Blind Ambitions

The electronic collar, or e-collar, in my opinion, is one of the most overused and misunderstood tools a trainer can have. When done right an e-collar is a very effective tool for giving an instant correction when the dog is not next to you. On the flip side, it can also be a torturous device when someone doesn’t understand how to use it correctly. First let’s set the record straight, an e-collar is not a shock collar. Gone are the days of collars with one setting of wide open and a screaming dog. Today’s collars have multiple levels of stimulation, with continuous and momentary (nicks) settings. Also, an e-collar is not a remote trainer. Nothing about an e-collar is a trainer; it doesn’t teach a dog anything that is your job. The collar is used to correct a behavior. The biggest key to remember is that it does no good to correct a dog for a behavior when you have not taught the correct behavior. I have seen people crank up a collar and light a dog up when it did not follow a command, then find out the dog was never taught the command to begin with. This is a good way to ruin a dog. You must also be sure the collar is fitted correctly on the dog. It has to be snug enough for the probes to make contact, but not so tight as to hinder breathing.  There are tons of books and articles that discuss collar conditioning a dog, take some time and read up, or find an experienced trainer near you and have them work with you on how to use one. Gone are the days of “If they ain’t burnin’ they ain’t learnin’”. The e-collar is a great tool for a trainer to use, and once you understand how and when to use it, it helps minimize training problems and offers instant corrections. Below are some good articles about using an e-collar.

http://www.coonriverkennels.com/pages/tips.asp#ecollar

http://www.ponderosakennels.com/e-collarintroduction.htm

http://www.averysportingdog.com/TrainingCamp/2006August.php

 http://www.totalretriever.com/tip38.htm http://www.loucastle.com/fit.htm

One of the more common questions I hear is, “Why are there different colored bumpers?” So I thought I would take an opportunity to explain.

Essentially there are three colors of bumpers, all white, all orange and black/white (flasher).  Without getting into the science and biology of it, dogs do not see color the way we see it, they see in more black and white and grey. Each color has a purpose based on this.

White bumpers are the most visible to a dog. You use white bumpers when you want the dog to see it. White is used for marks and pile work becasue it is visible to the dog and you want the dog to learn to use it’s eyes more than it’s nose. The disadvantage is if there is no background (trees, etc.) the white can blend with the bright sky on sunny days.

Black/White bumpers, or flashers, give a contrast. They work one same principle as the white bumper, but the back and white flashing is often even more visble. I use flashers for marks, pile work and water work. I use flashers more than the solid white or solid orange, but it’s just my preference. The dog can really pick up the contrast of a flasher that is thrown through the air with or without a background.

Orange or bumpers are used maily for blind retrieves. The dog cannot see the bright orange, but the handler can. If thrown with a dark background, such as a woodline, the orange bumper can be almost invisible to a dog. However, if you are training ina  filed with no background and it is a bright sunny day, an orange bumper will appear as a dark spot on the bright horizon, so they can be used for marks in this instance. An example is water work on a pond with no trees around, the dog can pick up the dark spot as it flies through the air. Solid black bumpers work on this same idea, but are more difficult for the handler to see than the orange, so I do not use solid black at all.

Personally, I have more flasher than solids, but having a dozen or so of each will leave you ready for any training scenario you are wanting to run.

The Late John Pechmann of North Carolina Wildlife Commission & noted conservationist has been recognized by DU Canada for the conservation dollars North Carolina invested in Canada.

Mahoney’s Meadow, a picturesque marsh near Wentworth, now has a special place in the heart of one family from North Carolina, USA.

Ducks Unlimited Canada is dedicating the marsh in memory of John E. Pechmann, a conservationist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission who passed suddenly last year.

For more info on this story check the post on Moose Droppings

2007-2008 Waterfowl Stamp Courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service

Bass Pro is joining with the US Fish & Wildlife in the release of the new Waterfowl Stamp.

The Federal Duck Stamp program has put a lot of money back into conservation and helped not only waterfowl but also countless other species throughout the 74 years that it has been in existence. This fall the 75th stamp design contest will be selected

First Day of Sale plan for the 2007-2008 Federal Duck Stamp, which features a painting of ring-necked ducks by Delaware artist Richard Clifton, and will be held at Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Missouri, on June 22. Bass Pro Shops will also sponsor First Day of Sale ceremonies in all of its retail stores throughout the country.

Postmaster Bill Brayman of Springfield, Missouri, will sell the first stamp to Director Hall. In addition, Bass Pro Shops will sell the 2007-2008 Federal Duck Stamp and related products. During the First Day of Sale event, Postal Service representatives will sell required postal stamps and will issue first day cancellations.

The Federal Duck Stamp program has put a lot of money back into conservation and helped not only waterfowl but also countless other species throughout the 74 years that it has been in existence. This fall the 75th duck stamp design will be selected during a contest in Sanibel, Florida.

Often the question has been asked, “What is the most important part of trianing dog?” The answer is very simple……Obedience. Basic obedience is the groundwork for everything else you will do with your duck dog. It is the simplest part of a dog training program, but it is where many folks struggle. First off, basic obedience is boring. You can only walk around the yard so many times saying “heel…heel….sit” before you are ready to go postal. However, this has to be done in order for your dog to get the basic skills needed to move through a training program. Every duck hunter loves to see his dog blast out of the baot and make a 100 yard retrieve on a crippled mallard, or handle to that goose that fell 200 yards out that the dog never saw; but it will never happen with a good, solid and thourough obedience program. So get out the choke chain, pinch collar and 4 foot lead so you can get to work on the most important aspect of a dog’s training. If you are unsure where to start here are some resources:

http://www.averysportingdog.com/TrainingCamp/2006July.php

http://www.fetchpup.com/obedience.htm

http://www.northernflight.com/rjobedience1.htm

http://www.northernflight.com/rjobedience2.htm

Below are some pictures of a two year old Setter I am currently working through an obedience program with.

As I mentioned before, I was fortunate enough to be selected to attend the Trainin’ in the Timber training sessions, hosted by Avery and Mack’s Prairie Wings, in Stuttgart, Arkansas. This was a 3 day event where we met with some of the top trainers and worked dogs and learned from one another. We were divided into Young dogs, Transition and Advanced groups, with 4 dog/handler teams in each group. The event was great, I learned a ton, and shared a great camp with great people. Avery rolled out the red carpet and let of have reign of their hunting lodge just outside Stuttgart. The food was phenomenal (the stuffed pork tenderloin on Saturday night was my favorite). Scott Greer from Sur Shot Retrievers led our young dog group, while Dan Heard and Rody Best were on hand with the other groups. We discussed and worked on everything from basic obedience, to drill work, to running cold blinds. I had a grea ttime and picked up some great information from everyone there. Here are just a few pictures from the weekend.

 My pups first experience in the Avery Ground Force Blind

An afternoon training session with Dan Heard explaining the in-line single drill.

A 10 year old Flat-Coated Retriever with a Master Hunter Title

The Young Dog Group

Evening re-cap session at the Avery Lodge

A 4 month old pup with it’s first experience in the water

Me and Hersheygetting ready to do some water work

I guess the days are getting hot all over, because this seems to be a pretty common topic being discussed on internet sites and message boards the last week or so. In my last post I talked about the dangers of a dog becoming overheated. I would like to take this opportunity to expand on that just a bit. As I said before, common sense tells us when it’s 90 outside we can’t run marks all afternoon, and often times, at least down south, it’s still 80-85 degrees 30 minutes to an hour before dark. So what can we do to get our training in and keep our dog’s safe? Here are some suggestions.

Train as early in the morning and as late in the evening as possible. Carry more water than you ever expect to use. Find fields that are on the east side of a woodline for afternoon work so you will have more shade and vice versa for morning work. Allow breaks for the dog. Using a cool, wet wash cloth, wipe the dogs ears, belly and armpits to help him cool down. Keep your regular vet and emergency vet’s phone numbers programmed in your cell phone. Keep some instant cold packs in your K-9 First Aid kit. Use battery powered fans on kennels and crates to kepe air blowing. Park your truck so your crate or dog box is not getting pounded by the sun. Use good common sense.

 Follow some of these ideas and maybe you and your dog can get done the work that needs to be done this summer.

Below is a Water Tube, like the one I have on my truck. Holds about 7 gallons of water and allows me to always have fresh water available without having to carry coolers and milk jugs. www.lcsupply.com   Search for “Water Tube”

A kennel/crate fan. It’s not a 35,000BTU AC unit, but it will circulate air and help keep a dog cool while they are crated. www.dogsafiled.com   Search “Crate Fan”

As the days are getting hot, and I am talking in the 90’s here, it gets tough to work dogs. We all know that you cannot take a dog out when it’s 90 degrees and run 100 yard marks for an hour; that’s just common sense. So, many trainers turn to water work on the hot afternoons assumning the water will keep the dog cool. Well, in theory this sounds good, and if done correctly it can be a way to salvage a mid afternoon training session. However, you still have to be careful, swimming requires a lot more energy from a dog than does land work, thus a dog burns more calories and it’s body temperature rises. If you work the dog too much you can actually overheat the dog while it’s swimming. A few things to keep in mind; first off, if you can avoid training in the mid day heat. Right now we are trianing first thing in the morning and then again just before sunset, leaving the dogs to lounge in the mid day hours. Secondly, do not put a dog directly into a kennel a dog box after running it. The kennels and dog boxes will not allow the dog to cool becasue they trap the heat (unless you have fans and ventilation on your truck). Use a tie out stake and give the dog a bowl of water. Third, have more than enough water with you for the dogs you are training. Last educate yourself on the signs of heat related illness in dogs and how to treat them in an emergency (note: instant cold packs are something I always carry in my training bag and blind bag just for this kind of situation). Below are some resources with basic information on heat related illness in dogs. The summer can be a great time to train, we just have to use our heads.

http://doghobbyist.com/saar/canine_heatstroke.html

http://us.iams.com/iams/en_US/jsp/IAMS_Page.jsp?pageID=A&articleID=151

http://www.lesueurvet.com/news/newsletter14_2.pdf

In the world of dog nutrition today, it is amazing to step back and look at the choices dog owners have when it comes to what bag of food to buy. There are foods designed for specific breeds, foods designed for sporting/nonsporting dogs, hypo-allergenic foods, lamb and rice, chicken and rice, and on and on. However, lets face it, many folks walk into their local Supercenter and buy whatever “chow” is cheapest. I tend to look at it a little differently though, if I am goign to invest countless hours into training a dog, then why would I not make an effort to be sure that dog gets the proper nutrition it needs to perform. I don’t think Michael Jordan would scarf down Mickey D’s every day of the season, but yet many folks rarely looka  the ingredient list they are feeding their dog.

There are some great tutorials on reading dog food labels on the internet ( http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON0290e.html ), is one I found from the FDA with loads of basic information.

 Hard working hutning dogs need to be fed a diet that will ensure their nutritional needs are met. There are tons of great dog foods available. Personally I use Diamond foods (www.diamondpet.com), and have for years. They recently asked me to be a part of their Pro Staff, but I fed and recommended them long before that. I feed Diamond Adult Premium during the off season, and Diamond Performance during hunting season.

 Do your dog a favor and get educated on K-9 nutrition, and then choose a food that will meet the requirements of your dog. A good premium feed is a little more expensive than the “chow” found at the local Supercenter, but it is amazing how much more energy it will have and how much longer a dog can work. In the coming weeks I will have some nutritional facts and information to post, slong with some comparison charts of different foods/ingredients.