Gun Dog Forum

I am curious on what you guys/gals feel is the most important thing you do with your dogs when working. What rates the "highest" in what you do.......and why do you feel that way? If that doesnt make sense, what is the most important thing you want to teach the dog......out of everything, what is the most important, in your mind? Thanks Jonesy

well i almost didnt post on here because im so new at training but what the hay i feel ive done pretty good overall in training jersey for me its 2 things that are a tie in my mind and that is FOR MY PUP TO TRUST ME, and for her to COME..i never want her to hesitate on either one of these because it is life saving to obey COME without hesitation and also she needs to respect me but also TRUST ME in order to never question my commands..thats just how i look at things......ruth

Thats a tough one.....

I want a dog to worship the ground I walk on...from there I think you can get a dog to do pretty much all you want. so i say socialization and building trust. That will take you far.

If you mean training wise I think stop to flush is about the best thing , it sets everything else up for success if done right.

Teaching him to behave and relax around the house and other non hunting situations. This will greatly affect how many dogs I am able to keep.

Trust, responsiveness, partnership, communication.

These are things we work on all the time in daily interactions, handling, grooming, house manners, feeding time, daily exercise out in the woods/fields, relaxing around the house and yard...

Here or Come, recall command is by far the most important to me.

Come is by far the most important to me. On top of that to stay rock steady on pointed birds. Any pointing dog will find and point birds but many want to bust them. I just want them to point and hold birds. I could care less if they retrieve but mine will. In my situation staying steady on pointed birds usually takes awhile becuase of the way I train.

Making sure the dog understands the training,Myself being consitant and of even temperment all through the training, what ever stage of training were in. And to allways end on a possitive note.
It's hard to say one thing is more important than another, because if done properly all training tyes together. I would have to say Reading the dog knowing his needs during the training is probably the most important . JMO.

I say the three most important for me is come, whoa and heel.

This is like one of those tricky job interview questions.

For me training should be directed for the dog to build confidence in itself.

CHJIII wrote:This is like one of those tricky job interview questions.

Very true...There's no definite answer..It's how you feel and believe is qualified. IMO I like my dogs to know that I'm the Alpha. They need to understand that I feed them, they hunt for me, I shoot the birds and allow them to retrieve it for me. At the end of the hunt, I play with them to let them know that I was pleased with their efforts.

I believe communication can only be effective when you consider the receptor whether it be a dog child,wife, or regular human. Therefore, I am most focused on the body language of the dog so that I choose the appropriate and logical step sometimes that is what is built in the plan at others it calls for improvising and at others compulsion or discipline. Whatever the situation is I want fido believing I understand and am capable of control.

Well I get down on my knees look the dog in the eye and growl at dog to show my dominance then a fast trip to the ER for sewing up....

So that didnt work, maybe I will see if dog knows his name, whats yer name dog? No answer so i must give him one, so dog what you want to be called? Mr. Pickle? OK then we shall see if you will come to me cause if we are outside and you wont come, I am stuck. Dog wont come so a leash is in order till dog will come... so dog dont run out in the street and become a frissbee.

Now dog is coming fine dog is like 6 months or so. Now lets see what dog does when in the field, dog runs around like a mad dog, tongue out eyes flashing fun. Dog settles down lets go over here for a walk, dog smells something, starts the GSP creep, stops points rock solid, pigion is flushed dog gives chase. Yep we are on the right path.....

There are two things that, to me are the most important. One is totally genetic and one is almost totally trained.

The gentic component is an unquenchable, unending, consuming desire to find birds. if a dog has an unquenchable desire to find birds, there ain't much that I cannot get that dog to do, as long as the reward is the possibility of it getting to wrap its gums around a bird.

The training component is to get that dog to think the sun rises and sets on me... that I am the place where all the good stuff happens. If a dog like being around you, and respects you... it will come back for you, no matter how far its genetic drive to find birds takes it. If a dog likes you and respects you, it will wait for you to get there. It will find and point its birds for you and be there, pointing, when you finally show up.

If a dog likes you, it will come back for you. If it don't...it won't.

RayG

Kind of a loaded question.
I want to like the dogs personality. Dogs generally will like you if you are not an idiot to the nth degree.
I want to like the dog, what and how it acts, meaning desire to go get it done no matter what it is. I duck hunt, Ruff hunt, rabbit on occasion, track a deer on occasion. They got to want to do it. I want a dog to want to retrieve want to go get the game but uses its head and training.

Training wise, recall, clean retrieves, stop to flush steadiness. In that order.

I want it all and it is all most important, because they are all tied together.

Nah, this wasnt a trick question, my word on that, I was just curious on peoples thoughts an beliefs. There are alot of great answers, I should have stated a different way on things, what I was looking for was a one word answer. Foundation......everything revolves around the foundation. Everything that we read or talk about with boogers, I think goes back to foundation. Everything that gets talked or discussed with steadying problems, or that part of the work, goes back to the foundation. I think it is one of the most important part of the dog work, that usually gets the least amount of time spent on. IMO. The at home work is great also, so dont feel negative about it, or your replies. They were right.....but even them.....revisit the foundation. I think this could be a good topic, or discussion, for everyone to learn or catch things on....I hope it keeps going. Thanks Jonesy

Go with me
come to me

And most important be still

It is now easy for me to say foundation since you told us the answer you were looking for. But seriously, that is absolutely the most important thing in dog training, raising kids, playing a sport or just about anything else you can think of. Without being thourough with the basics and building the foundation [which ,BTW, is boring to me] you will never have a fully trained dog. Now see how smart I am! JK.

Charlie

tailcrackin wrote:what is the most important thing you want to teach the dog......out of everything, what is the most important, in your mind?

Sit and Kill......period.

Ditch__Parrot wrote:Here or Come, recall command is by far the most important to me.

I,am with the ditch parrot "polly want a cracker"

Basic obedience and retrieving is all I have done. When you live in a small state with natural areas close to major roads and a high concentration of deer, you can't afford a dog taking off.

IMO the foundation a dog gets as a youngster is the most important and sets a dog up for success or failure for the rest of it life.

It also sets the stage for how a dog will handle training as it ages.

Well I don't want to sound like the general bird dog commands are not important because they are,

But there are some underlying keys for me. I want my dog to understand that we are a team, and I am the Player Coach. I want him to enjoy hunting FOR me.

Most of the things mentioned here fall under the category of foundation work, IMO.

Charlie

ACooper wrote:IMO the foundation a dog gets as a youngster is the most important and sets a dog up for success or failure for the rest of it life.

It also sets the stage for how a dog will handle training as it ages.

Not only that, but the first training the dog gets needs to be consistant and foreward moving. Gaining some good ground each session is fundamental to me. Working dogs inconsistanyly will result in an inconsistant dog.....

Go with me, in the proper location...

Getting them to handle. Period. If he don't handle then he is Worthless.

The most important thing to me is that they are my best buddy. That makes everything else easy.

Doug

I want him to know that we are a team and that although I WILL make mistakes, I will do my best to be fair to him. I guess that fall under the category of what I would tell him if he could understand me.

Most important for training is to pay attention to my movements. I dont talk to my dogs when I train. So they have to be focused on what I am doing. The only time I speak is to call them in or in very rare cases that they arnt watching me, to YOO them in another direction.

I always have dwelled on a dog feeling confident of it's own abilities so it can do it's work without my help. We may end up a team but the dog first has to learn on it's own that it can find birds and can handle them till I show up. I just do not want my dog to constantly be looking to me for direction or approval. And I think the answer to all of this is for you and the dog to trust each other and at that point you can start working as a team. Two independent entities working together is as good as it gets.

Ezzy

Ron R wrote:

tailcrackin wrote:what is the most important thing you want to teach the dog......out of everything, what is the most important, in your mind?

Sit and Kill......period.

In all seriousness, the most important thing to me is something that is untrained and can not be described through letters on a computer screen. It is something that is uncontrolled by man but is guided by us. For me there is no team work desired, in fact I won't own a dog that tries to please me in the field. I want a dog that is driven from within. That can not be trained.

Ron R wrote:

Ron R wrote:

tailcrackin wrote:what is the most important thing you want to teach the dog......out of everything, what is the most important, in your mind?

Sit and Kill......period.

In all seriousness, the most important thing to me is something that is untrained and can not be described through letters on a computer screen. It is something that is uncontrolled by man but is guided by us. For me there is no team work desired, in fact I won't own a dog that tries to please me in the field. I want a dog that is driven from within. That can not be trained.

Something right on the edge of blackhearted bird maniac?

The 2 commands are the here and whoe command on pointing breeds, both can save there life in situations and with both done right your dog has an understanding of what is expected in training and planted birds they will learn how to have success and rewards.

kninebirddog wrote:Go with me
come to me

And most important be still

I am new at this, but this hits the nail right on the head and makes a lot of sense to me. Here is important, It's nice to have a dog that wants to come to you. I'd add be the leader and make it fun.

Bonding,Here and Whoa

Ron R wrote: In all seriousness, the most important thing to me is something that is untrained and can not be described through letters on a computer screen. It is something that is uncontrolled by man but is guided by us. For me there is no team work desired, in fact I won't own a dog that tries to please me in the field. I want a dog that is driven from within. That can not be trained.

Absolutely.