Developing a Work Ethic

Developing a Work Ethic

Each pointing dog is an individual and goes through formal training differently. Some are always ready to work, while others aren’t able to handle the pressure and occasionally need time off. Some may even lose interest altogether. Amateur trainers often feel responsible when their dogs have problems in the field, but they may have nothing to do with it. Simply put, their dogs may lack a good work ethic.

The first time I heard this phrase in relation to pointing dogs was during an interview I did with a horseback pro trainer. I asked him what he looked for in a field trial dog, and he said he looked for a good work ethic. It took me a while to understand what he meant, and eventually to see it for myself: Dogs that can handle the pressures of training generally have a good work ethic, while those that quit often lack it.

Generally speaking, work ethic is inherited from the breed and, more specifically, from the pup’s parents. In order to understand this concept, you have to look at the type of work your dog was bred to do. Pointing breeds are bred to hunt birds, so the more desire they have to hunt, the better their work ethic. Some breeds, such as pointers, have been specifically bred to hunt birds, and thus have a superior work ethic. Versatile breeds may excel in other qualities—such as retrieving, swimming, or hunting other types of game—but may lack some of the pointer’s desire to hunt birds.

While your dog’s work ethic is inherited, there are some important things you can do to develop it, beginning when he is a pup. Expose your dog to birds and build his prey drive by taking him for runs in the field and letting him find birds. Don’t rush him or have lofty expectations. Each breed is different, so be patient and give your pup time to become totally focused on finding birds before you begin any kind of formal training. Remember: He isn’t on your timetable—you’re on his.

Maurice Lindley believes that the more desire a dog has to hunt birds, the easier he will go through formal training. “Dogs without a good work ethic are fine until you start asking more of them,” Maurice notes, “and then they decide training isn’t fun anymore and quit.”

I have owned both kinds of dogs. Some were always up for training; it didn’t matter what happened yesterday, or last week—they were ready to go at all times. I could make training mistakes, even put too much pressure on them, and they would still be ready to give me 100 percent. Sometimes these dogs were more challenging to work, but they always ended up going through the program faster. Their desire to hunt birds was so strong, they didn’t need any time off. On the other hand, I have also owned dogs that lacked a strong work ethic. They couldn’t take any pressure and were difficult to train. They frequently needed time off, and as a result, the training program took longer.

Bottom line: Not every dog is going to make a finished dog, and unfortunately, the issue isn’t always training; sometimes you just need a better dog.

Pointing dog breeders and owners often overlook this component, but a good work ethic can make a huge difference in how a dog goes through training. When purchasing a pup, look closely at the breed and the parents. Each parent should have one or more champions in a four-generation pedigree. Qualities such as a strong pointing instinct and natural ability are important, but if a dog don’t have a good work ethic, he will be more difficult to train in the long run. If you do your research and invest time developing your pup’s desire to hunt, you should have a dog that wants to give 100 percent in the field. Once you train a dog with a good work ethic, you will never want to go back.

Using the Wind

Bird dogs use the wind to hunt and find birds. Hunters use the wind to determine the best approach to birdy objectives, and dog trainers like us use it to help dogs navigate a variety of bird setups.

Basically, there are four wind situations: upwind, downwind, cross-wind, and no wind. Scent is carried on water molecules in the air and moves with the wind. If a dog is running upwind of birds, the wind is at his back and he cannot smell them. If he is running downwind of birds, so he is working into the wind, their scent is carried to him. If he is running cross-wind to birds, at right angles to the wind, he runs across their scent. Most good bird dogs try to run at right angles to the wind so they can hunt a larger area. Having a good understanding of the wind is key to achieving success in the field.

A bird dog demonstrates he is hunting when he uses the wind. Watch the dog run. If he runs on the downwind side of a tree line, he has positioned himself at right angles to any bird scent that might be there. Run him through a field into the wind, and he naturally quarters the field to stay at right angles to the wind.

Hunters plan their approaches using the wind. When heading to their favorite grouse coverts, they try to approach birdy objectives from the downwind side. If they approach from the upwind side, birds can hear them coming and have time to escape before the dogs detect them. Hunting singles after a covey of quail flush can be as simple as a downwind approach, so the dog quarters. It doesn’t take long before the dog becomes skilled at the singles game.

Dog trainers have to be constantly aware of the wind when planting birds or bringing the dog into different bird setups. We leave foot tracks every time we plant birds; four-wheeler tracks, too. Try coming in from the upwind side when you walk or drive a four-wheeler to plant birds so you’ll leave as few clues as possible for the dog to follow. Once you bring the dog to the field, try approaching birds so the dog is cross-wind to them. This way, he’ll run across their scent and immediately get a nose full. If you approach from downwind of birds, their scent builds as the dog gets closer, which may encourage him to creep.

The wind can be a fickle partner, often dying down or changing direction in a short period of time. Be sure to constantly monitor its direction either by feeling for it on your face or by tossing a small handful of grass and watching the direction in which it falls. Sometimes, the wind simply dies; when this happens, it’s smart to have a plan. After you make one or two passes without the dog indicating birds, take the dog on instead of trying to force the situation. Practice some check-cord work, or, if you have another bird planted, work him on it. You can always come back to the first bird if the wind picks up and scenting improves.

As you pay attention to the wind, you’ll become more in tune with nature, and, ultimately, you’ll gain a better understanding of the ways in which your dog hunts. In essence, you’re getting down on his level and starting to think like a bird dog.

Developing Point in a Young Dog

It sounds like a contradiction, but the best way to develop a young dog’s point is to let him chase birds. Every time a young dog chases birds, he is learning to point. He is learning that his movements cause the birds to fly, which means he is unable to catch them. Once he realizes he cannot be successful, he begins to chase less. He becomes more cautious and learns to creep. This creeping is like a cat stalking a mouse, and eventually, he learns to freeze into a point.

Last month, a bird hunter came by with his dog. The dog was young, maybe eight months old, and the hunter was concerned because she didn’t point. I loaded a releaser with a homing pigeon and planted it in the training field. I suggested that he bring the dog cross-wind to the releaser; as soon as she smelled the bird, I would open the releaser. I explained that when she dove for the bird, he should restrain her just enough so she did not catch it, and then, once the bird was in the air, he should drop the check-cord and let her chase. He said he understood and brought her into the field.

As they approached the releaser, she caught scent and turned toward it. As she began to road in, I pressed the button on the transmitter and the releaser opened. Right then, the hunter tightened up on the check-cord and held the dog tight as the pigeon flew away. I asked him why he’d stopped her, and he explained that he was trying to help her point.

Now here’s an important truth: Birds teach dogs to point. If you try to help your dog, he will never point birds with intensity, much less learn how to handle them. Dogs that have been helped to point by their owners look as if they are indicating the presence of birds instead of freezing in a stance that sends quivers down your spine.

With the Bill West method, training is between the dog and the bird. By letting the dog run at birds until he decides to stop chasing on his own, the bird is teaching the dog to point. With a young pup, dropping the check-cord once the bird is in the air and letting him chase as far as he wants to run is fine. You may need to restrain him with the check-cord just enough so that he does not catch the bird on the ground before it flies, but once the bird is in the air, you can drop the check-cord.

As the pup gets older, or when the grounds are not suitable to let the dog run free, keep hold of the check-cord and let him chase to the end. Once he is stopped, let him watch the bird fly off. Pointing dogs love to watch birds fly; doing so is a reward. A small number of dogs live for the chase, and if, after a reasonable amount of bird exposure, your dog continues to chase without becoming stauncher on point, you may want to keep hold of the check-cord to limit his run.

Dogs are predators. They have better noses than humans, and they are superior hunters. Good trainers respect these natural abilities and allow dogs to make their own decisions. It’s foolish to think you know better when it comes to stopping a dog around birds. Instead, let your dog run at birds as long as he’s not catching them; eventually, he will teach himself to stop because he’ll realize it’s smarter to stand there, especially when you occasionally shoot a bird for him.

Anytime a dog learns something on his own, he learns it better than when you teach it. By respecting your dog’s abilities and setting up training situations where he can learn from the bird, you are developing him the natural way, which is the best way possible.

What Is a Balanced Dog?

Have you ever heard a dog trainer talk about a balanced dog, or wondered what this expression meant? The first time I heard the word balanced was when a horseback pro trainer told me my derby dog was not balanced. He explained that he was more mature on his game than on his ground race, and kept repeating that a good field trial dog had to be balanced. In an effort to be clearer, he held his right hand above his head to represent the dog’s bird work and his left hand below his hip to represent the dog’s ground race, which he said was reckless. He was correct; the dog didn’t listen. Then, he held both hands at chest level to indicate where the dog should be. This was his idea of a balanced dog, and to be honest, the conversation went right over my head at the time. Over the years, however, I’ve thought a lot about balance, and tried to understand it.

Since that conversation, I’ve been on the lookout for other trainers who use this word. When I started following Cesar Millan on the National Geographic Wild television show, Dog Whisperer, I noticed that he also talks a lot about balance. In his recent book, Cesar’s Rules, he describes a balanced dog as one that is comfortable in his environment, and in his own skin. I really like this description because it holds true for a good bird dog, but it was still hard for me to grasp. I needed a more specific way to think about it.

Ultimately I have come to understand that a balanced dog is simply a dog without weak links. If I think about a dog as a length of chain, the chain is only as strong as the weakest link. The Bill West method talks a lot about these shortcomings, and how they represent the weakest part of the dog’s training. The pro trainer who discussed balance with me twenty years ago was trying to explain that my derby dog wasn’t balanced because he had a weak link: He didn’t listen. The trainer was trying to tell me that I needed to get this dog balanced—paying attention and going with me—before developing his bird work. Finally, I was able to grasp the concept of balance and use it to become a better trainer.

The first thing I do with a new dog is take him to the field to see if he is balanced. I look for his weak links to tell me what type of training he needs. If he is a pup, I take him for a run and carefully observe him. Some pups may pay too much attention to me, or show little interest in hunting. These pups need to find birds to develop their prey drive and learn to hunt. Some pups are real independent and could care less about where I am. These pups need to learn to pay attention and find birds with me.

I take dogs that are older or already in training to the field and study them. Their weak links tell me how training is going, and what to do next. As I strengthen these weak links, the whole dog becomes stronger, and before long, I have a balanced dog that is comfortable in his environment and in his own skin.

Weak Links: The Tale of Two Pups

This summer I acquired two new pups. Red was a nicely put together female with lots of color. Whitey was a big white male. They came from different breeders and different lines of dogs. Red arrived in June and was nine weeks old. Whitey arrived in late July and was twelve weeks old. These pups were well bred and had lots of natural ability, but they both had weak links that revealed how each pup should be started.

A weak link is the weakest part of a dog’s training, a shortcoming or hole that needs to be addressed. When I look at pups and determine how best to develop them, I look at their limitations. Which links need to be made stronger?

Red was a good case in point. The first time I took her for a run, she made tight little circles around my feet and whined to be picked up. This behavior was definitely a flaw. The best thing to do with a pup like this is ignore the behavior and treat it like “a nothing” (see chapter 16 for more information). I decided to take her for a run every day until she showed interest in her surroundings. After about a week with no improvement, we headed to the bird pens that included a pigeon loft and two johnny houses. I was curious to see if she would start using her nose. (To be on the safe side, I try not to show birds to a new pup until she is confident on the ground.) After another week of circling and whining, she finally dropped her head and sniffed the ground. A little bit later, she picked up a feather and started carrying it in her mouth. Aha, I thought. She’s ready.

I got a quail from the johnny house, pulled a couple of wing feathers, and held it by the feet so it fluttered. She showed no hesitation and tried to bite the head, so I tossed it on the ground. She became totally focused on the bird, pouncing on it and chasing it. Eventually, the bird escaped in the cover, but instead of coming to find me, she returned to where the bird had been tossed down and hunted this area hard. I remained quiet, and after a while, I slowly walked away. It was ten minutes before she came looking for me, and after that, she was a different pup. She had discovered her purpose in life; she had discovered her nose.

Whitey was a different story. He was bold and very independent. The first time I took him for a walk, he took off, and while he loved to run, it was obvious that he was not hunting. Pups like Red that don’t hunt need to learn to use their noses; independent pups like Whitey need to find birds with us, so they will have a reason to go with us. I snapped a check-cord (see chapter 9) to his ID collar and let him drag it so that later, I could hold onto it to keep him with me. After running him a couple more times with him dragging the check-cord, I showed him a quail. When I held the bird by its feet and it fluttered, it scared him, but the more the bird fluttered, the more interested Whitey became, so I tossed it down. He was definitely unsure, and alternated between investigating it and running away. I stayed back and remained quiet.

Whitey did not get the bird in his mouth that day, but after a couple more exposures to quail, he finally dove in and got the bird in his mouth. Once he did that, I picked up the check-cord and used it to keep him with me. He proudly pranced around with his new trophy, and I remained quiet as he walked in front of me, carrying the bird. It took him a couple more exposures to quail before everything started to click, and soon, he was hunting as well as paying attention to where I was.

Red and Whitey had different weak links: In Red’s case, she had to become aware of her surroundings and focus on something other than me. Whitey was impressive on the ground but didn’t hunt, or care where I was. Both pups were born with the right tools; they just needed a little help discovering how to use them. By focusing on their shortcomings, I was able to start them on the road to becoming the bird dogs they were bred to be.