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come-rain come-shine, you and your family
could be stuck with that dog for the next 10 – 15 years, so better choose
carefully! Training
Although
I have kept working dogs for most of my life, I have never kept one in the house. When I started in pointers over forty years
ago it was only the occasional eccentric who kept a working dog as a family
pet. They are simply not bred for it. These days, every owner (except me!)
seems to expect their dog to play the double role. So far as I am concerned,
the kennel is an essential training aid that can be used in a number of ways
but if you also expect your dog to be the family pet as well, that is your
business! Thank goodness the days when falconers
considered their dogs, as they would a terrier or lurcher, as something to
simply turned loose to hunt at will are now just a memory though I hear
rumours that there are still a few idiots out there. Believe me, there is no
dog that cannot be improved by training. There is about as much sense in
attempting to work an untrained dog (least of all for falconry) as mounting
an unbroken horse and expecting to ride it off without any preliminary
instruction for either the animal or the rider. Yet most think they can train
and handle a dog by intuitive knowledge. The only difference is that the
horse is bigger and if can hurt! One point to remember about working dogs is
that it is a partnership – or it is meant to be. Sometimes it works,
sometimes it doesn’t, but you will get more pleasure from your sport if you
at least attempt to do things properly. There are some very skilled falconers
about these days and it is clear that there must also be some who are brilliant dogs handlers but they
are very rare. Sadly, some who have gained some respect as |
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of strong string. With a running noose on one end and the other wound round your hand,
you have a means of control, restraint, communications, and mild punishment
with your dog. The check cord is the most wonderful and essential instrument
ever to be invented for dog training! The check cord has been around for at
least 500 years and it is still going strong. Whatever else you do, DON’T get
an electric collar even though your “friends” and the manufacturer tell you
how wonderful they are. What they won’t tell you about are the dogs they have
ruined, then had to destroy and bury. Steadiness in a hawking dog is a great thing. I believe most dogs chase out of
frustration. And most young dogs without experience will chase. It is the
most annoying and difficult problem to cure. The answer is not to let it
start in the first place. I know a game farmer who breeds and trains
cocker spaniels. He takes his young dogs out with him every day when he
visits his game pens and the dogs get so used to
seeing birds that they don’t bother to chase. My own pups are exposed
to so many |
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falconers (but not as dog trainers) set
themselves up an experts in all things and this can lead potentially good
handlers astray. Schedule of Training
To
get the best information on dog training, go read a book or watch a video. What follows is no more than a thumb nail sketch of how to
succeed. Puppy-hood: It pays to socialized a young pup in much the same way you would
imprint a hawk. Fortunately, dogs are domesticated and so pre-programmed to
live with humans so this socialization comes naturally to a pup that is
brought up with normal human relationships. But it is no big deal if a working dog is not
too well socialized as their role is to do a job, not entertain the kids or
fawn to visitors. When my dogs come out of the kennel they know they are
required to find game. But allowing pups to play and learn basic responses to human situations is good. Giving
a play call will bring pups at the gallop. A gruff reprimand may inhibit a
pup |
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from chasing the hens or pulling your shirt
off the washing line. This is the period when pups learn their
communication skills. They discover that the outside world may seem
threatening but no harm will come to them. Control: The most important element in the behaviour of your canine hunting
companion must be control. Not being able to stop your dog when you want is
like driving a car without brakes. Some day soon you are going to land in
trouble! My preference is to teach the dog to go flat down, initially in
response to a word of command but later to a whistle or the sight of a bird
flying up. Sitting to command is enough for some. Sitting or dropping is something you can read about in every book on dog training. To get
your dog to sit or drop in response to a variety of stimuli is taught by
something called chaining. Two commands are given together until the dog will
respond to the new command. But dogs can also be trained to react to
situations. Once your dog will go down to the word command, it is easy to
introduce hand signals, the whistle, then for the “Sit” to be triggered by
the sight of a bird flushing or to the sound of a gunshot. The choice, if you
care to take it, is yours. The most useful tool here is the
check cord – simply a piece |
Dogs in
Falconry………...page 2
By Derry Argue |
