Notes from Mike's Book

Sporting Dog and Retriever Training the Wildrose Way  by Mike Stewart
Wildrose Training Videos:  http://www.youtube.com/user/WildroseKennel?feature=watch

The Art of Canine Leadership

There are three parts to becoming an effective, positive leader: communication with the dog, understanding canine behavior, and becoming a problem solver.

Problem Solving

Great dog trainers are problem solvers who look first to themselves as the source of any problem, then to the circumstances of the situation on their training methods, and last to the dog. 

Reinforcers

Not reinforcing known or previously established behaviors is a common mistake.  You need to recognize previously entrenched skills occasionally to let the animal know the behavior is still valued.  Don't forget the small stuff or the actions are likely to fade.

Timing

Of the three methods of communication - timing, tempo and tone - timing is the most challenging and the most critical.

Affection and Physical Touching

Affection and physical touching are excellent reinforcers when used in moderation, but they are the most overused and misappropriated owner activity, which make them subject to the most dilution.

Food

Indiscriminate feeding of treats significantly dilutes their value as well.

Association

Association is a powerful motivator.  Dogs place a high value on being with their pack.  The correction to inappropriate behavior is banishment as an outcast.

I remove the dog from the group and make him watch from a distance; he only returns to the activity when the desired behaviors are evident.

If alone, I remove the dog from my proximity - time out, if you will - affording him no attention, not even eye contact.  Over a period of time, the dog learns to stabilize and be in balance with the leader or the group, and accomplishes this with self-initiated behavior.

The Wildrose Way

A positive, slowly progressive way of training where one set of skills is built upon another. 

Neutral Responses

Never give a command that cannot be reinforced.

Dogs Are Place-oriented

You have to train a skill at multiple locations to ensure that a predictable habit has been established

A negative experience in one location will not be forgotten for a long time.  Change the place, the environment, and the situation.

Dogs live in the present, so match their mindset.

Focus on the dog and stay in the moment. 

The First Six Months of a Puppy's Life (the backgrounding period)

7 weeks to 3 1/2 months (first 14 weeks): introduce the basic fundamental behaviors and commands

3 1/2 months to 6 months (the next 12 weeks): entrench those behaviors and skill sets to the point of habit

3 Main Areas of Focus during the Backgrounding Period: socialization, desensitization, and establishing core fundamental behaviors

Pups have an exceptional capacity to learn at this age and what they retain will likely be imprinted for a lifetime.

Desensitization

It bears repeating that every interaction between you and the dog is a learning process for the youngster. You are the guide to the world and its experiences.  Make haste slowly.

Place Training

Anytime your dog is traveling in your vehicle or sitting with you in the home, he should be on his mat.

No one should bother the pup when he is on place.  The dog can do what he wants on place within reason, but he cannot violate the boundaries.

Eye Contact

Every interaction begins with getting the pup's eye contact by using his name before proceeding.

Feeding Time

At feeding time, there are many simple skills that can be taught, including hand signals, sitting, coming when called, and entering the kennel - all using the food as a reward.

In everything you do with the youngster, always require a behavior before a reward. 

Sit or Stand in Place

If you're working with a pointer, don't reinforce sit.  No one wants a pointer to sit on the point.  Instead, reinforce "whoa" when you come to a stop at heel, allowing the dog to remain standing. 

Name Recognition

The dog's name becomes the indicator for action. The dog's name is the call for action, the retrieve command.  The dog retrieves by name only.  If he doesn't hear his name, he should be rock steady.

Practice name recognition skills in group work with other dogs.  Perfect name recognition to the point that no dog in the group moves other than name, as each is called out of line to their handler.

Whistle: recall, sit, whoa

As you walk along, stop and instruct the pup to sit using the whistle and the verbal command in this order:  whistle blast, "sit", whistle blast.  Gradually you can fade the verbal "sit" and use only the whistle.

Generally, you should use one single whistle blast as the sit command and a series of very short whistle blasts for recall. 

Own the Eyes

Each command should be preceded by the pup's name and 3-second eye contact. 

Give the dog time to process the command  If you don't give him adequate time to think, interpret, and respond, he's really just emulating your body language and not responding to the verbal command.

Denials

Denials build steadiness. 

4 Basic Core Skills

sit, stay, here, heel 

Failures

Failures are frustrating for you to be sure, but they are for your student as well.  Back up a couple of steps in your training to the familiar, simplify, reteach the basics, and set the dog up to succeed to get the intended result.

6 to 8 Months of Age

Build upon early starts

Increase in the duration of the core obedience fundamentals and introductions

Place training

Emphasize steadiness while other dogs work

Tie the dog out and add distractions

Move heel work to realistic conditions: vary the speed, change directions, zigzag, and negotiate obstacles

Discourage sniffing by gently pushing the nose up with your foot and getting him to watch you as opposed to sniffing.  Sniffing is not a sign of hunting; it is a sign of distraction

Further solidify the dog responding only to his name

Incorporate denials.  Denials build steadiness.

Introduce sit to flush by using denials

Energy Level Control: The Turnoff

A cue that means be quiet, still and settled.

The turnoff is established by placing your hand under the jaw of the dog, cradling the muzzle in your open palm.  Your demeanor and tone should be relaxed as you attempt to establish a calm behavior.

Gain eye contact and require quiet.

Use the turnoff to relax your dog, maintain calm, or settle him after an exciting retrieve. 

Steadiness

Steadiness is the dog's ability to sit still and quiet during any type of activity - a shot, a falling bird, or the distraction of another working dog or hunter.

The Three Ds of Steadiness

Denials:  simply denying the retrieve

Delays:  the amount of time between the fall of the bird or placement of the bumper and the release of the dog for the retrieve

Diversions: distractions; the dog should remain focused on the retrieve at hand, not the diversions

Steady in Group

If the dog doesn't hear his name, he should remain absolutely steady and quiet

Honoring in a Group

Honoring in a group can involve a mark thrown or a memory placed as each dog is individually released by his name while all others remain quiet. 

No patience, no retrieve. 

An Honoring Exercise

The dogs move forward across a field much like in a pheasant-hunting situation. It is one thing for the dogs to be steady at sit, and quite another when they're walking at heel. 

With the dogs off lead, if possible, the line moves forward and the handlers throw bumpers. Now is an opportunity, if you would like, to also practice sit to the flush as you toss bumpers. Use your whistle or hand signals if necessary. If the dog is conditioned to sit when he sees a flyer, he won't be breaking. 

If problems arise, use the slip collar and steady tab. This is a great benefit even for the duck hunter to hone steadiness. As the line walks forward and the handlers throw marks, each dog in the groups receives one retrieve. Occasionally, leave the dogs at sit and walk out and get the bumpers yourself. 

Honoring is obedience, as is steadiness. Find some pals and make sure your dog is rock steady in group situations.