Training Offseason... Putting It All Together

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Jim Keller - Wild Wind Kennels and Native Dog Food

Training Offseason... Putting It All Together

Do you have a young puppy or a young pupil who recently finished his/her first wild bird season and you want to continue that improvement for next season? Or perhaps you have a seasoned veteran who might need you to brush up his skills. Let's face it, bird hunting trips are only as fun as the dogs and people we are with. A disobedient dog can make a hunting trip downright miserable.

A young dog may be tempted to riot in surroundings different than the familiar training grounds. Or the seasoned dog may become unruly as the season progresses. Wild birds tempt a bit more than in training. Circumstances are a bit less controlled and sometimes you may go for hours before encountering game.

How do we maintain the good habits we worked so hard on during training and yet enjoy ourselves?

Basic Commands

Offseason Training

During the summer we spend a lot of time with the youngsters properly building the foundation for our program. They are worked daily in the yard in basic obedience such as hup, stay, recall, retrieving, kenneling, etc. Good responses to these commands are essential, not only for safety, but for a good day afield.

Proper Pattern

A flushing dog that continually hunts out of gun range is useless. Make sure they find lots of birds while working an appropriate pattern for the cover and wind. Our spaniel training program is reward based. Hunt within range and you will find birds and get lots of retrieves.

We usually introduce pups to quartering and retrieving on pigeons. Once they work well on pigeons, move on to game birds, such as pheasants or chuckar. Take your youngsters for walks where they will encounter wild game prior to the season opener. I usually get in some early scouting and pup gets some work on game birds - awakening the nose a bit more than a pigeon.

Introduction to Gun Fire

When appropriate, we introduce gunshot. Improper shooting over a young dog can turn off even a hard charging spaniel. It can be prevented with a little care and training. Sometimes folks get so wrapped up in shooting they forget there is a dog down field, which may not like getting the muzzle blast. We introduce the shot in progressive steps, which the dog associates with a retrieved bird.

Enjoy these tips to have a more enjoyable hunt with your young or old hunting companion.

To learn more about Jim and his training methods, visit www.wildwindkennels.com