Don’t Expect Too Much From Pup

During the past few months, several folks have told me that they’ve purchased a puppy and are preparing their new pup for the upcoming bird season.  What could be more exciting than having a new best friend and hunting companion this fall?  Especially, if you’ve spent hours, days and weeks training the pup.

No matter how much time you’ve spent with your pup, no matter how much training the pup has received either by the owner or a professional trainer, don’t expect too much.  Delmar Smith, the pointing dog training guru of the 1970s, commented in his book, Best Way to Train Your Gun Dog, about new owners of young dogs calling him and crowing that they have a “natural”.  They have a puppy sure to amaze all observers during the upcoming bird season.  

Delmar always chuckled at these proclamations since he knew what often happens with these phenoms…they fall apart under real hunting conditions.  These conditions include wild birds, multiple scent cones, wild flushes, running birds, blowing wind and all the other factors which affect a pointing dog’s performance.  Factors that your pup may not have encountered during training.

There are simply too many variables for your pup to perform consistently at an early age; therefore, don’t expect too much since they are not machines.  Even in the upper echelons of pointing dogs, a champion- level dog will sometimes simply forget about staying steady to the flush; he’ll break and chase as though he’s never received two minutes of training.  Mike Gaddis, in his fine book, Zip Zap, discusses the frustration during witness of dogs breaking during either flush or shot during preparation for the National.  These dogs have seen the finest trainers and training methods known to date.

I’m not aware of any of my dog friends training for the National; however, secretly, we would all like to have a “brag” dog.  A dog that is the envy of our hunting friends.  So your new pup falls apart on opening day; don’t in the least be discouraged.  A puppy being confused and losing focus is a true “natural”.  If you remain patient and consistent with your training methods, the pup will eventually be your “brag” dog.

Here are a few tips to help you and your pup.  First, if your dog is under one year, don’t be upset with your dog breaking point, chasing birds or even bumping birds.  All of these mistakes are normal for a pup and there should be no punishment or scolding.  

Secondly, under no circumstances should you use an e-collar for correcting a puppy for mistakes in the field. Put the e-collar away.  After careful study and yard introduction, you may begin using the e-collar after the pup’s first year in the field.  An e-collar is never a substitute for well thought-out yard training.

Thirdly, don’t carry a gun the first few days of hunting this fall.  Handle your pup rather than hunt over him.  Invite your son, daughter, wife, friend, or whomever, to be the shooter.  You can’t properly handle a pup in the field and carry a gun.  Your pup needs 100% of your attention.

And last, if you have the time, take your dog west to Saskatchewan or Manitoba where you can get 100 flushes per day.  He’ll figure it out in a hurry.

The above are suggestions for right now.  For the long term, simply plan on a continuous training program right through next summer.  You’ll be amazed at the maturity your young dog will demonstrate during his sophomore year of hunting.  Your “brag” dog might be only one year away.

Feeding and Hydration Management Considerations for Your Canine Athlete

By Jason Givens

The following are several management practices and tools to consider when maximizing your dog’s conditioning and genetic programs to reach optimum performance levels.

Reaching the winners circle involves a good deal of time, effort and talent. Based on my learning from successful competitors and bird hunting enthusiasts from many different venues of canine performance events, several things are consistent:

• Begin with quality genetics with selection traits focused on the game they enjoy most
• Feed a quality dog food which provides maximum performance potential and quick recovery
• Gain a sound understanding of the importance of quality and quantity of hydration needed to succeed
• There are no shortcuts to be at the top of your game year after year!

Our canine athletes are made up of 80% water. To put that into perspective, a 50 lb. animal has 5 gallons of water in his body. Every day a dog loses hydration through urine, feces, breathing and sweat. The amount lost varies based on environment, exercise and diet. A dog can lose 6% of its body fluids (6 cups) before it will stop to drink. If a dog loses 10% (8 cups) of its body fluids, it could become fatal.

Because of that, water is the single most important nutrient in terms of survivability. Dogs can survive for weeks without food, using their own body fat and muscle for energy production. Yet water is vital for many important body parts and functions––including removing toxins from the body. Younger and leaner animals have higher water content than older dogs or less desirable body conditions.

It is crucial to our dogs’ performance that we understand the volume of water consumption and use when managing canine performance animals.

• Respiration water loss = 23% in inactive dog while increases to 40% with exercise.
• Feces water loss = 7% in inactive dog while decreases to 5% with exercise. (stress stools 80-90% water loss)
• Urine water loss = 70% in inactive dog while decreases to 55% with exercise.

*Normal feces in chart above are calculated from normal stool. Stress stools created from exercise induced stress without empty digestive track can create 80-90% water loss in stool percent. Prevention of feeding animals 10-12 hours prior to exercise will support a sound hydration plan.

Signs of Dehydration

There are three important signs to check on to assure your dog is not lacking water:

• Beginning Signs – Visibly tired, slowed pace/less animation, act more “warm”, excessive panting etc.
• Intermediate Signs – Skin will become less elastic if you pinch the skin on their back, it will be slow to return to normal shape; Slow gum capillary refill- if you press firmly on their gums and release, the time it takes for the gum to refill with color will be slow; Gums and tongue become darker in color, Rectal temperature remains > 105° F
• Final Signs – Weak in the hind end and wobbly and unsteady on feet

Dehydration can come from unexpected places as well. Cold temperatures can increase respiratory losses by 10-20 times. With each breath, dogs inhale very dry air, but exhale about 6% water. The air temperature results in a difference of 2-4 quarts of water per day.

A general rule of water consumption: Water consumed per day should = 2.5 – 3 cups per cup of dry dog food consumed. Force-feeding water with dry food is a practice used by many performance handlers to achieve their hydration needs. It’s also important to always use a common source of water. Change of water source is no different than food source and affects the body with variable results.

Hyper-hydration with a good protein and electrolyte supplement prior to exercise is a good practice in managing the levels of body fluids.

Nutrition Program

Dry dog food should be viewed as an essential tool to provide proper growth and development, longevity, healthy, stamina, endurance and recovery during training and conditioning programs. Dog food provides the following nutrients needed to reach the goals listed above:

• Protein – Amino acids to build, repair and replace body proteins
• Carbohydrates – Energy source and body maintenance
• Fats – Energy, coats, structural functions and nervous system
• Vitamins – Growing, reproductive and immune system for all growth and life stages
• Minerals – Micro and macro forms

The term “you are what you eat” also applies to our canine performance animals! Different foods offer proteins from meats vs. grains, differing levels of ingredient digestibility, and different ways of reacting in the body. The feeding management practice we chose to provide can affect the results as much as the quality of food we select.

To maximize the metabolism and body fat composition or muscle structure, a consistent number of feedings per day must be established to help train the body to burn and not store nutrients. Two feedings per day is recommended. Food can be served post exercise with a 4 hour time period before the second feeding. Feeding post exercise – once the body is cooled down and rested – will support rebuilding of muscle tissue used during exercise while offering benefits to recovery. While spreading out the feedings is most beneficial, it is not always available. (For Example: Feeding post exercise and before bed is better than feeding once per day. It is also better than feeding pre exercise (stress stools/dehydration) and again later in the day.)

Dog foods are nothing more than a tool formulated for a large market share of the dog population. Finding the tool that works best with your program will often include supplementation of hydration and recovery products.

Best wishes to a successful season in pleasure, testing or trialing your canine athletes and companion animals.

To learn more about Jason Givens and his training methods, visit www.lighthousekennels.com

Steady or Not?

By Steve Ries

There is a long history of good arguments within all upland hunting breeds whether or not training to steadiness is important to their wild bird hunting situations. Some will argue the importance of being right behind the bird, as the natural survival instinct takes flight and success of one sharp shooter’s skill meet together. Others will argue the safety of their well-trained hunting companion is far more important than the risks of hunting with others in excitable moments during the hunt.

First of all, let’s have a better understanding of what “steady” really means as a training level.

Having a steady dog simply means a dog that will stand still, or sit at the flush, or shot of the game pursued. To pointing breeds, this is usually an inherited trait selected in breeding programs of importance and natural to the breed.

To the retrievers and flushers, steady simply means to sit still on command or cue developed in a training program. This trait is a training command, which is not inherited or natural as their instincts tell them to move the game from its next position.

Steadiness in hunting breeds can be developed with combining natural instincts and artificial situations of birds in launchers or planted birds used to create associations of distractions with commands already in place.

We first must teach a dog to stand still or sit and not move until we invite them to do so. Adding distraction of birds to this training will entice the movement from this command and allow us to train or re-enforce the commands used to steady them back up.

As we build an understanding of each command, we can further our levels of steadiness like a foundation on a building. First, you want a solid foundation to build from and cannot move forward with the rest of the training until we complete each level to support the next.

Steady to flush means a dog will stand still or sit until the bird is moved from its nesting position. The point or sit is released at the flush if this is the level or cue built into your training program and will give chase immediately with the flush.

More hunters are steadying their dogs through the flush until the shot to avoid any risk placed in their hunting companions. These versatile breeds will stay focused on the flight of the bird and released at the shot to narrow the distance from the harvested game and make a complete retrieve.

Regardless of your side of these beliefs, we all enjoy a well-trained hunting companion that will create a safe situation during an intense moment of the hunt.

Be safe and enjoy the great outdoors.

To learn more about Steve Ries and his training methods, visit www.topgungsps.com.

The Last Hunt

By Steve Ries

Too often gun dog owners take for granted their teammates and do not realize how great they truly were until after they have passed. I own numerous dogs and have had the pleasure to hunt with dozens of fine hunting hounds. With that said, I always knew my first dog Lily, was something special.

The Greatest Gift
I got Lily as a wedding present from my mother and father-in-law. She was a chocolate bundle of joy and the first dog that was wholly mine. I was determined to train her myself to not only hunt, but run competition. Hunting was natural to her, but the competition was well… something she ran me in. Trainers would refer to her as a “whole lotta dog”. This was basically a nice way to tell me I was in over my head. I still decided I was going to train my girl and learn with her the art of the retrieving sports. We worked plenty and she became a great upland hunter for grouse and pheasants. Many a time came along where I was ridiculed for my brown dog being inferior because of her color––nothing would be said and we would head to the field. After the hunt, (and after she hunted the other dogs off the field in embarrassment), I would receive the same compliment: Not bad for a chocolate.

Lily eventually led me to the Labrador retriever breeding world. I decided to work on producing my own kennel and line of labs. With the strength of puppies from Lily the groundwork was laid for my kennel, training program, and eventual foray into television. With all of the above said, I will still always remember our last hunt.

“Just Me and You, Boss”
It was December and I had 5 dogs at our cabin. Grouse season was still open and I decided to take the dogs out. Slowing in her old age, Lily would struggle to keep up with the young dogs. Even at 11 years old, she still would manage to put up her share of birds. As I got my shotgun and coat I let Lily out of the cabin. I was walking to the kennel to get a couple of other dogs when she gave me that look. The look said, “Let’s go out together, just me and you, boss.” I had gotten the look other times, but for some reason took her up on it that day.

We went out in the woods and put up 12 grouse. I shot like usual and we got only one. It didn’t matter though. I could see how much it meant to my old girl that it was just the two of us. She would flush birds, look after I shot and run back to me. Once at my feet, she would drop on her back and perform the “Victory Roll” that she had become famous for with friends and clients. The truth was neither of us cared if we got a bird; it was just she and I, as a team. I did take her out to a few game farm hunts later in the year, but that was truly our last hunt.

Life Lessons
It is said that you only get one great dog in your life. I am sure that I will, and already do, have dogs with immense talent, shown by their titles. But ability and titles are not what make a hunting dog great. I know I will never again have the same bond with another dog that Lily and I had. She was my first and once-in-a-lifetime all at once.

My Dillers taught me more about dogs, training, life, and now death than any other animal ever will. She passed with a massive infection––by the time she saw a vet it was too late. To her last day, she never showed a sign of illness. I think she was just focusing on the hunting season that was only a month away. Twelve years is a good life for a Lab, especially as they were all quality years. That still doesn’t make the thought of not having her in the field, riding shotgun in the truck, or sitting on my lap on the couch any easier.

Tomorrow dawns a new day and I’ll pick myself up. I will work with my dogs and hunting season will be packed with adventures. I just won’t enjoy them quite as much as I used to.

Thank you for the great memories girl. Now rest easy, find a nice tree to curl up under, and please wait for me. I’ll be along in a bit and we will hit the field. I promise to shoot straight this time and it will be just the two of us. I promise.

To learn more about Steve Ries and his training methods, visit www.topgungsps.com.

The 3 Types of Upland Sporting Dogs

By Steve Ries

An Extension Of You

There are many sporting breeds for upland bird hunting and everyone has a personal preference. In my experience, many types and breeds of dogs can be effective hunters. Most sporting breeds produce well rounded companions with the genetics to excel while hunting in the field or on the lake. A good bird dog, regardless of breed, will give you a longer reach and the ability to find, point or flush and retrieve more birds than you could on your own. The shooting part, though, is up to you.

Upland Types

There are three general categories sporting dogs used for upland bird hunting: Flushing, Pointing and Retrieving. Each type has its own strengths and characteristics in addition to variations among the breeds within each type. The following is a general overview of what you can expect from a hunting companion of each type. Keep in mind that these are general statements and you may see significant differences not just among different breeds, but also between dogs of the same breed.

Pointing Breeds

As a breeder and trainer of pointing dogs for many years I’m a little biased. Pointing dogs fit my hunting style best but I have enjoyed hunting with Flushers and Retrievers as well.

• Hunting Strengths – Pointing breeds are often somewhat smaller and leaner than retrievers and capable of covering a lot of ground due to tremendous athleticism. Some breeds have less speed but still exhibit great endurance. They will generally hunt within gun range and, upon finding a bird, they will lock on point and give you time to approach for a comfortable shot. Most pointing breeds will naturally retrieve to hand.
• Common Breeds – Brittany, English Setter, German Shorthaired Pointer, German Wirehaired Pointer and Pointer (English).

Retrieving Breeds

Retrievers include the most popular registered breed (Labrador Retriever) according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). This is generally considered to be a result of the intelligence and social nature of the breed.

• Hunting Strengths – Retrieving breeds are known for their versatility and their ability to withstand extreme cold be it snow, ice or water. They generally have a more rugged build, but maintain good speed and agility. They will quarter in front of the hunter to flush upland birds and should stay within comfortable gun range. As you can tell from the name, they are enthusiastic retrievers of upland birds and they love the water.
• Common Breeds – Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever.

Flushing Breeds

Flushers also include some breeds that are very popular as house companions due to their size, appearance and disposition. For the most part, Spaniels populate the flushing category.

• Hunting Strengths – Flushing breeds are generally smaller in stature than many pointing and retrieving counterparts. They will quarter in front of the hunter to flush birds and should also stay within comfortable gun range. Like Retrievers, they are very comfortable in water and have coats that are well suited to extreme cold. Flushers will naturally retrieve to hand and are well known for their stamina.
• Common Breeds – Boykin Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniel and English Springer Spaniel.

Many Good Choices

The thing to remember is that the best bird dog is the one that fits your hunting style. Research breeds and find one with the traits and qualities you desire. Training and hunting with an instinctive hunting companion can provide many years of outdoor enjoyment. If you don’t have the time or experience to train him, we encourage you to work with a professional to bring out the natural gifts of whatever breed you choose.

For more information on specific sporting breeds, visit the Bird Dog Bonanza at www.quailforever.org.

Seasonal Feeding Programs

By Steve Ries

Feeding For Performance
As a breeder and trainer of canine athletes, we've spent many years refining our feeding program to ensure peak performance and condition throughout the year. Consequently, we get a lot of questions about the feeding regimen in our kennel. Following is a summary of some of the key points to consider regarding daily feeding requirements.

Focus First on Hydration
Before you consider how to feed, you must address the top priority. Dehydration is likely the greatest risk you face when moving from your off-season routine into the hunting season. While dogs don't sweat, they lose water through a variety of other activities. The importance of a constant supply of clean, fresh water cannot be underestimated and is likely the greatest contribution you can make to the health of your dog. Maintain a steady supply of water throughout the year and allow your dog to replenish with frequent small doses while hunting.

Special Attention To Puppies
Puppies have 2-3 times the maintenance requirement of a similar sized adult. This makes it more difficult to meet their caloric needs as activity increases. We tell our customers that their puppy burns a lot of fuel but has a small tank. Consequently, we suggest feeding in small increments 3-4 times daily until at least six moths of age to make sure energy needs are met. Since obesity can also cause major health issues down the road, we avoid overfeeding to consistently maintain ideal body condition.

Adult Requirements
Feeding an adult dog is easy during the off-season since there is little fluctuation in their requirements. A fifty pound dog can generally maintain proper body condition on 1000-1500 calories daily with normal temperatures and activity levels. As activity increases for the hunting season, calorie requirements can increase by as much as 50%. It is important to monitor your dog to make sure he maintains the proper condition to perform at the desired level throughout the season.

Meal Time
In our kennel, we place a great deal of importance on feeding times. Whatever the age of your dog, it is important to time feedings to allow for proper digestion before periods of activity. Here are a few quick feeding tips to help you avoid digestive issues with your dog.

1. Avoid feeding in the heat of the day as this can result in increased body temperature caused by the digestive process.
2. Allow at least 2 hours between feeding and exercise to help avoid digestive issues like indigestion and bloat.
3. Break daily feeding into at least 2 meals (e.g. morning and evening) as this also helps avoid digestive issues.

It is also important to train your dog to eat when offered. This will allow you to more easily adhere to the tips noted above and avoid problems while maximizing performance.

A Winter Coat
We'll close with comments on how environmental factors affect calorie requirements. If your dog spends the winter in low temperatures, his body is forced to generate its own heat. He may need up to 30% more calories to generate the required body heat. If he's curled up indoors with you, though, it's best to avoid the extra calories and keep him lean and mean. This will make it easier to get him back into hunting form when the weather warms.

To learn more about Steve Ries and his training methods, visit www.topgungsps.com.

What Level Is Your Dog?

By Steve Ries

What The Levels Mean
The first thing most people ask when they see Native® performance dog food is what do the Energy Levels mean. The Energy Levels are simply an indicator of the caloric content of each formula. The higher the number, the higher the calorie content. Native was designed to make it easy to choose the level of food that will meet your dog's needs and all Levels are formulated to meet the nutritional requirements for all life stages.

Change Is Easy
With one exception, the ingredients are exactly the same in all of the Native products. The Energy Levels are increased by simply adjusting the balance of Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates in each formula. Since the ingredients are the same, you won't get digestive issues when you move from one Energy Level to another as your dog gets more active.

The one exception is that Native Level 1 uses primarily Lamb Meal while the other Levels use primarily Chicken Meal. This formula was created to meet the needs of dogs that have very sensitive stomachs and just seem to do better on Lamb than other meat proteins.

Energy Factors
With that said, there are several factors that will determine what Level is appropriate for your canine athlete. We have found the following factors to be the most important ones.

• Breed – As a rule, certain breeds tend to burn more calories than others.
• Age – Puppies tend to burn more calories than adults.
• Activity – Obviously, more active dogs burn more calories.

You should keep in mind as you consider these factors that there really are no hard and fast rules. Every dog is a little different and body condition should be evaluated on a regular basis to ensure that nutritional requirements are being met.

So What Level Is Your Dog?
The following are some recommended starting points that work well for most breeds. Again, this is just a starting point. If your dog is very active, move him up a level if it seems to help.

Formula	Puppies	Adults
Native Level 1	Large breed puppies Puppies with sensitive stomachs	Medium and large breeds with normal activity All breeds with sensitive stomachs
Native Level 2	Medium breed puppies Large breed puppies	Small & medium breeds - normal activity Large breed – active dogs
Native Level 3	Small & medium breed puppies Large breed puppies if limit fed	Small & medium breed – active dogs Large breed – very active dogs
Native Level 3 Puppy	Small & medium breed puppies Large breed puppies if limit fed	Small breed – very active dogs Dogs that must have very small kibble
Native Level 4	Small breed puppies Medium breed puppies if limit fed	Small breed – very active dogs Medium & large breed – very active dogs

Don't Forget The Water
As always, quality and quantity of water is the key to any nutritional program. We need to make sure the bowl is kept clean and full to maintain optimal health. We strongly encourage frequent cleaning of your food and water bowls to avoid the presence of bacteria and we try to never let the water bowl run dry. This may be the best thing you can do to keep your dog happy and healthy.

To learn more about Steve Ries and his training methods, visit www.topgungsps.com.

Transitioning To A New Dog Food

By Steve Ries

Changing To A New Food
As we talk to people about Native^® performance dog food, one question we are often asked is how to safely switch your dog to a new food. The answer is particularly important due to the nature of a high performance food. Performance foods are very nutrient dense since they don't contain “filler” type ingredients like corn, wheat, soy and by-products. They are formulated to enhance the performance of a very active dog, but they leave a smaller margin for error with regard to feeding quantity. The following are a few important points to keep in mind when considering a switch to a performance food.

Change Should Be Gradual
Because dogs are consistently fed the same diet, it can be hard on their digestive system to change foods too suddenly. When you make a change to your dog's diet, you should do it gradually by mixing progressively smaller quantities of the current food with larger quantities of the new food. We generally recommend a schedule like the following:

•    Days 1-3:    Mix 20% of the new food with 80% of the old food
•    Days 4-6:    Mix 40% of the new food with 60% of the old food
•    Days 7-9:    Mix 60% of the new food with 40% of the old food
•    Days 10-12:    Mix 80% of the new food with 20% of the old food
•    Day 13:    Feed 100% of the new food

This type of schedule should allow your dog to adjust to the new diet without indigestion. Keep in mind that you'll need to have six days worth of the old food on hand to get you through the transition.

Don't Overfeed
Many dogs have large appetites and will eat all you feed them so you need to be careful not to overfeed. Obesity, particularly at a young age, can cause serious health issues later in life. We recommend a performance food because your dog will be healthier and perform better, but they do have higher calories so you'll want to limit feed. While all foods have feeding guidelines on the package, these are really just a starting point. The best way to determine how much food your dog needs is to keep a close eye on body condition. If he looks too thin, feed him a little more. If he looks like he is carrying too much weight, scale him back a little bit at a time. He may act hungry but his body condition will tell you different.

Wait For The Payoff
One final thing to keep in mind is that it usually takes 4-8 weeks to see the full benefit of a new food. Normal signs of improvement like smaller, firmer stools should happen pretty quickly but improvements in skin, coat and endurance take a little longer. You'll want to give your new food at least a couple months before you evaluate the full effects. A bird dog with more energy and endurance means better hunting and more birds so the end result definitely makes a change worthwhile.

To learn more about Steve Ries and his training methods, visit www.topgungsps.com.

Pre-Season Conditioning

By Steve Ries

Health & More Birds
With the hunting season just around the corner, now is a good time to start thinking about conditioning your canine athlete for early season performance. We wouldn’t think about going out and running ten miles one day without some prior physical training and it doesn’t make any more sense to expect it from our dogs. By getting our dogs in shape before the season, we go a long way toward ensuring a healthier and more effective hunting companion.

A high level of physical fitness contributes to a dog’s mental fitness because a tired dog will focus less on commands and finding birds. Risk of injury is also reduced during both training and hunting when muscles and tendons are strong and joints well lubricated. Training the body to recover from a work out will prepare your dog for longer hunts and more days hunting.

Before You Start
Before you get to work, it is important to consider three factors that can have a tremendous impact on your dog’s ability to function at a high level. We recommend you think of the following before starting any conditioning program.

1. See Your Vet – A good overall examination will ensure that your dog is fit for training and free from clinical problems and parasites that could adversely affect health and performance.
2. Choose A Quality Food – Rather than focus on a specific brand let’s just agree that nutrition is very important. Your dog must consume high quality protein to build and repair muscle tissue. Its diet must also support the immune system and overall health with high quality vitamins and trace minerals.
3. Replenish Fluids – Making sure that your dog stays hydrated may be the single greatest factor in health during hunting. If your dog won’t drink water, find a good hydration supplement that encourages it to drink.

3 Steps To Fitness
Now we’ll get into the meat of the conditioning program. We base our conditioning program around three basic areas that compliment one another for a complete workout of the entire body and organs. You don’t need to do everything every day, but you should try to do something each day.

1. Roadwork – We road our dogs on gravel early in the morning when traffic is sparse. We hook four dogs to a harness to pull a four-wheeler three miles with the engine off. This helps build endurance and strength while conditioning the paws for the rigors of hunting. This should be done at least three days per week.
2. Fieldwork – During the heat of the afternoon, we “free lance” our dogs by letting them run and hunt in large pastured areas at a slow but steady pace. This allows the dog to improve lung capacity and scenting abilities at the same time. It is important to condition a dog in the same heat of the day that they will be exposed to during hunting. We “free lance” our dogs only on days that we don’t do roadwork and for no more than 45 minutes.
3. Swimming – We swim our dogs several nights a week to work different muscle groups while creating less stress on joints and tendons. We have noticed a big improvement in performance since introducing this to our program. We limit this to no more than an hour and often swim with them.

Developing a solid conditioning program is very important to the health and longevity of our canine friends. Make sure that you work into conditioning over a 30-45 day period before the start of the season. In the end, a fit dog is a better hunter and you’ll see better overall health and more birds in your freezer.

To learn more about Steve Ries and his training methods, visit www.topgungsps.com.

Pre-Season Conditioning

By Steve Ries 

Article originally appeared in “On the Wing”, a monthly email newsletter by Pheasants Forever.

Health & More Birds
With the hunting season just around the corner, now is a good time to start thinking about conditioning your canine athlete for early season performance. We wouldn't think about going out and running ten miles one day without some prior physical training and it doesn't make any more sense to expect it from our dogs. By getting our dogs in shape before the season, we go a long way toward ensuring a healthier and more effective hunting companion.

A high level of physical fitness contributes to a dog's mental fitness because a tired dog will focus less on commands and finding birds. Risk of injury is also reduced during both training and hunting when muscles and tendons are strong and joints well lubricated. Training the body to recover from a work out will prepare your dog for longer hunts and more days hunting.

Before You Start
Before you get to work, it is important to consider three factors that can have a tremendous impact on your dog's ability to function at a high level. We recommend you think of the following before starting any conditioning program.

1)    See Your Vet – A good overall examination will ensure that your dog is fit for training and free from clinical problems and parasites that could adversely affect health and performance.

2)    Choose A Quality Food – Rather than focus on a specific brand let's just agree that nutrition is very important. Your dog must consume high quality protein to build and repair muscle tissue while supporting his immune system and overall health with high quality vitamins and trace minerals.

3)    Replenish Fluids – Making sure that your dog stays hydrated may be the single greatest factor in health during hunting. If he won't drink water, find a good hydration supplement to encourage him to drink.

3 Steps To Fitness
Now we'll get into the meat of the conditioning program. We base our conditioning program around three basic areas that compliment one another for a complete workout of the entire body and organs. You don't need to do everything every day but you should try to do something each day.

1) Roadwork – We road our dogs on gravel early in the morning when traffic is sparse. We hook four dogs to a harness to pull a four-wheeler three miles with the engine off. This helps build endurance and strength while conditioning the paws for the rigors of hunting. This should be done at least three days per week.

2) Fieldwork – During the heat of the afternoon, we "free lance" our dogs by letting them run and hunt in large pastured areas at a slow but steady pace. This allows the dog to improve lung capacity and scenting abilities at the same time. It is important to condition a dog in the same heat of the day that they will be exposed to during hunting. We "free lance" our dogs only on days that we don't do roadwork and for no more than 45 minutes.

3) Swimming – We swim our dogs several nights a week to work different muscle groups while creating less stress on joints and tendons. We have noticed a big improvement in performance since introducing this to our program. We limit this to no more than an hour and often swim with them.

Developing a solid conditioning program is very important to the health and longevity of our canine friends. Make sure that you work into condition over a 30-45 day period before the start of the season. In the end, a fit dog is a better hunter and you'll see better overall health and more birds in your freezer.

To learn more about Steve Ries and his training methods, visit www.topgungsps.com

Choosing The Right Dog For You

By Chad Hines 

Article originally appeared in Pheasants Forever magazine.

Match Your Style
Certain things just go together well, and that applies to hunters and dogs. Dogs and their owners begin to resemble one another over time and take on characteristics of each other's personalities. There's some truth to that, but there are also mismatches that take place. Some dogs and hunters should not be together because there is too much difference between performance and expectation.

A Question of Range
A common problem is hunters who expect dogs to hunt close but buy a puppy that's bred to range and find birds. In most cases, a hunter buys a breed he has heard good things about, and then spends his time reining the dogs in too tightly. This is known as over-controlling and can damage the dog's bird-finding ability. You need to be honest with yourself about your expectations, and buy a breed of dog that matches your hunting style. If you already have a dog that doesn't match your style, you should come to terms with that and let your dog's natural abilities develop.

Do You And Your Dog Match?
It's important to recognize your preferred hunting style. If you have a pointing dog that likes to cover ground, and you're constantly on the whistle or pushing the buttons on your e-collar, the two of you are possibly not meant for each other. Most pointing breeds are meant to range so you don't have to stay with him and cover all the same ground. If you trust your dog to hold birds, you can let him range a little. You can always hustle over to him when the chase gets hot or you know they're on point. Letting go of control can mean more birds and happier days in the field.

Why Over-Controlling can be detrimental
Over-controlling your dog can have negative affects you may not realize. An over-controlled dog may focus on where you want him instead of on finding birds. He becomes more worried about making a mistake than following his hunting instincts. In this light, you can see why it's so important to trust your dog and let him hunt. Don't confuse letting him hunt, though, with being lax on discipline. Your dog needs to follow through with commands. He can't read signs and doesn't know where you have permission to hunt. Lack of discipline can also be dangerous as he trails a bird out toward a road with traffic.

Good Hunter, Good Citizen
Many people want a great hunting dog that is also a good pet. If you want your hunting dog to be a good family dog, you need to make sure that's what your breeder is breeding. The best way to do this is to research the breeder and ask many questions. You should also look at the parents to make sure they have the kind of personality you want in your dog. Consider all of this before bringing your kids to see the puppies or it may be too late. Kids and cute puppies have a way of going home together.

Freedom To Hunt Under Control
Like good employers that understand employees and turn them loose to do what they do best, you have to allow your dog to hunt. The years you spend together with your dog can be fun or frustrating. Consider this carefully as you choose a dog or come to terms with the one you already own.

To learn more about Chad's training methods, visit www.willowcreekkennels.net.

It's The Training, Not The Tool!

By Susan Barnes

Article originally appeared in “On the Wing”, a monthly e-mail newsletter by Pheasants Forever
 
While on a radio show, I was told of young pointing dog that was taken out to hunt his first birds, the owner relying on an e-collar (electronic collar) to help keep the dog close.  The dog hit the open field and was gone.  The owner called the dog and pressed the transmitter button to no avail. Their day of "hunting" came to a close with only one find…the dog 4 hours later. Many unsuccessful e-collar stories take on a similar theme and often the collar or dog is blamed for the failure.  As owners and trainers we must understand that our equipment is only as effective as the operator and the training. 

Understanding The Tool
It is important to understand that an e-collar itself is not the answer. Knowing how to use it properly is what creates success.  Simply pressing a button does not install "Microsoft dog".  That would be like suggesting that buying the best shotgun on the market would make a person a skilled hunter and crack shot.  The tool can be VERY effective, but the METHOD, KNOWLEDGE and SKILL of the user are what create success or failure.

Making Your Dog Collar Literate
We start all of our dogs' e-collar training away from the field.  With dogs as young as 6 months, we build a foundation; teaching the dog to understand the language of the "stimulation".  Stimulation is used to get the dog's attention and also to teach the command with which it is applied.  The dog must learn that performance of the command stops the stim, which "marks" the correct behavior or response.

Introduction to the e-collar begins with finding the right level of intensity to get the dog's attention. With the dog on a long line, we allow them to move away from us and tap, tap, tap on the nick button until the dog turns and begins to move toward us.  We may say nothing initially to allow the dog to focus without the interference of verbal associations, but we eventually add the command "here" or "come" to give the behavioral response a name.  As the dog learns, the number of taps should decrease while confidence and consistency increase.

Understanding The Dog's Response
It is important that you understand that the stim is an unknown when introduced and dogs can respond many different ways to the new sensation. Some turn and come immediately, some lie down and others may even freeze. This occurs due to confusion and to get through this you must assist the dog in performing the expected behavior while still applying the stim until the dog is correct. Remember, this can also happen with a dog that knows a command but is not e-collar "literate". Many people make the mistake of assuming their dog should know the way to respond to the stim and instead of assisting and teaching the dog the correct response they either stop the stim (marking the incorrect behavior) or adjust the stim thinking this will motivate the dog to respond. It is important that you recognize that the e-collar is a communication tool and using it incorrectly or inconsistently is no different than speaking on a cell phone with bad reception….its confusing, annoying and the message is usually not conveyed effectively.  

Taking It To The Next Level
Understanding and applying this method to all commands with consistency will produce a top performing dog in the field and in the home. These are just a few of the basics and by no means all that goes into introducing the e-collar to your dog. The next time you pull an e-collar from your training bag, consider whether you are using it to train your dog or just control and correct him.  Making the most of that e-collar will help make your dog successful provided you use it to its potential and employ sound training methods. It is the knowledge, skill and ability in using an e-collar skillfully that creates great hunters, champions and even the best companions.

To learn more about Native Pro Staffer Sue Barnes, visit www.mytdog.org.

Tips for Beginning Retriever Training

By Todd Sterrett

Article originally appeared in “On the Wing”, a monthly e-mail newsletter by Pheasants Forever

Train To Your Expectations
There are many schools of thought regarding the best methods for training a finished retriever. The extent and style of training will often depend on the activities you plan to perform with your dog. For example, your standards of acceptable training may be very different if you plan to do a lot of Hunt Tests or Field Trials versus an effective dog for recreational hunting. We tailor our training to the individual needs of the dog owner.

Most retrievers from good hunting lines will show natural tendencies to hold, carry and retrieve objects in their mouths. Some pups will retrieve directly to your hand with very little or no training. Others will drop things on the ground or just run around playing keep-away. Our goal is to develop a finished bird dog that consistently delivers birds to heel and hand. In order to achieve consistent delivery, force/hold and force-fetching a puppy is ideal around 6 months of age or whenever his adult teeth have come in.

Basics Don't Change
Whether for hunting or competition, there are some basic "Do's & Don'ts" for retrieve training that are fairly constant. These are essential to build the foundation for a well conditioned bird dog that consistently retrieves to your expectations.

Basic Do's & Don'ts

1. When the pup gets to the point it is no longer returning to you with an object, put a check cord on the pup so they are forced to return to you.
2. Praise your pup when he returns to you and while he is still holding the object in his mouth. Do not remove the object immediately, let him hold it and praise him.
3. Watch the corrections you give when retrieving. Higher drive pups can be corrected more while with a lower desire retrieving pup you may need to do less correcting.
4. Start by throwing retrieves in confined areas. This helps limit distractions and encourages direct returns. A hallway works great for doing this.
5. Avoid training sessions being too long. Keep them fun and make them successful.
6. Introduce your pup to birds and feathers as young as possible. Getting a puppy into water at a young age is always a great idea as well.

Right From The Start
If possible, it is much better to avoid undesirable behavior from the start since it is much easier to learn proper behavior when you don't have to unlearn improper behavior first. From a very early age, it is essential to consistently reinforce the behavior you want. If the pup is picking things up and carrying them, use encouragement to get him to bring it to you. When he brings it to you, praise him and let him enjoy the prize with you. The most important thing is to start your pup off right by making it fun to retrieve the right way every time.

To learn more about Todd’s training methods, visit www.arrowheadkennels.net.

Determining Factors In Bird Dog Abilities

By Steve Ries

Laying A Genetic Foundation
In more than fifteen years of breeding dogs, we have taken great care in selecting traits for hunting, conformation, and overall health in order to ensure a quality household and hunting companion. We have learned that breeding opposites together will not necessarily produce "happy mediums" nor does the "give and take" method used by convenient mating make consistent litters of individual offspring.

We read classified ads with words like natural ability, proven hunters, guaranteed, etc. and can't help but cringe as a breeder and trainer knowing how little these terms can mean. Experience and many dollars in tuition have taught us that genetic progress is made with strict selection practices that balance traits and focus on breed improvement. These practices may include spaying or neutering an animal with trait defects and proving breeding animals through performance testing and health certification. Taking shortcuts to reach your goals will rarely produce the desired traits. In the end, the quality of your hunting companion will come down to three basic factors in ability.

Natural Ability
This is the ability God has given each individual animal based on the traits brought forward from their parents. Pointers should naturally point just like retrievers should naturally retrieve and flushers should naturally flush. These untrained traits are displayed naturally when exposed to hunting situations. Have you stopped to wonder what is going through that young pointing dog's mind when he is pointing that first pheasant or quail? Do you think there is excitement or fear during that first duck chase across the open water by a young retriever? All great hunting companions have natural traits and abilities bred into them from selected breeding plans that were conceived well before his litter.

Train-Ability
This is the ability to learn and retain commands through repetition and experience. Many trainers would agree that these traits are often overlooked or misunderstood in a solid breeding program. When we have a student come into our training program, a strong desire by a dog to learn what is needed and expected of them to move forward in training creates a true pleasure for the trainer. These dogs move to the head of the class through a willingness to retain the training and achieve higher goals than fellow classmates.

Bid-Ability
This might be a new word for many dog owners and some would suggest that bid-ability is the most important of the three. Bid-ability is how an individual dog responds to a correction or whether there is a willingness to accept training at all. Signs of bid-ability can range from excessive alpha dominance, an animal that will not submit to your needs, to excessive timidity in dogs that avoid any training stress at all. Bid-ability can be difficult to determine without a willingness by the breeder to prove sires, dams or offspring through standard performance tests. There are many events available to demonstrate these traits and a reputable breeder and trainer will use them to prove a well rounded dog from a well balanced line.

Bringing It All Together
It is important to consider all three factors in ability when selecting a hunting companion. Choosing proven dogs from reputable kennels is the best way to ensure your companion is the product of healthy trait selection that evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of both the breed and the individual dog. Nothing guarantees your hunting success, but your chances are greatly improved when your hunting companion displays a great combination of natural ability, train-ability and bid-ability earned through exhaustive trait selection.

To learn more about Steve Ries and his training methods, visit www.topgungsps.com.