Anyone know a good hunting dog training book?
- Thread starter Cody
- Start date
Go immediately to Amazon and get "Gun Dog" by Richard Wolters. Written back in 1961 and still in print.
Then go to www.huntsmith.com and get the command lead, and the video that goes with it.
That is all you will need to train your pup right. Good luck. You have a world of fun ahead of you.
Key thing in training...patience. If the dog is doing something wrong it is usually a trainer problem, not a dog problem. Keep it fun. Set your dog up for success.
Put in the time on training and you will love hunting with your dog. I know I do.
Kismet
UPH Guru
and please, please, please remember...
it is a puppy. All the ingredients are there, but they take their own time to develop as the puppy goes from childhood to adolescence to maturity.
You will encounter brilliance, clownishness, dumb, and moments of absolute astonishment.
Is a puppy.
:thumbsup:
it is a puppy. All the ingredients are there, but they take their own time to develop as the puppy goes from childhood to adolescence to maturity.
You will encounter brilliance, clownishness, dumb, and moments of absolute astonishment.
Is a puppy.
:thumbsup:
KATroutman13
Member
And BOTH of you need to be having fun right now. If it is not fun for YOU, it certainly isn't fun for the pup. Stop what you are doing and have some fun!
PheasantWhisperer
Member
Yep. Dont forget to let it be a dog. No more than 20 minutes of training at a time for a while.
Kis, KA and the Whisperer,
All great advice. If you find yourself getting frustrated....and you will. Stop. Go back to something the dog knows how to do....I don't care if it is just SIT....do that and quit. End on something positive you can praise the dog for, and stop the training session. Let him rip around and have some fun.
However, one of the things Jim Marti always stressed was that if you had a big success on a new task...steady to wing and shot, say...or holding a point for 5 minutes...something tough....when you finish...praise the dog and thenput the dog in the crate and let him think about that success. Marti says it burns it in their memory...it's like they savor that moment. And he was a wildly successful pointing dog trainer, so I followed that advice.
All great advice. If you find yourself getting frustrated....and you will. Stop. Go back to something the dog knows how to do....I don't care if it is just SIT....do that and quit. End on something positive you can praise the dog for, and stop the training session. Let him rip around and have some fun.
However, one of the things Jim Marti always stressed was that if you had a big success on a new task...steady to wing and shot, say...or holding a point for 5 minutes...something tough....when you finish...praise the dog and thenput the dog in the crate and let him think about that success. Marti says it burns it in their memory...it's like they savor that moment. And he was a wildly successful pointing dog trainer, so I followed that advice.
Sorry to go on about this...but I love hunting dogs...and had such a great season with my setter that I still love thinking about it...and talking about it.
I think it was a trainer at one of the hunt clubs out here in Colorado that talked about the "good enough" dog. His dogs were amazing. He could blow two blasts on his whistle with his dog on a dead run and that dog would skid to a stop like a cartoon character and look back at the trainer. That dog was TRAINED.
And the trainer said...look, your dog may not do that. He may keep running and look at you to see what's up, or he may start heading your way...or whatever. His dog stood at the flush until released...no matter how many birds got up or how many were knocked down...it stood STEADY to wing and shot. It retrieved birds to this guy's left leg, and put the bird in his hand. Same position, same delivery EVERY time.
But,the best advice he gave was to get your dog to that point in training where YOU enjoy hunting with your dog. He called it "The good enough dog."
My dog is ABSOLUTELY ROCK STEADY on point. He won't budge I don't care how long he has to stand there. And I don't remember the last time he bumped a bird. That is important to me. And that is what he does.
He quarters beautifully, and works a field completely, checking every stitch of available cover. He keeps the wind in his nose. He always works cover from the down wind position, etc. All that is important to me.
He retrieves the bird by picking it up and dropping it about 3-4 feet away from me. I would like him to put it in my hand....but....what the hell...it's good enough. I just don't feel like putting any more pressure on him for that little bit of showmanship.
I LOVE hunting with this dog. We are a genuine, true team in the field. We take so much pleasure in the hunt I get a little weepy thinking about it. He is, in my opinion a GREAT DOG.
But, in reality he is just my good enough dog. We don't hunt to impress anyone else...we simply please each other.
Again, sorry to go on about this. But I think it is important. I've seen too many guys yelling at their dogs, shaking them, being really hard on them...when it isn't a dog problem.
Good hunting, guys.
I think it was a trainer at one of the hunt clubs out here in Colorado that talked about the "good enough" dog. His dogs were amazing. He could blow two blasts on his whistle with his dog on a dead run and that dog would skid to a stop like a cartoon character and look back at the trainer. That dog was TRAINED.
And the trainer said...look, your dog may not do that. He may keep running and look at you to see what's up, or he may start heading your way...or whatever. His dog stood at the flush until released...no matter how many birds got up or how many were knocked down...it stood STEADY to wing and shot. It retrieved birds to this guy's left leg, and put the bird in his hand. Same position, same delivery EVERY time.
But,the best advice he gave was to get your dog to that point in training where YOU enjoy hunting with your dog. He called it "The good enough dog."
My dog is ABSOLUTELY ROCK STEADY on point. He won't budge I don't care how long he has to stand there. And I don't remember the last time he bumped a bird. That is important to me. And that is what he does.
He quarters beautifully, and works a field completely, checking every stitch of available cover. He keeps the wind in his nose. He always works cover from the down wind position, etc. All that is important to me.
He retrieves the bird by picking it up and dropping it about 3-4 feet away from me. I would like him to put it in my hand....but....what the hell...it's good enough. I just don't feel like putting any more pressure on him for that little bit of showmanship.
I LOVE hunting with this dog. We are a genuine, true team in the field. We take so much pleasure in the hunt I get a little weepy thinking about it. He is, in my opinion a GREAT DOG.
But, in reality he is just my good enough dog. We don't hunt to impress anyone else...we simply please each other.
Again, sorry to go on about this. But I think it is important. I've seen too many guys yelling at their dogs, shaking them, being really hard on them...when it isn't a dog problem.
Good hunting, guys.
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Honestly, this is some of the best training advice I've seen in some times. My Labs are good bird dogs. Are they trained to the absolute best standard? No. Are they good enough for me? Definitely. They're what you would call "meat dogs". They cover the ground great, checking out every scent and bit of cover. They quarter well, and adjust to the size of the hunting group. They're great at running down wounded birds, and retrieve to hand. That being said, they are not steady to wing and shot. But then, I don't want them to be. If that bird is just wounded and is gonna run, I want them on it from the start.
The one rule I've always followed in training is to make it fun. Let them be dogs. I always try to end every session on a positive note, and keep the sessions short, to always leave them wanting more.
The one rule I've always followed in training is to make it fun. Let them be dogs. I always try to end every session on a positive note, and keep the sessions short, to always leave them wanting more.
goldenboy
Well-known member
I am in the process right now of training my pup. I bought the Bill Hillman basic video and it starts right away with nothing but fun for the pup. I am starting to see now how this positive reinforcement is working. Now when the pup comes to me with the dummy I say sit and she does, still holding the dummy. That tells me we are building a foundation for delivery to hand. Is she force broke yet, NO but I think we are on the way. By the way I send my dogs out for more formal continued training, I am only a novice, but everything I start is one less thing they have to work out. Hopefully by the time the trainer sees my dog she will be on her way to bigger and better things.
David0311
Check out Golden boys post great advice--if you already bought Wolters return it or--use it it line bottom of kennel:coolpics:
JMO
Check out Golden boys post great advice--if you already bought Wolters return it or--use it it line bottom of kennel:coolpics:
JMOwestksbowhunter
Well-known member
Agreed. Hillman is top notch for sure. I do like Rick Stawski "Fowl Dawgs" dvd. Great step by step for a solid hunting retriever. Wolters is very outdated and doesn't provide a step by step simplified training program.
westksbowhunter
Well-known member
Whatever you choose make it fun for both of you. And while we all want the best hunting dog we can have, first and foremost all dogs have to be a good citizen first and that starts with socialization and crate training.
I assume by this that you have never read Wolter's book. It is exactly a step by step process. I have trained 5 setters using his methods and all are top notch hunting dogs. Good training methods can't be outdated. I have used the Burnt Creek book alongside "Gun Dog". Look at Jim Marrti's book. Written 40 years ago, and so highly valued that you can't find a copy for less than $150. And Wolter's books are still in print after over 50 years.
http://www.amazon.com/Burnt-Creek-m...UTF8&qid=1459529472&sr=8-5&keywords=Jim+Marti
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westksbowhunter
Well-known member
I have his book and his vhs tape.
westksbowhunter
Well-known member
When I first got into training 40 years ago, the Wolters books were about all we had. But they are light years away from the materials out there now by Lardy, Hillman, Stawski, etc. All I can say is take a look and compare for yourself and make your own decision. Hillman and Lardy are as good as it gets. I have a library full of training books, manuals, dvds, vhs, etc. Lardy has everything you need.