Jared Moss and I have been training bird dogs together for nearly 2 years now. One of the things that brought us together was the Dave Walker training methods we learned at one of Dave Walker’s training seminars. We were both in awe when we saw the way Dave silently communicated with the dogs at the seminar. Perhaps after training thousands of bird dogs we will finally possess that uncanny ability of reading a dog’s thoughts. Dave Walker has that ability and by so doing he can bring dog’s a long way in a short time. One of the keys is reading the bird dog’s body language in a training situation. As we learned quickly in bird dog training, timing is everything.

One of the things that Jared is getting very good at is the “Stand Up, Stand Still” part of Dave Walker’s training method. Dave believes that before a bird dog can become great, he must first learn to stand up (meaning head high and tail high) and stand still (Whoa). We have been working with Sis on this part of training. She is a firecracker and is full of energy. She trembles when you make her stand still, but once she settles down she is able to learn and focus much better. Dave teaches “Stand Up, Stand Still” while walking the dog around the yard (away from birds). It is more a lesson of focus and attention than a matter of obedience. Once they do this consistently, he transitions to bird work.

I have had the opportunity to attend several of Dave Walker’s bird dog training seminars and also stud his book “The Bird Dog Training Manual”. I have learned so much by just watching him work with other people and their bird dogs. He has a natural talent for both and can communicate a lot of information in very few words. We are pleased to host a Dave Walker Training Seminar in Utah on May 11 and 12, 2012. You and your bird dog are invited to attend with us and learn from a hall of fame, professional bird dog trainer. The cost is $250 for two full days of training, including meals and lesson materials. 90% of the time will be spent working dogs on live birds. This is something you do not want to miss. You can signup here.

We have been working with this young brittany puppy. He is about seven months old and is starting to hold his points better. Once you get a dog pointing you can introduce the gunfire. We use a blank pistol to simulate gunfire, you can work up to a 12 gauge shotgun as your dog progresses. You can see in the video above that we like to make sure the dog is intent on chasing the bird. Wait until he is a good distance away from the gun and intent on chasing the bird. Then you can fire once or twice. Watch carefully to see if your dog flinches or turns to the noise. You can see Turbo does not even blink. We use a carded pigeon so the bird flies and then eventually drops, simulating a dead bird. You want to have the gunfire before the bird hits so it will be a natural transition when you shoot a real bird for your dog.

After Turbo gets to the downed bird you can see he picks it up and naturally wants to bring it back to us. If you are quick you can head him off and gather him in for some praise. A long lead helps with this so you can grab it if he tries to shy away with his bird. Most young dogs will want to run away so you don’t take their bird. Try not to let this happen. Be sure to pet them and praise them good before you take the bird with your chosen command “Give”or “Release”. If you take the bird right away, they will not enjoy the retrieving as much. I know some trainers that don’t give praise until the bird is released to hand. I don’t get hung up on this with young dogs. They brought the bird back, praise them up big. Simple.

Invariably when one finds oneself in the companionship of a bona fide bird dog, one feels immediately inadequate for the job at hand. The job of which I am speaking is bird dog training. It’s not until much later on that you realize that said bird dog has mostly trained you the owner. There is much written on the subject of gun dog training, but I find myself often drifting to the elder authors. Arguably, not much has been discovered in the last century about training dogs for hunting upland game. The sport is ancient and we can benefit much by studying writings from decades ago.

One such tome that I enjoy studying very much is the book entitled “Wing & Shot” by the late Robert Wehle. Not only was the book published before I was born (1964), thus making it old by my reckoning. It is still one of the most respected books and Robert Wehle himself one of the greatest students of bird dogs. He was most noted for his creation of the powerful line of english pointers – the Elhew Pointer. His knowledge and life studies of bird dog genetics make him an expert in the broadest sense. When you take a look at the list of champions from his kennels, you can see the proof is in the pudding.

In this age of DVDs and YouTube videos I highly recommend taking a winters eve or two this year to review some of these great bird dog training books. Bob Wehle is just one of many worthy authors on the subject. A recent search on eBay revealed many more bird dog training books for sale than I knew existed. Many of which are out of print and hard to find. The best example for my learning style I feel is still getting out and spending time with birds and bird dogs. There is no replacement for the real thing, the going and doing. But, there is always time for a good book by the fire perhaps after a fine hunt or long day. You will find new ideas and answers to your questions if you simply take the time to read a book.

I have been having a great time these past few months working with a young english setter puppy. She is out of Hideaway Kennels in Colorado and from the same breeding that produced last years national champion (NFC Nauvoo Valley Cash Money). Jess has been a joy to work with and train and I have really been impressed with her bird drive and great nose. She points her birds with style and class and her range is blowing me away. She is a true all-age dog. Looking forward to getting her back to Ben Garcia for a few AKC field trials.

Got to work with an english pointer that my friend had recently acquired this week. We wanted to see her style and training progress and generally determine her overall value as a hunting companion. We planted some valley quail for her and proceeded to hunt her as realistically as possible. The quail had moved from the rabbit brush where they were planted. She had her first point on the original location, I kicked the bush to be sure and then tapped her to relocate. She found them about 20 yards over the rise and nailed an intense point. I moved around front and flushed the quail for her. She held solid until the flush and then I shot and… missed! Oh well, we tried her on a retrieve later and she did great. We both decided she was ready for a season of hunting wild birds. Nothing can teach a young bird dog more efficiently that the birds themselves. If the proper training and foundation is there, then the more days afield hunting, the smarter your gun dog will become.

The 2nd Annual Utah Bird Dog Camp was a big success. we had 20 dogs and nearly as many owners spend three days learning from tow of the best bird dog trainers. Dave Walker and Ben Garcia did a great job and were able to help a lot of pups and their owners.

Dave Walker’s Stand up – Stand Still training is so important in training a solid bird dog. You have to see it to believe it.

Ben Garcia has the most amazing way of starting puppies off on the right track. His “First Steps” DVD is bar none the best dog training DVD out there.

We do a lot of bird dog training before we ever shoot a bird for the dogs. I like the dog to do everything right before they get a bird shot over them. Shooting a bird for your dog is a reward for them and they love every aspect of it. From the point, to the flush and the retrieve – they are in bird dog heaven. Lizzy stands her birds nicely and is doing really well so to celebrate her first birthday this week we shot a bobwhite quail for her.

We have been having a great time using the new quail recall pens to train young bird dogs. This young german shorthair went nuts the first time we ran her on the bobwhite quail. She chased and chased until she figured out that she was never gonna catch them. After a few days of chasing birds she settled down and started pointing them. Luna learned pretty quickly that creeping is not okay on covey birds because you never know when a single is gonna bust out of the brush at your feet. We don’t give many commands while working these young dogs on quail. We just let the bobwhite quail train the bird dogs and they seem to get the hang of it. This is definitely a great way to accelerate the learning process. The best part is the birds call back to the pen and you can do it all again the next day, and the next…

The chain gang theory in bird dog training is a trick for getting other dogs excited to have their turn. The idea is simply to make them watch other dogs train and work birds from a short distance away. It works like a charm for dogs that are a little tentative or hard-headed. After a few times watching other dogs they will be ready to have a go. We keep our chains pretty short (around 3 foot long). The other part is that they are all hooked together on one long chain, this teaches them to give to the lead for collar conditioning.