Gun Dog Forum

Newbie question here. Is there a list of all the skills I should be teaching my dog and in what order? I have several books on dog training but all of them focus on formal gun dog training and not obedience training.


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The basic things he need to know as a bird dog are to go with you (heel) come to you (recall) and stand still (whoa).

I've always worked on all three together in the beginning with a puppy, making them into a game. Usually the pup is better or worse with one of them, then that one gets more attention.

I want my dog to be a pleasant companion, so they learn manners commands, like quiet, kennel up, go lie down (I just say 'mat'), and be nice ( so they don't take my fingers off when I'm giving them a treat). I don't bother with sit or down, but sometimes that down command would come in handy.

The behaviors I feel are crucial to a good canine upland partner are to come, go away and stop...all on command.

Slightly less important, but very necessary for good teamwork is the willingness to turn on command or on signal.

When I want a dog to come, I want it to come in ...all the way to me..and RIGHT NOW.
When I send a dog, I want it to go right out. When I tell a dog to kennel up from across the yard... same deal.
When I holler whoa the dog had better stop and grow roots...right there...right now and not move until I physically or verbally release them.

When I holler a turn command I want the dog to comply. If I get the dog's attention and turn my horse, I want the dog to turn in the direction the horse is headed.

I consider all of the above to be obedience commands and obedience behaviors and train for them from the time I first put my hands on the puppy...at first with play, encouragement and gentle but persistent and consistent guidance...then as they get older and better at compliance...with more repetitions and more expectations, but still keeping it something of a game and making it as much fun as I can.

Patience, persistence and insistence.

RayG

There really isnt an order or a specific time. First thing mine learn is their name, to come, and to go in their kennel.
Once those are down 100% I start with basic stuff like lie down, stay, and to stand still (not whoa). But they are usually about 6 or 8 months at this point. That will make them good house dogs.

By this point we have gone through 1 season on wild birds and the dog knows what it is doing out there. I start teaching them the whistle means go, to turn to my voice, and to stay infront, again using my voice. I start keeping them at 10 and 2 when they will light it up when I blow the whistle and know how to turn.

Once they do all that you have a pretty good handle on them. You can teach them who about now as well, I dont think it's as big of a deal but some people NEED to teach their dogs this so they can lie to the dog in training. To each their own.

Whatever you do, start and finish one thing before you start another. There is no rhyme or reason for the order other than where your progressing in your training.

Don't forget the importance of socialization .

https://petlifeca.ca/training-behaviour ... P2bzPsvmtI

I think the first and most important skill, Delmar Smith summed up. Pay attention to what your training. Learn to think like your dog, not a collage grad with a doctorate degree! next thing to learn is on you too. Timing. Timing the command and correction is necessary. Tell your dog to sit and in means now, not when your ready! On a leash it's sit immediately followed by correction. In my case lift up on the collar and push down on the bu tocks! Not after several more command's to see if he will do it, right away!

I think a place where that is seen a lot is getting a dog to point. Most people take the dog to the bird on a check cord and notice it notice the bird. Well at that point they allow the dog some extra steps to see if it will stop on it's own. What do you have there. The dog didn't stop right away and you allowed it to take a few more steps! Pay attention to what your training!

Move on a bit and say your working on whoa with a shock collar. You give the whoa command dog doesn't whoa but keeps moving you give the command again and still don't shock right away after the command. It you want the dog to stop on command you have to shock at the right time. In Delmars book where this is mentioned is on the whoa post. Dog get's to the end of the check cord on the post nd the command whoa is given just before the dog hit's the CC. Right away after the command the dog then feels the resistance. In theory the dog stops because it feels the resistance and knows the only thing it can do is stop. Dog is standing stopped and start's to move, you bump the dog under the chin with the knot holding on the snap! You really need to pay attention and watch for the dog to move and learn to bump at the right time! Dog learn's that what cause's the bump is it's own movement! Timing is very important and with bad timing we go right back to pay attention to what your training!

One more very important thing. Don't expect the dog to do something it has no idea what you want. Teach the command before disciplining for failure to follow it!

Arank87 wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 24, 2021 1:51 pm

Newbie question here. Is there a list of all the skills I should be teaching my dog and in what order? I have several books on dog training but all of them focus on formal gun dog training and not obedience training.

The AHDC "Orange Book" focuses on everything and overlooks nothing: http://www.ahdc.org/ahdcsite/training.php

MG

crackerd wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 09, 2021 7:17 am

Arank87 wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 24, 2021 1:51 pm

Newbie question here. Is there a list of all the skills I should be teaching my dog and in what order? I have several books on dog training but all of them focus on formal gun dog training and not obedience training.

The AHDC "Orange Book" focuses on everything and overlooks nothing: http://www.ahdc.org/ahdcsite/training.php

MG

When I FIRST looked I thought you meant ADHD , silly me. Should pay more attention to detail in future