Having the correct equipment makes dog training much easier
Mistake #1: Not kennel training your dog When it comes time to take your dog on your first hunting or training trip into the field, your pet should always travel in a safe crate. One of the most important hunting dog supplies is a durable crate which will keep your pet safe during travel, especially when driving through areas that require four wheel drive. A kennel will also contain your pet during times when you need him or her to stay put, such as during emergencies.
Mistake #2: Not properly socializing your dog to gun shots A gun shy dog is one of the worst fates that can befall a hunter. However, many owners do not properly condition their dogs to accept the sound of gunfire overhead. An important hunting dog training item are blanks or poppers which are beneficial as you slowly transition your dog towards accepting louder and louder noises.
Mistake #3: Starting with an electronic collar An e-collar is considered by many to be indispensable among the list of hunting dog training supplies, however, it is not appropriate to put an e-collar on your dog the moment you begin training. Owners should work through a variety of training methods, starting with a check cord, working up to a pinch collar, and then finishing with an electronic collar. Consult the help of a professional dog trainer if you are unsure of the use of an e-collar.
Mistake #4: Not giving your dog enough independence It can be easy to micromanage the training of our dogs, either because we are afraid of losing them in the field or because we want to control every single aspect of the experience. However, many dogs learn best when they make their own mistakes, such as coming upon a skunk or porcupine on their own. When a hunter is overly concerned with losing a dog, its range in the field is severely limited. For these pets, a tracking collar is a necessary hunting dog training supply as it provides the owner peace of mind while giving the dog an opportunity to truly learn.
Mistake #5: Not building a strong obedience foundation By far one of the most common hunting dog training mistakes is to not build a solid enough foundation in obedience before moving onto hunting drills and exercises. If your dog cannot master recall in a controlled environment, he or she will greatly struggle when placed in a field with unlimited distractions and the reward of a downed bird. If you need tips on starting your dog’s training, training-specific books and DVDs can help guide you through this important step.
Knowing what to do in a Dog Emergency and severe bleeding injury is critical and can save your pets life!
Fortunately I have never had a severe dog emergency involving a laceration or event that would cause a severe bleeding injury, but being prepared is crucial in a situation such as this.
The following article is an excellent reference for anyone that actively participated in hunting, outdoor dog events or even your household companion.
“If your dog is injured, he is probably in pain. It is important to not give him aspirin. Aspirin will actually decrease the ability for blood clots to form for approximately five to seven days. This is not going to help at all. Additionally, ibuprofen, naproxen, and acetaminophen can be toxic for dogs. There are few effective and safe over-the-counter pain meds that work in dogs, so the best option is to move quickly to get your pet some veterinary help.” – Dr. Lauren Pugliese, guest author, Veterinary medicine
I recommend always carrying a Dog First Aide Kit with you on any trip and be prepared for an emergency, just in case.
Hopefully you will never be involved in a dog emergency response situation and never need the information discussed here in this brief post, but it is always better to be prepared than to be caught is a situation that you need something and do not have…
Bull Valley Retrievers Receives 2019 Best of Woodstock Award
Woodstock Award Program Honors the Achievement
WOODSTOCK December 3, 2019 — Bull Valley Retrievers has been selected for the 2019 Best of Woodstock Award in the Dog Trainer category by the Woodstock Award Program.Each year, the Woodstock Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Woodstock area a great place to live, work and play.Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2019 Woodstock Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Woodstock Award Program and data provided by third parties.About Woodstock Award ProgramThe Woodstock Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Woodstock area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.The Woodstock Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.
There are a number of common setbacks that hunters encounter when training their retrievers at home. The most common training pitfalls are discussed here, as well as how to overcome them.
Lengthy Training Sessions As hard-working humans, we are conditioned to the idea that that the more time we put into something, the more we get out. However, when working with young dogs, this equation does not hold true. Instead, training sessions that are too long can lead to mental fatigue and negative associations with hunting. For dogs younger than six months of age, training sessions should not last more than 5 minutes. Additionally, training sessions do not have to occur every day in order to be effective. For dogs 6 – 12 months of age, training sessions should be positive, upbeat, and less than 20 minutes long.
Hunting Too Soon Hunters often become impatient and want to expose their dogs to the hunt as soon as possible. However, dogs under 10 months of age have nothing to gain from this experience, and the risk of serious training setbacks, such as becoming gun-, water-, or bird-shy is high. Instead, be patient and continue to build basic skills while mimicking controlled hunting scenarios at home until your dog is ready for a real hunt.
Emphasizing Retrieves over Steadying A common misconception is that working on steadying too soon will result in a dog that is unenthusiastic about retrieves. However, this theory is not true, especially when trained properly and with gentle techniques. Any retriever with good bloodlines will inherently mark and retrieve, while not retrieving is the skill that requires work. Practice non-retrieves early in your dog’s training by picking up half of all bumpers.
Repetitive, Meaningless Marks If your dog is enthusiastic and driven about early retrieves, do not throw too many marks during early sessions. As soon as your retriever is reliably chasing, marking, and retrieving, make the marks more difficult by having them fall in different terrain, such as tall grass, water, or in high crops. It is important to avoid excessive marking, as it can create bad habits rather than instill good behaviors.
Too High of Expectations Never set your dog up to fail; instead, make sure every time you engage in a training session with your pup, he or she is set up to win. Modify your dog’s training in order to ensure success each time, no matter the drill. Simplify the training concepts and break them up into smaller steps, if needed. Remember that dogs learn best when each skill is broken down into individual components before being linked together.
Lack of Transition Training Hunters often want to test their dog’s skills as soon as they can. However, in doing so they sometimes set their dogs up for failure. One common mistake that hunters make is rushing through training without enough repetitions, causing confusion and frustration for dogs during the first hunt. A second mistake is not connecting the dots during training by going straight from yard work to a real-life hunting scenario.
In order to get the most out of your dog and ensure that your pet is ready for a hunt, training should occur in the following sequence:
Yard work: practicing skills in a controlled environment
Field training: practicing skills in a more distracting, real-life setting
Transitional training: simulated hunts that cover common scenarios, such as gun fire
Training on the hunt: the first few hunting sessions that are dedicated to training, with specific goals to achieve
Ignoring Lifelong Learning Dogs should be reinforced in their daily behaviors outside of the field, particularly in their daily lives. For instance, is the manner in which people play with your dog developing bad habits? Are children tossing meaningless, repetitive retrieves that are ruining your dog’s steadiness? Is your dog being encouraged to run, swim, rough house, and chase, to the detriment of his or her behavior on the hunt? It is important to establish rules in your household for how your dog is to be interacted with, particularly during playtime. Educate your visitors on your dog’s boundaries, and control his or her environment, if necessary.
Delaying the Introduction of Skills In general, the earlier you introduce a skill to your dog, the better. Two common mistakes that hunters make is delaying the introduction of whistles and hand signs.
The whistle can be introduced early in a dog’s training, particularly for recall and sit. Dogs as young as 6 – 8 weeks of age can be taught recall when a whistle is blown, especially when the whistle is associated with something positive. When associated with a reward, dogs can sit on whistle command by 3 months of age. The longer you wait, however, the more difficult these commands will be to train.
Similarly, hand signals can be picked up early when introduced properly. When a hunter waits too long to teach hand signals, the result is an overly independent dog, instead of one that works interdependently with the owner. After your dog responds well to casts and whistle commands, incorporate directional cues.
Improper Timing Finally, consistent timing is necessary when training a dog, for both praise and correction. The most effective dog training will occur when the animal receives reward or punishment at the exact moment the behavior (good or bad) occurs. Waiting too long teaches the dog to associate the most recent behavior with the praise or punishment, and not necessary the action being praised or corrected. Another important component of proper timing is to administer the praise or correction in the exact location where the behavior took place. If necessary, return the dog to location, make the correction, and re-emphasize the command. Remember, reward goes further for a dog than correction, and a properly timed treat can make all the difference in building your dog’s confidence.
Keep Training Going – Taking Advantage of the Off-Season
Not every drill that you perform with your dog has to require a lot of activity. One way you can take advantage of the off-season (particularly on days when it is too hot to spend a lot of time running around) is with this simple drill.
Boat steadying drills are perfect if you hunt from a boat during duck season. Start with your boat on steady, solid ground. Position your dog in the boat and then toss bumpers into the field. However, do not send your dog after the bumpers, and retrieve them yourself instead. These are called denials, which will improve your dog’s steadying and his or her ability to honor.
Once your dog is reliable with denials inside the boat, ask your dog to stay in the boat while you stand outside of it. Toss the bumpers and again deny your dog the retrieval. Always remember to reward and praise your dog for staying put in the same manner as you would for retrieving.
Ultimately, this drill is beneficial because it helps you get in right on land before going to the water!
There are as many different tools for dog training as there are breeds of dog. The secret to dog training success is knowing when to use each tool for various training scenarios. Listed here are a variety of dog training equipment options.
Collars
Dog collars are the most diverse training equipment option. There are numerous types of collars, each with a different function.
Flat Collar A flat collar, either with a buckle or quick-release snap, is a great tool for starting your dog’s training from a young age. This type of collar is for every-day use and is helpful for laying a basic training foundation. Flat collars can also be purchased in a breakaway style that releases under pressure should it become caught on an object, such as a fence. This mechanism is inactive, however, when a leash is attached.
Slip Collar A slip collar is also called a choke chain or choker and is made of nylon or chain. This type of collar provides correction to the dog when the leash portion is sharply pulled, thereby squeezing the neck and momentarily restricting the dog’s breathing.
Limited Slip Collar A limited slip collar (also known as a martingale or greyhound collar) is limited in the amount of pressure that can be applied to the dog’s trachea. Commonly, this type of collar is used on dogs who are prone to backing out of their collars, as the self-tightening mechanism prevents escape. Dogs whose necks are the same diameter or larger than their heads, such as greyhounds, typically wear this style of collar.
Head Halter
A head halter wraps around the dog’s face in a similar fashion to a horse halter in to apply pressure to the bridge of the dog’s nose to discourage leash pulling.
Prong / Pinch Collar A prong or pinch collar (sometimes also called a spike collar) has prongs that face inward, towards the dog’s neck. When pressure is applied to the collar, the prongs pinch the sensitive skin on the dog’s neck to discourage certain behaviors.
Electronic Collar Also known as an e-collar, shock collar, or stimulation collar, an electronic dog collar has a variety of uses. This training tool administers varying levels of static stimulation to your dog in order to discourage behavior, get a dog’s attention, or promote good behaviors. Common uses for an electronic collar include in-ground fencing, as a bark collar, or for advanced training. If you have questions or are unsure of e-collar use, we suggest seeking the advice of a professional dog trainer.
Harnesses
In addition to collars, harnesses can be used as training tools, particularly for pets who are not good candidates for collars due to weak tracheas or neck injuries. In general, harnesses wrap around the dog’s chest and body and evenly distribute the animal’s weight.
Front Clip Harness A front clip harness is used for discouraging leash pulling. The leash attaches to a ring on the dog’s chest. When the animal pulls, he or she will be forced to turn 180 degrees, thus discouraging the dog from this behavior.
No-Pull Harness There are a variety of no-pull harnesses on the market in the style of a slip lead. The harness tightens across pressure points behind the dog’s front legs or across the chest whenever the animal pulls in order to discourage this behavior.
Leashes
Standard Leash A standard leash is used with the majority of collars or harnesses listed here and is the most common way to control a pet. Leashes can be made from materials such as nylon, leather, or chain, in lengths from 2’ – 60’.
Retractable Leash A retractable leash has a cord that automatically lengthens and retracts with the press of a button. These leashes can be used for training a dog from a distance, but should only be used after an animal has been trained to respect commands such as recall.
Crate
As den animals, every dog requires an isolated area for relaxation and retreat. Additionally, crates are indispensable for house training, as well as keeping your dog (and your house) safe while you are away from home.
Crates can be made from wire, plastic, wood, aluminum, or fabric. Each type of crate has a specific use, with wire crates most common and appropriate for training.
A dog’s crate should be just large enough for standing up and turning around. Too large a crate encourages a pet to eliminate in one end while sleeping in the other. Special crate considerations should be made if the item is to be used for transporting a pet or in specific circumstances.
A Note on Dog Training Equipment
When used incorrectly, every training tool on this list can be hazardous to your pet. If you are in doubt about the proper use of any piece of dog training equipment, particularly choke, prong, or electronic dog collars, consult a dog training professional.
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