Training Conditions

[DMF]

Looking for some wisdom. After the foundation training is completed on a young dog, it doesn't make much sense to me to train and exercise them is a "sterile" environment. I want my dogs exposed to everything they are likely to encounter while they are hunting and when I'm not watching over their shoulder. I want them to be honest from the start and try to avoid as many trash races as possible. Looking for some insight and opinions.....

[dwalton]

That's a great thought but how are you going to teach them what is wrong until they know what is right. I let my pups run with free until they start running off game by themselves. Then I control the times they run trying to keep them from running off game until they have been on plenty of good game. When they know what they are suppose to run then I start correcting them for off game and they are let lose with the old dogs at most times. I have set back young dogs by trying to break them from the start on off game. If the pups are smart pups go easy at first , if they are not it does not make much difference which way you go. Dewey

[DMF]

To clarify what I meant by "foundation training" - this is at the point where the dog recognizes straight game and reacts to it by striking/rigging/alerting.

Would your definition differ from that?

[dwalton]

Foundation training to me is all the training down before he is taken hunting. How old is this dog? If he is striking/rigging/alerting he should have been on enough game to be broke. Long before a young dog is striking good game he should be turned into the strikes to be able to make the hole race from cold trailing to tree. Most smart dogs that have been own game and know what there doing [trailing and staying at the tree] it only takes two or three times with a collar to get them off off game. If they have not been rewarded by getting away with running off game. I am walk hunting 6 seasoned dogs, 4 from 1 to 2 years old and 8 five month old free cast at all times now with very little trash trouble. The 5 month old are hunted without a shock collar or track collar, they are just starting to bump trash but are called off as soon as it begins. If they start running trash hard they will be laid up until they can be on kills this fall or only turned into races until then. They are too young to try to trash break them. At this time they could be broke from running all game with shock collar misuse. This works for me, different people may do it different with good results. My dogs will not take a lot of mishandling but respond well to good handling. It is good to want them honest from the start but that is up to you not the dog. Good luck Dewey

[BigGameHunter]

My dogs will not take a lot of mishandling but respond well to good handling.

That is the best advise I've heard on this forum for a long time.....