Basic Bird Dog Training Commands and Tips

It often surprises us when we see well trained bird dogs in action. Obeying the commands of their owners, bird dogs do their work in an exemplary manner. We often wonder how bird dog training can produce such results, getting the dogs to be so cooperative without the use of shock collars. 

If you put a lot of work in it, it can be done.

There are a number of dog breeds that are well suited for becoming great bird dogs. A good start would be teaching them to obey your commands. Before dogs can understand what people are telling them, they need to learn the language first. In this basic variant of training, dogs need to understand the three main commands: “come!”, “whoa!” and “heel!”. These commands need to be mastered by the owner as well.

The “Whoa!” Command

The “whoa!” command is the first thing bird dogs need to learn. By learning this, they can understand when they’re being told to stop, without moving again unless he’s being ordered to do it. Obeying this command shows that the dog respects his master and that he is obedient. If you want to test whether a dog is completely obedient, you should try giving the “whoa!” order at larger distances. This way you’re sure that he will listen to you even when the command is not enforced by the immediate presence of the master.

You can also use the “whoa!” command to control dogs that get out of hand, trying to flush a bird on their own or play with it. If their master wants the dog to stop what he’s doing, he can use this command to make him stop. Ideally, the command and the obedience should be rewarded by the master.

The “Come!” Command

The purpose of the “come!” command is to make the dog come to the owner when they hear it. It’s quite easy to use this command. In the case of a bird dog, it’s much easier to make him come to you with the thing he retrieved, if he understands this command. A lot of dogs are more independent and go do their own thing. Using the “come!” command you can keep him at a good distance from you.

The “Heel!” Command

When you want to make sure that your dog will walk by your side, and not wander away, the “heel!” command can be used to get this effect. You can teach him an additional command, like “go” or “okay” to let him know that he is released, and can return to hunting with you.

Whenever the dog performed well, never fail to give him a tap, a treat or a praise to acknowledge his performance. Fine dogs are born with the instinct to please their owners. If you can let your dog see that he is pleasing you with his performance and you want him to repeat it, the best thing you can do is to reward him. Overtime, he will learn to repeat the same desirable action so long as you allow him to.

Each time the dog does what you ask of him, make sure you reward him either with a treat, a tap or a praise, to let him know that he did well. The best dogs are those that have an instinct when it comes to pleasing their masters. You should let the dog know that you are pleased with what he’s doing, and that he should do the same in the future. The best way you can let him know is by rewarding him.

Doing bird dog training is quite hard. If it was easy, you would see a lot more bird dogs around. Still, if you want to make a good bird hunter out of your dog, make sure you invest the patience and the time needed to teach him the three commands that stand at the basis of bird dog training.  The use of a electronic dog collar can help if used properly and with care.  I prefer the DT Systems brand of collars.

by Sam Nichols

Dog collars come in a variety of materials, colors, styles and even functions. There’s the obedience or choke collar, bark collars, dog training collars,  flea collars, and a whole array of just good old plain pooch collars. So which one do you choose? If you are taking your pooch to a special event or to a special gathering and you want them to look really good try getting a fancy dog collar and leash. For small dogs a simple flat collar will suffice. For larger dogs you might try a prong collar a wide leather band.

The dog collar market is swamped with conventional as well as more unusual types of dog collars. These serve a variety of functions and needs. As a pet lover and canine owner, you should know that different kinds of dogs need different types of collars.

What Type Of Dog Collar Are There?

Buckle Collars are pretty much just what they sound like, collars that are fastened with a buckle. They are typically made of leather or nylon and they are either flat or rolled. Buckle collars are usually adjustable and do not tighten on your pet’s neck once fastened. Using a rolled leather collar avoids the chafing or hair breaking that can occur using flat collars.

Quick Release collars are fundamentally flat nylon buckle collars with a plastic closure. This clip is similar to some luggage strap fasteners and makes getting the collar on and off a little easier.

Choke chains are metal chain links of various sizes with a ring on each. These collars should only be used while actively training or exercising your canine. This type of collar is usually sold by length, so ask for assistance when buying a slip collar.

Head collars go over your pets head but they are not a muzzle. While wearing a head collar, your a hound can still pant, bark, drink and eat, even bite! They should only be used for training.

If you have a very tight lead on a dog, the strap around the muzzle will push into its eyes, and that is as bad as a Halti which pushes into the eyes anyway. While some trainers will use flat buckle type collars, especially on puppies, these collars do not always provide the most useful control for more unruly dogs. For a very aggressive dog, the pinch collar can actually make the animal worse.

What Do I Need To Know About Dog Collars?

You need to ensure that your best friends collar fits well. Badly fitted collars and their incorrect usage may be harmful to your pet and in the worst case it can prove to be fatal. A properly fitted collar has at least a two finger width space between the collar and the neck of the dog but it should not slip over his ears.

If you don’t like the sound of clinking dog tags or if you worry that the metal tags will discolor your pet’s fur, then you can use a special tag pouch, available at most pet stores.

For hunting dogs certain pet tracking systems allow the dog handler or owner to determine what your dog is doing by using certain behavior systems that form part of the collar. You will be able to tell if a pet has stopped, is still moving, if a hound is barking, or if he has treed an animal. Pet tracking collars are used when you are out hunting with your dog. They can be used by houndsmen, upland bird hunters, beaglers, coon hunters, field trial (bird dogs) and hog hunting.  Their are also dog training collars made by Tri-tronics, SportDOG, Innotek and Dogtra that offer the dog a electronic correction from a remote transmitter that aid in training a dog off lead. 

Finally pick a dog collar that suits your dogs personality and size. A giant black leather collar with studs may not suit a toy poodle, or a pink ribbon style collar a British Bulldog. After all it is part of your pet’s image so pick the correct one!

by Stephen Dolan