Texas Wildlife March 2011
by
Henry Chappell
If your dog comes when called 80 percent of the time, she’s better trained than many of the so-called hunting dogs I see every year in the field.
It never ceases to amaze: Well-bred dogs hauled around in a dog trailer worth more than my pickup. Electronic training collars, GPS locating collars, all the latest gear. And the dogs run off. Hours later, the same dogs have to be caught and forcibly loaded.
There’s nothing complicated about training a dog to come when called. Or to sit and stay or load on command. Problem is, obedience training takes time, a concept that vexes modern Americans. There’s no pushbutton solution. Electronic collars are merely training aids. The pup still needs time to learn. Even if you buy a fully trained dog or pay for professional training, you’re dog will test you and “untrain” herself in a few weeks if you aren’t diligent about enforcing obedience. Sometimes that means interrupting a hunt to correct an infraction before it becomes a habit.
When should you start training a pup to come? When you bring her home. For how long? For the rest of her working life.
Bring your cuddlesome, just- weaned pup home and introduce her to the family. Love her up. Let her explore a bit, try to anticipate that first “accident” before it happens, or, failing that, get it out of the way.
Before long, it’ll be feeding time. Carry a bowl of puppy gruel in one hand, pup in the other, to the designated feeding spot in the kitchen, utility room, or porch. Set the pup on the floor. She’ll probably start sniffing about and whining. Kneel and set the bowl of food down where the pup will see it, and immediately call her name followed by “come” or “here.” (Just be consistent.) When the pup comes to the food, praise her in a soothing tone. She’s just completed her first training session.
Repeat this drill every time the pup eats. Insist that your spouse and kids to the same when they’re doing the feeding. Continue even after the pup starts anticipating. She’s not coming because you’ve called her, but you’re planting an idea. Pretty soon she’ll perk her ears whenever she hears her name.
The first few nights, forget about a good night’s sleep. Feed the pup right before your bedtime, then plop down in your recliner, and let the pup sleep on your chest. You’re not spoiling her. You’re bonding. She has just been snatched from her mother and siblings. Her world has been torn asunder. She’ll never re-bond as quickly as she will right now. Besides, if you stick her in a puppy crate, she’ll cry all night and you’ll get no sleep at all.
With her sleeping on your chest, you can grab a few winks. When she wakes up hungry, you can take her outside to tinkle and dump (the earliest housebreaking steps). Feed her again, perhaps play with her a bit, then lie back down. During the day, make sure she gets plenty of crate time so that she has a place that’s hers alone. After a couple nights in the recliner, she’ll be ready to sleep in her crate.
(While the feeding routine works with dogs of any age, you might want to skip the sleeping-on-your chest bit if you’re bringing home an older pup.)
Pretty soon the pup will come from clear across the yard when you set down her pan. In the meantime, during play sessions, kneel, clap your hands, say her name followed by “come.” Keep a favorite toy handy to tempt her in case she balks or turns her attention elsewhere. Keep the distances short and distractions low at this point. With small puppies, hallways are especially good places for “come” play-training because the pup can’t run away from you. If the pup just won’t come, don’t keep calling. Go get her, shorten the distance and try again. She must always succeed.
At this point there’s no harm in coaxing and rewarding with treats. I like to keep a few kibbles in my shirt pocket for that purpose. Just don’t overdo it.
Play fetching in a hallway helps reinforce “come.” Hold the pup in your lap, tease her a bit with a favorite toy, toss it a few feet and let her go. She’ll pounce and probably lie down to play with the toy. Clap your hands and coax her back with the “come” command. If necessary, gently take away the toy and coax her in with it.
Repeat, repeat, repeat. At least once per day. Hold sessions to 10 minutes or less. Keep it fun. Never forget to praise.
Even when the pup approaches you unbidden, say “come,” and encourage her. When you come home after work and step into the back yard, the pup will come running because she’s delighted to see you. Take advantage of her enthusiasm by reinforcing “come.” Make sure she knows she’s the most amazing dog in the world.
When the pup reaches about four month of age – perhaps a little sooner if she’s very bold – introduce the “sit” command. Sit on the floor with her, love her up a bit, command “sit,” then gently mold her into the sitting position. If she’s a big, strong retriever or pointer pup, you may have to kneel, grasp her collar and force her rump down. Repeat “sit” and keep her there only until she submits. Then command “come,” pull her to you and love her up. Repeat a few times per day until she begins to anticipate your hand on her rump. It won’t take long.
Now snap a six-foot lead to her collar. Command “sit” and make sure she complies. Keep the lead in one hand and use the other hand to keep her in the sitting position, all the while repeating, “Staaaay.” Back away a foot or so. If she starts to get up, issue a sharp “ah!” then “sit.” Push her rump down if necessary. Repeat until she’ll stay until you can back away a few feet. As you move back, hold your palm out like a traffic cop and repeat “staaaay.” Then “come!” She’ll nearly knock you over. Make a huge fuss. She’s earned it.
Keep at it until she’ll sit while you walk ever-wider circles around her. If she breaks and heads toward you while you’re several yards away, go ahead and say “come.” But don’t praise her. Pick her up and carry her back to the point of infraction, plunk her down, issue a sharp “sit” then back away with an exaggerated “staaay!”
Always end on a positive note. If the pup regresses, have her perform a simpler task, praise her, then quit for the day.
When you can walk a few circles around her, start enforcing “sit-stay” at feeding time. Call her to her feeding area and make her sit and stay while you’re filling her pan. There will be miscues. Correct them. Set the food pan down, wait a second or two, then say “come.” Vary the delay so that the pup doesn’t break in anticipation. Your dog should go
through some variation of this routine nearly every day of her life.
You and your pup are off to a great start, but just a start. Training and reinforcement continues throughout a hunting dog’s career.
Sounds like too much work? Then don’t take on a pup. If it sounds like fun, then stay tuned for “Obedience 201” in the May 2011 issue.