Dog hunting training book

Jennie@ifish · 11-30-2001, 07:58 PM

I need a good, up to date hunting training book for my pup.
I want it fairly friendly... I mean, not a book that promotes heavy punishment.
Bill gave me one that was written in the 50s, and it promotes "thrashing".
Just can't go there!
Jen

Jim · 11-30-2001, 09:55 PM

Jen,
Kilchis needs to be sitting, staying and healing or coming...right now...on command. Fetch should be a game in the hallway with doors closed so that he has has to bring it back (he??) but regardless whether he brings it totally back right now just keep it fun! If you keep it fun now it will stay fun. No tug of war...as fun as this is it isn't a pretty sight when the dog wants to play tug of war with a bird.

Lots of others but those are the basics of puppy training, my labs have always been able to do these basics pretty well at 8 weeks. As for discipline...a good tug on the ear! And then ruffles his head all up in fun.

Thats my .02

As for books, I can't recommend anything new so I wont.

Jim

eatmebaitco · 11-30-2001, 10:13 PM

Jen, A guy named Richard Wolters wrote a book called "water dog". I think he also has some videos out also. Good book! You might do a seach on that author also.
http://members.aol.com/checkcord/bookshelf/
Perry

Jennie@ifish · 12-01-2001, 06:32 PM

Thanks everyone.
Kilchis can sit, kennel, stay... not heel... I think it's a bit early for that.
In fact, I really like Barbara Woodhouse, and she says no leashes for some time yet.
Kilchis can also speak and Sh on command. Good dog!
I'll look into that book! Thanks!
Jen

periwinkle · 12-02-2001, 10:03 PM

Jenny, no, no, no, don't use R. Wolters book -- been there, done that. Nor the 'Monks" book....
The pro trainers really knock on Wolters.. Do a search on your web there's better books out there. Apparently Wolters had 'one' really good dog!!!!! He was a 'writer' not a trainer.

If you want I can mail my copy of his book to you,,,,,but!

periwinkle · 12-02-2001, 10:24 PM

Darn, third time I've typed this message!!!!
Jenny don't twist the dogs ears,,,, you will end up h a dog with very sensitive ears--not good. :smile:

Jim · 12-03-2001, 04:44 AM

Looks like training a dog is as complicated as what lure to use on Salmon.

Reality is is that everybody is going to have their own opinions because of what has worked for them. Like the ears, I have never had a problem with a dog with sensitive ears. From my current two labs plus our inside Shitzu dog all have had their ears pulled as correction. Is it wrong? Heck if I know! Does it harm the dog? Heck if I know! Does it work for me? Absolutely! I am not arrogant enough to believe that it is my way or the highway, not on dog training. I do know this that my dogs who are business partners know how to do the basic things that I require and we work on these things everyday even at 3 and 1.5 years old...they will practce the basic things every day until they are so old that we bring them in the house (retired).

So Jen, have a great time with Kilchis, I know you are! Sounds like your on the right path...did you have a book for raising your boys??

hehe

You have a great day!

Jim

Jennie@ifish · 12-03-2001, 05:08 AM

As a matter of fact, yes! I have a whole library of books for and about raising children. Medical, behavioural, age appropriate, etc...
I also felt the ear thing was a little too much for me or Kilchis... Youch! I tend to go with the trend that voice inflection is very important. They want to please me.
However, I asked Bill how he got Dee Dee, adopted at three, to fetch ducks. He said, "They want to please!" And I said great! Show me how Dee Dee fetches a raw steak for me! Tee hee! Think she wants to please THAT bad?
See, my dogs sleep with me! They are not retired either! Right now Kilchis is in a kennel, but he will soon graduate to the down comforter, when he can handle himself better.
This is not to say that he is not my partner, or that he doesn't have a job. He does.
The job is to be obedient. He will obey me when I say, "Warm Jennie up!"
Jen

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Lives_to_fish · 12-03-2001, 06:06 AM

I had outstanding success with Wolters book, “Game Dog”. I could easily take my dog through Sr. Hunter if I chose to peruse it and that is the only book I have ever used. I have done enough looking around to know that most of what you hear about having to pay $$$ for a dog with a pedigree a mile long and send them to months of training at three to four hundred a month is a lot of hype created by dog trainers.
Pick a book or plan, stick with it and spend the time. That’s what it takes.

blackdog · 12-03-2001, 07:03 AM

Jen, in my opinion, the more you read the better. Then pick a program you like, and stick with it. At the stage you are at, obedience it the main thing. I have read all of Wolters stuff and took a lot from it. Another good source is Mike Lardy's stuff. He has a couple of real good training manuals and a helpful site (totalretriever.com) that I highly recommend. Good luck. Whatever you choose, there's nothing like a lab to bring you happiness.

crabbait · 12-03-2001, 08:19 AM

James Spencer, Training Retrievers for marshes and Meadows is excellent. I could go on and on about "force training" and why some form of discipline beyond voice commands is required to produce a dog that will obey all the time but it sounds like your mind is made up.

Learn as much dog pysche as you can. You will end up with a dog that will obey most of the time. Limit the occasions that disobedience could cost the dog its life to the greatest extent possible.