# Steady to the gun



## Honky (Sep 26, 2006)

I have a lab, she will be on her second hunting season. I have been working with her this summer on steadying her. I've used a training pistol and started with shotgun blanks. She does great in the yard, but when the birds are flying and the excitement starts it's like I never worked with her. I continue to work with her in the yard. I also brought her down to the dock today. There were some mallards just off the dock, townies, and she did fine up to a point. Any tips on this matter would be appreciatted. I do not want to ruin someone hunt or put her in jeporady because she can't stay steady. What should I do?


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

Chain her to a stake until she learns she only goes when you say.


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## brianb (Dec 27, 2005)

Have a friend shoot and you correct the dog if she breaks, either with a collar or checkcord.

It helps a to work on this in training. If you can catch some pigeons (barn or bridge at night with dip net on a pole and a flash light) they work great.

Clip the flight feathers on one wing. Have a helper hide about 30-50 yards out. Get on the duck calls, make it as real as possible. Then have him throw the bird and shoot blanks. If she moves correct her and have the buddy pick up the bird. Keep moving the bird closer to within 10 yards as she gets steady. The live flopping bird is really tempting.

If you are hunting alone or don't want to give up shooting then go with Bob's advice.

Brian


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## Goon (Apr 3, 2005)

My lab used to catch the bird as it was hitting the water, how he is a little more steady, it takes many hours in the yard and a collar to correct this. 
My lab is getting better with the hunts. The other day while I was goose hunting and the ducks were decoying, my dog broke out and flushed the ducks in the deks. The next time I gave him a no and a slight correction.
The chaining thing was attempted by me and it was a disaster. I discarded it last season. Patience is the key. If I shoot a duck and the dog goes out and retrieves it and he isn't out of the weeds before the duck hits the water I don't complain anymore. At least he is watching where they land.


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

I think one of the best ways to steady a dog is with another dog that is already steady. The true test of being steady is honoring another dog.

This will take 3 people a thrower, you and your dog and a third helper and his or her "steady" dog. Start out with bumpers and have the thrower toss a bumper if your dog stays put send him if he even moves an inch get him back in the sit position with your check cord and give him a sit "swat" sit with a heeling stick and send the honor dog. The correction from the stick and watching the other dog get the retrieve will drive him nuts. Once he is steady to this go to a bumper and a shot from the blank pistle, then to a dead bird, dead bird plus shot and then to a live flyer. You have to have zero tollerence on the movement of the dog on this drill, if you give them an inch they will take a mile.

Even if the dog is a collar dog, sometimes pressure from you and the stick will leave a longer lasting impression on the dog.


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

I always made my labs wait for my hand. I put my hand over their nose and called their name. They couldn't go without the hand. Challenge them. Sit the dog and throw a clippie 10' in front of it. Call several names; Jake, Tim , charlie, even the dogs and as bobm said, have her staked. If she breaks, don't say a work, just let her hit the end of the chain and flip. That way she has corrected herself. Do anything to make her break. Jump forward and call her name. But she never goes until the hand is over the nose. That and the name are the release. Challenge them, challenge them, challenge them. We used to have a field trial saying " if you train for the rediculous, the trials come easy". Same for a good hunting dog. You may think that's being unfair to your dog but she's being unfair to you isn't she?


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## Timber2005 (Jul 8, 2005)

The very first thing I worked on with my pup after she was retrieving was that she goes when I say she goes. I use the command OK to let me dog retrieve her dummy and ducks. I also "play" with a tennis ball with her and she knows when this is out it is play time and can retrieve when it is thrown. IN the field it was a different story at first but as reinforcement the collar was key. She is in her thrid year and she does not leave the boat until given the command. On the other hand I have hunted with a dog that jumps at first shot and through the season will jump many times at decoying birds. This dog was not trained from the get go to stay and has ruined many good shoots. But the times when she does mess up a good hunt the owner scolds her to no end, but in her defense if he shots a bird and she jumps right away to retrieve he praises her...


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## Honky (Sep 26, 2006)

Guys thanks for the replies. I have been out hunting twice this week. She did alright on the retrieving part but broke a few times. The last was on a flock of geese we had coming in they landed outside the decoys she lunged and I grabbed her in the boat. She went nuts and spooked the geese. MY fault that I haven't trained her well enough yet. I have the hand and name release command in the yard down fine but not in the field. Guess I will have to try out some of the ideas. I also have a board with a 2' check cord on it. I will have to go back to that. Can't blame the dog. Agian thanks guys for the help.


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