Dan


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

jonesy said:


> hey Gonehuntin....gonna pick your head a little
> if everytime you tell him/her NO for breaking.....is that gonna send a mixed signal? We want the retrieve.....so if everytime they booger up......the handler jumps in its butt, sayin NO!! think we might start gettin rejections?? Why not just sayin here?? or just heel?? it will be hard for an amatuer to get timing correct if he starts burning for breaking.....might start blinking?? just a thought. Jonesy


Yes Jonesy, you probably will get rejections. But that's why they're force broken. NO simply tells the dog he's done something wrong, then the correcting command is given. Now, eventually, even when you call his name he may not go. If he is forced I tell him OK and FETCH. I will never force him on the correction, just keep encouraging him, telling him it's OK. Now if he totally refuses to go, then I'll tell him FETCH with the fetch correction. I never get mad and yell at them during these drills. Why should I? The dog is correcting himself when he hits the end of the check cord; I don't have to say a thing. Same in the field if he breaks. No reason to get excited. It's just NO, TOOT, SIT with the collar correction. I've found they go through this very fast. I have a hard time understanding why people have such a hard time steadying dogs. I think it's lack of consistancy.


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## jonesy (Aug 3, 2006)

just pickin atcha lil!! still love ya got outta internet stuff for while, just poppin in to say hey. consistancy is major tool. along with patience. myself will not tell a dog no on breakin.........just strong here. got enough boogers to worry about with steadyin, no need in more fuel to the fire. do what works, I respect the thoughts. just brain pickin lil!! Jonesy


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

Went near you town Jonesy on the way to visiting my daughter in North Caroliona and thought of giving you a call. Was too tired from the driving though!!


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## ryanps18 (Jun 23, 2006)

thanks all!


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