Check-cord
tension is one of the most important forms of communication between you and your
dog. How much tension is too much—or, to put it another way, how hard should a
dog pull—is a question that is often asked but difficult to answer. It’s like
asking a race-car driver how fast is too fast, when you know that it depends on
the car and the track. The same is true with a dog: It depends on the dog and
the situation.
I’m sure you have seen amateur trainers dragged around
the training field by their dogs. In these scenarios, dogs are telling their
trainers that they don’t respect them. Dogs that pull with enthusiasm without
dragging trainers around are showing respect, and dogs that walk on loose
check-cords without pulling may be unhappy about going into the field.
I had a situation like this a few years ago. I was
working a young dog and teaching him to be steady. One morning, I noticed he
was not pulling as hard as he normally did. Right there, I knew I had a
problem, so I watched him closely as he worked birds. I noticed that he had
lost some of his intensity on point. Because I paid attention to the lack of
check-cord tension, I was able to step back in training, shoot a couple of
birds for him, and before long, he was pulling with enthusiasm to get to the
field.
This spring I was working another dog. He was broke on
pigeons and had progressed to quail. He had pulled with enthusiasm on pigeons,
but now that he had gone to quail, he started dragging me around the field. I
was slow to realize how hard he was pulling, and that quail were getting him
too excited. As a result, he had lost his manners and reverted to busting birds
again. If I had paid closer attention to what he was communicating to me with
the check-cord, I would have stopped working him on birds and focused on
regaining his attention. A few sessions of asking him to go with me and come
to me on the check-cord would have done wonders to regain his respect
and get him focused again.
A basic check-cord is about twelve feet long, and
while it may appear to be a simple piece of rope with a snap at one end, it’s
the most complex piece of training equipment you will ever own. For many pro
trainers, it’s the one piece of equipment they cannot do without (see chapter 9
for more information).
Check-cord tension is where much of the communication
between you and your dog takes place. Learning how to read this tension and
understanding what your dog is communicating takes practice and experience. You
will need to work with many dogs at the end of a check-cord before you’ll get
really good at it, but if you pay attention, it will help you figure out what
is going on in your dog’s head.
