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Steadying in the field

3K views 27 replies 13 participants last post by  Hunt'EmUp 
#1 ·
I have a nine month old lab, who is doing exceptionally well in the the dove field. He was very steady in all our training, but not doing so well in the field. Now, we have only been on two hunts, and I have worked him with other people shooting while he was on the leash.

I'm very aware he is a young pup and only on his second hunt. How can I steady him without using too much force? Or, what would you do in this situation? Thanks!
 
#2 ·
He is steady in training because the excitement (and his drive) are lower. When excitement (and drive) are higher you often need more pressure to get the same change in the dog's behavior. Get your point across with a few solid corrections at a level that is effective. Don't nag him.
 
#7 ·
I understand and please realize that there is no magic pill. We can try to do the best we can and in the process make mistakes and learn from them. So we can't be afraid or hesitate to make mistakes...It's going to happen...it is a given. We can reduce our mistakes by seeking help with dog people who have been there and have no problem to help you in person and that is very important.
Giving advice is only that and understand that each dog is different...what might be good might not be good for another.
Bottom answer is...learn together and accept humility as a tool to further your knowledge.:)
Good luck on your journey.
 
#10 ·
I too believe it is good advice as well. My gut tells me that he is from the generation that understands that with patience good things will come. The generation now thinks dogs are Tupperware and believe dogs thinks like a human and all is good. Off to the races........
 
#11 ·
I'm not of the new generation. Over 50 last time I checked. I just want to start steadying the pup, not be harsh on him, just start the steadying process. I know it can be done as I've done it before with my other lab this age and she turned out just great. He does have a very high drive which is probably making this a little different than my other lab. Thank for all the suggestions.
 
#12 ·
I am not a pro trainer nor and x pro trainer but I hunt my dogs young and steady as we go. Steady training does start at a very young age with daily life activity so by the time they hit the field they are well on the way. I start with a leash on hunts to maintain steadiness and work the pup until I feel they are ok to be off leash. More training than actual hunting but start them as young as 5 months old. Come from the school that experience and exposure is a great teacher. Works for me but maybe not for others.
Just my opinion.
Don
 
#13 ·
Don,

I'm with you. I'm not a pro, just experience with a few dogs. I don't get how it is okay to steady a dog to retrieve bumpers, but not birds. My dog is rock steady on throwing short and long distance marks and has been for almost two months. Steadying the dog for training has not diminished his desire to retrieve one bit. What am I missing here?
 
#16 ·
Don,

I'm with you. I'm not a pro, just experience with a few dogs. I don't get how it is okay to steady a dog to retrieve bumpers, but not birds. My dog is rock steady on throwing short and long distance marks and has been for almost two months. Steadying the dog for training has not diminished his desire to retrieve one bit. What am I missing here?
And it shouldn't.
Environment plays a big roll in training.
 
#19 ·
I like this low pressure approach. It has worked for me with biddable retrievers. They learn that the
only way to get the bird is by being steady, if not, no reward. I've always had at least 2 labs, so pup
learns early that if he creeps or lifts his butt, the older retriever gets the bird and not him.
The steadiness is self imposed by the retriever because he wants the bird.

Twenty years ago I used the wiffle ball bat and cackling banty rooster for a steadiness drill..that works too,
but steadiness is externally imposed..a swat with the wiffle ball bat the instant the retriever creeps.
I prefer the retriever self-imposed steadiness approach..
and if he really understands he will get that bird only by being steady he will want to be steady.
 
#18 ·
One of the tricks to training a dog is using the right amount of correction and recognizing when your spot on or when you need to modify your approach. I have some pretty high end, super drive dogs so I can get away with more pressure than others. I have no problem making correction in the presents of birds but I suspect that is not always true with all dogs. Read you dog and handle him as needed. You just might find that leaving him home is your best option. Good luck, have fun and never make a correction out of anger.
Don
 
#20 ·
I have a extremely high octane dog as you could imagine steadying a dog like this is tricky. The very best thing I did for the dog is take him dove hunting on a small field (about 1 acre) with 2 other guys and tie him up and just let him watch. There were over 40 birds shot in an hour and a half and the dog retrieved 20-25. All of the others, he watched me go get, or the other guys go get. He broke hard on the first two but I have him tied up so he got a quick jolt when the leash tightened. After those two breaks I never put the leash back on him.

It can be done but you have to be cautious and stay focused on the dog and not get caught up in the hunt. Up until this point I had him dead steady on bumpers in the training field but when live birds got evolved he just couldn't stand it. Now he knows how he is supposed to act.
 
#21 ·
Great points by all. I will just keep him on the leash and make sure he keeps his butt on the ground until released. I love the idea of self enforced steadiness, that seems to be a very positive way to approach this.

Also, I never let anger play a role in my training. I let my emotions get away one time while training my first lab and realized how utterly stupid that was. Now, my approach when something goes wrong, is to get angry with myself instead of the dog and ask what could I have done better.
 
#22 ·
I know it's really hard to do, but let the first dove season be his; leave your gun at home and let the other guys do all the shooting. Just concentrate on his steadiness and fetching by using the leash and not letting him retrieve all the birds--he'll learn that the sound of a gunshot doesn't necessarily mean he gets to fetch. At the end of the season he should be really steady. It will seem like a long time for you, but you'll have a great hunting buddy for the next 10 years...pretty small price to pay!
 
#23 · (Edited)
Mostly we train dogs to be steady "near Us"....sitting at heel. More often than not this is not always possible when hunting. The situational expectation is different. Therefore, many dogs have a steady problem.

A few years ago, Pat Nolan posted this link.....

A New Approach to Being Steady (link)

The premise is "don't make the line a launching pad in training". Using this basic approach, my dogs have been taught they will not be released from a hide, stand or any remote position to make most retrieves. They must come to heel beside me before doing so. This accomplished several new expectations 1) correct responsiveness with respect to who decides what's next, 2) any momentum to fire on a downed duck is tempered by permission and 3) being sent from a different position is simpler.

In essence, the dog is taught a new expectation......in training....and proofed in the field. Whenever possible my hunting dogs do "here/heel" before they hear their name. They are looking for my input first.

Don't allow yourself to become a "potted plant". Responsiveness in dog is asking the question "What do you want me to do next?"

Learning "on the job" is often unpredictable and inefficient.

Here is a video of two retrievers trying to figure out the expectation. The sequence of "who had to be where" was kind of amusing, but we worked it out.

Two Dog "Steady" Drill (YouTube - link)

The rule is "A hide (or retrieving position) is not a launching pad".
 
#25 ·
Mostly we train dogs to be steady "near Us"....sitting at heel. More often than not this is not always possible when hunting. The situational expectation is different. Therefore, many dogs have a steady problem.

A few years ago, Pat Nolan posted this link.....

A New Approach to Being Steady (link)

The premise is "don't make the line a launching pad in training". Using this basic approach, my dogs have been taught they will not be released from a hide, stand or any remote position to make most retrieves. They must come to heel beside me before doing so. This accomplished several new expectations 1) correct responsiveness with respect to who decides what's next, 2) any momentum to fire on a downed duck is tempered by permission and 3) being sent from a different position is simpler.

In essence, the dog is taught a new expectation......in training....and proofed in the field. Whenever possible my hunting dogs do "here/heel" before they hear their name. They are looking for my input first.

Don't allow yourself to become a "potted plant". Responsiveness in dog is asking the question "What do you want me to do next?"

Excellent points!

Here is what I mean by control being self-imposed by the retriever, as opposed to externally controlled by the handler:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1cPpWXeFnc
The retriever sits because that he quickly learns that behavior triggers the launcher or shot flyer...

I think it also helps to have a discrete barrier while dove or waterfowl hunting.
I hunt my dogs out of camo plastic sleds (also used to carry and pickup decoys) and that is the physical barrier they must not leave until verbally released by the handler (me).
A camo plastic sled also helps keep the dog dry...I put a ridgerest camping mat inside and turn-over the sled to drain as needed.
If it is hot while dove hunting, you can put cool water in the sled


Learning "on the job" is often unpredictable and inefficient.

Here is a video of two retrievers trying to figure out the expectation. The sequence of "who had to be where" was kind of amusing, but we worked it out.

Two Dog "Steady" Drill (YouTube - link)

The rule is "A hide (or retrieving position) is not a launching pad".

Excellent points!

Here is what I mean by control being self-imposed by the retriever, as opposed to externally controlled by the handler:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1cPpWXeFnc
The retriever sits because that he quickly learns that behavior triggers the launcher or shot flyer...

I think it also helps to have a discrete barrier while dove or waterfowl hunting.
I hunt my dogs out of camo plastic sleds (also used to carry and pickup decoys) and that is the physical barrier they must not leave until verbally released by the handler (me).
A camo plastic sled also helps keep the dog dry...I put a ridgerest camping mat inside and turn-over the sled to drain as needed.
If it is hot while dove hunting, you can put cool water in the sled.
 
#24 ·
Before Kwicklabs video clip I was slightly confused. I thought the OP was asking about 'steadying in the field',which of course would be the wrong environment if the process has not been proofed in the yard or the 'training field'. Forgive me also as I perceived that the steadiness was to live game rather than dead game that doesn't move after the shot is fired and the game is away from the dog rather than toward it ?.
This little Cocker is 10 months old and the Yellow lab is 1 year old.Both on their first shoot,but we conditioned them in the yard and the training field first.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsNb1m-ifCo
 
#28 ·
When you say lead, is the dog on just a lead, a lead with a choker, or a lead with a prong collar? Pulling on a lead, doesn't do much for a dog unless he gets a correction. As the dog is quite elevated with the excitement to live birds, if your just running the dog, you might try a prong collar with a short tab for correction. They're pretty much power steering for dogs, and can get a point across a lot quicker with less energy than just a lead, or a lead and a choker.
 
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