apeakes have
good enough scenting ability to do their jobs, and our experience
is that dogs can be taught to use their noses to find birds.
One procedure is to get the dog to use his nose to find his dinner.
Make up a dog's feed and hide the pan in light cover. Take the
dog for an off-lead walk in the area, approaching the hidden
feed from a downwind direction. When you see that he is beginning
to catch the scent, try not to distract him as he works it out.
Encouragement is not needed, as he gets the reward of supper.
It is amazing how inept a young retriever can be initially. Fortunately,
in a few sessions they learn quickly to follow up scent, and
develop the expectation that they can find something if they
hunt for it.
As we mentioned, some dogs appear to have their hunting ability
or inclination compromised by training. We have seen novice trainers
who are mainly focused on gaining and maintaining control, or
who work primarily on blind retrieves. It can also occur when
a softer dog is exposed to an absolute training program, or when
dogs are frequently handled on marks they do not "pin."
The solution is usually increased marks with less interference
and a high success rate. If the dog is not fearful of correction,
he may come around quickly.
We trained with a British field-trial bitch that had always been
handled on her marks. She was a good, aggressive retriever and
soon learned to find her birds without help. A worried dog may
need a longer program. In general we recommend keeping blinds
and control training in balance with marking and initiative development.
When the vigor of a dog's hunt declines, it may be time to adjust
the proportions in each department.
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The substance and improvement of the
hunt lie in fostering increased confidence and enthusiasm. Many
retrievers have marvelous natural gifts. Some of them are deficient
in one area, such as hunt. We try to bring out the best in weak
areas as well as strong ones.
Copyrights Willow Creek Press 2006
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Adolescence and snow are
the only problems that disappear if you ignore them long enough. |
