A short while ago, I spoke with a behaviorist friend of mine, Matt McKenny, who also owns&nbsp;. I specifically asked him his thoughts about his relationship with his dog and how behavioral science contributes to his ability to work with, train and calm his dogs. He provided an in-depth perspective of how we use science knowingly — or not — in our training. If you have spent any time in the dog world you are very familiar with the fact that there are many strong debates about using bait. People on either side of this debate are very passionate about on which side of the fence they find themselves. This debate isn’t so much about using edibles as it is about people wanting to&nbsp;feel good&nbsp;about their training, sometimes ignoring the outcome. Even within our hunting circles, there are some who avoid the use of edibles whatsoever, and those who rely too much on them. Now in fairness, we all want to feel good about our bird&nbsp;. I’m just as human as anyone else in making my fair share of mistakes. But when we understand the process of learning, whether it’s human learning or canine learning, hopefully we’ll be more attuned to&nbsp;what&nbsp;processes work and&nbsp;why&nbsp;they work.

How to Use Dog Treats in Training

The Ojibwe, the indigenous people of the Great Lakes region, tell a story of how they were starving and aninaatig (sugar maple) fed the tribe with syrup (zhiiwaagamizigan) that gushed forth from its wood. Soon, the people took the gift of sugar from the Creator for granted. They lay under aninaatig all day and just let the syrup drip into their mouths.&nbsp; One day, the trickster&nbsp;&nbsp;saw this and poured water into aninaatig, diluting the syrup into watered-down sap. He wanted the Ojibwe to work for the blessing of maple syrup and make them truly appreciate it. Today, this is why it takes about 40 gallons of sap and a lot of effort to make a gallon of syrup.&nbsp;&nbsp;

How to Make Homemade Maple Syrup

Have you ever hunted over a dog with a sixth sense for finding birds? Perhaps the dog had a higher-than-average drive to push out to find game. Or maybe it was highly intelligent and sought the most productive cover. Its exceptional nose could’ve been dialed in. Regardless of the attribute, it must have had a cooperative temperament, trusted its handler’s leadership, and would follow them to the ends of the world.&nbsp; The culmination of all of these characteristics creates a legendary&nbsp;. However, the dog knows how to search for a cover in a manner that leaves little opportunity for birds to be missed outperforms all other dogs.&nbsp; Developing this level of teamwork starts with a dog willing to hunt for and with you. For me, this begins through teaching it to quarter with the&nbsp;&nbsp;starting at a young age.

Developing a Hunting Dog's Bird Searching and Quartering Skills

Bird&nbsp;&nbsp;at its core is&nbsp;behavior modification reliant upon catching your dog in the thought process and being able to read their emotions. Doing so allows us to predict behaviors before they occur, thereby maximizing the potential for learning. Also, the character of the dog at that moment and the behaviors they are exhibiting dictates the amount of pressure required to gain compliance. Pressure&nbsp;comes in various forms. Understanding pressure and how to use it is entirely another article in itself. Basically, pressure can be generated in a variety of ways.&nbsp;Food&nbsp;pressure is when the dog feels internal pressure to&nbsp;. The leash and collar is an example of&nbsp;physical&nbsp;pressure. Standing in the proximity of your dog places&nbsp;spatial&nbsp;pressure on them and using corrective tones places&nbsp;verbal&nbsp;pressure on them.&nbsp;Social&nbsp;pressure can even come from the competition of using other dogs.

Training to the Character of Your Dog

Some say the sweetest springtime sounds come from . As many turkey hunters have experienced, real turkeys aren’t always the ones producing that cacophony of yelps. Oftentimes, on crowded small parcels of land, one may be seduced by the sounds emanating from what turns out to be a hungry hunter, not a . Hunters using turkey calls have tricked birds and humans alike for years.

Hand-Carving Turkey Pot Call Strikers

I’m sure you noticed that you can’t make a move your bird dog doesn’t notice. It’s kind of creepy at times finding your dog at the door staring at you the moment the thought crosses your mind to go out&nbsp;&nbsp;or hunting, as if they are somehow reading your mind. It’s because they’ve been studying your every move since the day you brought them home. They know things about you that you don’t even realize. They have learned to become a bilingual behaviorist to be able to read you as well as their own doggy world. We owe it to them and it’s to our benefit to attempt to figure out how to read their language to become bilingual ourselves. It’s only then we learn to develop that harmonious hunting relationship we all dream to have with our dog.&nbsp;

Learning to Read a Dog’s Body Language for Training

Being part of the hunting and shooting industry, I get to try the latest and greatest new guns every year. But when I’m not toting a gun for work, I’m usually carrying a vintage shotgun. My duck and pigeon gun turned 100 this year, and my&nbsp;&nbsp;isn’t far behind it.&nbsp; I have a safe full of old&nbsp;,&nbsp;,&nbsp;, and&nbsp;, and I’ll probably never get rid of them. Sure, I’m a sucker for patina, nice engraving, and all of the little things that make an old gun great. But what I love most about vintage shotguns is learning about where they came from, how they were made, and how they handle in the field.&nbsp;

Why Hunt With a Vintage Shotgun?

So what if my dog has a wiggle butt and flags a bit on point? It’s kinda cute and still gets meat to the frying pan. If that’s the case and your dog will efficiently hunt, locate plenty of birds for you and stand point, I would happily agree with you. More often than not, however, it will affect your hunt in some aspect as it’s a symptom of underlying holes in your bird&nbsp;. It could develop into, amongst other things, a restrictive search, blinked retrieves, self hunting, ripping birds, stealing points and retrieves—which not only limits productivity in the field, it guarantees relentless ribbing from your hunting buddies. In my last&nbsp;Project Upland&nbsp;article, we discussed some of the nuances of reading your bird&nbsp;&nbsp;and figuring out what they are trying to tell you. I referenced flagging as a specific undesirable action in a&nbsp;. Let’s delve into that a little bit deeper to gain some understanding.

Understanding and Flagging in a Bird Dog

Our bird dog training routine has been completely uprooted, though my dogs are thoroughly enjoying all the extra training. Unfortunately for many people, what would have been the start of training season with friends and professional trainers has now become a stay-at-home DIY situation. Nevertheless, we can take this extra time to get some excellent training drills put together and maybe even include the family in the routines. For starters, we will look at building up one of the most important commands in the&nbsp;&nbsp;world –&nbsp;“Whoa.”

Whoa Training on Your Home Staircase

The reverberation of a&nbsp;&nbsp;drumming during early mornings in spring forests is one of the most magical sounds. When you hear it, it starkly contrasts against all other sounds found in the springtime. Its unique nature provokes human curiosity and admiration. No doubt, that very same feeling we get today is what sparked&nbsp;&nbsp;to write a letter to his home in England in 1750, describing the unusual behavior of a bird he called the Ruffed Heath-Cock.

Ruffed Grouse Drumming – The Mysterious Noise of Northern Forests

Sit and stay is a tall order. I don’t know about you, but this is no easy task for me or my bird dogs. Many of us are now quarantined in our homes. I’m sitting here writing this article with four very patient&nbsp;&nbsp;huddled up beside me awaiting anything remotely training related. And so place training is one of the things that can be accomplished at home and even with some help from the kids. If you have ever been&nbsp;&nbsp;with a young or developmental&nbsp;, you know how stressful whining and barking can be. Instead of watching that sunrise with your favorite cup of joe, you find yourself wrestling your hunting dog to keep it quiet and still. It’s in those times we realize that we should have better prepared our dog to control its emotions. Blaine Carter from Merrymeeting Kennels has created a series of at home drills that helps eliminate the issue.&nbsp;

Place Training in Your Home

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How to Use Dog Treats in Training

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