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Training your gun dogs to hunt, whether it’s for flushing, pointing, or retrieving, there are great tools at your disposal. Bird and Dummy Launchers are available with remote control devices that can be used together or separately to fill your training needs.

Remote Bird and Dummy Launchers

Whether you are using a dummy launcher or a bird launcher, you can use a remote control that allows you to train your dog without having another person present with you. Without the remote, you would need at least one other person to assist in your training which of course can distract your dog.

Other extras with bird launchers include bird calls, sounds, and beeps that can be used to train your dog in field craft and hunting. Which kind of launcher (bird or dummy) will depend on the specific type of training you are doing with your dog. Your goal is to make an effective and confident hunting companion and launchers can be an essential tool towards this goal.

Bumper Launchers

This is your secret weapon in teaching your dog to learn to retrieve came. The dummy launcher is for those who work alone and you allow you to launch your dummies at a height and distance that is far greater than throwing it yourself. This allows your dog to learn to retrieve game that is further away. This is especially helpful when you consider that if you were using hand launching followed by shooting; your dog would become accustomed to fetching game at close distances. One of the best features of the remote launchers is that you can use the accompanying sounds to train your dog to react as if he were hunting actual game (ducks, pheasant, etc.).

Bird Launchers

For training pointing or flushing dogs, bird launchers will work perfectly. A great benefit to bird launchers is that you can actually set it up to launch multiple birds to simulate real hunting. The good thing is, dogs are bred to hunt so your main focus is to train your dog to respect another dog’s point, as well as flush out birds. A bird launcher will give you a good shot at achieving this type of training. Trainers of pointing dogs have been successful in using these for years now, and even those who train flushing dogs are starting to use these tools more often. Because a bird launcher is designed with a spring latch which will release prey fairly low, it can quickly help your dog learn the skills needed for hunting quail as well as pheasant.

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One morning I was watching the news and a special about disciplining dogs came on. The program had taken four disobedient dogs to Washington DC dog training in hopes of turning them into refined pets. They worked with each dog individually until it had mastered a skill. Dog clicker training was a main focus of the program A command would be followed by a click, and if the dog obeyed it received a treat. Eventually, if the dog heard a click it would do the command. I was astonished at the progress the dogs made in such a short time. They went from bad to good in a matter of days.
Had they held auditions for this show, my dog would have been a shoe-in. Jesse, my dog, and I have a very rocky relationship. As it seems, he is the king of the castle. I didn’t think dogs could wear pants, but Jesse has showed me differently. Jesse has always been spoiled. I have spent countless nights sleeping on the couch because Jesse wouldn’t share the bed. Any pillow I have must be tested and approved by him first, and if he likes it, he might choose to take it for himself. He also has taken on the role of my personal taste-tester, even if I didn’t ask for his service.
I feel like I’ve done all I can to try and reform Jesse. I tried using tips from a book from my brother-in-law; called Good Masters make Good Dogs. I followed this book to the t, child-locking my kitchen, putting shock systems on things, but it did absolutely nothing. Jesse just out-smarted it all. I was at a loss. I then turned to my veterinarian. The vet taught me tricks to correct misbehavior in animals that was “fool-proof”. I’m not sure if Jesse is a genius or a dunce because it didn’t work. Jesse seemed to repel any type of constructive reformation.
This special seemed like my last hope. If it could fix the terrible dogs I saw on TV, Jesse would be an easy task. After all, Jesse was harmless at heart, he would never hurt anyone. He just needed some expert discipline. After watching the news special, I ran to the internet to see if I could get Jesse into the program. The news station website had a contest entry form for a sweepstakes that could land Jesse a trip to D.C. for dog training. I am normally not the type to enter contests, but I was hopeful.
Three weeks later, I got a message on my cell phone from the dog expo in DC. I was quite surprised because I had almost forgotten about the entire things. I was to bring Jesse to the training center in two weeks on a Thursday ready to work. I took him to be groomed and get a checkup just in case. Now that he was presentable, Jesse and I got in my car, him in the front seat of course, and set off. By the end of the workshop, Jesse was a new dog. He sat in the backseat on the way home, slept on his dog bed for the first time, and started a new diet void of human food.

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Heartworm, or roundworm, is very serious can affect all types of gun dogs. With gun dogs, working dogs, and other outdoor dogs, you must be especially concerned because they are more susceptible to heartworm. The worse case scenario is that an affected dog can pass it on to humans, as well as other dogs. In turn, you can also pass on heartworm to your own dog.

Prevention of heartworm is crucial, especially when you consider that once your dog is infected with this parasite it made lead to death. Of greater concern is other in animals that come in contact with your dog such as coyotes, fox’s, and others may have roundworm and may transmit that disease to your dog.

Preventing Roundworm/Heartworm

Prevention can come in the form of tablet or food additive when given to your dog as a preventative measure. A tablet can be ingested orally and mahy come in the form of a dog treat, and food additives can be added or mixed with food. Most of these treatments are monthly applications. Remember to give it to your dog each month. Use a calendar if it helps you remember.

In areas where there are four seasons, the primary carrier of roundworm is mosquitoes, which ingest infected blood and then give it to another animal as they sting them. In areas with less harsh seasonal changes, roundworm is more often transmitted from animal to animal. In all cases, giving your gun dog preventive treatment every month, no matter the time of year, is a best practice.

Symptoms of Roundworm

In its early stages, roundworm is very hard to detect since your dog won’t show any physcial signs of illness. Your vet can test for the disease, or skilled vets can tell by observation. It is typical of heartworm to gestate for several months before affecting your dog. During this stage of the illness, the disease can easily be treated, but it is best when your dog is asymptomatic.

Typically a dog infected with the round worm becomes lethargic and not necessarily interested in is normal daily activities. You may notice a cough or weight loss in addition to these other symptoms. Contact your veterinarian immediately because in addition to roundworm there may be other infections that may be causing the symptoms.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Roundworm

Diagnosing roundworms requires a blood test. During the blood test one step will be to determine whether the roundworms are male or female which will help direct your veterinarian to the proper treatment course.

Roundworm treatment is extensive and may be very expensive to treat. Aside from that the treatment is very difficult for your dog and in fact may result in his needing dialysis. Almost all dogs will be listless, suffer weight loss, and has other symptoms while the Worms are discharged. Follow-up treatments will be necessary to ensure that all of the Worms are eliminate it from your dog system.

Damage to organs can also be a result of roundworm infection and can mean lifelong treatment for that as well. This is why it’s so important to catch the infection as early as possible and to not delay in getting treatment for it.

When you have any sort of hunting dog, you should always keep in mind that you should always keep your dog’s health as top priority. There are also lots of different hunting dog supplies that you should have on hand for your dog such as electronic dog collars or dog collars.

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As much as many of us love dogs there are some dogs that have jobs to do.  These are dogs that are not satisfied with being couch potatoes or love bugs.  They need work and things to keep them busy.  They need work to occupy their minds.

You may have seen dogs acting as service dogs for the disabled or as therapy dogs.  Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and some other breeds take to this kind of training very well, becoming helpers for people who need assistance.  Training for service dogs begins when the dogs are puppies and they are placed with families who are willing to teach them basic training.  This involves a great deal of socialization and taking them out to places they would go as adult service dogs.  They will learn that when they are wearing their service dog vest they are working and they shouldn’t look for petting.  When the vest comes off they are pets again.  When the dogs become adults they go to school for more intensive training and to meet the disabled person they will be paired with so that the two of them can learn together.  Service dogs usually remain in service until their age begins to catch up with them when they may be retired and live out their years with their disabled partner or be placed in a home with someone who wishes to adopt them and take care of them.

Therapy dogs usually begin as someone’s pet.  These are dogs who may display a great deal of empathy with people.  Any dog can be a therapy dog including mixed breeds.  Therapy work requires that the dog have good manners and social skills.  It helps if your dog knows a little obedience.  Organizations such as the Delta Society train volunteers and screen owners and their pets for therapy work.  Dogs become approved, with their handlers, so that they can visit people in hospitals, nursing homes, rehab centers, schools and other facilities.  Therapy dogs and their owners bring a great deal of comfort and happiness to people’s lives.

Other dogs have much more athletic jobs, such as hunting dogs.  Dogs such as Pointers, Setters, Beagles, Coonhounds, Salukis and many other breeds were originally bred to hunt various game.  Although these dogs make wonderful pets many dogs of hunting breeds still have strong hunting instincts.  If you have a dog from hunting bloodlines your dog may not be completely happy unless he has the opportunity to do some field work.  Many people still field trial their dogs or go hunting on the weekends.  As soon as their dog sees them getting out the hunting gear the dog is at the door ready to go to work.  Hunting is a deep instinct in dogs that survives despite all the generations of domestication.  Many breeders still try to breed superior hunting dogs.  If your dog shows an interest in hunting or you are curious about it try to take your dog out and let him enjoy it.  If you are no good with guns your dog can still enjoy some aspects of field sports with events like hunt tests or lure coursing which simulate hunting conditions.

Other dogs perform jobs that are very important to our society today such as police work, bomb and drug sniffing, war service and detective work.  A dog has many abilities that can be trained for these necessary jobs, from using his nose to his guarding instincts.  Some police forces are beginning to breed their own dogs for this work but many of the finest law enforcement dogs still come from Europe — dogs such as German Shepherd Dogs and Belgian Malinois.  These well-bred, highly trained dogs excel at the skills required for tracking, obedience and protection.  War dogs have been used by armies for centuries.  The U.S. military currently employs many K9 teams in Iraq and Afghanistan and they are in the process of developing a breeding and training center for their future canine needs.

If you have a dog who seems bored at home he may need a job.  Perhaps there’s something he was bred to do or something that he excels at.  Maybe there’s something enjoyable that the two of you can do together.  Look into the things he’s good at doing or consider his heritage.  You may find that your dog needs a job.

What kind of job does your dog have?  Tell us about it in the comments section below.

Until next time…..

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This is a problem I see quite often with my dog training clients so I thought I would write an article about how to deal with a jealous dog.

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For anyone who loves dogs canine body language is always interesting.  If you’re new to dogs you can learn some important things from studying your dog’s body language.  Here are some body language signals that will help you be more attuned to your dog.

Most people first look to see if a dog is wagging his tail.  This is often a good indicator of your dog’s mood — but not always.  In fact, tail wagging has lots of different meanings besides happiness.  Your dog can show lots of different moods with his tail, from happy wagging to holding it stiff and straight out from his body, ready to attack.  A fast wagging tail, lowered, with the dog’s head down, may mean that your dog is being submissive,  A tail up, wagging in big, broad wags, with the dog’s head up, mouth open, tongue lolling, usually means the dog is relaxed, happy, ready to take part in play or petting.

You can tell a lot about your dog’s mood by his facial expression, too.  What do his eyes look like?  Are they wide open or narrowed?  Is he showing his teeth defensively or is he showing his teeth in a friendly grin or smile?  (Yes, dogs do smile!)  What is he doing with his ears?  Are they up in an alert position or are they flattened against his head submissively?

Some signs are seemingly unmistakable, such as when a dog stands with his hackles raised (hackles are the guard hairs over your dog’s neck and shoulders).  This is a definite warning sign that your dog is alert, guarding or ready to fight.

Most people can recognize a snarling dog, of course, but it’s surprising how many people think a dog that’s standing tensely, staring at them with a stiff, slow-wagging tail is being friendly.  He’s not.  If a dog is watching your every move like you’re an intruder, chances are you’re not welcome.

When a dog is standing tense, growling or starting to crouch, you should take the situation very seriously.  Do not attempt to touch this dog at this time.  Even if the dog is not directing his attention at you, chances are that he is so focused on what he’s feeling that he could bite you without thinking.  Many people are bitten each year because they try to intervene in dog fights.  Unless you have physical control of your dog it’s best to back away until the event is over.  Even if you manage to get your dog away, you have no control over the other dog and could still be bitten or injured.

Even if you have a small dog you should take the possibility of a dog fight seriously.  Many small dogs seem to be unaware that they are small and they will try to tackle much larger dogs.  If you are out walking your dog, regardless of his size, do keep your dog leashed and under control at all times.

Dogs have a great range of vocalizations that go along with their body language.  In addition to barking, which has many different causes and expressions, they also whine, cry, howl, whimper and make many other sounds.  You can learn to interpret these sounds and see how they fit the body language that your dog is using.

For lessons in canine body language you can take your dog to a dog park for a morning or afternoon of play.  Here you will be able to watch many different dogs, as well as your own, and see how they display different kinds of body language.  Most of the body language will be used in play but you will see a wide range, as well as some examples of more serious body language.

What about your dog?  Can you ready the body language?

Until next time……

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Many people worry that if they play tug-of-war with their dog (or “tug”) that they will be teaching their dog to be aggressive. They’re afraid that playing tug with their dog can lead to problems with dominance. Are they right to be worried? Does tug-of-war teach aggression?

Actually, many recent studies have shown that dogs who enjoy rough house play with their owners were generally considered better socialized than dogs who didn’t. These dogs also had less separation anxiety. This included games of tug-of-war. These dogs were considered more confident without being “dominant” or “aggressive.” These studies did not find any connection between playing tug-of-war and developing aggression or dominance. (Rooney and Bradshaw, 2003; Goodloe and Borchelt, 1998) J. O’Heare, in Aggressive Behavior In Dogs (2007) writes: “The relationship between tug-of-war and dominance aggression appears to be a myth.” (Ottawa: DogPsych Publishing).

There is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy playing tug-of-war with your dog as long as you establish the boundaries and control the game.

Choose a toy to use for playing tug-of-war. This should be a toy that will withstand some pulling and abuse since your dog will be using his teeth. Make sure not to use a sock or shoe. Even if you use an old sock or shoe your dog won’t be able to distinguish between an item you’ve discarded and one that you’re currently using.

You should always be the one to give the cue for starting a game of tug-of-war. Offer the toy to your dog and say something like, “Tug!” You may have to shake the toy in front of your dog a few times to get him to take it. Once your dog has the toy and is tugging you should enjoy the game for a few moments and then tell your dog to “drop it.” Keep your tone positive and upbeat. Make sure you praise and reward your dog for dropping the toy so he will be willing to drop it the next time you ask. Treats are good. You can also start another game of tug with him as a reward.

If your dog starts to get too worked up or excited with the game you should tell him to “drop it.” This keeps you in control of the game. Be sure to praise and reward your dog for dropping it. If your dog refuses to drop the toy you should simply drop your end of the toy and move away. Your dog can’t play without you. There is no tug unless you pull, too. You should always be the person in charge of when the game starts and stops.

Do remember to always praise and reward your dog for dropping the toy when you tell him to do so.

If your dog tries to take over the game or pesters you to play tug-of-war with him, you should ignore him. Wait until he is doing something else before you offer him the toy. The game should always be your idea, not his.

As long as you control the game you won’t ever have any problems with your dog becoming dominant or aggressive playing tug-of war. You set the boundaries and the rules.

BUT….I still believe that tug-of-war is not good for children and their dogs and can actually lead to some aggression toward the children.

Until next time……..

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Thinking of getting a dog?  Great choice!  But there are some things you need to know before you go out and get a dog.

1.  Dogs cost money. No, not just when you get one.  Dogs cost money AFTER you get them.  They need a never-ending supply of dog food.  They need vaccinations, heartworm preventive and trips to the vet.  They need toys and bedding.  Your dog is going to dip into your wallet every single week.  In hard economic times some people have had to give up their dogs.  If this isn’t a good time for you financially then you should postpone getting a dog until it’s a better time.

2.  Dogs take time. When you bring a dog home, whether you’re getting a puppy or an adult dog, you’re going to have to spend time on things like housetraining, teaching your dog the rules of the house, working on any behavior issues (such as jumping on people, digging, barking), trips to the vet, and all of the playtime that your new dog is going to want.  Whether you’re getting a pup or a rescue dog you can count on spending some time trying to socialize your dog.  All of these things take TIME.  You can’t bring a dog home and let him fend for himself.  You basically get the kind of dog you’re willing to develop.  If you don’t put time into your dog then you’re going to end up with problems.  If you don’t have time for a dog right now, wait to get a dog when you have more time.

3.  Dogs are messy. Your new dog is going to come into your house and make a mess of it.  He’s going to chew on things.  He’s going to drool.  He’s going to slobber water.  He may not be housetrained.  He will have accidents in the house.  There will be dog hair in your home.  If you’re a perfectionist or you have OCD then you are in for a shock.  If you want a real dog these are things you will have to accept to a certain extent.  Your dog can be housetrained.  He will stop having accidents.  He may stop chewing on your things.  But he’s always going to be a dog and do dog things like shedding and drooling and slobbering.  If that bothers you then you may want to think about getting a stuffed animal instead of a real dog.

4,  Dogs need training. It’s great to meet a well-mannered dog — a dog that walks calmly next to his owner without pulling.  A dog that doesn’t jump up on people or bark too much.  A dog that might know a couple of tricks.  You may think that all dogs come this way.  They don’t.  If you want your dog to be polite and well-mannered then it takes training.  If you get your new dog and he behaves like a hooligan that’s not really all that unusual.  Many dogs start off acting like knuckleheads.  You can teach your new puppy or adolescent dog to behave but it takes some work on your part.  Make training fun and your dog can learn just about anything.  But, if you’re not willing to train your dog then you get the dog you deserve.

5.  Your dog depends on you. As crazy as a dog may be when he’s playing or as tough as he may seem when he’s protecting you, your dog will depend on you for all of the important things in his life.  He will depend on you for every need and comfort.  You can’t forget to feed him or ignore him when he needs to go outside.  Having a dog is fun and wonderful and very rewarding but it’s also a serious responsibility.  Make sure you’re ready for that responsibility before you get a dog.

Until next time…..

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