Greg G., Jackson.

Answer: After talking with Greg, we decided he was the one who needed the punishment. I instructed him to put his electric collar on his own neck and administer a high-level charge to himself whenever he did not follow my orders. I then gave him orders in a mixture of French, English and German languages. When he could not understand what I was saying, I told him to shock himself and see if that made things more clear. Of course, it did not.  Commands can be reinforced with a training collar once they have been learned by the dog. Greg’s dog would not stop on the ‘whoa’ command in any environment, let alone in the highly-charged environment of game birds and shotguns. Whoa-break your dog before you get to the bird field, then, only use the e. collar after you have given the command at least twice while the dog is chasing. Your timing has to be perfect or don’t even try this exercise, and the correct level of intensity must be determined before doing this around birds. The two commands then the stimulation must all be done before the dog travels more than twenty-five yards from the place he was pointing. If he stops, praise him. Do not continue stimulating him with the collar if he is beyond the twenty-five-yard mark. Go to the dog, leash him and tell him loud and clear to ‘whoa those birds.’ Then repeat the exercise one more time before stopping for the day.

I highly recommend first using a check cord on young dogs. Restrain them while saying “whoa” when the concept of holding to flushing birds is introduced. This is true with flushing dogs.  Punishment-based training will ruin many good dogs and will not be effective in re-channeling this dog’s energy to productive behavior.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Mike G. Clinton Twp.

Answer: This is a rare condition called Headis Veri Smallis. Quite often fatal, the reverse cranial growth factor of HVS can be quite contagious for the owner as well. The cure is quite simple. Wear a hat and stay out of the sun. Seriously though, some dogs’ heads finish growing after their skeletal mass. Don’t worry about it.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Tim R., Grosse Point.

Answer: Tim, I don’t think that neutering a dog induces more feminine behavior but you might try a nice pink ribbon in his hair. I think the prosthetic testicles would make a nice necklace. They certainly would be a conversation starter at your next party. Bottom line, don’t worry about it!

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Kerry L., Detroit.

Answer: For the sake of this discussion, I will refer to pets that are warm-blooded. Scientists have told us for years that we are misreading our pets’ reactions and that our pets do not share emotions with us, that they only respond to incentives and outside stimuli. Recent studies are starting to debunk this behaviorist theory. I need to make it clear that I am not a scientist and I don’t possess the scientific mind to be one. My job requires creativity and often deals with intangibles that cannot be explained scientifically. Having said this, I know for a fact that dogs and cats have emotions. I also know that many pet owners attempt to incorrectly place complex human emotions on their pets. I believe our cats and dogs do have the ability to feel some of the same emotions that we do, but in different ways. Dogs do not suffer the same remorse that we do. Take, for example, a dog who loses a leg. Rarely does the dog sit around, longing for the times when it had four legs. They tend to take what life gives them and make the best of it. The same can be said for young children.

I have trained thousands of dogs over the last thirty years and I’ve dealt with hundreds of human owners. In nine out of ten cases, the owner misses the dog much more than the dog misses them. Young dogs have the ability to change masters with very little remorse, provided their basic needs are met such as loving attention, exercise, and food. I would say this holds true for dogs up to around three years of age. After three, dogs, being creatures of habit, have more difficulties adapting to new environments when compared to their younger counterparts. I agree with the scientists who say that owners tend to read too much into their pets’ reactions and that animals are often motivated by outside stimuli.

However, to say that they don’t possess the ability to have emotions or that their sole motivation is either food or reproduction is short-sighted. As a field trainer, I rely on the pack instincts that say you should curry favor from the alpha. Seeking an alpha’s approval is a key issue when training canines. Predatory animals such as dogs have a different outlook on things than, say, prey animals such as horses. Non-verbal signs and cues from the trainer are an important part of this communication with dogs. Word-based language is our thing, not theirs. In field training, we don’t carry little bait pouches to entice our dogs to do our wishes, as they do in other dog training venues. Many breeds such as the English Setter are not food-motivated. Even the breeds that are food-motivated, such as my Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, don’t respond well to food motivations when around game and guns. So what motivates them? The desire to please the alpha. I am quite sure that my dogs’ devotion to me is based in love, not dog food.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Dan P., Westland.

Answer: Dan, I am asked this question concerning what breed is best quite often. My standard answer is, don’t ask a breeder. Go to a Chevy dealer and ask who builds the best truck. Do the same with a Ford dealer. Are you getting my drift? Find a book on hunting dogs and read the description of each breed. Pick one that meets your ideal and that looks pleasing to you. The breed you pick is not nearly as important as the bloodlines. When you start interviewing breeders, insist upon seeing both of the parents and make your decision based on how well you like the parents.

If this is your first hunting dog, don’t pick the most aggressive or active dog in the litter. Don’t choose a shy or skittish one either. Many of the pointing breeds will do a good job on ducks as well as hunting grouse in the woods. Check to see if the parents have water desire and retrieving instincts for a decent duck dog. Beware of dogs with too much emphasis on ‘champions’ in their bloodlines. A champion field trailer is often a big-running, horseback-type race dog that is too much dog for a novice handler. On the other hand, many of the ‘show champions’ are lacking the field instincts and desire for game that it takes to make a good field dog.

If you’re looking at the flushing or retrieving lines, check to see if the parents were hunted in the uplands. In both cases, try to see the parents work in the field. Remember, this animal will become a member of the family for the next fifteen years or so, so don’t rush into buying any old pup. Take your time to research not only breeds, but the breeder. A breeder who doesn’t hunt can hardly be considered an expert on what traits a good hunting dog needs to preform in the field.

Keep in mind that a well-bred dog will set you back a few bucks. There is usually a good reason why one breeder is asking $400 or more while the guy around the corner wants just $50 or $100 for a pup. Also keep in mind that the majority of this dog’s life will be spent as a family pet. Look for a pup that is outgoing and friendly, one that wants to cuddle up and lick your face. Let your boys come along when checking out pups, but make it clear to them that you won’t be buying a dog that day. No impulse buying.

Even the most avid bird hunter will spend no more than fifty or sixty days a year hunting. That leaves another three hundred days a year in a non-hunting situation. As far as that old wives’ tale goes that a hunting dog can’t be a pet, don’t believe it. By all means, allow and encourage your sons to play and bond with the new pup. Hopefully in a few more years, they will be accompanying you to the field to learn the joys of hunting, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Calvin S., Gaylord.

Answer:  Calvin, I think that most people will have a better rapport with their dog if they keep it in the house. The more time spent with your dog, the closer the bond will be. At least once a year, I get asked this question. Several years ago, I worked on an English Setter for a fellow. Upon completion of the training, I turned the dog back over to the owner. Several weeks later this, fellow’s wife called to complain to me about why her children could not play with this young dog.  He had explained to his wife that you cannot allow a hunting dog in the house or let the kids play with it because it will lessen the dog's ability to hunt. I am not sure where he got these ideas but I am sure I do not agree with them. I see no reason why a bird dog cannot be a pet also. In fact, I think allowing your children to enjoy the dog’s company will benefit both the dog and the kids. One idea is that a house dog will not have the same scenting powers as a kennel dog. This may be true, but only to a very small degree and should not make any noticeable difference. One bit of advice for anyone bringing a puppy in the house, buy a crate and put the puppy in it when you are not home.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Becky A., Grand Rapids.

Answer: I am a waterfowler as well as an upland hunter, so I would need a dog for both the marsh and the field. I would not chose a dog with a short coat since a hard-working dog needs protection from both the abrasion of field hunting and the cold water when waterfowling. However, there are vests sold today that can protect a dog if you choose a short-coated dog.  A well-bred German Wire-hair or a Wire-haired Pointing Griffon would be my choices from the pointing breeds. A Chesapeake Bay Retriever or a Springer Spaniel would be my choices from the non-pointing dogs.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Mark G., Howell.

Answer: That question is best answered by the handler. It’s your dog, make it hunt how you want. Most pointing dog people allow their dog considerable range compared to a flushing dog. I know I do. I want the dog to do the work. Let it cover all that ground instead of me walking every square yard of it. The key here is to have your dog trained well enough to range out. If the dog holds point, I don’t mind him ranging out as long as I can see him most of the time.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Tina D., Ferndale.

Answer:  A stuffed one. Dogs are social animals and will not do well if left in solitary confinement all day every day. If you put it outdoors,it will be a barking problem. If left indoors, it will destroy your house. If you and your husband are both gone ten or more hours a day, get a cat. The young dog needs to interact with people to maintain proper mental health and be a good companion. It will also need regular strenuous exercise that a quick walk around the block on a leash will not satisfy. Save your self the expense and frustration and wait until your schedule allows for more free time.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Allen T., Fenton.

Answer: My experience with training retrievers for the uplands is to lay off the heavy obedience training until after their first season of hunting. With a duck dog, I would be working on heeling and long sit-stays at an early age. I find this to be inhibiting to a dog that’s expected to run independently through brush and find birds. I want any dog to come when called and walk on a leash. I find that too much ‘heal’ training confuses a young dog, however. I teach a command, ‘stay close,’ to all of my dogs. When on leash, if the pup pulls, I pull back hard and say ‘stay close.’ After working on this command on leash, I start using it in the field. The main problem I see with the flushers on upland game is a lack of independence. A dog that’s walking next to you all the time will not be effective in finding birds in thickets. My Chesapeake is an excellent pheasant dog who drives hard into cover. I also have a British Lab that is much better at sitting next to me, waiting for a retrieve, than at finding birds running through the undercover. Part of this is genetics and part of it is training. Take your pup for long walks in the field and allow him to range out. We can always make him hunt close after he’s learned to hunt.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Carl E., Traverse City.

Answer: I’ve always left the decision of what range is best to the dog’s owner. Some people like having their dog work very close while others don’t mind if their dog works several hundred yards from the handler. When I say work, I mean the dog should be quartering the ground in front of you. A dog that runs a straight line at all times is much less efficient at finding game and leaves much of the field untouched, regardless of the range it’s working. Range, for the sake of this question, is the distance the dog is allowed to hunt from the handler. Range should be dictated by density of surrounding cover. For me, denser cover constitutes shorter range.

Let’s start with describing what long range is first. Once a long range description is established, the others will be easier to understand and judge. All age, horseback field trial dogs are long range hunters. Six hundred, eight hundred, or even a thousand yards out in flat, open country isn’t a problem when a hunter is on horseback or following in a vehicle. If you were hunting Canada’s prairie provinces or the prairies of our western states, a long range dog that is trained to hold point is a great asset.

The key here is ‘trained to hold point.’ I encounter plenty of hunters whose dogs will hold point for only a minute or two. Many of these dogs have never been trained to hold point until release, and they’re releasing on their own instead. Most of them are working from instinct rather than training. Therefore, the owner needs the dog to work within shotgun range all the time, much like a flushing dog. You’ll find that the more experienced dog handlers will allow their dogs to range at greater distances rather than a novice handler. When I’m hunting on foot, I prefer a dog that’s hunting within three hundred yards in open country and a hundred yards in the woods or bushy terrain.

As a rule, the longer the range of the dog, the more apt the owner will be, hunting with a beeper collar rather than a bell. Bells have a limited range of sound and once the dog is on point, have very little value in finding the animal, where as a beeper will usually have volume control. The better models do, and a beeper will continue signaling when a dog is standing on point. The advantage of a long range hunting dog in open country is that you don’t have to personally cover all that land. The dog is there to do the work for you. I’ll sit back on a high spot and watch the dogs cover the fields around me. When one strikes point, I move in for the shot.

I don’t consider Michigan ‘open country.’ Most of our hunting is done is wooded or bushy country, or smaller farm fields. Smaller means two hundred acres or less, and it’s usually divided by roads. For me, a dog out eight hundred yards in Michigan is a lost dog, simply because in the grouse woods that I hunt, eight hundred yards is out of sight and out of the sound of the beeper. Conversely, a dog working at twenty yards out is forcing me to walk every square yard of area I’m in, thus putting miles on my tired old legs, which could be saved by a wider-ranging dog. I hunt to relax and enjoy the outdoors, not to get a lot of strenuous exercise.

A medium range dog in Michigan for me is seventy-five to one-hundred-and-fifty yards out. Out west, it’d be two hundred to three-hundred-and-fifty yards. A close working dog in Michigan for me is under forty yards. A dog constantly working under forty yards in Michigan, except in very dense cover, would be, in my opinion, a boot-polisher and used mainly for retrieving.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

My questions are, what can we do about this dog’s aggression towards my kids and I, and is this normal for a German Wire-hair. I have seen the dog growl and nip at my husband too, but he says the dog is just communicating his desires and isn’t aggressive. The breeder says we have done something wrong and the dog is perfectly normal and that a good hunting dog has to have some aggression. He has even suggested that we may have abused the dog, which is totally false.

Toni C., Grand Rapids.

Answer: I receive frequent complaints concerning two breeders here in Michigan. One is this German Wire-haired Pointer breeder, who is well-known among Wire-haired Pointer enthusiasts for having mentally unstable dogs and dogs that bite people, including their owners. The second is an English Setter breeder from lower Michigan who is also infamous with the Setter enthusiasts. I will not call either by name for fear of adding to their vast name recognition.

Paid advertising should not be used as a gauge for quality. In most cases when it concerns people who have been in the business for many years, it is needed to continually find new customers. You would think that someone who has been in the field for twenty to thirty years would have a large enough customer base to draw from it without spending thousands of dollars every year on advertising.

Moving on to the aggression issue, let me say that a good bird dog doesn’t need any human or canine aggression. Human aggression is when is dog is aggressive towards humans. In the old days, the German breeders wanted a dog to guard the farm and family as well as hunt. In fact, the breeder you dealt with is now telling customers that his dogs are guard dogs as well as hunting dogs. It’s a point that he leaves out with many new puppy buyers. This is merely an attempt to cover up the problems in his line of dogs.

Many German Wire-haired Pointers have problems with aggression, which is a throwback to the old days. However, most of today’s breeders are working towards producing friendlier dogs that make better citizens in today’s society. A dog which displays this aggression towards you and your kids, after being raised in your house, is unacceptable by anyone’s standards. The old rule on German Wire-haired Pointers is that they should be completely reliable with family but aren’t to be trusted with visitors.

Do not trust this dog around your kids! You and your kids are obviously in danger from this animal. Your husband is having his ear bent by this unscrupulous breeder and is in total denial concerning the dog’s mental status. Do not take this advice lightly! If your husband wants to risk being injured by this animal, fine, but protect yourself and your children at all costs. I have dealt firsthand with this breeder, have owned dogs from his kennel, and trained (or attempted to train) dogs from his bloodlines. I will not take dogs from his kennel in for training because of the same problems. I have owned several dogs from this kennel, none of which were of sound temperament or had stable personalities. In fact, one of the dogs returned to him, a female, was so man-shy that she would run and hide anytime she saw anyone except for my son and I. This dog also had no desire to hunt. Her desire for game would be scored a 0 and her search pattern would also score a 0, at fifteen months of age.

“Desire” and “search” are two categories of judging used in the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association. This is the venue that this breeder is trying to promote his dogs in.

Ever since I returned the problem dog, the breeder has been telling people that I abused her, claiming that this is her problem. I have heard this from more than one dissatisfied customer of his that has called me for help with their aggressive animal. I wrote a letter to this breeder concerning his slanderous remarks, which he has not found the courage to respond to. Now, to top off all of this negative behavior, I recently discovered he is breeding this problem dog and selling pups from her. It is a shame that we don’t have a system in place to deal with unscrupulous breeders. your husband will eventually put the dog down once it starts attacking him.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Tony M., Marquette.

Answer: This is a very subjective topic that I don’t think has one correct answer. But since you asked for my opinion, I feel qualified to give at least that. First, let me say that as a trainer, I operate under the English standard of ‘training to the owner’s specifications,’ meaning to train the dog to hunt as the owner wants him to hunt. For my own dogs, I prefer a dog that hunts for me out of love and the desire to be with me. I want a dog that works hard, digs into thick cover and isn’t afraid to range out from me but will take direction from me. In pointers, I look for a dog that has a good pointing instinct but not so much that it won’t work a running bird. I want a dog that is quiet and clean in the kennel and is friendly with people and other dogs. I think the basics for a good dog are the same, whether it be a pointer or a flusher.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Dan O., Grosse Point Park.

Answer: Think baseball for a moment. Think about batting against high school pitchers compared to batting against professional pitchers. The pen bird was probably dizzied and put to sleep in an entirely strange location that it had never seen before. Transversely, the wild bird was born, raised, and schooled on how to survive in the area you found him, an area that the dog probably has had very little experience in. Considering that you had hunted on several different weekends I don’t think scent is the issue here although scenting conditions do play a major role in a dog’s ability to find game.

A wild bird knows its surroundings, knows the escape routes, and remembers what escapes worked in their last encounter with a ground predator. By the time our hunting season has opened, a wild bird has had numerous contacts with predators and has gone through an education process with their parents on how to survive. This education takes place every night and day of their lives, 24/7. Your poor dog, in comparison, has had approximately the equivalent of two weeks of training, 24/7.

Much is said about the fact that it takes four to five years to make a good grouse dog. A dog needs to mature and settle down, and it needs many contacts with grouse to ‘learn the birds’ and how to handle them. I believe that if you hunt often and are able to put your dog into good numbers of grouse, you can have a good, savvy grouse dog after three seasons. Many trainers forget that after July 15th, you can run your dogs on wild birds. One last point to remember, grouse and woodcock both have legs and will run. I have seen grouse in public hunting areas, like the ones you are hunting, run like pheasants. I have seen woodcock run like pen-raised quail.

I believe a dog that is ‘steadied’ too much and not allowed to work a running bird will produce very few birds for the gun. I also believe a pointing dog needs to be ‘whoa’ trained so that it obeys the ‘whoa’ command under any circumstance. A good hunting dog needs to be able to make some decisions on their own and understand that an error has been made if they flush the bird without being commanded to do so. Your dog is still going through her education process. Remember to give the dog plenty of wild bird contact to finish the training.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Carrying water for the dog is a good idea, although planning your hunt near water is better if the temps are going to be above seventy, especially if it is sunny. Giving a dog an occasional drink will help to sustain them on a warm day but will not protect them from heat stroke if the day is hot and humid or even warm and sunny. Dogs do not have sweat glands like you and I and therefore cannot sweat to cool themselves down. Panting is their way of trying to cool off.

I understand the problems involved with keeping a house dog clean enough to bring back into the house after a hunt. And I have seen my share of owners discouraging their dogs from lying down in water when out running. But the bottom line is, you need to accept the fact that the dog will need bathing when you get home. By lying down in water, the dog is doing what our bodies do naturally. Wetting the exterior so that evaporation cools the interior. I train all my dogs to lay in water whenever possible.

In the warm months of summer, our farm drys up. The small ponds and floodings, as well as a small creek that passes through our property, usually dry up in July. To combat the dangers of overheating, we have watering stations every two-hundred yards or so throughout the farm. Livestock watering tanks, the size used for sheep, work well for us. They are low enough to allow the dog to jump in and out on their own. We change the water twice weekly and on the hot days, the dogs will run from station to station.

Some dogs, especially the pointing dogs, don’t particularly like going into water and must be taught. Most of them, once introduced to laying in water on a hot day, will then take the dip quite readily. The dog that is water-shy will have a much more difficult time managing its body temperature in the heat.

A dog starting to suffer from heat stroke will become wobbly on its feel and have trouble walking. Loss of motor function is a clear sign of danger. This dog should be taken to a shaded area and allowed to recover. The best-case scenario would be to take the dog to a stream or a pond and have it lay in the water, out of the sun. Simply drinking water will not suffice. If the dog’s gums are gray instead of pink, the danger is even greater because this indicates a loss of circulation and the dog’s system may be shutting down. Heat stroke may not kill the dog but one episode will predispose the dog to future heat related problems. If a dog does collapse and stops breathing, CPR should be administered as soon as possible. Talk to your vet about proper CPR methods and remember, get the dog to shade and water. I have seen dogs die from heat, not my own, and I have seen dogs that had collapsed from the heat and stop breathing be revived only to be put down later because of brain damage.

Keep an eye on your four legged hunting partner on the hot days. If your dog is going to shaded areas and laying down, panting heavily and reluctant to move on, it may be telling you, ‘I’m too HOT!’ Don’t expect the dog to regulate its activity for the conditions. Some dogs will, but many dogs will work at the same pace even in the heat.

Also, remember that it is illegal to discharge a firearm within a hundred and fifty yards of a boat launch.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Edgar P., Saginaw.

Answer:  All right, Edgar!  Don’t let your wife dictate to you what kind of hunting dog you are going to buy. You tell her that you will get what ever kind of dog you want or else. Or else? Or else you get the kind she wants. Tough call here, buddy. You have a wife who has put up with your hunting dogs, and you, for years and now her only stipulation is short coat verses long coat. How about getting your next Brit’s hair cut once in awhile? Or better yet, how about brushing the dog every so often?

Are you ready for more ‘Linblade Logic’? Does coat make a difference? Try this test. Put on your hunting boots and your boxer shorts, nothing more. The boxer shorts are included only to keep you out of jail for indecent exposure. Now go a brushy wooded area with lots of nice raspberry bushes, thorn-apple and multi-floral rose bushes, and run through the brush for three to four hours. Now, if you are really lucky, there may also be stable flies, deer flies, black flies and maybe a mosquito or two. Tough but not too tough? Try it for three days in a row. Or better still, try it in the winter.

In the dog world, there are exceptions to every rule, so it is possible to find a short-coated dog  somewhere that is oblivious to all of these pitfalls. After you complete the demonstration, the answer should be evident. If you do go with a short-coated dog, do it a favor and buy two things, a belly-saver for the summer and a neoprene vest for the worst winter days.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

James K., Royal Oak.

Answer: I don’t think most of these high-priced breeds are worth half of what the breeders are asking. Many of them are bred from show lines that happen to have some field instincts. The breeder will run their dogs through the American Kennel Club Hunt Test program at the Junior level, which is the lowest level field title in AKC competition, and then tell puppy buyers they have field titles on their dogs. A dog can be any age and compete for a JH (Junior Hunter) title. All a dog needs to do to pass the Junior level is run around and act like it is hunting, not be afraid of a cap gun, and point a bird for several seconds. Hardly a gauge for a quality field dog.

Every year, I encounter people who have purchased one of these high-priced pups thinking that an AKC recommendation and a pile of money is all it takes to get a good bird dog puppy. Would you spend $1,200 for an eight-week-old puppy simply because it was different?

The list of breeds that we here at Wing Shooters have had the most problems with when it comes to desire to hunt and the ability to be trained are the same list of dogs that come from the high priced breeds. Some breeds, Weimaraners in particular, refuse sight unseen because their lines are so weak on hunting instincts and are so problematic. In the last 25 years, I have seen maybe six Weims that could be classified as good bird dogs. It was so bad that I joined the Weimaraner Club to see what they had. You won’t see many North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) titles in the Weim ranks. Mostly, there’s breed-specific AKC titles. I am not a fan of AKC and see them as nothing more than a money-making dog registration company with little concern for quality dogs. Their main focus is on making money from their own events. In the world of hunting setters, the AKC register is the weakest in the world.

Those of you who know me know that I don’t back down from a fight and I am not afraid to speak the truth. I am not concerned with titles or competitions because our emphasis is on companion hunting dogs and you cannot determine a good hunting dog in forty-five minutes when the average hunt will last three to four hours. I have seen some of the highest-titled dogs that were awful to hunt behind. Unfortunately, we are seeing more people who rarely hunt but are constantly training for one title or another. The motivation is typically ego-driven and has nothing to do with enjoying your dog’s company.

I don’t care what breed or what breeder you choose. You will be able to find someone who loves it and claims it is a great hunter, and buying a puppy can be like buying a used car, so don’t expect to get all the facts from the person selling you the pup. Breeders who charge large sums for pups are, in many cases, motivated by money and can be inflicted by what I call kennel blindness. They refuse to see the faults and short-comings of their particular group of dogs and their breed of choice in general. To get the real story, you need to talk to a professional trainer. Find one who has many years of experience with many different breeds and try to stay away from someone who calls themselves a breeder/trainer, as they will just try to sell you their breed.

Let me close this out by saying a good dog is a good dog. I have seen wonderful dogs from all the bird-hunting breeds, but I cannot ignore the fact that some breeds produce far more problem dogs than they should.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

I spend about six weeks a year hunting wild birds and prior to opening my own shooting preserve, I would hunt another eight to ten times a year on a preserve. That puts me in the field, hunting the dog, fifty to sixty days a year. I doubt there are many people devoted enough or lucky enough to be able to spend that much time hunting their dogs. Now, look at the other side of the coin. I'm spending around three hundred days a year with the dog when we are not hunting. The average dog owner will probably spend fifteen to twenty days a year hunting their dog. They want a dog that is a capable hunter, but a good companion for the family in the off-season. A dog that is a great companion but only a so-so hunter will be a joy to own eighty percent of the time. A dog that is a truly great hunter, but is a howling, spastic bundle of nerves around the house will be a royal pain in the neck for the three hundred days a year that you’re not hunting it.  When choosing your next dog, remember that companionship in the off-season is also part of owning a hunting dog. 

For the sake of this discussion, let’s say that a dog is three years old and the training has been completed. The bulk of your off-season time with the dog will be spent conditioning rather than training, and let’s hope that you own a dog that doesn't need to be retrained every fall. Now, the dog is a good hunter and the majority of the training work has been completed, so what’s left between you and your dog? Those of you who enjoy competing will enter a bunch of events and try to put some titles on the dog. The serious hunters who compete will look for competition that matches what they are looking for in a hunting dog. A horseback field trial on flat, open grassland where the handler flushes the bird, fires a cap gun, and moves on will hardly match the closer-working needs of a grouse hunter. A dog three hundred yards away from the handler in the grouse woods is basically lost. Now I'm sure I will be getting letters from a few indignant souls who claim they run horseback field trials with the same dog they grouse-hunt with. 

I have seen my share of confused animals wired up to a shock collar and forced to stay close to the same handler who, several weeks before, was telling the dog to run big and wide. On several occasions, I have had people show up on my preserve with horseback dogs. The first words out of their mouths is how great a hunter the dog is and how they like the way it works. Now, out comes the shock collar as the handler complains the cover is too thick.

I met one such expert who had been training for twenty years. He had trained only his own dogs during this time and had only had four dogs. Now, here is a self-appointed expert, one all his friends were sure was “well-seasoned,” who had actually only trained four dogs in the last twenty years. After getting shocked several times, his nine-year-old dog stayed within ten yards of him the whole time and proceeded to chew up every bird it got its teeth on. Hunting dog? Not hardly.

I had another horseback trainer show up, an older fellow who I think did possess knowledge rather then merely opinions. He took one look around at the grouse woods-type cover and small fields with brushy fence lines and knew he would not be able to run his young, big-running dogs. Instead he went to his trailer and got an old, retired dog that was, what I call, broke to death.

Anyone who spends anytime hunting wild pheasants knows that a pointing dog that goes on point at the first sign, [or maybe I should say scent], of a pheasant and then holds that point, even though the dogs knows the bird has moved off, will produce very few birds for the gunner. In the competition world, a pointing dog is not allowed to work a moving bird. In the hunting world, a dog that does not work a running bird will spend most of its days pointing old scent. The dog must know that if the bird flushes, he has committed an error. He must try to pin the bird, staying in touch with the runner while giving it enough breathing room where it does not feel pressured to the point of flushing.

Now this old pointer had a good nose and pointed his birds at a good twenty yards. The wind was blowing, the birds were running and the gunners spent most of their time trying to locate the running pheasants while the dog stood motionless. Twelve birds were released and they shot one. Thankfully, the hunters did not blame the poor old dog because he was doing just what he had been taught. The hunters blamed the pheasants for not sitting tight on a windy day. They never once realized their folly was in the training of the dog. This dog was not allowed to think for himself or to work the birds, trying to pin them. I brought out two experienced bird-finders to help salvage the hunt. We had walked through all the sets where the birds were released with the old trial dog. These pen birds were now educated to the fact that humans and dogs were pursuing them and would require a thinking dog to pin the birds down so the shooter could flush them. The dogs went on point time and time again, but not with the intensity of having a bird sitting for them. I would then release the dogs to pin the running bird down. These birds had just spent the last two hours running circles around the gunners. The dogs either pinned the birds or stopped to the flush as the nervous pheasants flushed in gun range. Nine more birds were shot and retrieved to hand.

The point here is that some of the competition events being held hinder a hunting dog’s ability to put game in the bag. People have confused the issues for the sake of their event and lost sight as to why a person goes hunting with a dog. Locate and point birds, help to pin them down, find and retrieve the game after the shot. I have seen plenty of good bird-finders who, after the shot, never gave a second look as to where the dead or crippled game landed. That is only half the job.

There are some people who do not wish to compete with their dogs. They would rather spend the off-season enjoying other sports. They have purchased the dog as a pet and a hunter to meet their own specific needs. A seventy-year-old man may not care what the judges like. He knows what he needs from a dog in the field. There are a lot of people who find competition tiresome and frustrating and would rather spend their field time going for long, relaxing walks. These same people tend to view hunting as a chance to relax and enjoy the outdoors. The taking of game is not more important to them than the camaraderie of friends and enjoyment of being outdoors and seeing game. This is by far the largest group of hunting dog owners.

There are many ideas in the world of training dogs that are based on opinions rather than sound training techniques. Some of these ideas were put forth years ago by different experts and remain unchallenged. One thing I have noticed in the dog world is the tendency of people to put someone on the pedestal and let this elevated person dictate to the rest. I have often compared this phenomenon to a group of sheep blindly following the goat with a bell.

First, let me say that there is always more than one way to accomplish a task. In the dog world, there rarely, if ever, is a situation that is always or never possible. So beware of the person who states that 'never' can you do something or that you must 'always' do something one way or another. Animals, like people, can come in completely different emotional packages that require completely different approaches to solving their learning problems. Training is teaching, and proper teaching results in learning.

“You must never hit a dog.”  Here is a controversial topic. Corporal punishment should not be your first line of communication. I have talked to my share of amateur trainers who proclaim that you should never physically reprimand a dog. There is that word “never” again. I have found that the best way for me to deal with aggression is with aggression. The psychologists in our midst will say that aggression only breeds more aggression. Now, let me give you some examples that I have found where physical punishment acts as a deterrent to aggressive behavior.

You have a fourteen-month-old male dog who is becoming more and more vocal and rough with other dogs when on exercise runs. He growls and snarls while attempting to dominate the other dogs. In my opinion, this may be an alpha dog. He may have aspirations on being the pack leader. I find that order in kept in my kennel if I maintain the pack leader status. If aggressive or violent behavior arises, I find that a quick and sharp response by the handler often ends this type of behavior for good. Wishy-washy or weak-handed responses do little to discourage the aggression. I teach a command of “stop it” and it means just that. I would first tell the dog to “stop it,” make eye contact, and posture with my body to let him know that I am the leader. If the dog continues in being aggressive with his running-mates, I will lay a riding crop across his backside while he is in the middle of an aggressive act. After doing so, I repeat the “stop it” command and my posturing.

“Never teach your pointing dog to sit.” I have heard my share of people, mostly in the competition world, who I consider knowledgeable trainers, telling some novice that you should never teach your pointing dog to sit. The reasoning behind this theory is that dog will sit when whoaing on birds. I teach all of my dogs to sit and have never had a dog sit down while pointing birds. Those of you in the NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association) world of training are required to teach your pointing dogs to sit. I have greater problems with dog owners getting involved with obedience classes that teach a dog to sit when it is on lead and the owner stops walking. If this is done before the bird work, I end up with a dog who sits when on the check cord during the ‘whoa’ training and subsequent bird work. I also find the ‘heel’ training is better taught after the bird work is complete.

“Check cords have to be fifty feet long.” The fifty-foot check cord was originated by horseback trainers. On horseback, the handler will need a fifteen-to-twenty foot length of cord to let the dog stay out from under the horse. On foot, fifty feet of rope can be a problem by getting tangled around the handler and anything else in the area. I find thirty feet to be plenty.

“A good hunting dog can’t be a pet.” This should sound ridiculous to most of you. At least any of you with some sense. But really, I have had handlers try and tell me that letting their kids play with the dog will ruin its desire to work. a few years ago, I worked on a young setter for a fellow. It was a nice dog, nothing great, but a very gentle and what I would consider soft animal. The handler was a demanding bonehead with a macho complex. I completed the training and called the owner to come out and see the dog’s progress. The dog held point, was steady to the flush, and retrieved on-hand. I explained to the owner about the dog’s sensitivities and suggested we introduce the dog to pheasants in a training exercises before the pheasant season. The owner refused the offer, which later proved to be the undoing of the dog. Several weeks later, the bonehead’s wife called me. She was upset as to why her children weren’t allowed to play with the dog. If anything, the dog needed some fun and playing with the kids would have been great.

“A hunting dog should not live in the house.” There is some discussion as to whether being in a house hurts a dog’s scenting capacity or not. I have found no evidence to substantiate this.

“All dogs should be trained with a spiked training collar.” First, put the spiked collar around your own neck. Now give a tug on the check cord. This is punishment. Do your training with a standard choke chain. If, after the commands are taught, the dog refuses to obey the commands, then switch to a spike collar. Remember to use less force with a spike collar than with the choke chain. Only about one in ten dogs I work with need a spiked training collar.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Steve L., Allen Park.

Answer: Good thing you left a phone number, because what little information you gave me here wasn’t enough to advise you either way. Seeing that you have a male who has had quite a few birds shot over him already, my advice would be to take him but leave him in his crate the first morning. As alone who’s been to Pelee could tell you, opening morning is like a war zone. I also advise you to go hunting in a smaller group, say two or less. With a young dog, care should be taken not to startle the animal with a sudden barrage or gunfire. I have seen more than one young dog ruined from Pelee’s opening morning.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Alan K., Royal Oak.

Answer:  Alan, I am afraid I do not have good news for you.  I cannot tell you exactly why your dog is getting more aggressive with age. There is not enough background information here to go into why, but I do know that from what you have described, you have a dangerous animal on your hands.

First, let's look at the breed. I should qualify my statements by saying I have owned German Wire-haired Pointers for many years and currently have three.  The Drahthaar and the German Wire-haired Pointer were originally bred to guard as well as hunt.

Many of the early imports were too aggressive to be allowed around strangers.  The breeds were also used to hunt big game in Germany and had to be tough enough to handle animals such as wild boar.

The American breeders have focused on the pointing and bird hunting abilities of the breed and have been breeding for softer temperament. Aggression is not unheard of in the breed.

Now. with that said, some of the German Wire-haired Pointers need to be chastised when aggression arises. If this is not done, especially early in the dog’s life, mixed signals are sent to the dog and the aggressive behavior can escalate. If you have an Alpha or dominate dog you need to maintain the Alpha position with him to maintain control.

I see more aggression problems with males than females, so therefore I recommend females over males for first time owners.

I have seen this problems in Weimaraners, German Short-hairs, Large Munsterlanders, and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers also. My experience has been that if a dog attacks and or bites someone, unless it is defending itself or master, it will never be the same dog.

There is a mental barrier that is crossed when a dog bites a human.  It is my belief that when a dog crosses that barrier, it can never be trusted with strangers again.

If the dog snaps at a family member, it is showing a lack of respect for humans that is dangerous.  If it bites a family member, it is my opinion it should be put down.

It sounds to me that the aggression problem you are having escalated after the dog bit the delivery man last year.  I would put this dog down for trying to bite my wife and putting him outside in a kennel will probably only make things worse.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Art P., Marquette.

Answer: The Wire-hair was bred to guard as well as hunt. You apparently have a dog that has the old instincts bred into the breed years ago. I have owned many Wires and love the breed for what it is, but the fact is that many of them have social problems. I found an old book one time that described the different hunting breeds and their characteristics. The German Wire-haired Pointer was described as a sound hunter and tracker, reliable with the family but needing to be removed and contained when guests were over. The book described the breed as not to be trusted around strangers.

American breeders have been working to improve the temperament of the Wire-haired Pointers.

You might try a basket muzzle, containing the dog around strangers and leashing when outside of the house. It has been my experience that once a dog starts biting people, there is no returning to normal. There seems to be a mental barrier to biting people. Once the dog has crossed this line, I never trust them again. It is my opinion that the dog should be put down.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Glen D., Royal Oak.

Answer: Interesting question... You sound like a retriever man with his first pointing dog. What you are struggling with are the basic differences between a “retriever” and a “pointer”. Pointers are bred to busily search for game with their scenting powers. Of course, a good “pointer” will use their eyes and ears as well, but their nose is their primary tool. Retrievers, on the other hand, are bred to visually spot and mark flying objects, namely birds. Of course, a good retriever will use its nose when need, as with wounded game that may be trying to avoid capture.

I have had similar problems with my own pointing dogs when waterfowling. I have owned and hunted waterfowl with German Short-hairs, German Wire-hairs, and Wire-haired Pointing Griffons. Most of the time, I allow the dog to get to the mark in its preferred fashion, usually by quartering a hunting pattern. A few of the dogs were capable of taking straight-line casts once I established a pattern with them of going straight away until I blew the stop whistle. This would be done when the dog was just short of the object to be retrieved. I would then direct the dog into the dead bird. Do this with the wind to your back so that the do doesn’t smell the dead bird.

To train for the initial cast, have a helper angle the bird away about ten to fifteen yards. Now send the dog, stop it at the helper, and direct the dog to the fallen bird. When the dog is able to do the fifty-yard drill well, lengthen the distance by about twenty-five yard. Practice, then lengthen it gradually until you are at about a hundred-and-fifty yards. This may take several weeks. Now the concept has been built with the dog. Have your helper go back to the fifty yard mark and hide the bird fifteen yards behind where the helper is standing at the fifty yard mark. Send the dog, stop him at the helper, and direct him to the bird. Lengthen this drill out and remember that the helper will have to hide the bird each time without the dog seeing each time. Once this has been done satisfactorily, start the drill over at the fifty yard line without the helper. I have found that dead birds instead of dummies will keep the dog’s interest up. I also rotate in a fresh dead bird every three to four retrieves.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Glen B., St. Clair Shores.

Answer: Glen, first put the nails and barbed wire away.This technique can stop some dogs from retrieving all together, and most determined dogs will respond as yours has. Now, get yourself around ten or fifteen live pigeon or quail. Smaller birds are cheaper to use and they’re less threatening to the dog than pheasants are. Chuckar works too. Next, put a check cord on the dog. You won’t need more than ten or fifteen feet of cord.

Now, take the bird in your hand. Wrap your fingers around the birds so that it is protected by your hand from the dog’s teeth. Kneel down next to the dog and present the bird to him for inspection. While doing this, tell the dog ‘easy, be nice.’ Many dogs’ first reaction to a live bird will be to snap it and try to kill the bird. If this happens, your fingers should prevent the bird from being killed. If the dog snaps at the live bird, yell ‘ouch!’ as if the dog were hurting you. If the dog is overly zealous, he may get your fingers as well as the bird, making the ‘ouch!’ easy for you to do. Pull the bird away and present the bird back to the dog, while saying ‘easy, easy, be nice.’ You will find that most dogs will start to lick the birds and possibly try to pull a few feathers out. If the dog reacts this way, praise him. If he snaps again, holler ‘ouch!’ again. Keep repeating this until the dog starts to lick or gently tries to pull some feathers.

Now kill the bird. After it’s done flapping, throw it about four feet away and tell the dog to ‘fetch.’ It’s important not to throw it too far away so that your presence will help to deter him. Don’t forget to hold onto the check cord. When the dog goes for the bird, he will probably try to snap it, as usual. If he does, holler ‘ouch!’ as if he were hurting you. If the dog drops the bird when you holler, tell him to ‘be easy’ again and pick up the bird. Present it back to him.

If the dog continues to chew the bird instead of dropping it, keep hollering ‘ouch!’ while telling him to be nice. I also tell the dog to ‘stop that,’ and I’ll give him a yank or two on the check cord while I take the bird away. I then present the bird back to the dog with my fingers surrounding it. If, after two or three attempts at this, the dog is stilling chewing the bird, I may whack him with a rolled-up newspaper to get him to stop. You may need a fresh bird if he loses interest.

Once the dog is gentle with a stone-dead bird, move on to a bird that is dead but still flapping. The movement of the dead bird may invoke the hard-mouth response again. if so, repeat the above procedure. When the dog is gentle with a fresh kill, move on to a live, wing-clipped bird that can’t fly. In most dogs, five or six birds will accomplish your goal. If not, repeat the exercise daily.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Tim K., Pentwater.

Answer: I have English Setters that hunt all the species mentioned. My dogs also do a fair amount of work on my shooting reserve, where running birds aren’t uncommon. If the fact that pheasants run makes it undesirable to use an English Setter, then late-season grouse should also be taken off the list of huntable species.

If you want a dog that is completely staunch to wing and shot, running birds will always be your nemesis. It is my opinion that a good hunting dog must be allowed to make decisions on his own. Providing he doesn’t flush the bird, I allow my dogs to work a running bird and pin it down. I also want my dog to whoa when commanded under any circumstance. If he sees a running bird and I whoa him, he should stop. If a bird is flushed, shot at, missed, and I whoa him, he should stop. With this type of control, I hunt pheasants with pointing dogs without any trouble.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Sean G., Port Huron.

Answer: This isn’t an unusual problem and I’ve dealt with it many times. In my opinion, the dog is killing the bird and then leaves it to find another. What you need to do is communicate that you want him to be gentle and to bring the bird back to you to share it. You’ll need about a dozen live birds to work the dog on. First, kill one of the birds and put the dog on a long line. Show the dog the dead bird and toss is about five feet for the dog to fetch.

Since your dog isn’t retrieving at all, it’ll more than likely chomp on the bird and leave it. If he picks up the bird, praise him and try to coax him back to you. The praise will show him that picking up the bird is a good thing and that bringing the bird back to you is even better. If he doesn’t pick up the bird, stop him from chewing it up. After his first bite, move closer to the dog and hang on to the long line. Try to pick up the bird, which may also get him to pick it up. If so, praise him.

Once you’ve got the bird in-hand, present it back to the dog and praise him. When he goes to bite the bird, react as if he’s hurting you. This reaction isn’t violent, and don’t hit the dog. Your reaction should be similar to how you’re react if the dog was playing too rough with you, such as mouthing your hand. Keep presenting the dead bird to the dog while telling him to ‘be nice,’ ‘gentle.’ When he bites it, react with pain again and pull the bird away. You may want to wear a glove in the beginning. You may also need a fresh bird after a while if the bird is bloody. Do this for five to ten minutes a day.

As he gets less aggressive with the bird, you can try a live bird, but don’t throw it. Keep the bird in your hand. Remember, if the dog looks as if he’s using too much force, react as if it hurts you and tell him to be nice or gentle. Pheasants can be very tough birds for dogs. An injured rooster will spur, peck, and wing-beat a dog. With this in mind, you may need to be a little more forgiving of the dog when pheasants are involved. One good bite is all the dog will need to dispatch a pheasant, and any more than that is abuse and should be discouraged. Don’t have any other dogs around when working this out.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Seth G., Dearborn.

Answer: Unless you are training for competition, I do not recommend using pigeons. I know they are cheaper the game birds and will fly better than a game bird, but they lack one key element of game birds. They do not run. All game birds run and a hunting dog needs to learn how to work a running bird. Find a breeder of good game birds and spend a little money. Also, don’t expect your dog to retrieve pheasants or partridge if he has only been worked on pigeons.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Terry L., Battle Creek.

Answer: It appears to me that you did nothing to prepare your G.S. for your goose hunt.  He should have been introduced to decoys and the idea that he needs to sit for long periods of time well in advance of your hunt.  You also should have gotten him accustomed to the sound of goose and duck calls and the idea of sitting still while you are shooting.  So I don't see a dog that failed his owner, I see an owner who failed his dog.  That's not to say that this dog could be an asset on a goose hunt.  I would have to evaluate him before I could advise you one way or the other on the prospect of turning a four-year-old upland dog into a waterfowl dog.  Is he any good at retrieving and does he like to swim?  If not, start looking for a pup.

Gordon Setters and English Setters were not bred to do waterfowl work, although the Irish Setter was used for both upland and waterfowl hunting in the breed’s early days.  My first gun dog was an Irish Setter pup that I found running along a dirt road on my way to a fishing trip. I stopped to pick up the pup, afraid it might get run over. After knocking on several doors in the area, I found a woman who said the pup had been running loose for several days. I took him home and he grew into a beautiful dog and a good hunter, retrieving game from both land and water. Those of you who are regular readers of this column will remember me telling you that there are exceptions to every rule. I know of someone who did just fine duck and goose hunting with a Gordon Setter. I have heard of someone using English Setters for waterfowl and I have a friend who took his English Pointer duck hunting once.  She retrieved ducks but would not sit in the blind for long. To her credit, she had not been properly introduced to the sport, either.

Looking at the prospect of getting a second dog requires some soul searching on your part. If you lose interest in goose hunting, will your new dog still have a place in your hunting plans? Remember that buying a dog is a fifteen year commitment on your part and is not like buying some piece of equipment. Let’s first look at the three basic breed types to consider, flushing, pointing, and retrieving. Flushing breeds are usually spaniels. I say usually, even though I have never heard of breed classified as flushing. The Brittany Spaniel is the only pointing dog in the spaniel lines and the Irish Water Spaniel is a retriever. The most common in the U.S. are the Springer Spaniel, the American Water Spaniel, and the Clumber Spaniel. The American Water Spaniel has two opposing factions. One group calls them flushing dogs and one group calls them retrievers. Why this is, I don’t understand, considering that the breed was developed during the market hunting days primarily for retrieving, as was the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. The flushers were originally called a ‘rough shooting’ dog because they were used to hunt fur as well as feather. Their job was to hunt the thick tangles and hedge rows and to flush out anything hiding there. The term ‘springer’ comes from springing game from the dense hedge rows in England. The American Water Spaniel and the Springer Spaniel have both been used for waterfowl retrieving. They are busy upland hunters who are not normally hunted with pointers and normally do not like the heal while another dog does all the hunting.

The two most popular retrieving breeds are the Labrador Retriever and the Golden Retriever. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever and the Nova Scotia Duck Toller are the only American-bred retrievers besides Water Spaniels, the Flat Coat, Curly Coat, and Irish Water Spaniel, which are less popular. These dogs were bred specifically for water work and retrieving. They can upland hunt just fine but do not point and will flush game when it is encountered, thus causing come problems when hunting with your setter. Exception to the rule: Pointing Lab. There are breeders for pointing instinct in the dogs they pair up. By breeding a Lab who points to another Lab who points, they are able to produce a pointing Lab with some regularity. When I hunt retrievers with pointers, I expect the retriever to stay by my side. After the pointer finds a bird and points, I use the retriever to flush and help retrieve the bird. I find retrievers will adapt to this type of hunting once they realize they are in on every flush. And besides, a good waterfowl dog should be trained to heel and say with you in the field, around flushing game, and on gunfire. This requires a lot of self control and steadiness training.

There are many pointing breeds that were developed for multitask hunting. Once call the ‘Continental’ or ‘European’ breeds, we now classify them as “versatile’. German Short-haired Pointer, German Wire-haired Pointer, Munsterlander, Wire-haired Pointing Griffon, Pudelpointer, and some Brittany Spaniel lines are a few of the more popular breeds. Except for the Pudelpointer, which I’ve never owned, I have hunted waterfowl with all of these breeds with good success. You have many options, good luck in making up your mind. If you need the Gordon Setter evaluated, call me.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Andy T., Adrian.

Answer: I’m not sure that this could be called normal, but I’ve seen this type of reaction many times before. I believe it is based in a deep desire for birds, which is a good thing, and a possessiveness for this treasure makes them unwilling to share it with you. To correct this reaction to game, you must not run this dog with other dogs when birds are to be shot. By having another dog present, you’ll only increase the possessiveness. I recommend using a check cord of at least twenty feet on the pup when working on retrieving. Throw a dead bird for the pup and allow it to pick up the bird while you hang on to the cord. Once the pup has the bird in its mouth, cheerfully tell the bird ‘fetch’ and then ‘come’. Praise the pup while you reel it in to you, even it is struggles against the cord. Once you have the pup back to your side, continue to praise it while you hold the bird. Allow the pup to mouth and sniff the bird while you hold it. Now throw the bird about ten feet away and tell the pup to fetch again, repeating the process. Do so several times, and do this for three to four days in a row, then go out without the check cord. Usually, more bird contact will ease the problem. Don’t become harsh or cross with the pup, for fear it’ll stop retrieving all together.

Question: I am training my young Lab, six months old, to take blind retrieves. I am having trouble keeping the young dog focused on the task and getting him to take a line. He tends to quarter instead of lining and will only go about twenty yards from me before he gives up and comes back to my side. Do you think I should ‘force break’ him? He has never refused a retrieve. Any advice on how to keep him interested and on line?

Don K., Port Huron.

Answer: I don’t force break a dog that retrieves well, unless you are running competition events. Then a single dropped bird could ruin your whole day. I do ‘structure’ the retrieve with the dog after it has finished teething. Next month, I will teach you how to properly ‘structure’ retrieving for the dog by breaking retrieving down into four easy steps. I do not use shock collars for this nor do I start twisting the dog’s sensitive toes or pinching it’s ears. The method works, is done in your spare time, and is not hard on the dog.

After getting all the details from Don, I was able to put him on the right course. First, he was expecting too much from the young dog. His lines were too long and the time spent per training session was more than the young dog could handle. I had him reduce the session time from two hours to one hour. Young dogs, like kids, cannot stay focused for extended periods of time. It is best to stop the session with the young dog eager for more then to drag a session on so long the pup becomes bored. I also advised him to add more praise for the dog when it was returning with the bumper. Pups love lots of praise and will work harder and longer when lavished with praise. Don was using a harsh, demanding voice that the young dog took as dominance. The results were a pup who lacked confidence and would drop the bumper and slink back to the handler when commanded.

Secondly, I advised him to start over from square one with the blinds. A blind retrieve, or unseen retrieve as it is called in Europe, requires a dog with confidence that will take a line from the handler and stay with it until either a bird is found or the handler stops the dog with the whistle and redirects the dog to the spot. In US competition, the dog is directed to the fall by the handler. In Europe, the dog is allowed to hunt the bird when in the general area. Square one for teaching blind retrieves is an open grass field. Start the dog on simple marks. Throw a single bumper fifteen yards while keeping the pup at your side. Do not dominate the pup to stay in place. Rather be firm but gentle, use a leash if you have to. I don’t worry about complete steadiness until later because I want the pup marking well and having fun. Now send the dog for the retrieve with gusto. I use ‘back’. The louder you say it, the further the retrieve will be. Give him a line with your hand. I do it right off his nose. When he gets to the bumper, lavish him with praise. Be animated, slap your leg, clap your hands and give him the return whistle. I use repeated whistle chirps with hands out-stretched at my sides. When he gets back to you, take a second to give him more praise. Do two retrieves at this distance, then double it. Do two at thirty yards, then extend it to forty-five yards. After two at forty-five yards, extend it to sixty yards. Throwing a bumper sixty yards is no easy task. You will need a helper. Once the range is further than one can throw, have your helper show the bumper to the pup and run it out to the distance needed. Have the helper get the dog’s attention and then throw the bumper up to help the pup mark it. Now have your helper back ten to fifteen yards from the bumper, but directly in line with you. This will help when you extend out even further. Two at each distance, then end it. I like to get the pup looking and thinking about retrieves out to a hundred yards in open cover first, so if his attention is distracted he will still be able to see his mark.

If at any point he loses interest, give him a short, easy mark with lots of praise and end it. Pups will have days where they just don’t feel like working. In this event, take him for a long run and call it a day. A half-hour run before a session will help the pup stay focused. After doing this several times, you may move on to the wagon wheel type set-up. Place three bumpers twenty yards out in three different directions. You are still in the mowed grass so the pup can see the bumpers. Give the pup a line to the bumpers, one at a time and send him with a back. Do this twice and stop. Repeat several times over the next week, extending the bumpers five yards each new session.

Your new attitude and the lavish praise given over this two-to-three week period should help keep the pup in the game and eager for more. Now move to light cover that is twelve to fourteen inches high, just deep enough that the pup cannot see the bumper from the starting point. Throw one bumper thirty yards and send the pup. While the pup is returning with the bumper, have your helper hide one at the same spot where the last one fell. After the thrown bumper is retrieved, send the pup with a ‘back’ towards the old mark. If he stops and looks at you, this is called ‘popping’. Encourage him on with a ‘fetch’. When he finds the bumper, lavish more praise on him. Do this twice and stop. Lengthening the distance must be done slowly. Keep him at thirty yards for at least two sessions. Then lengthen the distance by five yards for two sessions until you are at a hundred yards. I mix dead birds in, usually chuckars, to help spice things up, especially if the pup starts refusing to retrieve the occasional bumper. If the pup refuses to retrieve most of the bumpers or birds, I’ll check his teeth and gums to check for any problems. If there are no signs of problems in the mouth, I stop all retrieving for a week and allow the pup some play time instead.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

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Craig R., Traverse City.

Answer: Usually with this type of problem, a professional trainer should be called upon for help. But please don’t call me. I know the breeder you purchased the dog from and he has been selling problem dogs for many years. His dogs have a multitude of different problems, from being timid to being overly aggressive to the point of biting their owners. I will not work with any dogs from his kennel.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Dean T., Fernda

Answer: You sound like an intelligent person who has learned the hard way that there are more opinions and bad advice available than facts when it comes to dog training. I am amazed at the marketing wizardry involved in selling a three-day seminar as a way to train your dog. The best part of the wizardry is how many of the participants come away not knowing that they have been fleeced. Twenty dogs times $450 equals $9,000. Not bad for three days of lecturing. I occasionally run into someone who has attended one of these gatherings and wishes to expound on how much was learned and how valuable it has been to his dog. That is, until I start to debunk some of the myths involved. Like a $1.50 piece of nylon rope sold for $15-$20 as the next Miracle Lead. Or a silent method to train a young novice dog to hold point and be mannerly when on birds. Or how a horseback field trial trainer from the Southwest can advise a Michigan grouse hunter on how to train his dog for hunting in thick, northern woods-type cover.  Most of what they are doing can be had for a lot less money by buying their video.  At least then you can hit rewind to hear it again.  You have been there. How many birds were shot over your dog?  How many hours did you and your dog spend in the field on birds, with the ‘pro’?  I get a bigger kick out of reading outdoor writers, who probably got the lecture for free providing they had a story published about it, talk up the program when they are rank amateurs themselves, as are most of the participants. Otherwise, you wouldn’t spend that kind of money, sitting in the stands with your dog.

I had a fellow sign up for one of my seminars who had been to one of these group seminars. His dog was over two years old and would not take direction if other dogs were present, would not hold point on birds and would not obey him in hunting situations. He explained to me that it would take two more trips to the ‘lecture’ seminars to complete the training of his ‘puppy‘. A dog is not a puppy at two. They are comparable to a twenty-four-year-old person, not a ten-year-old. He walked around with the stupid Wonder Lead around his neck, because it wouldn’t fit in his vest, and a shock collar around his dog’s belly. He told me the dog was not ready to have the collar placed around her neck yet. I have been training for thirty years, have trained thousands of dogs and have only twice had to put an e-collar around a dog’s stomach. This is a particularly sensitive area and is used when a dog is tough enough to not be deterred by the e-collar. All of the others who needed e-collar work, not all dogs do, wore the collar around the neck with no negative results. Needless to say, the fellow failed terribly, mainly because his head was full of this marketing B.S., and dropped out of the class at the halfway point. Once again, the dog was trainable but the owner was not. The other dogs in the seminar did well and went on to enjoy the hunting season.

My advice to you is to find a competent professional and work closely with him either one-on-one or in a small group setting. My seminars are limited to four dogs and their owners because when someone comes to me for training, they get me, not an assistant or helper.  We meet one day a week for six weeks with assignments given to the owners to work on before the next class.  Over the course of this six week class, we will be exposing the dogs to over a hundred birds.  We will be shooting birds, teaching the dogs to honor point, find dead, retrieve, handle in the field with other dogs and coaching you on how to handle and communicate with your dog.  Dogs are not all the same and need to be handled and trained according to their needs and personalities.  That is why reading books, watching videos, or being lectured to can only cover generalities and not specific needs of individual dogs.  The lecture-giver does not get to know the personality of the twenty dogs, or the twenty owners’ short-comings.  I will help you week-to-week with problems that come up during the course of training. I also put dogs of similar age and ability in the same class. No combining flushers, retrievers and pointers. If you do your homework, you will have a trained dog at the end of the class. All this for $450.

I have a problem with the three-month-formula for training a boarded dog. It does not take three months to train a companion hunting dog. Usually the trainer who requires three months has more dogs in his kennel then he can handle. You cannot train twenty to thirty dogs per day, as many of them take on. The dogs end up being trained every other day or even every third day.  Of course the prices seem good, $300 a month, but even at $450 a month, the trainer’s costs and time are not covered.  Not if you teach field handling, not if you have licensed and insured grounds, and not if you are shooting plenty of birds over the dog.  At $450 per month, you are paying $15 per day.  How many hours and how many birds can a trainer put into a dog for less then $15 per day?  Quail cost $3-$4 a piece, chuckar costs $4.50 to $5.50 a piece, pheasant costs $6 to $8 a piece.  Need shells for the gun?  Can’t shoot birds and train the dog alone. You will need a helper to do the job right.

Setting three quail at $3.50 each will cost $10.50.  That leaves $4.50 for cleaning, feeding and time spent training.  This doesn’t even take into account care and feed of the birds used for training. Do the math and you will see why so many people get ripped off by so-called trainers.  Now think about the $300 per month trainer at $10 per day.  You can completely ignore any Michigan trainer who claims to train with only wild birds.  Unless you only have two or three dogs in your kennel, you will not be able find enough birds in the wild to train ten or twelve dogs.  And the idea that you can run dogs on the same birds day after day and not drive them away is pure B.S.

My training dogs will have fifteen to twenty birds a week released for them. Maybe you can save money by using pigeons.  Pigeons do one of two things, sit or fly.  Problem is, game birds like to run.  If you do not train with game birds, how does the dog learn how to handle running birds?  Try going pheasant hunting with a dog trained on pigeons.  I don’t recall or recapture released birds.  Why?  Because on our exercise runs, I want the dogs to find birds.  Birds, birds and more birds is what most young dogs need.  Think your dog will be conditioned for the rigors of hunting at $15 per day? Even with no birds released, what is an hour of running worth after cleaning and later feeding?

I work our training dogs six days a week, with most dogs completed in four weeks. Training a dog properly is not an inexpensive venture and will take weeks to accomplish, not months. I work with the owner for two hours every two weeks to show the dog’s progress and to help the owner learn how to handle and communicate with his dog. If you, the handler, is no also trained properly, you will not be able to maintain your dog at this level for the years to come. And this is all included in my weekly fees. I also do private sessions for people with special problems or needs. If you would like more information on our training programs at Wing Shooter, call us at (734)665-7489, or email me at charlielinblade@msn.com.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Tracy D., Saginaw.

Answer: Take the money you were going to spend on neutering and buy an invisible fence system. This is a buried cable that, in conjunction with an electronic collar, will give the dog a warning buzzer when he reaches your property boundaries. If he does not heed the warning, he will be given a pre-determined electronic stimulus to make him avoid the boundaries and stay in your yard. This will allow you and your family to let the dog out without the fear of him running away, and might very well save his life. Then, you need to buy a separate electronic collar that will administer similar stimulus when you press a button, to enforce the ‘come back’ in the field. Don’t fret, this is very common in dogs his age. I would also recommend using a collar that has a remote beeper feature. This way, when you are in the field with him, you can press the remote beeper button to get an audible tone and determine where he is. These two systems will be useful throughout the dog’s life. I recommend you set up an appointment with me for instruction on how to properly use the collar in the field. 

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Jana, Howell.

Answer: Take her to a local obedience class. Run her off-lead and take her as many places as you can to help socialize her. Call me when she is six months old for your first appointment for field work.

Charlie Linblade

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    My daughter is the first one home. She lets her outside to do her business, but when I get home and both dogs meet me at the door, happy to see me as usual, the puppy always relieves herself when I bend down to greet her. She does have the house training down pretty good. Why does she do this and will it stop? I don’t remember any of the dogs I’ve had doing this. What should I do?

Dean S.

Answer: I would see your vet for a check-up to make sure that there are no health issues first. Your pup is going through a submissive period and sees you as the dominate one in your house. You should let her outside when you get home and pet her there. I think that this will go away with age, but recommend that you take her outside alone for some rough-housing and physical play on a regular basis. She needs to gain confidence. Also, try using a higher-pitched voice with her for a while.

Charlie Linblade

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Ricard C.

Answer: Gun shyness is a created problem with most dogs, usually created by mistakes made by the owner. Not knowing the background of the problem, the breeding of the dog, or the circumstances involved, I’m sorry, but I cannot help you, sight unseen.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Alan K., Brighton.

Answer: Well Alan, there’s certainly no shortage of trainers today. When I started training in the early seventies, the choices were limited to mostly field trainers who took on the occasional hunting dog. Today, there seems to be a new trainer advertising unique or custom services in every magazine you pick up. My advice to potential new customers who call (after my schedule’s been filled) is to find someone training for the type of dog you want. I wouldn’t go to a competition-oriented field trainer if I wanted my pet trained to hunt the uplands with me. I also wouldn’t take a shining prospect for the horseback trials to a part time, backyard trainer who works with the dogs after he gets home from work everyday. References are important but can be manipulated by giving out names of friends and of sure-bet customers who’s dog had no real problem and was easy to work with. When asking for references, look for customers who live a long distance from the trainer. Ask for the names of people who had problem animals that were straightened out by the trainer.

Asking breeders may or may not be a good source. Most breeders will send you towards a trainer who’s been complimentary towards their line. I have had some breeders send customers to me only if I don’t give any negative evaluations. As soon as a negative evaluation has been given, I stop receiving referrals. In the dog world, there seems to be a ‘shoot the messenger’ attitude. Many breeders suffer from ‘kennel blindness.’ This malady prevents them from seeing or acknowledging any faults in the dogs from their lines. If a trainer or owner has any problems with the dog, it has to be because the trainer or new owner did something wrong, or made mistakes during the training process. This type of breeder will have a long list of trainers that they don’t want you to see while pointing you towards their one ‘recommended’ person. Talk to different trainers and go with the one you feel most comfortable with. If you decide to go to a seminar, find one with a small class. A seminar with eight or ten dogs will have you standing around most of the time. If the idea of training with a recognized trainer is why you’re looking for, stick to the ones who have smaller groups. Otherwise, you may end up spending most of your time alone, or working with some assistant who knows little more than you, or even worse, standing around getting lectured to when you thought you’d be training.

Prices is one area that can be very confusing for a lot of people. First, all trainers have to earn enough money to live on. If they work another job for eight hours a day, their living expenses are paid for and they’re training in their spare time. After putting a full day in at work, they’re going to try and work your dog. A few years back, I had a part time trainer send me his brochure. I’d registered a German Short-hair and this person had a habit of sending his flyer to all the newly registered owners. His prices were less than half of mine per month, birds included. Wondering how a fellow could train for what a local boarding kennel charges for boarding, I called his number. His daughter informed me that he was a truck driver and wouldn’t be back for two more days. This type of trainer shouldn’t be handling more than one or two dogs. If the trainer has a regular job, whatever they make off of training is icing on the cake, so they’re able to charge less for what’s basically a hobby. You should ask to see where they train, how much acreage they use, and if they have the equipment to get the job done. As always, check numerous references and meet with the trainer.

When dealing with a professional, and in this case I mean someone who earns their living by training, one of the most important questions to ask is ‘how many dogs do you take in at a time?’ You’ll usually find a direct correlation between cost per month and how many dogs the trainer takes in per month. The next question is ‘how much time per day is each dog worked and how many days a week will the dog be worked?’ A trainer with ten or twelve dogs in their string that claims the dogs are worked daily for an hour each is in need of a shot of truth serum. You’ll find that trainers with large numbers of dogs are working the dogs every other day or every third day. The per-month costs of these trainers will be less, but you’ll find they require double the time to accomplish the task. Many of these types of trainers will have a three-month minimum, but most of the time you’ll be getting  four to six weeks of of actual training.

A string of eight to ten doges in July or August means the trainer has to try to work some of the dogs in oppressive heat. The hot summer months usually allow for three to four hours of training time in the working and maybe two in the evening. The rest of the day is so hot that the dogs can’t function. Some trainers will only work with the owner the day the dog is picked up. Try and find a trainer that’s willing to work with you throughout the training procedure. After all, you’ll have to handle the dog yourself when you’re out hunting. Quite often, the owner is making mistakes in handling the dog that the pro should be able to point out.

A trainer with only ten or twenty acres to work will have a tough time working on field handling problems. A rangy dog being brought into a working range for the foot hunter will need to be worked in a rather large area, fifty acres or more. All of these things cost money, so buyers beware when the cost seems too low.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Al T., Grand Rapids.

Answer: If the dog appears to be hunting and his interest in game, your chances of hunting him are good. If you are seeing no pointing instincts, proceed to train him as a flusher. Desire for game is one of the main ingredients in determining if a dog will make a good hunting dog. This desire is what helps to carry them through the difficulties of training. I’d first buy some game birds and start releasing them for him to find. Encourage him that this is what you’re after. After he is actively seeking the birds and shows good desire, start introducing gunfire at a distance. Good luck. I’ve seen some very accomplished mutts used for pheasant hunting.

Charlie Linblade

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Michigan Pheasant Hunting

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Toni R., Allen Park.

Answer: Sometimes. I don’t think there is a cure for every case. First, it needs to be determined if the dog is truly gun shy, normally a man-made condition, or simply noise-sensitive. Some dogs don’t like loud noises and need to be conditioned to them. Some dogs have been improperly introduced to gunfire and were scared by the exposure. Some dogs are afraid of storms or fire crackers and then mistakenly labeled ‘gun shy.’

The bottom line with either case is, does the dog have desire for game? If so, it has a chance at recovery. My four-year-old Chessie was noise-sensitive as a pup. Even the sound of a 22 caliber blank gun would scare him. It took months of exposure to game before his desire for game overcame his fear of noises. First, peak the dog’s desire for game with no rules. Allow it to chase and catch birds for a while. It make take weeks or even months. Once it’s pumped for birds, start introducing noise after the flush and while the dog is chasing. I use a .410 shotgun and I only shoot once per session, in the beginning. Your timing and ability to under the dog’s reactions are critical. Most times, this is better off left to a professional.

Charlie Linblade

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Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Janet M., Grosse Isle.

Answer: I know of many husbands who have trouble hearing their wives, especially around hunting season. As far as dogs go, yeah, seven years of sitting by a duck blind or in a boat while shooting is going on can affect both man and beast’s hearing. My guess is, though, that your dog is showing signs of selective hearing. Try calling the dog when your husband’s home. If it doesn’t reply, have your husband try. Some dogs spend most of their time with only one handler, be it male or female, and respond better to that gender.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Jerry W., Ypsilanti.

Answer: What’s easiest for a novice is to buy a trained dog. I’ve always said that breed doesn’t matter and it’s the individual personality that counts. A high-strung, nervous animal of any breed could spell trouble. If you’re strictly an upland hunter, just about any breed listed for bird hunting will do. If you do some duck hunting, look for bloodlines that have the desire to swim and retrieve. The versatile pointing breeds can do both. The flushing or retrieving can do both also. I tell my customers that the breeder is far more important than the breed. Go to a breeder who breeds for hunting purposes. Call the references and ask for several past puppy-buyers’ phone numbers. It’s also helpful to meet the pup’s parents.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Kathy C., Saginaw.

Answer: I’ve owned a couple of Chesapeakes, have one now and have trained more than a few. It’s my experience that they do better in actual hunting situations rather than in highly structured training exercises. I’ve heard them described as a primitive breed, and I quite agree. The ones I’ve worked with didn’t enjoy long, laborious training exercises with dummies, where as my Lab can go for hours, enjoying every minute of it. If you were a hard hunter with little or no interest in competition, I’d say the Chessie would be fine.

If you plan on spending more time training and running competition than actual hunting, I’d recommend either a Lab or a well-bred Golden Retriever. If selecting a Golden, make sure you’re dealing with a breeder who specializes in hunting dogs.

Charlie Linblade

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Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Randall D., Howell.

Answer: You should first get the dog used to wearing the beeper collar while running with the beeper turned off. The weight of the collar alone will bother some dogs. Since you started running with the beeper activated first, before conditioning the dog to the weight of the collar, you will need to reintroduce the noise to the dog. To do this, try running the dog with a second dog that is conditioned to beepers. Have the second dog’s beeper activated while the two dogs run together. Having birds present should help take the dog’s mind off of the beeper. If you do not have a second dog to run with, try carrying the beeper yourself. When the dog is off exploring, activate the beeper as you carry it. Over time, the dog should relate running with the beeper sound for a more positive reaction.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

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Michigan Bird Dog Training

Tom C., Windsor, Ontario.

Answer: Next time, start when your pup is three months old ,not eight months old. A standard choke chain should work on a young pup. With an older, stronger pup such as yours, I would use a pinch collar. The collar will have long, blunt prongs that pinch together when either you or your dog pulls on the leash. You will find the pup will stop pulling on his own once the pinch collar is on him because it makes it uncomfortable for the pup to pull against the collar. You won’t have to use as much force on your end to get your point across, either. You can buy a pinch collar at most pet stores.

Charlie Linblade

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Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Karl T., Royal Oak.

Answer: Everyone has to start some where. It might be good for you to try it on your own to see how much money and time it takes. Start by reading as much as you can find on training field dogs and talking to other people who have trained their own dogs. You might consider joining the local NAVHDA [North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association] chapter or a National Shoot to Retrieve Association club. Both organizations are based on you training your own dog and have experienced members who might help. You may try going to a professional trainer for an occasional session to help give you some direction and in-sight into what needs to happen. I have helped many people to train their own dogs this way.

Charlie Linblade

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Michigan Pheasant Hunting

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Chuck P., Plymouth.

Answer: I do not recommend a .410 for just that reason. I would recommend an over-and-under 28 gauge that is either built for a small person or fitted to your daughter. Fit is very important. You don’t need to spend a fortune and you can save money by buying used. A ‘plain Jane’ Stoeger Arms or American Arms will set you back about $300. On upland birds, a 28 gauge can compete against any of the other gauges without the weight or kick of bigger guns. I shoot one regularly.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Tom E., Adrian.

Answer: When training gun dogs, there are many variables that need to be taken into consideration. Most of the judging systems in gun dog events have incorporated names for some of the variables that may occur when handling dogs for specific purposes. Some of the possible variables you may encounter are ‘lack of drive/desire,’ ‘lack of control/cooperation/trainability,’ or ‘immaturity.’ Things can get very difficult when you have combinations of these problems all at the same time.

These are canine faults that may cause this ‘popping’ problem. On the human side of the variable equation, there is ‘lack of patience,’ ‘lack of sufficient time training,’ ‘poor communication between dog and handler,’ ‘lack of knowledge or skill on the handler’s part,’ ‘handler inability to anticipate dog’s actions,’ ‘overzealous electronic collar use,’ ‘lack of knowledge of proper collar use, resulting in under-use,’ and just plain ‘boneheadedness.’

Without seeing you and the dog in action, I can’t really tell you exactly what the problem is, but I can give you some basic advice that may help you through this problem. First, you need to get it through your head that you aren’t training a Lab. I’ve found Labs and Chessies to be very different in what motivates them and how they take to different training techniques. Labs originally weren’t hunting dogs. Their motivation is usually based on the desire to retrieve and the need to please their masters. Chessies are one of the three ‘American-made’ hunting retrievers. The American Water Spaniel and the Boykin Spainel are the two, with the Water Spaniel and the Chessie being first developed during the market-hunting era.

I think it’s important for hunters when discussing the market-hunting era to note that the demand for wild game in the eastern restaurants be the eastern city-dwellers was the engine that drove market-hunting, thus the term ‘market-hunting.’ I’m not defending the idea. Its just that in today’s world of so-called ‘activists,’ the market-hunting story is brought up as an example of ‘wanton waste,’ which it was not, seeing as the game was eaten. It’s also used as a slam against hunters. Never do you hear the activists blaming the restaurant business for generating the demand for wild game.

The market hunter needed a dog that required little training, but possesses strong instincts to recover wounded game and return it to its master, at which point the same dog was required to guard the game from humans and other animals. This job called for a smart, tough dog that could literally make hundreds of  retrieves over many hours of hunting in harsh conditions.

The average competitor in any of the hunting dog evens, whether a pointer or retriever, will spend far more time training for the event than it will spend hunting. Some organizations are overrun with both hobbyists and profession that don’t hunt at all. The higher titles for retriever require tight control of the dog over long distances. The object is to pick up crippled birds that have sailed off at great distances, thus the need for taking ‘lines,’ which is one of the basics for a blind retrieve. If your motivation is competitive titles, join the organization you’ll be competing in and train with people who are knowledgeable on the ‘ins and outs’ of their judging standards. You’ll find more Labs than any other breed in competition, so you’ll need to find someone who also runs Chessies.

If your motivation is hunting the dog, try using tethered game birds instead of bumpers. Some Chessies are motivated by game instead of by plastic or cloth. I’d first work on long retrieves that are visible to get the dog used to working at greater distances. Set up all retrievers with a shot and don’t be overly concerned with steadiness.

Work your stop whistle, with the help of another person. Put the dog on a twenty to thirty foot check cord and have your helper blow the stop command while you hold the cord and enforce the command. Do this starting at forty yards and work your way out to one hundred. Now, have your helper hide a birds at forty yards. Don’t let the dog watch. After a shot, send the dog on a line to the blind retrieve. Keep the wind at your back so as to prevent the dog from scenting the bird. Continue to lengthen this out to one hundred yards. If he’s successful at finding the bird on several attempts, try using the stop command again. At this point, only use your e-collar to make the dog come back and only if he’s off-line.

There is much more to this than space allows. My advice to working two-hundred-yard retrieves or longer is to learn to shoot better and don’t take long shots with poor killing percentages. Then, you won’t have to send a dog that far out on a blind retrieve. Besides, in most of the waterfowling areas, a cripple that sails out that far will be shot and picked up by another party. From a practical hunting stand-point, a retriever doesn’t have to be completely steady unless you’re hunting on land. Most of the competitive organizations will not admit to it, but complete steadiness is not as important as good making skills, especially on water. Waterfowl aren’t afraid of a dog on shore, and will very often come in for a closer look, thus the ‘tolling dog’ came to be. I’ve used my effectively this way on both ducks and geese.  Remember, geese will pattern dangerous situations and if they’ve been shot at after seeing a running dog on shore, they may become educated. I love duck hunting, but I don’t think they’re as smart as geese.

I’ve found that you can bully most Labs into doing anything you want. They tend to react very differently than the Chessies if you’re using a punishment-based system. I love the Labs and I have a wonderful one-hundred-pound male who is my only house dog, but I think that the Chessies are more of a natural hunter, and they’re motivated by game more than anything else.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

When the bird numbers are low, interest in keeping a hunting god seems to be low also. I have talked to old-timers who complain that there are not enough birds to warrant feeding a dog all year. They site the boom years in the 50s and 60s as being the standard to judge numbers by. But, let’s face it, we will probably never see pheasants at those number again. With the encroachment of housing subdivisions and shopping malls being built in what was once open land, the face of our state is ever-changing.

But for every pessimist who leaves the sport of bird hunting, a new and younger optimist seems to pop up. Look at the new chapters of Pheasants Forever and the Ruffed Grouse Society that are starting up. And it seems like the Ducks Unlimited has started chapters up all across southern Michigan. The Department of Natural Resource’s Hunter Access Program, or HAP, combined with the thousands of acres of public land still afford plenty of places to hunt. More and more people are deciding to purchase a dog from sporting lines to accompany them in the field during hunting season.

Springtime seems to be the most active time for puppy sales. Just check the classified ad section of your local sporting magazines or paper and you will see what I mean. If your family has decided to purchase a puppy this spring, do not rush into the sale without first doing your homework. Remember that a cute little puppy will turn into an adult dog that will probably live for fourteen or fifteen years.

The first question a prospective owner needs to think about is what type of dog he or she needs. The best way to decide this is to go to your local library and find a book on sporting dogs. The book should give you a little background on the breed, what they were bred to hunt for, and the average size and weight of the grown animal. Let’s look at some of the more popular breeds.

If you hunt ducks exclusively, the retrievers such as Labradors, Chesapeake's, Flat Coats or Curly Coats come to mind. There are several spaniel breeds that do a good job on the water also. The English Springer Spaniel, the Boykin, and the American Water Spaniel are all readily available. If you hunt upland birds exclusively, one of the setter lines may interest you. There are English, Irish, and the Gordon. English Pointers are very popular, especially in the South.

If your hunting interests vary, and depending on the day, you may be hunting the marsh in the morning for ducks and then hunting the farm fields in the evening for pheasants, you may decide on one of the more versatile breeds. The versatile breeds are pointing breed dogs that are used on land and in water. They include Brittany Spaniels, German Short-haired, German Wire-haired or Drahthaar, and the Vizsla. This is not to say that retrievers or flushing spaniels can’t hunt upland birds, or that setters and pointers will not hunt ducks. I know a fellow who hunted pheasant with a beagle and managed to do quite well.

I love the setters for upland hunting, but as a whole they are not being bred for water work, with very few handling water retrieving at the level of retrievers , and visa versa on an all-day upland hunt. This is a rule of thumb, not an absolute truth. I have seen retrievers that handle upland hunting very well and the flushing spaniels are definitely being bred to hunt the uplands as well as ducks. But the bottom line is to find a breeder who hunts their dogs under the same conditions that you plan on hunting.

My preference is towards the pointing breeds. I enjoy the drama of the pointing dog as it finds game scent and slams into a rock-solid point, all of its muscles quivering with excitement and anticipation. By using a pointing dog, the excitement of each find and flush is drawn out by the dog holding point. With the flusher or retriever, there is a similar heightening of anticipation as the dog makes game, but the flush happens much quicker.

Problems inherent to the pointing breeds are a lack of desire to retrieve in some lines and dogs that either self-hunt or range at great distances. I am asked quite often about how far out from the handler a dog should range. There is no set answer to this question. You will find that the more experience a person has with pointing dogs, the greater the acceptable range will be. That is to a point, as I do not want my dogs ranging over two hundred yards in Michigan-type cover and I prefer my dogs at the fifty to sixty-yard range in the woods. A good part of the enjoyment of the hunt for me is in watching my dogs work.

I have friends who want their dogs ranging at great distances with the belief that they will find more birds. They buy the loudest beeper collars they can find in order to hear where the dogs are and they spend most of their days afield searching for their dogs and listening for the sound of the beeper. The novice hunter will be concerned when their dog is out of sight. Your average first-time pointing dog owner will find his field time much more enjoyable if he has a dog that hunts with him, checking back in from time to time. A high-spirited competition-line dog can be very hard to control because of the bred-in desire to run wide.

A strictly show-bred dog may not have the desire to hunt hard for extended periods of time. If the emphasis by the breeder has been on show looks and not field ability, you may end up with what is called a boot-polisher. This is a dog that lacks the drive to search for birds and spends most of its time walking by the owner’s side and playing. But then again, if your hunting time consists of two or three one-day outings a year and the rest of the dog's time is spent as a family pet, this type of dog might be better suited to your needs. I have seen my share of first-time dog owners who purchased a pup from champion field lines and could never figure out how to handle the dog once out in the field.

No matter what your choice, whether flusher or pointer, hard-charger or easy-going, a healthy pup is a must. Check to see if the parents have had hip x-rays done for hip dysplaysia. Check to see if the pup’s teeth mesh properly and if the males have both testicles. If only one testicle is present, surgery may be needed. Do the pup’s legs seem to be straight or bowed? Avoid any overly-aggressive or overly-shy pups. And finally, take a long look at both parents. If possible, have the breeder take you to the field with the parents and see how they hunt. Then compare this to how you would like your pup to hunt. A well-bred pup will set you back a few bucks. When you combine this with the first year’s vet bills and training costs, you can easily spend a thousand dollars or more.

Buying a pup is a risk, as even the most conscientious breeders will have the occasional problem pup. Take your time to make your selection carefully and you can reduce the risks considerably.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Answer: I see this all too often where the puppy’s owner doesn’t introduce dead birds or retrieving dead birds until the pup has a thousand retrieves on toys. Usually, the play retrieves were not structured with commands, so the pup was only doing what it wanted to when it wanted to. This does not build the type of obedience when retrieving that is needed. Your problem sounds like a genetic flaw, namely parents that did not have strong retrieving instincts. The ‘force breaking’ process takes time and is not always successful. The term ‘setter’ does not give enough information as to what kind of dogs you have, so my response is limited. I’m not interested in fixing your screw-ups. Buy a book.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Dave Q., Pinckney.

Answer: Dave was at wit’s end when he came to me last year. He purchased a dog from a well-known breeder and although the dog was healthy, it was completely out of control. He had received advice from several people on how to handle the dog on-leash, but nothing worked. When he showed up at my kennels, he was using a halti lead and a choke collar with a chain simultaneously, with no results.

Dave’s problem was rooted in the fact that his dog was from field trial stock. High-energy, big-running, independent dogs do not normally make good house pets. In order to make a house pet out of this type of animal, the owner needs to spend at least three days a week running the dog off-leash for at least forty-five minutes to an hour per outing. I do not want to sound “anti-field trail”. But the truth is that very few people know how to handle this type of dog.

When you purchase dogs from field trail stock, the incidence of this type of behavior is greater than from common foot hunting stock. Most litters from the field trail stock will produce far more foot dogs than trial dogs, and by purchasing from trail stock, you can eliminate the guesswork as to whether the dog will bird hunt or not, which is a problem that can come up with dogs out the straight show stock. The buyers of bird dog puppies need to keep in mind that whenever you buy a pup, there is a certain degree of risk. Will it serve your needs as a good house pet, a good hunter, good with the kids? If a dog doesn’t fit the need, you must be prepared to place the dog with someone else, or suffer with it for the next ten to fifteen years.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training