On my last post I talked about over handling to the point of losing the natural game finding ability of your dog. I know when I first started training dogs many years ago, there was something magical when my dog first stopped and looked back for help.
He was running out for a retrieve when he stopped, spun around and stood and looked at me. As if to say 'right Dad, we are a partnership now, what do you want me to do?' Dog Looking Back for Help from his Handler
My first thoughts then were ‘yes’, we have made it, he needs me'. Before that this dog never had shown any inclination to need me, but at that point I felt the tide had turned. Of course I gave him the help he needed, the retrieve was made and I was delighted. From that point on, the partnership became stronger. He started looking back to me for help on more and more occasions. It empowered me as a trainer as I felt we were making great inroads. How wrong I was!
As that dog's career progressed, the error of my ways soon became apparent. When hunting a wood he would constantly give up, come out of the woods, and stand and look at me, waiting for me to push him back in.
His search however, instead of expanding would reduce, until it would come down to the point where he would be just going in and out of the wood for seconds at a time.
He started even at times, on a straight mark, to stop half way out and ask for help. It was infuriating, but I had made this particular bed.
Like many of us, we make our mistakes on our first few dogs. Hopefully, with such experiences as these under our belt, we become wiser on our next dogs. And so it proved on this particular point.
Every time my next dog stopped and looked at me, I ignored his plea for help. I stood still and waited for him to continue with his work. I did not indulge his questioning. I just waited for him to continue. And he did.
Sometimes more experienced dogs turn and stop and ask for help.
It may be on a straight line blind, it may be when they are hunting an area, and very occasionally, while on a marked retrieve in unfamiliar ground.
My answer is always the same. I fold my arms and wait, and wait and wait.
---- by Paul David Toal ---- ALTIQUIN LABRADORS