Quotes To Train By...

[mountaindogs]

Recently I have been reading an old 1940 Bird dog training book I picked up at a used book store. Some wisdom from this book ring amazingly true and I thought I'd post a few quotes that have stuck with me. Thought maybe everyone could follow suite and post a quote from a book or individual that really struck you as you heard or read it. Old or new, I bet there are some great ones.

Bird dogs are individuals and not machines. Each one is defferent in many respects and offers different angles in the psychological element of bird-dog training. None is a jigsaw puzzle to be put together piece by piece, but each is possessed of different characteristics and different emotional tendencies that must be studiously observed by the trainer, who must build his training program around these physical and mental factors.

Knowing when to stop is a priceless attribute of the art of training. The trainer who can maintain a calm demeanor, even in the face of trying circumstances, is the one whose efforts will be attended by the most success, for an even unruffled, confident manner on the part of the handler imparts confidence to the dog and is helpful in holding undivided attention.

...The average amatuer will be prone to put more "Whoa" than "Go" on his dog, and the goal ... is the development of a natural bird-dog, free from mechanical faults. The beginner must always remeber that too much curbing, too much restraint will break the spirit of any dog and frustrate the efforts to make hime into a pleasing gunning companion.

all from "Training Your Own Bird Dog," 1948. Henry P. Davis; G.P Putnum and Sons, New York.

[Duke82]

I just wanted to add that book is 60 years old and the quotes still have alot of truth in them. Actually they hit home to me as what a lot of people over look today including myself when trying to develop a over night gun dog.

[kninebirddog]

Old books are neat and WoW how some things have changed for the better in over all methods
But how some things have held fast steady and true to today

i have that book by Henry P Davis also got a few more
Er M Shelley
B Waters
William Brown
Ella Moffit
Al Brennaman
Clem Borders

there was one from the early 1800's I would love to add but the price is just a bit high

[Sharon]

"Do not make the mistake of treating your dogs like humans or they will treat you like dogs."

Martha Scott

[Pineywoods]

Well I have three I try to live by. Even though I have read many training books all three of these were told to me in person.

Right after I got my first puppy I was in T.E.Scotts pet store (Specks) in Avon In. A gentleman walk up to me to admire
my pup while petting her he ask if i was going to train her and if i'd ever trained one before. I told him I was and no I
never had. He then said let me give you the best advice I was ever given.
"TRY TO KEEP YOUR SINCE OF HUMOR "

The second one came from my great uncle who started me quail hunting and gave me that first puppy.
" YOU'VE GOT TO TRUST THE DOG"

The third came from a gentleman who has spent his whole adult life working on a quail plantation.
"NEVER BRAG ON A DOG TILL YOU'VE COVERED IT WITH DIRT"

[RoundRiver Setters]

I would like to find that book"Twentieth Century Bird Dog Training" by Er Shelley. I have heard that is a good book................Scott

[Don]

"Never brag on a dog till you cover it with dirt"!!! Right on!

[Ruffshooter]

To go with "You got to trust your dog" Your dog needs to trust you.

[AHGSP]

One of my favorites that I really don't know who coined it is:
"Less is More"

Other favorites that I try to keep to the front of my mind always:
"Trust your dog"
"Trial/Test/Handle like you train" (The person who drilled this into my head is a Member and knows who they are!)(Smart person by the way!!!)
"Shut up"
"Plan your training and train your plan"

Most of these are probably not accurate quotes, but I think you can get the jest.

[kninebirddog]

K. I. S . S. Keep It Simple Stupid

What you allow a dog to do....You teach a dog to do

[Pineywoods]

To go with "You got to trust your dog" Your dog needs to trust you.

Ruffshooter most dogs will trust you unless someone has done something to mess that up.
A couple of examples of what he did not want me to do were:
Like the time Lady ( the puppy he had given me ) went on point. I walk in try to flush no birds.
I release her and she starts hunting like crazy I stand and watch for ten min. no birds she covers
every inch for 200 yards in every direction nothing. Shes slowing down I assume she thinks
there not there. So I start to walk off I get about 150 yards away look back and she is on point
within 10 feet of the first point. I'm thinking theres no way I had just stomped all over that spot
so I send the young kid thats with me over to get the dog. He is 10 feet from the dog running to
it I get a bad feeling and just as I open my mouth to yell stop a covey of about 15 bobwhites
flush and fly off through the pines and there I am 150 yards away with both guns.

Or the time she pointed at the top of a down oak tree I walk past her and a rabbit flushes. I turn
around to scold her and as i'm doing that behind me I hear that sound we all love of a covey flushing .

I said I try to live by that advice. I did not say I always do.

[kninebirddog]

End on Good notes
and don't push it to failure

[Rick Hall]

I've seen this one credited to super successful retriever trialing amateur Mitch Patterson: "You can put pressure on a dog, but you can't take it back."

[Meller]

Never miss an opprotunity to train!

[Kmack]

I think this one is from Ronnie Smtih. A "great" dog is one which is almost over the edge - sometimes its the edge of being out of control and other times it's the edge of being too broke.

[Ruffshooter]

Piney woods, I don't know what your issue is, Keeping ones dogs trust is important. It is just something I try to remember. Not and indictiment on you or your post or what happened. Lighten up geesh!!!

[Pineywoods]

Piney woods, I don't know what your issue is, Keeping ones dogs trust is important. It is just something I try to remember. Not and indictiment on you or your post or what happened. Lighten up geesh!!!

Ruffshooter I'm fine no issues.

[Trekmoor]

I have no idea who first said this but I believe it is a common saying among bird dog people in Ireland. " If the heart is big enough, the legs will be long enough." I tend to think of a hard going Brit when I think of that one.

Bill T.