Gun dog troubleshooting during a hunt

QUICK FIXES ON THE HUNT

By Scott Haugen

November is finally here, and with it, loads of bird hunting. For many of us, our season started in September with grouse, quail, doves and pigeons. For others, it began with early-season waterfowl hunts, up north.

If you were out on some of those early hunts, you’ve likely fixed any problems your dogs displayed. If you’re kicking off your bird hunting season this month, be proactive and fix any glitches your dog might have while on the hunt.

ON OUR FIRST BANDTAIL pigeon hunt of

the season it was just me and my two pudelpointers, Echo and Kona. It’s a two-pigeon limit and I wanted each dog to get a retrieve. On my first shot Echo held but Kona broke. I stopped him with a zap on the collar. He returned to my side and heeled. Then I sent Echo to retrieve the pigeon.

Echo delivered the bird to hand, right in front of Kona. Kona couldn’t stand it, but sat tight. A few minutes later another flock passed by and I dropped a second pigeon. Both dogs held tight. I released Kona and he made a good retrieve. Echo stayed put, as she should.

Each of the next six mornings we were in the hills, and both dogs held steady when I shot passing pigeons, making solid, high-energy retrieves. Had I not taken the time to fix Kona’s mishap on the spot, it could have been a long, frustrating week.

“The collar comes off the dog when it goes in the ground,” shares noted trainer Jess Spradley of Cabin Creek

Should your upland dog fail to hold point, break on the shot or not retrieve, try to fix it right then and there. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

Gun Dogs (cabincreekgundogs.com) in Lakeview, Oregon. “I can’t recall where I heard that, and though it may sound a bit extreme, what it really translates to is that no matter how good your dog is, the training never stops. On these first hunts of the year your dog is as excited as you are, if not more, and it’s up to you to control their behavior. Don’t let your dog get away with inappropriate behavior, as you’re sending them the message that it’s OK, when really it’s not. You don’t want to break what you’ve worked so hard to attain all summer.”

And don’t think Spradley is saying shock your dog every time it makes a bad choice. Often a verbal command or

No matter what mistake your dog might make, taking time out of the hunt to quickly remedy the situation can have a big and immediate impact on their performance. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

an audible buzz tone of the collar is all it takes to correct unwanted behavior.

When I’m on the road without my dogs, my wife Tiffany takes care of them. Often Echo and Kona are outside with her much of the day, and she’ll be the first to tell you they’re different dogs with their e-collars on. We live in the country and the dogs love to roam, but with their collars on, they know exactly what’s expected of them and they don’t try getting away with anything. Forget to put their collars on and they might start to roam.

“Your dog should always know when it’s doing something wrong,” continues Spradley. “Keep things simple and know that dogs will have off days, especially early in the season.”

“If I see my dog doing something during a hunt that’s not right, I’ll either pull it aside and turn it into a half-hour training session right there, or if I’m hunting with friends and their dogs, I’ll work through the issues at lunch,” he says. “This might be steadiness drills or finishing a retrieve, two common mishaps early in the season.”

ONE THING I ADMIRE about Spradley’s training approach is that he doesn’t use treats to motivate dogs.

“With older dogs their reward is getting to retrieve a bird, then the praise I give them. With pups I’ll sometimes use their food to get them to sit or stay, but that’s it. Your dog’s desire to hunt and please you by doing the right thing is all the motivation they need to succeed,” he says.

On a recent goose hunt in Canada, a buddy’s dog kept breaking at the shots. We dropped several birds out of the next flock and he had the dog stay in its blind while we went out and retrieved all the birds. Then he took a few minutes, tossing a dead bird into the decoys and having his dog deliver it to hand. Then he placed two geese and did the same thing. The dog was obedient, compliant and under control. It calmed down and hunted great the next three days. My buddy fixed the issue in less than five minutes. He recognized the

Author Scott Haugen and Echo, his pudelpointer, enjoyed a great hunt for valley quail. When it comes to gun dogs, the training never stops.

(SCOTT HAUGEN)

fact that his dog needed help, and took action.

“If you have a pup that wants to creep on a point for chukar or quail, hold it by the collar and let a buddy move in for the flush and shot,” offers Spradley. “Hold the pup so it doesn’t break, then reward it by letting it retrieve a bird, under control.”

Older dogs know better, so Spradley handles them differently.

“I have a GSP who loves to point but not retrieve, so when this happens I’ll pull her off the next point and move to another covey. If a dog doesn’t want to stand on a covey, or hold when I’m shooting, I’ll make the dog hold steady. Then I’ll walk into a covey, flush it and intentionally shoot and miss, watching my dog to make sure it holds steady. This lets the dog know I’m serious.”

WHEN YOU’RE HUNTING IT can be hard to set down the gun and correct your dog. But remember, a quick fix while in the field can make a huge difference in how your dog performs and will set the tone for the rest of the season. After all, if you don’t let the dog know of your expectations, how else will it learn? CS

Editor’s note: Scott Haugen is a full-time writer. See his puppy training videos and learn more about his many books at scotthaugen.com and follow him on Instagram and Facebook.

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