Few joys in life compare to watching a good hunting dog hunt with joy and abandon, search hard for birds and retrieve downed birds with his head held high with pride.
That's what we are after. Here are some of McGonigle's thoughts.
- Training hunting dogs is a time consuming activity that takes a lot of patience, repetition, and consistency. [ed: but it can still be a good time, right?]
- Keep one's voice at normal volume.
- Train a young dog in a closed area or smallish fenced yard. There's a reason it is called "yard-training," and the reason is that it is effective.
- When pup fails to respond immediately, it is best if the trainer hurries over to the pup and makes him comply with the command immediately. Often that means picking pup up and bringing him back to the site of the infraction or returning him by pulling pup with his lead.
- Roughness is unneeded at this time.
- [When pup is a little older] grab pup by the loose skin at both sides of his neck, picking him up and returning him to the site of his indiscretion. Once pup has a good idea [of what he did wrong] giving him a bit of a shaking while he's off the ground can be helpful.
- Do not hurt pup or treat him harshly. [ed note: firm & fair.]
- Patience, consistency, and repetition will win out over brutality every time.
This clumber gets a little tough love from judge Joe.
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