Mentally stimulate your hunting pup

Guide and professional dog trainer Josh Powell works a flock of geese in Alaska, while Eudor, his prized male Drahthaar, has ’em pegged. Powell and Eudor have one of the best relationships that author Scott Haugen has seen, and it all starts with training and engaging the hunting dog’s mind. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

THE MENTAL STIMULUS PACKAGE FOR PUPS

By Scott Haugen

Last fall I spent a couple weeks in Cold Bay, Alaska hunting puddle ducks, sea ducks, Pacific black brant, emperor geese and willow ptarmigan with the folks at Four Flyways Outfitters. That is where I met Josh Powell and his Verein Deutsch Drahthaar, Eudor.

The instant that I rolled into camp (fourflywaysoutfitters.com) and saw Eudor I fell in love with him, partly because he looked nearly identical to my black male pudelpointer, Kona, but largely because of his demeanor, which was also a spitting image of Kona’s. Eudor had the exuberance, fun spirits and desired mannerisms you like seeing when you first meet a dog. But Eudor also showed respect for the newcomers in camp, and immediately obeyed Powell’s calm commands.

WHEN IT COMES to gun dogs and their owners, it takes a lot to impress me, and Eudor and Powell made an instant impact. During my time in camp, not only did I hunt many times with these two, but I also observed their daily training sessions. It’s one of the most authentic relationships I’ve seen, and Powell and Eudor held the utmost respect for one another, but there was never any question who was in charge.

Powell is a professional dog trainer and breeder. The more I watched he and Eudor work together, the more intrigued I became.

Powell completes a bumper workout with Eudor. Note Eudor’s demeanor, including ear position and eye contact with the bumper, which confirm he’s excited and ready to work. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

“I want to keep things fun and build a dog’s mind as much as its body when training,” shares Powell. “It really starts with simple things that can prevent problems and bad habits from forming before they begin.”

“For instance, I never give a dog squeaky toys, as this promotes hard mouth (chewing). I also avoid playing with rope toys, as this leads to displays of and fights for dominance, be it two dogs tugging on it or one dog wanting to play with you. You, the owner, need to be in charge at all times, and eliminating problematic toys and games is important, especially early in a pup’s life,” he says.

FOR NEW PUPPIES, Powell offers several helpful tips.

“Be sure and crate train it right away. Make the crating experience a positive one, as the dog, and you, will rely on it for the life of the dog,” he says.

“So many people think of only the physical work and overlook the mental aspects of training. These dogs are so smart, and their noses are so, so good, they need much more mental stimulation than people realize!” he emphasizes.

“For instance, don’t just throw a ball in the same place, in the same direction, every time, as your dog will get bored and just start going through the motions,” continues Powell. “Take them to different places to train, toss different objects and always change things. Breaking routines when training is a great way to stimulate their mind and challenge them, something dogs need regularly.”

He constantly mixes up bumper colors, and also includes duck and goose bumpers when training. He has dogs regularly run obstacle courses in order to engage their mind.

“Have them walk on a teetertotter, through tunnels, over pallets – anything that forces them to think. This is fun for them, and they need that change and constant mental and physical stimulation,” Powell notes.

“Also, start playing with the dog’s mouth early on, as you’ll be inspecting its teeth and gums its whole life. And no matter what you do with your pup, always use hand signals. Even when my dogs eat, for instance, I direct them to the bowl with hand signals, be it left, right or in a line. These hand signals carry over into many hunting and future training applications, and they’re a great way to communicate with your dog.”

Powell also suggests using dummies only for training, not play.

“Dogs quickly learn the difference between work and play, and they should not be confused by mixing up toys and training tools. Also, be sure to play with the puppy in the area you’ll later be training in, as this allows it to get familiar and comfortable with the environment,” he states.

Powell is a big advocate of stimulating a dog’s mind when training. POWELL WAS ALWAYS so calm and

patient when working with Eudor and was never in a rush.

“You attract a lot more bees with honey than vinegar,” he smiled when I shared my respect for his calm approach. “A dog will tell you when it’s ready to learn. Its muscles will be relaxed, the ears down, they’ll start licking their lips and making eye contact. When a dog looks to you for direction, you know you’re doing things right.”

This summer, whether you have a new puppy or an adult dog in training, don’t overlook the value of building mental stimulation. No matter how old the dog, or how bad of habits it may possess, it can be trained. Gun dogs are highly intelligent, but it’s up to you to bring out the best in them. CS

Editor’s note: To watch Scott Haugen’s series of puppy training videos, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.