By John & Amy Dahl |
| Retrievers are bred to
hunt. With some dogs, however, an intelligent and relentless hunt is not inherited. Failure in hunting can also be caused by training confusion and excess pressure. Marks, and blinds, for that matter, are executed more effectively by dogs with enthusiastic hunts than by plodders. Rarely, in a difficult situation, does a dog land precisely on the downed bird. The dog's knowledge of when and where to stop, honoring his nose when he reaches the area, bringing the search to a quick conclusion, is his most valuable asset. Get the bird! Puppies often reveal an intense hunting instinct at seven or eight weeks of age. Some even show effective use of their noses at that age. Other puppies who show little of this skill early in life develop into fine hunters with age and experience. Some do! First, we would like to deal with the problem of dogs who show little instinctive hunt, but seem otherwise talented. We must admit that we find it disheartening when we come across an otherwise promising dog who lacks hunting vigor. At the same time, dogs in this category present an interesting challenge, and if given the proper encouragement, and exposure, may develop hunts that range from adequate to good. Rarely will a dog with a naturally weak hunt attain the level of hunting brilliance exhibited by the great NFCAFC Mi-Cris Sailor, who looked better hunting a mark than most dogs do stepping on it. Probably the worst thing that can befall a young retriever whose hunt is defective, is failing a large percentage of his marks. The student may conclude that he's no good at finding birds and give up trying. This downhill course can be avoided by making sure that his success ratio on marks is high-for a time pushing 100 percent. Success breeds success and the promise of a better future. Still, little or nothing has been done to develop an energetic hunt, but the seed has been sown-the green dog thinks he will find a bird, or dummy, when sent. We do not subscribe to the notion that hunts can only be improved by shooting lots of birds over the dog. In some cases, a lot of birds will get them going. In many |
, instances,
however following the force-fetch program, there is so much enthusiasm
for getting dummies that they seem to work just as well in developing
the hunt.We start our marking training with obvious throws in which the hunt is not challenging - white dummies in short grass, or short throws in the water. As the retriever progresses we make use of higher cover in which the dog must put on a short hunt. The distances are generally modest, as trying to increase range and improve hunting ability simultaneously is usually counterproductive. We make our early marks in the cover short, which creates an assurance that he can get it quickly. When he fails to step on it but puts on a quick search, ears up, tail wagging, we are seeing the beginnings of hunting. Often dogs with little or no hunt wilt give up when the first birds or dummies are thrown in cover. The dog |
