If Yogis Trained Dogs

If Yogis Trained Versatile Dogs……their mantra would be to “let the puppy discover the maniac within.” We are always so anxious to “train” our new puppy…. It almost seems to be an obligation to “teach” the dog. A different approach from trying to teach our dog is to foster the dog’s inherent instinct to explore. In the world of training pointing and versatile hunting dogs, it’s a balancing act between “independence” and “obedience”. In the case of puppies, (for testing purposes, we’ll call this up to 16 months) its always a better option to lean toward the side of independence.




The indoor universe is yours…..
Of course we want the pup to be a good citizen…. House broken, crate trained, and understanding that neither the toilet brush, nor the hip waders are “the enemy” and worthy of destruction. That said, when the pup proudly brings you your favorite slipper, (or mischievously runs away from you shaking it like a leaf on a tree), don’t scold the puppy – praise him for giving it to you and replace it with a preferred toy. Use the hallway for “high praise” retrieves of tennis balls and fleece mallards. A squirt bottle with water and the word “aaaat” (with a little horseness added to your voice)should be enough correction for behavior like chewing the baseboard, or deciding the box of Kleenex on the kitchen table needs to be disemboweled . If you are bent on teaching the pup some things….”sit,” “come,” “stay,” etc…. keep these activities inside the house.

The outdoor universe is theirs….
Find some favorite stomping grounds….woods, prairies and swamps where the pup can run and run. If there is a lesson to be learned here, it is to teach yourself to be comfortable with the dog away from you, and for the pup to learn to be comfortable doing what it does best. No matter what breed, pointing dogs are programmed to be independent and explore, what we do to nurture that is key developing the dog’s “search” in the field or in the water. Obviously, we want to return home with the puppy, but emphasis should be on running and discovery.

Take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves, but limit your verbal and eye contact with the pup and try not to use any formal “commands”. If the pup is not checking in at all, try to get a “Direction Change” - give a nonsensical verbal such as “Puppy-Puppy” to get the dog’s attention, take your eye-contact away from the puppy as soon as they acknowledge you, keep moving and make a noticeable direction change yourself. If the dog is naturally checking in, such as the dog momentarily looking at you from afar, make the noticeable “Direction Change,” keep moving and limit your eye contact with the dog. The lack of eye contact, and you still moving will accomplish two things – First the dog will gain confidence that its own direction change is okay and make a “re-cast” in the preferred direction (as opposed to returning all the way to you), and secondly it will lay the foundation for “recall” when the dog is expected to return all the way. (If on the "direction change" cue the dog returns all the way to you, keep moving and ignore the dog - don't praise the dog for returning.) Treats have their place in training dogs, but leave them in the car or in your pocket when you take your romps – treats can encourage either the dog to “yo-yo” (casting “out and back” as opposed to “out and about”), or make the dog “sticky” (not wanting to leave your side). The end goal is to build a “Field Relationship” with your dog that is based on its nose and instincts and subtle cues from you, as opposed to overt commands and an assumption that you know where the birds are.

When you return to the vehicle use the opportunity as groundwork for “formal recall”, get out a treat or the pup’s favorite toy, give it another nonsensical command such as “Hey, hey, good dog, hey, hey!” – STOP moving yourself and maintain eye contact with the dog as it returns all the way to you. High praise and the treat or toy as it greets you.



Take advantage of opportunities to run your pup on wild birds. If the dog is gun conditioned, take a blank pistol along and pop away as the pup gives chase. If you can find fields with pheasants, it’s a great opportunity for your pup to learn to track. We’ll make sure you’ve got a proper understanding of how to bring your dog into the track, and release it at the test. We’ve also got a few tricks up our sleeve to help your pup succeed at tracking….what has become known as “the wild card” in a Natural Ability Test.

Pointing is a natural instinct, but don’t fret if your dog is not pointing solid yet, as we can foster that instinct at training days. The idea now is to build up desire and let the pup have fun. In time, we will want to “take the chase” out of the dog, but don’t worry about trying to on your own if you don’t have the experience…just keep building that desire. At training days, we can set up a scenario to properly correct and reward the dog for not chasing.

Introduction to water (and “re-introduction” after a long winter)is an important part of the puppies development. Dogs inherently know how to swim, our job is not as much to show or teach them, as it is to help them discover they know how. With some puppies, this simply means showing them where the pond is, with others it can take a bit of patience and encouragement. Don’t fret if your pup has not been swimming yet. We want them to swim on their terms as a result of their desire. There are several things we can do at training days to help them discover that they know how to swim.

Understanding “Cooperation” – This is often the most confusing part of NAVHDA testing to a new handler…. Cooperation is often misinterpreted as “Obedience” by the novice. As described by the NAVHDA:

Cooperation can be defined as an inherent willingness on the part of the dog to apply its own initiative and special talents while working with the handler in pursuit of a common goal, producing game. When both handler and dog know their tasks, cooperation is an invisible bond cemented with mutual knowledge and trust. Over-dependence on the handler must not be confused with cooperation. The cooperative dog is self assured, and its work displays a purpose.

The intelligent cooperative dog seems to sense his handler’s wishes and movements.
Even while on a solid point, the versatile dog may slowly turn his head to make sure the handler is moving up. A cooperative young dog will maintain contact with his handler. For example, when a young dog chases a bird and then returns of his own volition, he demonstrates cooperation.

An older dog with more field experience on game should display a higher degree of cooperation than a young dog......

Before the training days and test, it would be a good idea to visit (or revisit) the NAVHDA Aims, Programs and Test Rules – especially Chapters 3 and 4 for Natural Ability Dogs (Pages 7-15) You can find it here:

http://www.navhda.org/testrule.pdf

Resources you’ll need to train for Natural Ability:
Places to run your dog (Get out and let the dog go, federal land, state land, private – whatever it takes to get the pup out there.) Another tip is to “change it up” – get your pup used to several different types of vegetation and cover.

Some different swimming venues. Once your pup is swimming, make sure you introduce it to several different types of water entries, soft bottoms, gravel bottoms, with and without vegetation, etc….again, mix it up as this will build the pup’s confidence.

A couple different retrieving bumpers.

A handful of birds….This will vary depending on your pup’s experience and prior exposure.

Willing and experienced people - Such as the Sharptail Chapter! Training can often take several sets of hands and eyes.


Coming soon......Lining drills and other UT training ideas.