Training Gun Dogs Spaniels

Training Gun Dogs Spaniels.

Training Gun Dogs - Spaniels

It is most important that particular care should be taken with the earliest lessons given to the young spaniel—or any other breed of gun-dog— as the pupil is then at a most impressionable age, and is likely to be influenced for the whole of its life by the teaching given at this period.

Training to house, to lead, to walk to heel and to stay dropped have already been explained in Chapter I, and I assume that the puppy has already been taught to know the tones of the voice of its master and to realize his approval or dis- approval—a soothing inflection in association with feeding or caressing should help the puppy to appreciate approbation, and a raised vibrant tone with the word " No ", repeated to the accom- paniment of a gentle shake or smacking will assist the pupil to realize disapprobation—but the commands should be given in a quiet voice and shouting must be avoided. When a young dog is able to appreciate this vocal inflection and to recognize anger " oscillation", the difficulty of future training is almost solved.

To prevent the possibility of gun shyness the puppy should become accustomed to sudden noises and minor explosions at an early age, and for this purpose the owner himself should en- deavour always to feed his pupil and make a clatter before giving the meal; to begin with, the noise should be started when the puppy is watching from some distance away, but each day the clang should be increased and made more suddenly—if two pieces of corrugated Iron are banged together, a very blatant din can be produced. Thus, the noise is regarded by the puppy as a kind of dinner gong and Instils very pleasant associations. After a time a gun may be fired (at a little distance from the puppy) as a preliminary announcement to the meal.

In addition to feeding his puppy, the owner should endeavour to exercise and have the pupil with him as much as possible; but, on the other hand, the animal should not be allowed to roam about at will or to be controlled by the servants, as In such case bad habits are almost certain to be acquired.

As to the age at which a puppy should commence its lessons, this depends to a large extent on the individuality of each particular pupil; but the youngest dog can be coaxed to obedience In small matters, and this initiatory discipline will prove valuable when more advanced training is undertaken. A puppy of most tender age may be encouraged to carry certain small objects, but the owner should avoid making the mistake of following the puppy to take such a " carry " away from the animal—he must entice the pupil to bring the object to him.

When the puppy is about four months old, a more regular curriculum should be instituted, and a daily ten minutes " handling " should be allotted to this purpose.

This training may take place in the garden, and a stuffed sock or glove makes an excellent dummy substitute for a rabbit or bird. When the lesson is being given, no counter attractions should be in evidence, and no other person or dog should be present to create distraction.

For initiatory instruction in retrieving, the dummy may be thrown when the puppy is running about, as the animal is then more likely to take an interest in the strange looking object; but immediately the pupil has picked up the dummy, the handler should call his charge and start walking away. When the puppy, in proud possession of its " carry ", brings the dummy right
up to its master, the latter should praise and fondle his promising pupil before taking the dummy out of its mouth; and should the puppy endeavour to maintain a strong grip of the dummy, the handler should gently insert his hand in the animal's mouth, and by pressing the lips against the teeth, persuade the puppy to release its hold—it is most important that the dummy should not be pulled roughly away.

But when the pupil has thus demonstrated an interest in retrieving, more restraint must be exercised, and the puppy must be made to stay " dropped " (the command " hup " is more often used where spaniels are concerned) when the dummy is thrown, and should be checked from starting in pursuit—only when the command is given <( hie lost" should the pupil be allowed to go and fetch the dummy—and the handler should therefore stand over the puppy and correct any tendency to move until the command is given* If a puppy demonstrates an aversion to pick up and carry the dummy, it should be encouraged by making a trained dog retrieve the object whilst the puppy is looking on. If this does not have the desired effect further training in retrieving should be postponed, and it is possible that a week or two later the diffident puppy may amend its behaviour and be quite willing to retrieve. Should the pupil continue to be averse, it may be taken in the house and persuaded to hold the dummy in reward for tit-bits.

Practice in retrieving should be given for a few minutes every day; but after the earliest lessons the dummy should always be thrown into long grass where the puppy will be compelled to use its nose in order to locate the object In this way you may encourage the pupil to become proficient in marking, but to hunt by scent rather than sight; and often the dummy should be hidden when the puppy is not watching at all, so as to compel the animal to range straight away— but on these occasions the puppy should always be started immediately down-wind of the dummy so that the pupil can range and hunt up-wind, quartering the ground methodically.

Where small spaniels are concerned—particularly cockers—we may prefer to train the dog to deliver the game right up to hand by rearing up and placing its front legs on to the handler's knees; this is, of course, a "luxury" method of delivery (see illustration), but certainly saves a lot of bending down on the part of an owner who has reached the " lumbago age "! In any case the pupil should be encouraged to keep its head well up when carrying and delivering game, as this not only facilitates an easy delivery but enables the dog to carry Its possession with a more certain, and less pinching, hold.

When sending a dog out to retrieve, the aninal should always be called by name before the command is given; this not only prevents the possibility of a dog mistaking the movement of in arm for a signal to go, but will also facilitate subsequent work with a brace or more of spaniels, when It Is desired to send a particular clog to retrieve whilst the others remain at the drop ".

Do not leave the dummy lying where the puppy is able to get hold of it when the master is not present; otherwise the animal may try to investigate its composition and tear the dummy to pieces, which may encourage the puppy on some future occasion to dissect a bird which It has been sent to retrieve!

Similarly any tendency to "worry" the dummy when the pupil has been sent to retrieve it, should be immediately checked.

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