# Question on Training



## PSUBowhunter (Dec 31, 2007)

Hey guys, I have visited this forum alot, but never posted. I have learned alot about training, but do have a question for you. I have a 7 month old lab that I have been working with alot, everyday actually and have had her hunting in the last two weeks and she is doing very well. I did not even try to train her to point, and dont plan on it. My question is, when she is on a bird and the bird flushes, how do I get her to not go after the bird until I give her the command. Should I work with her using a check cord and release her to retrieve the bird after it is down?


----------



## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

What you really need is an entire training program, not just one thing. But if you're determined that this is the only thing you want to do with the dog, then teach him to either sit to a single blast of the whistle, or to sit to flush.

This is done on a six foot leash. Whenever you stop, blow one blast of a whistle and command the dog to sit. When it knows this, walk along and blow the whistle without stopping. The dog should sit. When it has this down, walk out in front of the dog, call it to you and command sit or blow the whislte before it gets to you. If it doesn't stop, take a step toward it and command, No, Sit!. When it will do this, put it on a 20' check cord and let it run around. Randomly, blow the whistle and if the dog doesn't sit immediately, make it. Once it has this down, start working on steadying the dog.

That's another whole topic. Let us know when you've gotten this far, where the dog will sit anytime, anywhere to the whistle, and then we'll work on steadyng him.


----------



## PSUBowhunter (Dec 31, 2007)

I have her sitting on command, and with one blow of the whistle already and she will do this in the field, but when a bird flushes she chases it no matter what I do. she doesnt chase far, but does still chase them.


----------



## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

Remember she is only 7 monthes old, she is still a baby. You should be hestatic that at 7 monthes she is bird crazy and chasing them, I don't know where you live or when you season is over but hunt her this season and be happy with what you have, for now.

As GH said you will need to follow a complete program during the off season to get the results that you are asking of you dog. You could start the steadying process now but you would be better of going back and starting over with a proven OB program.


----------



## 870 rem (Nov 14, 2007)

Our dogs will run after a bird when it flushes but will stop as soon as we call them. If you hunt heavy cover I would let your dogs run after the birds this way if you only wing the bird the dog will be on top of it right away and you won't have to spend a lot of time looking for wounded birds. I don't care how good a dog is if a pheasent with only a brooken wing gets much of a head start in heavy cattails the dog will have all it can handle finding and catching the bird especially now with the bird population so high and the amount of sent on the ground.


----------



## PSUBowhunter (Dec 31, 2007)

Can anyone recommend a good training program. I have read several books(cant think of the authors, but I know Walters is one of them) and have several DVDs, but none of them had much information on steadying a dog. Can anyone recommend a good program for upland hunting with a lab?


----------



## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

PSUBowhunter said:


> Can anyone recommend a good training program. I have read several books(cant think of the authors, but I know Walters is one of them) and have several DVDs, but none of them had much information on steadying a dog. Can anyone recommend a good program for upland hunting with a lab?


Did you read "Game Dog" by Walters or "Water Dog?. I though "Game Dog" was a little more upland oriented. Might try that.
Good luck,
Dan


----------



## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

Whether it is a hunting dog , HT dog or a FT dog basics are basics and a solid training program works for all of the above.

It all goes back to a solid OB program, Sit means Sit and HERE means HERE no matter what the situation is.

As far as books go the EVAN Graham Smartwork series is good.
And as far as Videos go I recomend Fowldogs 1 and 2 easy to follow and well worth the money

http://www.finelineretrievers.com/video.html


----------



## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

dfisher said:


> Did you read "Game Dog" by Walters or "Water Dog?. I though "Game Dog" was a little more upland oriented. Might try that.
> Good luck,
> Dan


I hope you haven't read either book because they are the worst books on dog training ever written and have probably caused more problems in dogs than any other training books. I wish they'd just take them off the market and use them for winter fire starters.


----------

