Generalize Your Dog

Last fall, your writer met a young man in Maine who was on his first season of grouse hunting and the first for his young Brittany.  Hearing from young hunters and their experiences is always fun.  The young man said his dog was locating and pointing birds fine but wasn’t retrieving well.  Further questioning revealed that the dog had had some retrieving training with a dummy in the back yard and only the back yard.  This dog was never generalized with his training.

What does the word generalized mean when referring to dog training?  If a dog has been taught a command or action in the same location during every training exercise, it will often not respond to the command in a different location.  The repetitiveness of the command in the same location imprinted that location and command in the dog’s brain.  The dog has difficulty transferring the imprint to a different location.  Generalizing is executing the command in different locations.  That ensures the dog will respond properly in any location or environment. 

Introducing a command and doing most of the early training in one location is permissible.  When you see that your dog is grasping the command and providing the desired behavior in a fairly consistent manner, then start changing your location.  Go from the front yard to the back yard, from the yard to a field, from a field to a wooded area, from dry conditions to wet and warm to cool.  You want your dog to respond to the command in every situation you may encounter during hunting season.

Several years ago, a good friend called to tell me he was invited by a business associate to hunt a preserve.  Although an avid big game hunter, he had never hunted upland birds.  He told me they were getting the deluxe package; guides, pointing dogs and lunch.  Although happy for him, I was feeling a bit guilty for having never invited him to hunt grouse over my dogs.  My friend called me about one week later all excited after spending the morning hunting pheasants over two English pointers.  I asked him how the dogs worked.  He told me that, as soon as the dogs were released, they ran hard to a small brush pile and then stopped and pointed.  The guide kicked the  brush pile but nothing was there.  The guide then commented “guess they didn’t plant a bird there”, released the dogs and on they went.  My friend said that happened once more.  These dogs were conditioned to think there would always be a bird in that first pile of brush. This was not what we call an unproductive due to a fading scent cone.  These dogs were conditioned that they would always find a bird in that location…nothing to do with scent.  Most likely, this is the only work these dogs get.  They need to be generalized by hunting them in many different locations…and even different species of birds.

Most pointing dog people accept that the “whoa” command is the most important command to be taught.  The command helps to steady-up your dog and is also a huge tool in your tool box for use when a dog is running toward a road or chasing a deer.  If whoa has only been taught in the front yard and never in the field, then expecting compliance while hunting is unrealistic.  The dog must be generalized to the command. 

The recall command (here or come), falls under the same rules.  If all recall work is done in the yard, expect spotty compliance in the field.  Again, the dog must be generalized to the command.

Here’s another way to look at it.  If you played basketball and practiced your jump shot from exactly the same distance and location every time, your shooting percentage would be very poor in a game when you must take the shot from several different locations and distance to the basket.

Generalize your dog to your commands and you’ll be much more pleased with the result while hunting this fall.

Paul Fuller is host of the Bird Dogs Afield TV program.  Paul’s website is www.birddogsafield.com.

Developing The Point

Recently, I was asked if I would take a look at the bird work of a one-year-old Vizsla.  The owner had very good luck force breaking the dog to fetch but was having serious problems with pointing.  I’m not a professional trainer, however; I’ve watched many accomplished trainers at work and usually can provide productive suggestions. I’ve also walked (and ran) behind some of the finest pointing dogs in the country.

Let’s begin by defining a point.  Most four legged predators pause before they strike their prey…it’s a natural instinct.  Many of us have seen predators such as fox or house cats in a field searching for mice. Once located, usually by scent, they pause in an attempt to identify the location of the prey and then they strike.  Over a few centuries, mankind has made our pointing dog elongate that pause into what we call a point and has gradually made the point instinctive. 

Now the water gets a little muddy.  An argument can be made that the elongated point is not instinctive since dogs are predators and predators pounce on their prey.  Or, have those two or three centuries of training created a genetic propensity to hold the point?  In my opinion, it depends upon the breed.  The traditional English setter and pointer (often referred to as an English pointer) are truly natural pointers.  The gene is firmly entrenched.  For the versatile breeds, and the Vizsla is a versatile breed, pointing was just one of many jobs they were assigned.  Tracking was most often given greater importance than pointing.  Therefore, developing the point with a versatile breed often takes just a little longer than with an English pointer or setter.

Before we get back to the gentleman who asked me to look at his young Vizsla, it’s important to understand that nothing is guaranteed in a breed.  It’s possible to have a Weimaraner (versatile breed) that excels in pointing over every pure pointer it encounters. It’s difficult to predict which trait in a dog is going to rise to the top and make a superior hunting dog.  I have a friend, Tom Rideout of Sturtevant Pond Camps in Maine, that always has a world class Vizsla.  Tom’s dogs are a treat to hunt over.

Now that we’ve added some breed background, let’s go back to the gentleman who asked me to look at his young Vizsla work in the field.  With all dog training, it’s important to go back to very basics.  Whether this dog has a great deal of pointing instinct or just a smidgeon, that instinctive seed can be nurtured and developed.  If you’re short on time, then take your dog to a professional trainer.  If you have time and enjoy watching your dog develop, then here’s a good exercise to begin the process, and this is what I recommended to the Vizsla owner.  First, teach your dog the “whoa” command.  After your dog demonstrates a full understanding and compliance with the command “whoa”, introduce it to birds in a controlled manner.  Here’s an old and tried method that is in the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association “little green book”.

Get some penned raised quail or a barn pigeon.  Tie about an eight foot string to the bird.  Tie the string to an eight foot pole.  Plant the bird in some heavy cover with a friend holding the pole and keeping the string fairly straight.  Approach the bird with at least a ten-foot check cord attached to the dog.  Two important points are to be made here.  Don’t let your dog see the bird or catch the bird.  As your dog approaches the bird, it will eventually identify the scent and hesitate.  When it hesitates, give it a gentle “whoa” command to firm up the dog.  Then approach the dog and gently push the dog forward from his behind.  He’ll resist and stay staunch.  If the dog makes any effort to pounce on the bird, hold the check cord firmly and have your friend quickly pull the bird from its hiding place and thrust it far forward of the dog.  Do this exercise several times over a week or two and you’ll make great strides in developing the pointing instinct in your dog.

Paul Fuller is host of the Bird Dogs Afield TV program.  Paul’s website is www.birddogsafield.com.

Neuter Your Dog?

Whether to neuter our young dogs is a difficult question for many dog owners.  I’ve mentioned in this column before that my father was a veterinarian.  We had a separate kennel just for our sporting dogs, and it was always full of setters and beagles.  Dad never neutered any of our sporting dogs.  He always felt that if we had a young pup that turned into a field champion, he wanted to make sure we could enjoy off-spring from that dog.

Before we cover the health issues of neutering or not neutering, let’s discuss some of the non-health issues.  For males, there is a desire to wander in an effort to find a female in-season.  Many years ago, we had a female Doberman in the house.  During every heat cycle, completely strange and unknown male dogs would turn-up in the front yard looking for that female in estrus.  And, many dog owners simply don’t want the mess of a female in heat.  The importance of these social issues must be weighed by each individual dog owner.

More important than the social issues and inconvenience of an unneutered dog are the health issues involved.  Let’s begin with the male and the positive health reasons for removing the testes.  The number one reason we often hear for removing the testes is the avoidance of testicular cancer.  This may be valid, however, the actual potential of your dog dying from testicular cancer is very small.  Some reports say less than 1%.  And, even if testicular cancer develops, the cure rate is very good.

Let’s weigh this small positive reason (above) for neutering a male against the negative health issues.  Neutered males have an increased risk of bone sarcoma (cancer); an increased risk on urinary tumors and an increased risk of obesity which may cause diabetes, joint issues and skin disease.  There are also some professionals that feel neutering increases the chance of canine dementia.

Now, let’s look at the female.  First, the positive reasons for neutering.  The number one health issue an unneutered female canine has is mammary tumors. Mammary tumors often become cancerous. Plus, uterus and ovary infections are also common.  Although uterus and ovary tumors are possible, the risk is low.

Here are the negative reasons for neutering a female.  As with males, bone sarcoma is a real threat and is often fatal.  There are other cancers such as cancer of the spleen which is also very dangerous.  And, along with males, the opportunity for obesity, and resulting health issues, is greater with a neutered female canine.

There are two key people who should be consulted before making your decision whether to neuter your dog.  They are your trusted veterinarian and your breeder.  Your veterinarian will brief you on the latest studies and his experience with each issue.  The breeder will know if neutering has been a positive or negative experience with his line of dogs.  Good luck with a very difficult decision.

Paul Fuller is host of the Bird Dogs Afield TV program.  Paul’s website is www.birddogsafield.com.

First Year Pup

The glory time has arrived…hunting season.  How sweet it is.  And the good news is that the grouse and woodcock numbers are very promising from Minnesota to Maine.  Several professional trainers who began training dogs on wild birds in late July have reported two or three times the flushes compared to the same time last year. 

The season is here; however, is that young pup ready for birds?  I’ve had dozens of folks email me in the past several months with news of a new puppy in the household.  They’re all excited about hunting over their pup. From setters to pointers to versatile breeds, everyone feels they have the next grouse or woodcock field champion. 

Depending upon the age and level of training, don’t expect too much from your pup.  Although I know professional guides, who live in the woods and that have never shown their dog a pen raised bird, most of us don’t have that exposure to wild birds.  Therefore, a few steps should be taken to help the pup through their first season of hunting birds.  Let’s assume your pup is six months or younger.  Even if you’re heading to bird camp in just a few weeks, there is still time to prepare your pup for maximum benefit from their first season.

Your author is a firm believer in puppy obedience classes.  They offer the pup an opportunity to socialize with other pups and they’ll learn basic obedience.  Almost every town, small or large, has someone teaching puppy obedience.  This will make the experience in the field more enjoyable for everyone; owner and pup.

Steps should be taken to help develop natural abilities.  This includes the predator drive.  Expose the pup to a couple of pen-raised birds.  I like to put a bird in a small cage and then have the pup approach the cage without a lead or check cord.  The cage prevents the bird from flapping their wings in the pup’s face which could cause bird shyness. Pups typically run around the cage and sniff the bird several times.  This is good. 

A pup should also be run in the woods several times before heading to camp.  Any woods are good…just make sure they’ve had contact with brush and different topography.  If you’ve got a fast-moving, high-energy pup (like most pointing breeds), you may consider a chest protector for the youngster as they learn to move quickly through the woods. And then there is shooting.  Do not take a pup to a shooting range to “break them in.” This could cause a permanent gun shy pup.  Do it slowly.  Begin with a .22 caliber pistol at fifty yards and then a .410 shotgun at 100 yards and then slowly decrease the distance.  It’s best if the pup is pre-occupied with something…like sniffing a pen raised bird in a cage.

Another very important issue is introduction to bells or beepers…or both.  For bells, begin with something very small like something you might find on a Christmas toy.  Without the bell being on the dog, shake the bell while walking around the house while the dog is playing or pre-occupied; like eating their dinner.  After a week of making bell noise, affix the bell to the collar of your pup.  After a couple of days, attach a larger hunting bell.  You should be ready to go.  For a beeper, diminish the volume by putting duct tape over the beeper.  Then, while beeping put it on a carpeted floor and, with a towel covering the beeper, allow it to beep for two or three minutes.  Your pup will probably walk around the beeping noise and be curious.  Expose the pup three of four times to the beeper while on the floor. Then, with the beeper still muffled with duct tape, place the collar on your pup.  There may be a mild reaction; however, if introduced properly, the pup will soon ignore the beep.  On my own dogs, I use a bell for continuous contact and an on-point only beeper function.

Be sure the pup has been introduced to riding in the truck for more than a quick trip to the grocery store.  Bird camp could be a day or two drive and you don’t want a pup that is continuously sick or overly nervous about riding in a vehicle. 

Finally, don’t expect too much from your pup while in the field.  After all, it’s just a pup.  It takes three years minimum to develop a good bird dog.  The first hunting season should be all about having puppy fun.  If you get a bird find or even a flash point, be happy. 

Paul Fuller is host of the Bird Dogs Afield TV program.  Paul’s website is www.birddogsafield.com.

Avoiding Canine Bloat

She became very restless and kept looking at her stomach.  At this time of the evening, she’s typically lying down on a dog bed in the living room. I’m talking about our three year old German shorthaired pointer; a breed that is prone to gastric dilatation-volvulus or most commonly known as “bloat.”  Both my wife and I watched her closely until she finally settled down and went to sleep.  She was okay; evidently just a short-term digestive issue.

Bloat, however, is a very serious issue with many sporting breeds.  In fact, it’s been reported that bloat is the second leading killer of dogs…second only to cancer.  Deep chested dogs are most commonly affected by bloat.  Although any dog could develop bloat, those sporting breeds which are most at risk are Chesapeake bay retriever, springer spaniel, golden retriever, Gordon setter, German shorthaired pointer, Irish setter, Labrador retriever, weimaraner and many breeds from the hound group.

Here’s a more detailed explanation of bloat.  It’s generally felt that bloat is caused by an excessive amount of air which is swallowed and then accumulated in the stomach.  What actually happens is the stomach swells from the excess air and eventually may twist.  In fact, it can twist 90 to 360 degrees.  The twisting will eventually cut off any flow between the upper attachment (the esophagus) and the lower attachment (the upper intestine) which means air, food and water are now trapped in the stomach.  The twisting also cuts off the flow of blood which means very low blood pressure, shock and damage to internal organs.  Add all these problems together and the result can be, very quickly, a dead dog.

The causes of bloat are not entirely defined by the canine medical fraternity; however, it’s most commonly thought that the following contribute to bloat:  stress resulting from unfamiliar surroundings, boarding, new dog introduced to the pack and whelping; eating habits which include eating too fast, eating from elevated bowls, too much water before or after eating; exercise before and after eating; heredity; physical characteristics such as a deep chest, large dogs and male dogs.

Symptoms of bloat are many.  The issue we have here is that from the on-set of symptoms, we often have little time to get our beloved dog to a veterinarian for treatment.  So, understand your dog’s normal behavior and always be alert for symptoms.  The most common symptoms are restlessness, attempts to vomit (unsuccessfully), hunched up appearance, tight or hard abdomen, pale gums, heavy salivating, whining, pacing, licking the air, looking at their stomach, refusal to sit or lie down, eating grass or twigs, fearful or anxious.  

Remembering the old adage that prevention is worth an ounce of cure, here are a few ideas the experts suggest you consider.  Avoid excessive stress, avoid elevated food bowls, feed two or three times daily rather than once, use a bowl that prevents rapid eating, avoid exercise one hour before and one hour after eating, make meals a happy time and avoid a food with brewer’s yeast.

We never know when bloat will occur and, when it does, it’s an emergency.  Be sure to have a 24 hour emergency veterinarian clinic telephone number handy…you never know when it will be needed.  Also, be sure to ask your veterinarian for information regarding bloat.  This column was written from personal knowledge and research from different sources; however, it’s not meant to replace good veterinarian advice.

Paul Fuller is host of the Bird Dogs Afield TV program.  Paul’s website is www.birddogsafield.com.

Conditioning

August means we need to get serious about conditioning…for both the dog owner and the dog.  Depending upon where you live, hunting season may be only one month away. 

First, the dog owner.  To enjoy hunting season, your heart, lungs and legs must be conditioned for long walks and, in certain areas, climbing mountains.  If you haven’t been exercising, begin slowly and then work up to longer hikes.  One mile of daily walking is a good start with five miles your goal within 30 days.  If mid-September is your opener, you’ll be ready for serious bird hunting.

Now let’s talk about your dog.  Your loyal companion should be with you on those walks you’ve been taking or are about ready to begin.  Make your exercise program have a dual purpose.  During hunting season, your dog typically runs three times the distance you walk.  That’s for a ruffed grouse dog.  If you’re hunting prairie birds, then it could be four to five times the distance you walk.  Your dog needs to be conditioned also or you’re heading for serious health issues…maybe even death.

On many of the Facebook gun dog groups, a frequent question is what brand dog food do you feed?  Each time that question is asked, there are at least 30 responses…and most are different from the others.  Food is the fuel that fires up everything in your dog’s body.  The quality of that fuel is important.  Put a cheap, poorly processed gasoline in your vehicle and the vehicle will run rough and most likely sustain damage.  The same goes for your dog.  The following are guidelines for selecting a quality dog food.

First, you want to feed your dog a food that has been formulated for the working dog.  That dog food will contain the highest quality natural meats and grains with no corn, wheat or soy or by-products.  Corn, wheat and soy, and meat by-products, are often used as filler to reduce the cost of production.  Corn, wheat and soy are difficult to digest for dogs.  That means that the manufacturer filled the dog food bag with junk which simply passes through the dog with little nutritional value.  Another ingredient to watch for is Brewer’s Rice.  It’s a by-product of brewing and has only 25-33% of its nutritional value when added to dog food.

For the canine athlete, a food with 30% protein and 20% fat is considered ideal for the dog that is worked 3-4 times weekly.  Check the label to ensure your feed meets that requirement.  As mentioned earlier, both the fat and protein content must come from quality ingredients.  Other ingredients that identify a quality food are the addition of natural oxidants to promote longer and healthier life; chelated minerals (mineral combined with amino acids) for better health; prebiotics for better digestion and Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids to improve the immune system and give your dog that nice glossy coat.

One more key item to check. kCal (calories per cup) is a measurement often used by pro-trainers.  A high quality dog food formulated for the working dog contains about 500 kCals.  Check your current dog food for kCals.

A high quality dog food usually costs more.  However, a well formulated food will mean less food needed for your dog so the end result is about the same as the cost for a junk food.

Your author has fed Native Performance Dog Food for years and has had excellent results.  It meets all the above requirements and also comes in four different protein/fat levels to meet the activity level of your dog.   No other dog food manufacturer provides this flexibility. 

Be ready for hunting season; start thinking about conditioning for both you and your dog.  Do both you and your dog a favor; switch to Native Performance Dog Food today.

Paul Fuller is host of the Bird Dogs Afield TV program.  Paul’s website is www.birddogsafield.com.

What is Line Breeding?

A recent email from Aaron:  Paul, my long time hunting buddy is getting old and I need to get a puppy this spring.  A pointer kennel I’m looking at advertises many years of conscientious line breeding.  What is line breeding?

Your author is not a veterinarian or genetic scientist; however, I can give a layman’s answer to this question. Animal breeders typically talk about two types of breeding: in-breeding and line breeding.  Let’s look at each.

In-breeding is something we’ve all heard about at some point in our lives; it’s incestuous breeding between two immediate family members such as parent-child or between two siblings.  In-breeding prevents genetic diversity.  This means that a puppy could inherit an identical, but undesirable, gene from both parents.  If only one parent has the undesirable gene, there is much less chance of the gene becoming dominant.  The technical term for inheriting two identical genes from the same parent is homozygosis.  The result of close in-breeding could result in many diseases and health issues including hip dysplasia, poor immune system, both male and female sterility, sight problems…and much more.

Line breeding is, amongst purebreds, an acceptable form of in-breeding.  Since the initial genetic pool for purebreds was small, the probability that two copies of any given gene will be identical, within a purebred strain of dogs, will be high.  In fact, the whole concept behind line breeding is to breed good genes into a litter of pups.  Line breeding is the foundation for selective breeding which has given us chickens with large all-white-meat breasts and cows that produce more milk.

For dogs, good breeders have been striving for years, through line breeding, to produce puppies with correct standards, good temperament, and, for sporting dogs, animals that have better scenting ability, locate more birds, stay staunch on point and retrieve reliably.  Of course, harnessing all these wonderful characteristics can also mean harnessing undesirable genes.  So, how does a responsible breeder help ensure that his line breeding captures as many of the good genes as possible but avoids the undesirable genes?  The first step is to make sure the sire and dam are in very good health.  This is crucial to good line breeding; it helps avoid the unwanted health issue gene.  The second step is to breed to healthy dogs that have the trait you want to introduce or strengthen in your line of dogs.  Here is additional information for good line breeding.

The United States, with all of our sophisticated technology, has, in my opinion, lagged behind in helping breeders with smart decisions for line breeding. My father was a veterinarian.  We had a kennel full of English setters and beagles.  Beagles, however, were what we bred and raised for both brace field trials and rabbit hunting.  My father used to talk about an in-breeding coefficient; a method of determining the relationship between sire and dam.  A low coefficient meant very little relationship and a high coefficient meant a very high relationship.  However, the “in-breeding coefficient”, if I recall, was only used in Europe.  Dad said that we didn’t have the record keeping in this country to use the “in-breeding coefficient”.

Here’s the formula my father used.  He felt that there should be at least three generations of separation for line breeding.  He liked five generations or more, but felt three was satisfactory.  Dad recognized that maintaining a good line-breeding program with five generations of separation would be difficult...too many years to reach your objective.  So, my simple answer for Aaron:  check the pedigree of the sire and dam producing the litter and watch for repetitive names in those pedigrees.  If you find repetitive names within three generations, I suggest you look for another litter.

Here’s one final comment on line breeding.  Genetic research is progressing dramatically every year.  Within a few years, I’m sure that there will be a simple and inexpensive method of checking for unhealthy breeding in a sire and dam.  We’ve all seen the ads on TV that say “Show me the CarFax.” This document reportedly lists any accidents in which a used car has been involved.  Someday soon you’ll say to a breeder “let me see the CanineGeneFax”.

In simple and layman’s terms, I hope this article has been helpful.  And, although he’s been gone for years, I want to thank my Dad for allowing me, as a young boy, to sit and listen to his adult conversations with fellow dog breeders.

Paul Fuller is host of the Bird Dogs Afield TV program.  Paul’s website is www.birddogsafield.com.