Gun Dog Forum

I often have clients come to me and ask if I can help them with problems they're having with their dogs. This is such a case. The owner sent his young Llewellyn Setter away to a trainer for gundog training. After a month, the trainer gave up on her and called the owner. The trainers feedback was that the dog is very timid and scared of anything new and that the dog's minimal prey drive was not strong enough to overcome her fears. No progress was made and after a month, the trainer gave up and sent her home. She did not have the talent or temperament to be a birddog.

The owner was not ready to give up on her. He called me, explained the situation and asked for my help. I told him to bring her to me and I would see what I could do. This video chronicles the two days I spent with her and her owner.

As you will see in the video, she is a new dog. No more fear or nervousness. She went from an emotional basketcase to the beginnings of a bold, stylish hunting dog. No e-collars, no "whoa", no pressure and no obedience. Just the building of trust and cooperation, one bird at a time.

https://youtu.be/8TJ9p_4Gv5w

Brad Higgins
http://HigginsGundogs.com

Fascinating . I know someone else who uses a similar method very successfully. Well done Brad.

I agree... well done Brad. The way you re-conditioned the dog is what I do from the start with all pups ….no pressure ! I didn't have to do it with a dog that had already been "pressured" though.

There is , I.M.O. , seldom any need for check cords..... I think it has been about 6 years since I last put one on a dog and I made mistakes with it, I don't think me and check-cords go together well but fortunately they usually aren't needed anyway if the training "process" works in it's usual way.

I train only on wild birds, partridge, pheasant, snipe and grouse and the birds train the dogs, not me. It can be very time consuming taking pups to gamey ground and letting the pups find a few birds so I fully understand why so many pro-trainers use planted birds.

Last year I took my daughters 6 - 7 months old GSP hunting for the first time but without a gun. It only took two hunting trips for him to begin to point birds, hold the point and then be fairly steady to flush after I'd commanded the flush. By fairly steady I mean he only chased the birds for about 5 -10 yards instead of right off the field !

I am a bit surprised that you seem to think it is necessary to shoot birds for pups/dogs to retrieve. I don't do that at that stage and my pups/dogs therefor feel the "reward" is the point and the flush for the rest of their lives and will hunt very hard to find birds. I keep the reward of a retrieve divorced from hunting, pointing and flushing . Where retrieving is concerned it doesn't really matter what your vocal command is. You could say "Fish and chips" or " eggs sunny side up" if you wanted to to..... I just say " Out !" and away the dog goes.

I am fascinated by the cover you hunt dogs among Brad.....there is nothing like that here in Haggisland. The open country I hunt over usually consists of either a tall grass that I call spike grass or heather.

Well done again Brad.

Bill T.