sit.....sit....stay....sit.....sit....sit....stay......

[Greenhead22]

sit.....down......down......stay.....sit.....sit......................................................

If you watched DU's Waterdog show this morning, you know what I'm talking about. That's the first waterfowl show that I've ever watched where the owners had zero control over the dogs while using the dog blinds. When the flaps came open on the finishers, both dogs busted out of their blinds and right out in front of the muzzle blasts. I found it funny that both owner's were trainers and were wearing Dogtra stuff, but neither dog had an e-collar on.

[flyntwt]

Im not sure which episode you were watching, but that sounds like the norm, well at least for yella. She is a GRHRCH and Tackett chooses to not use an ecollar when hunting her. Sure, she creeps. But she also has drive as tall as a mountain.

[Greenhead22]

They were in Virginia hunting canadas in dry field. No doubt about it, both dogs have an awesome drive, but something needed to be done to stop the dogs front busting out in front of the finishers. The black dog came close to getting shot. Chris Atkins? did show how to stop that issue in a little training segment later in the show.

[quakwacker]

Saw that Monday. It looked like those pups were amped up for sure. I wonder if it was their first hunt of the year.

[coonass11]

The black dog is a MH too.

[Drakeshead]

Saw that Monday. It looked like those pups were amped up for sure. I wonder if it was their first hunt of the year.

Max, the black dog, it was his first hunt of the year. Not sure about Yella.

[Doc & Nash]

If you take a highly trained dog and put it in a hunting situation with out the handler "handling the dog" then that is what your gonna get. That is why obtaining the titles these dogs have is such a feat. These dogs are natural born hunting retrievers, aka MEAT DOGS. When I was guiding, it was easy to hunt every day and still maintain control of Nash. I was able to do this because I was not concerned with shooting a gun. All that changes when I get a gun in my hand. Nash will start working as soon as the first shot is fired. Is this safe, no, but it is hunting and when hunting season rolls around, you will see your dogs doing the same thing. Best bet is rotate out who's dog is working that day and then that guy handle his dog and pass on shooting any ducks....

[Drakeshead]

What if when training, one or two dogs are taken. Set up in a hunting situation, blind, boat, etc., and when dog breaks he/she is brought back and either the handler retrievers bumper/bird or the other dog is sent. Would this teach the dog that just because an object is brought down does not mean that I am sent on a retrieve. Once dog sits/stays during the shooting he/she is sent as a reward for staying still until sent.

This is also a concept that Chris Akin teaches. He will set up in a hunt scenerio and shoot a wingered bird. You high five, jump up and down and yell, etc., to brind on distractions, but the dog is not sent or moves until he/she is told to do so.

Mike Stewart teaches this method as well, but I have not watched him, but have watched Chris do this.

[oltcutdown]

I don't think there is any real good way to simulate a real live hunt where the birds are everywhere quacking, honking, and landing. Best bet is to go without a gun, and handle your dog while he/she is wearing an e collar. Might want to even tie your dog up so that if he does brake, he aint going far. You gotta remember the birds in that episode where 10-14 lb resident giant canadas, and they where coming in nonstop in pretty big bunches. Those guys were just as amped up as their dogs, and the dogs know it. First hunt of the year, not wearing ecollars, and the handlers were hunting, not handling! Even though they had a breaking issue, they still managed a limit of 20 birds pretty quick that day. From the looks of the show, they weren't shooting great, so I imagine they were pretty covered up with birds in thier face.

I've trained with Akin, and his pit training on young dogs is good, but he still can't simulate real birds flying, landing, and swimming in the decoys after they hit the water. He does have a few live greenheads that walk all over the place, including his training ponds, and the kennel yard area. He uses a bunch of dead ducks with all his dogs in training, but they have to ignore the live ones walking or swimming around. Some of the best advice I've gotten reguarding hunting a hunt test dog, is 'if you want to maintain your dog through duck season, you better not worry about hunting, shooting, or calling, and stay focused on your dog. You can undo a bunch of training real quick if you let your dog act a fool on a hunt.'

[goosebruce]

Standards... if the first time a dog ever pulled that crap on hunt he didn't get away with it, he wouldn't do it. Nobody wants to walk out and pick up a bird for their dog... but the standard must be the same in training, testing or hunting. ANY place you let a dog figger out there is different rules, the dog will decide the rules.

Id tie a dog up before Id be on tv with him busting out in front of my gun and keeping me from shooting, or being afraid of blowing his head off. Tackett is a friend of mine, Im not busting on him. But no way should that crap be on tv.

Watched du tv this weekend, with stewart sitting on the dog stand with drake while the presidents shot ducks at 50 feet. Might not have been the most impressive dog work, but the dog didn't interfer with the hunt. I got to say this weekend, drake kicked yella & some mh dog's booty. Sure mike didnt shoot, and drake is a mild mannered 8 year old dog... but everyone on all the hunt knew the freggin cameras would be rolling. Stewart made sure his dog did what it was supposed to, and tackett didnt.

Trey I disagree you can't shoot ducks with a trained dog and keep your standards. Ive let other people borrow a dog for hunts and they shot instead of worryed about the dog. I let my kids run rowdy on a hunt with no issues. Ive sold dogs to people and told them EXACTLY how to keep their standards and never have any maintence issues. Its when they do act up, and they are allowed to get away with it. No different than hunting on blinds, noise, leaving fall areas, switching, or any other 'trained' attrubute in a dog, if you let you standards slide during hunting season you will pay for it over the life of a dog. travis

[Jay Dufour]

THANK YOU......Trav.

[Doc & Nash]

Trey I disagree you can't shoot ducks with a trained dog and keep your standards.

??????? Sure you can, you just have to handle the dog. Either you mis-read my post or you mis-typed yours, or both or it might be me ??????

My reference was to me not requiring the standard with Nash when I am hunting. I know it can be done, and recommend it. I have found from mu personal experiences that it is easier for a hunter/handler to let his buddies shoot and him run his dog. But that is just me. We all know I suck as a handler anyway. Figured I would beat you to it

[B3]

Depends on the dog and its prior training. If I take a high roller hunting I can't concentrate on hunting and its frustrating. The dog knows when you take your eyes off him.

When I take Teal I can forget about her and just hunt. Thats what I like....

Bill