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

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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

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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

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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.

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

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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

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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

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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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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

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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

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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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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

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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

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Kim G., Kalamazoo.

Answer: Kim, this behavior sounds like the 'stalk and attack' syndrome. Without seeing the animal, I can not be sure, but these are the symptoms. An animal behaviorist or dog psychologist could better explain the condition for you. From my experience, this dog will, if it's not already, become dangerous and unpredictable and it needs to be put down.  Please do not destroy this animal on my prognosis alone. Seek the help of your vet.  Be very careful with this animal in the mean time.

Charlie Linblade

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Susan A., Lapeer.

Answer: Susan, your husband has followed the correct procedure for someone who is trying to create a gun shy dog, and it sounds like he has succeeded. Gun shyness is rarely a problem in the retriever lines. Some Golden Retrievers that were bred more for show than hunting have had some gun shy problems, but for the most part, retrievers from hunting stock don't have much of a problem with a fun. In the pointing dogs, it's a different story.

First off, the dog was displaying signs of noise sensitivity. Although you didn't mention if any attempt was made prior to the hunt to introduce gunfire, I suspect none was made. Also, a young, shy female setter that is spooky to begin with should probably not be started on pheasants for her first hunt. When the dog bolted back to the truck for safety, she encountered strangers shooting skeet. This probably compounded the problem. Being her first hunt, a smaller party would have been more appropriate. It also isn't a good idea to shoot at birds flushed wild and not seen by the dog when hunting a novice dog.

You and your husband obviously don't have the foggiest idea on how to start a young dog of the pointing breeds and shouldn't attempt to do so without either reading extensively on the matter or consulting a professional trainer. As to whether this young dog's hunting career can be saved, I doubt it. The dog will need a lot of bird contact in an attempt to build desire for game before she ever hears another gun shot. Your money might be better spent purchasing another pup.

Charlie Linblade

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Jon.

Answer: It sounds to me like your dog isn't getting the proper amount of exercise. Try running her for at least an hour twice a week. A regular schedule of exercise, same times on the same days each week, may give her the outlet she needs to burn off the extra energy, as well as something to look forward to besides your daily household routines. If I were you, I'd invest in an invisible fence set-up. They're fairly cheap, usually under $200, and they're easy to install. Then, if she does slip out, she would have to stay in your yard. There are probably some underlying things going on that are contributing to your dog's problem behavior. Take a close look at her needs and how you aren't meeting them before you label her an outlaw.

Charlie Linblade

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David M.

Answer: As with most letters I receive asking for help, you have not included enough detail. What gauge shotgun are you using? How close to the dog were you when you shot? How many times are you shooting at each bird flushed? Did the dog see the flushed bird before the shot? What caliber blank gun were you using? At what age did you introduce the pup to shot gun tire?

Dave, stop all shooting near this dog. That's number one. Now, why do you think more shooting will help, as you say ‘break', a dog from being gun shy? Gun shy is a condition created by people, not dogs. Some dogs are noise-sensitive, which then becomes ‘gun shyness' when gunfire is introduced. There are a million books that advise the use of blank guns, or cap guns as you described, to introduce dogs to gun fire. This is fine, provided you are not starting with a noise-sensitive dog. Also there are a wide range of blank guns. I find the .22 caliber blanks to be of little use. If I use blanks at all, I use a .32 caliber blank gun. I bought it mainly to use for the few times I may be competing with a dog where a blank gun is used in the back course. I find the .32 very similar to a .410 shotgun in noise levels, and loud enough to be of value when training a dog to be steady to gunfire. The relatively quiet .22 blank does little to prepare a dog for the much louder blast of a .12 gauge shotgun. You say you are afraid that your dog will associate gunfire with birds snd then you turn around and shoot at birds with a shotgun around him and shoot off your blank gun when he is carrying a wing from a bird. You already have done everything possible to associate gunfire with birds to this dog.

I wish you had included your phone number with your letter so that I could discuss the situation with you. Please call me as soon as possible, whenever you read this. Your dog still has hope of recovering from your blunders, for you see, common sense plays a large roll in dog training. Have you ever seen the Three Stooges movies? Moe goes to the doctor and says, ‘Doc, it hurts when I do this. What should I do?' And the doctor says ‘Stop doing that.' Well, if what you are attempting to do is not working, then common sense should tell you to stop doing it.

There are many factors to consider when first introducing dogs to gun fire. Maturity (age is not a determining factor), confidence, nervousness, noise sensitivity, interest in birds, closeness of the dog to the gun when shot and the gauge of the shotgun used, all play into the picture. There seems to be a lot of pressure to start gun dogs at very young ages. I listened as one ‘supposed' professional trainer told a group of people that in the old days, trainers waited until a dog was twelve months old before training was started, because so many dogs died from disease at a young age. And now with the aide of modem medicines, dogs have a better chance for survival, so you need to start bringing them to him for hour-long training sessions at sixteen weeks of age. This is merely a ploy to pad the trainer's pockets. A dog's attention span at sixteen weeks of age is about ten to fifteen minutes at best.

Sure, I have seen the occasional dog that is competing at Senior or even Master hunt tests at ten or twelve months. But these precocious youngsters are the exception, not the norm. And a pup who starts or even finishes it's training at a very young age is not necessarily going to be the best dog in the litter. Please allow your puppies time to be puppies. Advance them as they are ready to advance, rather than on your predetermined time table. Maturity is not always related to age.

Problem-solving on a sight-unseen basis is difficult because the owner's perception of what is taking place is seldom accurate. But until you are able to contact me, stay away from gunfire. By all means, keep exposing your dog to birds and allow the dog to have some fun with the birds for now. This means no rules around birds. We can steady him down later. To get him over his noise-sensitivity, you need to utilize his desire for birds. This desire will help carry him past his dislike for noise. The connection between gunfire and birds must be made.

You probably have seen the reaction of experienced gun dogs when a gun is fired. They are excited and interested in the noise because they have made the association between gunfire and the presence of game. Most gun dogs assume there is game down when they hear gunfire. Your letter states that the dog loses interest and runs off after shooting a couple of times at birds. My question now is “are you shooting repeatedly at each bird flushed and does the dog see the bird as it is flushing?”

I use a method similar to the ‘shoot a blank when he is eating' method, except I shoot the blank or .410 when a bird is flushing and the dog is in pursuit. One single shot, not a barrage. I try to bring the bird down with the shot, if not, I do not shoot a second time. One shot from a .410 when the dog is focused on a flushing bird is seldom noticed by a young dog. I am not gun shy, but if you were to sneak up behind me while I am eating and shoot a gun.... Let's just say my reaction would not be favorable.

Charlie Linblade

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Dave Q., Dexter.

Answer: Dave stopped by my house with his dog in June. He was using a halti lead to control the dog and stop it from pulling when on a leash. A halti lead wraps around the dog's head and muzzle. The idea is that where the head, goes the body will follow. Although I usually will not take walk-in customers, preferring to work by appointment, I could see Dave was in need of help and was at his wit's end. His Vizsla was from a well-known kennel here in Michigan of which I have worked with more then a few of their dogs.

About half of my customers experience problems similar to Dave's. In their quest to find a suitable hunting dog, they are referred to a field trial breeder with a trunk full of competition titles. The majority of these puppy buyers are first-time pointing dog owners and are looking for a hunting dog that will also serve as the family pet.

There are 365 days in a year. The average bird hunter will go hunting ten to twenty times a year. If they are a very avid bird hunter, they may spend thirty to forty days afield during the hunting season. Now stay with me on this because this is one of the most important points I can make to companion/hunting dog buyers, especially the people new to the sport of hunting birds with pointing dogs. You need to have a clear picture of what your main purpose is in buying this dog. Are you looking for the world's greatest pet, the world's greatest hunter, or a combination of the two? More often, people are looking for a combination of the two.

What if your daughter told you she wanted to buy a horse and learn to ride, and you could afford to do this for her? Would you buy her a Thoroughbred racehorse, or a nice, easy going horse for trail riding? The point here is that many people end up with more dog then they can handle. A field trial dog is a high-energy, hard-charging, extremely athletic animal with the speed of an Olympic sprinter and the endurance of a marathon runner. This dog is born with the desire and need to run. If you are unable to or unwilling to devote time on a regular basis to running this type of dog, you can forget about controlling it. These dogs need to be run at least three times a week for the first two years of their lives, with the average run taking at least an hour's time. If you are going to enroll in an obedience class, plan on running the dog at least thirty minutes on the day of class, though an hour or two is better.

By doing this, you will be taking the edge off the dog and reducing the nervous energy, thus making it much easier for the dog to settle down and concentrate during the class. Allowing the dog to access a fenced-in yard does not constitute running. You need to go out and find open ground where you can release the dog off it's lead and allow it to run. During the course of the run, you should expect to keep moving and walking along with the dog. Do not go out and just sit, figuring the dog will get it's exercise running around you.

Remember, this dog was bred to search out game. It will not sit complacently next to you at this time, nor should you expect it to just play around in the area where you're sitting. It is genetically driven to search the surrounding countryside and explore. You must keep moving with the pup in order to keep it occupied with new scents and scenery. I have preached for years that the pointing dog buyer must start these walks with the pop at a very young age, around eight to ten weeks. At this age, the pup is easy to catch if needed, and it still looks to you for protection and safety. Then, by the time the pup is six or eight months old, the pattern has been developed where you are the leader and in charge of what direction you two will explore.

Do your leash work or obedience work at the end of these fun runs, after the pup has had time to settle down. The schedule will give you three days of work per week with the dog. Since the once-a-week class is only effective if the owner works with the dog away from the class, you will see marked results in your dog's behavior.

No to the question of picking a breeder. There are problem dogs coming from all types of breeders. This is a fact of life. No one can produce only good dogs. I have seen complacent, lazy dogs from field trial stock and I have seen hyper, out-of-control dogs from show stock. Critics of field-competition-bred dogs claim the animals are high-strung and too independent to be kept and hunted with, while critics of show-stock animals claim the hunting instincts and intelligence have been bred out of them in the doggy beauty contests. Once again, the most important aspect in picking a puppy is viewing the parents.

If you like the description of the parents and their field work looks adequate, you can feel confident that, over time, one of their offspring will be the dog you want. If you are an experienced pointing dog fancier, you already know what you want and like. If you are new to the sport, it is better to lean more towards a good pet who hunts okay, rather than end up with a dog with great hunting potential and no real value as a house dog. Remember, look at both parents as pets and in the field.

When purchasing a hunting dog, understand that for the next two years, it will be your hobby. Plan on spending two to three hours a week working with the dog, or on finding a pro and paying them to have it done for you. I use a pinch collar instead of the halti lead on problem dogs. Otherwise, the standard choke chain works for me on most dogs. An extremely large or strong dog, or small and not very strong handler may need the power of a pinch collar. I have not found the halti to work on high-energy field dogs.

As far as nervous energy and gun shyness go, I find little correlation between the two. The desire for birds combined with the proper introduction to gunfire will carry a dog through this stage of the training. I find very few field-trial-bred dogs prone to gun shyness. Typically, they have a high desire for birds.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Karl R., Bellville.

Answer: I have had similar problems with some female English Pointers. It seems to be more prevalent with females than males in my case. First, make sure the dog is whoa broke and will stop on the whoa command when off-leash. Practice in the field and at home. The dog should stop for you at distances of, say, fifty feet. Next, work the dog into a bird with a check cord on. If the dog does not stop to point the bird, jerk her back with the check cord and say “whoa”. Keep doing this for several days with three to four birds each day. If this doesn't start her pointing, use an electronic training collar on a medium setting. Without the check cord, work her into a bird. Do not put the bird to sleep or dizzy it. If she doesn't point the bird but instead flushes, tell her to whoa loudly. If she doesn't stop, hit the button on the collar for two seconds while shouting “whoa”. If she yelps and comes back to you, pet her and tell her to “whoa those birds” in a gentle voice. Repeat as needed.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Dean H., Dearborn.

Answer: Read the book, saw the video, went to training classes. Dean thought he had covered all of his bases. Well, Dean, you are now seeing the difference between a hunting dog and a competition dog. You had the local expert telling you that if your dog is not rock-steady on birds, the grouse will flush wild and you will never get a shot.

That is all well and good in the artificial world of competition. In the real world of hunting, game birds will, in most cases, run rather than fly. A good dog needs to be able to make decisions on their own, needs to work running birds, and needs to have the confidence to do so. It takes three to four seasons of hunting to make a good grouse dog and a lot of wild bird contact.

While training on pen birds, allow the dog more movement when working birds. You need to have good control with the whoa command in all situations. Be able to stop the dog with the whoa command under any condition but do not be afraid to release the dog when birds are running. I use the command “okay,” then “easy” when birds are present and running. I personalize the “okay” command with the dog's name. The touch-on-the-head release will backfire is you hunt areas with water or ditches.

If the dog bumps a bird, I call it back in and remind it to “whoa those birds” with no punishment. Also, snatching a dog up and slamming it back on the spot it moved from will not be beneficial. Dog people are like sheep when it comes to following their appointed expert, while a lot of what's being said about dogs doesn't pertain to hunting dogs on wild game. You need to spend more time hunting and less time doing mindless drills. The average title-chaser today spends three times as much time training as they do hunting.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Answer: The basis for this column is to offer opinions and methods of training that have worked for me over the last twenty-five years in my own training program. You, the reader, either write or call in with questions and I attempt to answer the questions as best I can with what information you offer. For the record, I am not anti-dog show. I may refer to them as a doggy beauty contest, but let the record show that I understand and appreciate the need for good conformation and sound bone structure for a working animal. My two males are Ryman-Hemlock-Wicksall crosses. However, if an animal lacks the desire to perform the tasks they were bred to do, it is my belief that this animal should not be bred. Breeding for confirmation only, without regard for the working qualities of that breed, is detrimental to the breed. I am not anti-field trial. Three of my Setters are heavy on field trial blood lines. Ghost Train, Tomoka, Flaming Star, Memphis Cowboy, Tricky Dick, and Grouse Ridge are all intertwined in my three bitches' bloodlines. But it is my belief that people tend to put too much stock in titles. And it is my opinion that a dog can possess too much independence. A dog that does not hunt for and with its owner, or one that sees all other dogs as a competitor and thus constantly races its brace-mate, is not an enjoyable animal to go hunting with in Michigan.

A dog who ‘nips' may not need to be put down. A dog who bites does. One bite may be a mistake or an accident. The second bite ends all discussion for me. Understand that if you allow your children to terrorize your dog, you run the risk of having the child bitten. Children should respect the power that lies within that dog's mouth. Several years ago, a member of my shooting preserve arrived for his hunt accompanied by a ten-month-old Large Munsterlander. Having spent a fair amount of time with LM's and having owned a few, I know the breed and quite a few of the breeders. The dog owner was surprised that I could tell him the type of dog he had, as well as what breeder the dog had been purchased from. This particular breeder has been known to produce aggressive dogs, to which I informed the owner.

When asking him if he had seen any aggressive tendencies in the pup, I was told never. This fellow wanted to use the dog on his hunt. Having previously introduced the dog to gunfire, he wanted to give the pup the opportunity to have some bird contact. An understandable request. During the hunt, the dog demonstrated desire for birds and pointed his first bird very nicely. After having shot the bird, the dog was sent forward for the retrieve. The pup had no trouble picking up the shot pheasant and paraded around proudly with the bird. I instructed the owner to gently call the dog to him. I explained to him that when the dog came in to gently hold the dog by the collar while praising and petting it. I told the owner not to grab the bird away from the dog but instead to take a minute to share the bird with the dog and praise him for bringing it back. The owner did as I said, gently holding the dog by the collar and praising it. When the owner went to pet the dog, the unexpected happened. The pup barred his teeth and bit the owner. The owners face went ghostly pale as he quickly released the dog. I requested the owner to step back as I spoke to the dog in friendly, quiet tones as I approached. This ten-month-old pup then snarled and charged me. My walking stick came crashing down on the pup's head as I told him to ‘stop it!  Then I told the pup to ‘be nice!' and to ‘come here.'

This time the pup, did not charge, but circled me, growling. I looked at the shaken owner and told him this was a very serious reaction. I asked him if anything like this has happen before to which he said no. The dog was left with me for a two week evaluation. Never again did that pup growl or bite at me. At the end of the two week evaluation, I had the regrettable responsibility to tell the owner that the dog was a ticking time bomb and could not be trusted. The person then took the dog home and called the breeder. The breeder told the owner that I could not possibly determine that this dog was aggressive and that at ten months of age the dog was too young to be classified as a biter. Thank goodness this was a kennel dog. This dog displayed no aggressive tendencies toward me. He knew I was an Alpha. The owner discounted my warnings and sided with the breeder.

Several months later, he was back again for a hunt. Again, the dog tried to bite him. At this time, I talked with the owner's two young sons. They both told me they were afraid of the dog and that he growls at them when they are feeding and caring for the dog. I warned them to not take any chances and to keep a shovel with them when going into the kennel for self-defense. The owner disregarded his sons' complaints and informed me he would not be returning to my preserve and that I had no clue as to the temperament of this dog.

One year later, the dog attacked a nanny employed to take care of an infant in the house. She had gone to the kennel to feed the dog. As she bent down to place the food bowl in the kennel, the dog attacked, causing extensive damage to her face and arms. This did not have to happen again.

As far as events designed to show a dog's ability to do the tasks they were bred for, I think they are great. It is the humans involved that muck things up.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Jim K., Milan.

Answer: I believe you have put the cart before the horse. When I looked at Jim's dog in the field, it became obvious what his problem was. First, Jim had owned and hunted Labs for years. Most of his hunting was for waterfowl and entailed strict control of the dog at all times. Waterfowl training with the Labs starts early and requires tight control. Also, gun sensitivity is less pronounced in retrievers than with pointing dogs. This dog was not at ease in the field, was constantly looking to Jim for direction, and wasn't particularly excited about birds.

This type of early restrictive training will work with some lines of pointing dogs, usually the high-spirited, wide-ranging type that need to be brought under control before you lose them. I've found that most pointing dogs will find this early restrictive training method detrimental to their bird desire and drive to find game.

My method for the early training, a stage I call ‘introduction and encouragement,' is to used good-flying birds and allow the young dog to have some fun. I want enough cover to allow the bird a chance to escape and stop the chase by the young dog as it loses site of the bird. We'll do this for the first several days of training to get the young dog focused on birds and searching for them.

After a couple of days of this, we'll fire a small-gauge gun, one shot only, and attempt to kill the bird with the young dog in full pursuit, thus connecting the gun with capturing the bird. Once we've determined that the young dog is okay with gunfire, we move to the whoa training away from birds. When the dog will whoa faily well away from birds, we then put the dog back into the field with birds and attempt to whoa the dog on birds. Don't whoa the dog before he points, and if he bumps the bird, yell ‘whoa' at him to make the connect. Don't shoot unpointed birds this time. Remember to praise the dog if he points the bird, and to whoa him while he's pointing. Also, be careful with any young dog when shooting. Don't shoot more than once at each bird, and never right over the dog. Stay back about fifteen to twenty yards when shooting. If, after this, the dog will not point birds, you a check cord to restrain him near birds while saying whoa.

I own high-spirited, wide-ranging English Setters and I use this method often. I've found that the more sensitive the dog, which mine are not, the more important it is to use this method. Let your dog be a puppy when it's young and allow it time to mature into more advanced training. You are seeing why many waterfowl dogs don't make good upland dogs.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

John C., Saginaw.

Answer: Set up an appointment and bring him to me for a two-week evaluation. At the end of he two weeks, he will either be well on his was to being a trained dog, or he'll be washed out an designated to ‘pet only' status.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training