Upland Bird Dog: Bird Dog Training Forum

Training Equipment: A list of dog training equipment.	Archive 2: Archived Training Forum postings.
Der Deutsch Kurzhaar by Gayla Combes, DVM: an article about German Shorthairs.	Archive 3: Archived Training Forum postings.
Pigeon loft design by Scott Petty.	Archive 4: Archived Training Forum postings.
Racing pigeons and lofts for dog training.	Archive 5: Archived Training Forum postings.
Teaching Stop to Flush and Backing: by Bob Kane.	Archive 6: Archived Training Forum postings.
Update on the USFWS vs Sportsmen: Get involved before its too late.	Archive 7: Archived Training Forum postings.
Bill West seminar pictures taken in Texas.	Archive 8: Archived Training Forum postings
Johnny Houses: For pen-raised birds.	Archive 9: Archived Training Forum postings.
Archive 1: Archived Training Forum postings.

Welcome to UplandBirdDog.com Training Center. After obtaining your bird dog the fun begins when training your pup into an effective hunting companion, a bird dog with style and class. Novice trainers may have various questions such as, "How and when do I start field work?" and "How do I introduce my pup to gun fire?" More sage owners may ask, "How do I get my pup to honor or steady to flush?" Regardless of your training experience, I hope you'll enjoy this training forum.

There are many ways to train bird dogs. However, the method that Bill West developed as a result of over 50 years of handling and training different breeds of bird dogs, is successful in competition and in the field. Bill's method is a gentle yet highly effective system of developing class bird dogs. For additional information on this method of dog training, read the American Field article on Bill Gibbons, a professional trainer.

We'll discuss how to train, but also how to avoid behavior problems that pointing dogs may develop in the course of their training. Problems may oftentimes stem from the owners/handlers inability to communicate with their bird dog. Many owners assume their dogs can understand human language, therefore, most people talk to their them instead of showing them what to do. Although dogs are very intelligent, they do not understand language as we do. They can however, decipher our tone of voice and our body movements. Likewise, we can observe their behavior and determine if the dog understands what we want.

A bird dog learns after repeated demonstration of a specific behavior and reinforcement. Reinforcement is any stimulus that increases the likelihood of repeating that behavior. For example, give the command "here" and when the dog comes in, show your approval by petting him. Petting is the reinforcer or in this case, a positive reinforcement (PR). Negative reinforcement (NR) also can increase the likelihood of repeating a given behavior. An example would be to say "here" and give a slight tug on the check line to bring the dog in. The dog learns to avoid the tug by coming in. The reinforcer is the removal of the discomfort from the tug of the check line. Combining PR and NR together is an effective way of modifying a dog's behavior.

Another concept of training is punishment. Punishment is anything that decreases the likelihood of a given behavior. An example of punishment is used in snake avoidance training. In the presence of a rattlesnake, the dog is stimulated with an aversive stimulus by use of an electronic collar (e-collar). The dog associates the aversive stimuli with the snake and thus decreases the likelihood of getting near it. However, NR also plays a major role in the snake avoidance process. The dog is allowed to escape the aversive stimuli and learns to avoid the rattlesnake. Because behavior is complex and is constantly changing, these behavioral concepts are oftentimes difficult to isolate and identify. The above is a simplistic view of operant conditioning. To dog train at a higher level, a combination of these basic principle and others (i.e., habituation and extinction) are used to ultimately develop a class upland bird dog.

Most people obtain a bird dog because they enjoy the companionship and affection that dogs provide. For the upland hunter, the bird dog's ability to seek out and point birds for the gun is a team effort. The bird dog is a partner at home but also in the field. However, there is a conflict. The bird dog must be trained to perform with consistency and be reliable on point, otherwise the partnership is never fully obtained. Bird dogs grow up quickly which doesn't allow time for the owner to learn the intricacies of developing a class bird dog. Acquiring the knowledge to train a fast and far ranging bird dog that flushes up a covey of quail is daunting. Most owners buy books and videos to supplement their training. While some text are informative, others don't provide the interaction that is necessary to effectively train their dogs.

This forum will provide ideas and information with the opportunity to receive answers to all your questions regarding dog training. An article to read that will help with all the general, most asked questions about training is Bill Gibbon's "The Magic Man."

Note: For Bill West training tape, pinch collar, check line and other training tapes.

Enter here to: UplandBirdDog.com Training Forum