Using Place Boards

Get five pro trainers in a room and you’ll get five different answers to a training question; and they all could be right.  The use or non-use of place boards in training bird dogs is one of those questions that could produce five different answers.  In this article, we’re going to talk primarily about theory; the actual teaching of place board use is a whole different article.

A place board is just that…a board.  The size can change depending upon the size of the dog being trained.  For a larger dog, a 2’ x 3’ board will work well.  They are typically elevated to ensure the dog recognizes the board from a distance or in heavy grass.  Although 2” x 4” elevated boards are often used, some trainers like the board to be higher.  Twelve-to-eighteen inch high boards are common also.  That’s the physical description; now let’s talk about the purpose.

The purpose of a place board is to teach a dog to stand (or sit) still in one place.  We associate that behavior with a command such as stay, sit or whoa.  We lead the dog onto the board and then give them the command.  We restrain the dog so they have no option except to stay on the board.  We then reward them for staying on the board.  That’s a very simplified process for teaching a dog to either sit or stand still on a place board. 

Now let’s examine how place board training is useful for both retrievers and pointing dogs.  For retrievers, place board training is used to make a retriever sit in one place and, often, for very long periods of time.  Waterfowl hunters sit in blinds for hours and they want their retriever to do the same.  When the command is given to fetch downed birds, the dog leaves its position and does his job.  That’s all pretty straight forward and it’s easily understood why the place board training is useful for a retriever.

For pointing dogs, the purpose of the place board becomes cloudy.  Just check on one of the gun dog forums and you’ll find the use of place boards for pointing dogs being debated for days on end.  On the positive side, just about everything we teach pointing dogs is done while the dog is still.  Teaching the “whoa” command and being steady to wing and shot are examples.  Sounds good…right?  Yes, it is good.  But issues could develop later if place board training is not handled correctly.  The issue is the transition between an artificial “place” and a natural “place” in the woods or fields. 

Personally, I feel place board training for a pointing dog can be very useful if it’s started early…say six months of age.  Begin with yard training; a four inch high board would be sufficient. Teach the pup to stay on the board initially for ten seconds and then progress to one minute and the two minutes, etc.  Then move the board to a field and even the woods.  Once the pup has learned to stand still on the board, then transition the training to a piece of carpet.  The carpeting will be easier to handle and provides a slow transition from a board to natural turf.  Also, continue to change location. 

As the training progresses, and the pointing dog remains standing on the “board”, it’s now time to introduce birds.  With the dog on the board and on a lead, have a helper pull a pen raised bird from a bag and simply throw the bird up and away from the dog.  If properly trained on the “board”, the dog should not move when the bird is released.  After a few bird sessions with the dog on the “board”, remove the board and continue with the birds.  You’ve transitioned the dog from a recognizable “board” to natural turf. 

For a pointing dog, the transition is the cloudy part.   No one wants a pointing dog that needs to look for a “board” when it encounters scent.  However, if you make the transition from board to carpet to natural turf slowly and carefully, the dog should transition easily.  If you have reservations about using a place board, check with a pro-trainer.  They'll be able to assist you with the transition and give you that “brag dog” you’ve always wanted.  

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

How Old is My Dog?

How old is my dog?  Your author recently received an email from a young man saying he couldn’t afford to buy a hunting dog so he adopted a German shorthair pointer from a shelter.  The shelter told him they thought it was about one year old but not sure.  His email asked if I could give him a few tips on determining his new dog’s age.

We’ve all heard the formula that one human year equals seven dog years.  Dogs simply age much faster than humans.  That formula is an average. Small dogs are known to live longer than large dogs.  Small dogs tend to mature earlier and more quickly and large dogs mature more quickly when they’re older.  We have German shorthairs and they are known to live a long and healthy life; frequently reaching ages of 14 to 15.  We’ve had a Great Dane that was ancient at ten.

There are a few clues that will help a dog owner determine the general age of a dog.  If your dog’s eyes have a bluish cloud, he’s at least half way through his life expectancy.  Our older dog is nine and the bluish cloud is developing.  Graying hair around the muzzle is also a tell-tale sign of age.  Our older dog developed gray muzzle hair around the age of seven.

Your dog not running as fast as you think he should is a sign of age.  Younger bird dogs run like the wind…older dogs save their energy.  After running and resting, an older dog might be stiff and take longer to get up after a rest.  No different than humans, we all tire more quickly as we get older.

If you want to spend the extra money, a veterinarian can take x-rays and look at the bones and organs of a dog for clues about the dog’s age.  If you asked a veterinarian to assist you with determining the age of your dog, the first thing he’ll probably do is look at the teeth.  Teeth tell a story.  Here’s a guideline for determining age by the teeth.

A puppy usually has a full mouth of baby teeth by eight weeks.  By seven months, all the pup’s permanent teeth have developed and are visible and nice and white.  Teeth at the one to two year age are a little bit duller than puppy teeth and rear teeth may begin to yellow.  At the three to five year bracket, all teeth have some tartar build-up and need to be cleaned.  Wear may also begin to show.  At the five to ten year bracket, all teeth show wear, yellowing, tartar build-up and perhaps tooth or gum disease.  For ten to fifteen year old dogs, tooth disease is common, some teeth may be missing and all teeth show signs of wear.

If you ever have your eyes on a shelter dog with no papers, the above tips should help you determine the dog’s age.

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

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.