DIY Bird Dog Training Videos/Resources?

[visage]

I'm working from home for the time being and was curious if anyone has any good online sources for bird dog training. I've got a 2.5 year old WPG that I haven't worked with much and was thinking about using this opportunity to get her out in small training sessions throughout the week. The dog is trained with basic commands, but nothing hunting specific (been too busy training my 3.5 and 1.5 year old humans in life preservation skills). I do have a training book that I bought a while back, just curious if anyone had come across any other good resources (youtube, etc). The goal is to get her on some grouse this fall.

 

[MajorAR]

Following.

 

[Thedeerfarmer]

Check out standing stone kennels on YouTube.

 

[Sheepdog]

What are your goals? Quarter on whistle? Follow hand commands? Whoa broke? Broke to flush? Broke to shot? Retrieve to hand?

There are always things to work on. All year every year throughout a hunting dogs life. I guide upland hunts with my dogs, 2-4 depending on what the wife allows in the house, and do some training as well as help clients handle their dogs.

The biggest thing I see is that 80% of clients dogs that are “great bird dogs” I couldn’t guide with without having to spend considerable time with. Less than 5% I would be comfortable taking and just guiding with.

Getting started at training again I would breeze back through all your commands first. Make sure they are 100%. No having to give a command twice, no matter the distractions, or wether on a short lead, checkcord (out to the entire length), and E collar. Don’t go forward till these are all 100% every time. These are 95% of a hunting dog and if you don’t have a solid foundation nothing else will really matter. How many times has the story of the guy with his amazing dog flushing birds at three miles from Antarctica while blowing through commands and an E collar set to elephant kill been told?

once you two have re established these then you are both already in the mind set of training again and will be more receptive for learning and giving new training. There are a lot of great videos on YouTube. Find one thing you want to work on for the next month and watch a few videos from different people. This will help you find you and your dogs style. We all have different ways we learn and communicate best you and your dog are no different. So it’ll help having a couple ways to teach the same thing in the back of your head. If you two hit a road block try a different way and then back off, recover a basic command to end on a good note and try again the next day.

good luck and have fun!

 

[Sheepdog]

Also the Smiths are the men I use the most. That family really knows how to communicate with dogs and get results. I find that they are great at teaching us as well!

 

[visage]

Awesome advice - thanks Sheepdog. A good reminder to revisit some basics. I'm fortunate to live in grouse country so looking to get her on some grouse this year.

 

[Muleyczy]

Also the Smiths are the men I use the most. That family really knows how to communicate with dogs and get results. I find that they are great at teaching us as well!

+1

 

[NEhunter]

Perfect start/finish and the Smartworks series by Evan Graham are great resources I’ve used with success.


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[edbentle]

I will second Standing Stone Kennels. They have great foundation videos and explain the process in a very clear way. I also like how they don't resort to negative reinforcement much in their training. Not that there isn't a place for that like force fetch and in dangerous situations like when your dog is running for the road, but their method seems to really give a dog a positive attitude towards their job. I was lucky enough to find them early on training my first bird dog this past year and he is really turning into a great hunt companion! Good luck

 

[CO Hunter]

You might check out Training the Pointing Lab by Julie Knutson. She also has an awesome podcast, "Training the Pointing Lab." While focused on pointing labs, a lot of the information is general and can be applied to all gun dogs. She employs a more thoughtful, "know your dog" approach as opposed to the one size fits all system. Her kennel is not to far from me and I've been fortunate enough to have her train a dog for me and I used to help her shoot birds, etc....her philosophy is one of a kind- and it comes across in her book and podcast.

 

[Vernon]

I own 2 WPG and was in your same boat. I stilled used Richard Wolters' as references and did a lot of on-line searches. My dogs are not the best trained/broke dogs but they are pretty damn good hunters. I am not much of a trainer but so much was instinctive. The first year for each dog was a headache but the second season things really clicked. So be patient and enjoy the process.

 

[Bulldog2nine]

Check out standing stone kennels on YouTube.

I tried so hard to like them..... very "hey all you cool cats and kittens". Can't. Do. It.

Huntsmith DVD's have helped me out

 

[Ohio3561]

I just finished the Ronnie Smith book. Very well laid out and easy to read. Don’t have any experience to offer yet but preparing to get a pup next spring

 

[steveptr]

On youtube Bill Hillman

Bill Hillmann

Training a labrador retriever, a golden retriever to be steady and force fetched using e collar (electronic collar, remote trainer) with a gentle approach ca...

www.youtube.com

https://billhillmann.net/

 

[Mosby]

Pefection Kennels has an outsanding reputation.. I am going to visit their kennel this year. Breeders I talked with recommended them highly. They are on YT and have dvd's for sale.

 

[Cattracker]

Perfect start/finish and the Smartworks series by Evan Graham are great resources I’ve used with success.


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..what he said

 

[Spoonbill]

The hunting dog podcast has episodes on training dogs. Don’t know if the earlier ones are still available but there is some good info in them.

 

[willidru]

I used Bill Hillman’s puppy training video then Evan Grams Smartworks

 

[willidru]

Also retriever training forum is a great resource

 

[Calrissian]

I can recommend a couple great books.

Check out How to Have the Best Trained Gun Dog by Joan Bailey. Bailey does a great job of explaining how to bring your dogs natural instincts out and how to make your dog want to work with/for you. Not a super regimented approach. It works well.

If you want to go more old school / regimented buy Training the Sporting dogs by Smith and Jones. It is a classic.

The best resource you have for training is your local NAVHDA chapter. Join and meet people that have a common interest, know how to train bird dogs and will be happy to help you train yours. They will have birds, training grounds and tools to work with. It will work 100 times better than any book or video.

C