Clik here to view.
Force fetch: here we go; wish us luck
More mature, physically and emotionally, that’s Manny at 13 months. So, time to get this over with. Avid trainers insist that force fetch training: – Shows a dog who’s really “boss” – Doesn’t have to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
One minute at a time, sanity is restored
We are over the hump. Winter solstice is behind us, and the days are slowly getting longer while nights get shorter. The gain is only a minute or so each day, but every little bit counts when you are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Road to Utility Test: One step forward after two steps back
Manny backslid on the one part of retrieving on which we weren’t solid: a real bird, brought to hand without um, “tenderizing.” Yesterday, his retrieves were energetic and enthusiastic. Using my Real...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Road to Utility Test: the honorable way to train
“Backing,” honoring, whatever you want to call it, there are at least two types I know of. The one we’re all familiar with, where one dog points and the other dog slams into a pseudo-point when he...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Road to Utility Test: What I learned on my summer vacation
The “V” in NAVHDA stands for versatile, which in many cases is synonymous with retrieving. As the saying goes “conserve game, hunt with a trained dog.” That dog must bring back anything you shoot,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Road to Utility Test: duck search, deconstructed
I summarized to my wife the biggest challenge of a NAVHDA Utility test this way: you must train to the test, and you must use “tricks” to chain together the skills needed for each portion of the test,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Watch. Do. Teach.
In medical school, the curriculum is often watch-do-teach. All three create a finely-honed, multi-dimensional learning experience for any skill from surgery to bird dog training. The strategy was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Frozen birds … the downside
Ice cream headache. Did you ever think your dog might have one? If you train with frozen birds, he might. He’ll never admit it, but the outward manifestation might be lousy retrieves. Thanks pro...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Steady to wing & shot: Is less more?
You’ve heard the phrase “less is more.” Does it have relevance to dog training? Manny and I are deep into preparation for an upcoming NAVHDA Utility test (www.navhda.org) and our latest challenge is...
View ArticleWhat do dogs want?
Whether this works for you, you’ll have to decide. If a more experienced trainer has an opinion, I’m sure I’ll hear via Facebook. But at least one of those, pro trainer George Hickox, thought enough to...
View Article