| | | | | |  |  | | Amy Dahl, Ph.D. |
Retriever Training - Blinking Birds - How to Avoid Itby Amy Dahl, Ph.D.
Amy Dahl is also the co-author, with her husband, John, of Retriever Troubleshooting - Strategies & Solutions to Retriever Training Problems.
BLINKING, OR DELIBERATELY avoiding downed game, is a fault that renders retrievers useless. If your prospect did not show adequate bird interest when you embarked upon his retriever training, you probably would have sought another dog. We assume, then, that the problem was created.
What can you do to a dog that will prevent him from wanting the bird? Lots of things. Let's begin with force-fetching. If your dog is a particularly tough assignment at this stage, you might introduce birds too soon. We try to prevent souring during force-fetching, especially where birds are concerned. For this reason we force-fetch on objects other than birds, such as dog training dummies or wooden dowels. Done correctly, of course, force-fetch training will increase enthusiasm for whatever objects you are using.
Premature exposure to hunting conditions can also cause blinking. Suppose you knock down a cripple and your dog takes a beating from the wings of a strong goose or a scratch from the spurs of a cock pheasant, causing lasting fear. The need to introduce your youngster to live birds in training is obvious.
During her retriever training, FC Oakhill Exponent frequently made retrieves through live game, mostly geese, on some training ponds. As a result, birdy as she was, she ignored shackled ducks when first introduced to them. She must have thought they were local wild birds not to be retrieved. A little work with shackled ducks solved the problem and she quickly learned to pick up crippled ducks in hunting and field-trial situations.
Some of the things we must teach our retrievers for competition may cause blinking. The "poisoned bird" test is an example. If this test is taught incorrectly, that is, if direct collar pres- sure is used to discourage the dog from picking up the "poison" bird, blinking may result. A foundation in handling should be adequate to ensure successful handling away from a tempting bird before this test is introduced. If your dog's handling is hazy, and he is in the act of picking up the poison bird when you nick him with the dog training collar, you may break him not only from picking up that bird, but also others. FC Banjo XXXVI was so susceptible to this kind of training that a mere command of "No" before sending her past a poison bird would cause her not only to avoid the bird on the initial send, but also to blink it when sent to pick it up. We never solved the problem, but we were guaranteed that she wouldn't pick up the poison bird if we said "No bird."
Some field-trial judges have carried poison birds and associated tests to unreasonable extremes. We have seen pheasants placed directly on line to a blind retrieve. Another test that bears mention consists of a shot bird as part of a multiple mark. The shot bird is picked up by the gunners while the contestant retrieves another. You are then required to send your dog for the picked up bird, allow him to establish a hunt, and then on the judges' OK, handle your dog to a blind in another area. We think it is unnecessary to confront dogs in field trials or hunt tests with such confusion, and we are sure that if we train on such stuff we can create blinking.
Excessive heat and grinding on marking tests can cause blinking. Frequently a dog who has encountered too much failure in marking will appear to give up, showing little interest in finding game. Dogs in this state are apt to take another unwanted step by intentionally steering clear of the fall.
Occasionally dogs will blink birds for reasons other than an accumulation of training errors. Lack of familiarity with the game to be retrieved can be a factor. We have participated in hunt tests in which chukar partridges were used. Several dogs that retrieved other species well blinked the chukars, perhaps because of unfamiliarity. We have had dogs that blinked doves on their first dove hunt. rudge, FC Oakhill Exponent, when sent from the boat on her first Canada goose, showed surprise when she got to the twelve-pound bird, but retrieved it flawlessly.
Dogs (males, that is) will frequently blink a bird if sent to an area in which bitches (females, that is) in heat have been working. Testosterone takes over and bird interest disappears. We make a practice of periodic training with dogs on ground on which bitches in heat have been worked. You don't need to make ~ a steady practice of this, for fear of creating other difficulties. Our method employs the electronic dog training collar. When the dog puts his nose down to enjoy bitch scent, we say "No, Here!" accompanied by a nick with the collar. Then we move to the bird and command "Fetch," perhaps with an accompanying ear pinch or collar nick if he has been forced with the collar. Usually a few repetitions will serve to ensure your dog's retrieve, even though he encounters heat scent along the way.
In cases in which the training off bitch scent requires considerable pressure, you will likely find that your dog will refuse to breed. This is an issue that can usually be resolved with expert handling. Some dogs will only breed in a specific setting, such as the back yard. But this is preferable to having your dog yield; to the "call of the wild" when there are birds to be retrieved.
Probably the most common reason for bird blinking is "burnout." Dogs, just like people, have a breaking point, and it is our business as trainers to avoid passing that point. D. L. Walters once made the comment that it was his opinion that most amateurs train too much. There is much to be said for quit- ting before exhaustion begins to affect dog or trainer. Most pros, owing to their number of trainees, do not over-train. Short, to- the-point sessions with regular frequency are the answer, not long, belabored harangues.
Blinking, in general, can be treated by first removing the cause. Whether it is a result of overwork, confusing retriever training, or other mistakes, remove it. Add more bird work to your dog's training. Shot fliers and lots of work with birds he especially likes are good. Be sure to give your dog an abundance of the birds you are likely to encounter while hunting or in formal events. Of course, if you're invited to a sandhill crane hunt, you'll simply have to rely on luck.
| | | | | |
|
|
