Training Gun Dogs With Homing Pigeons

[corvus]

I just thought this was pretty ingenious. Here's a video of this fellow training his GSP with the use of homing pigeons as a reward.

Poor pigeons, he must have about a dozen of them tucked away in that bag!

[Tonymc]

Its drive training for gundogs. The Dog learns acess to prey drive is through the Handler. The dog learns in this manner much better as instinct is used. Tony

[Lablover]

I understand the concept (reward for pointing) , but but but, for one, cannot help wondering if he is encouraging returning to the handler (instead of hunting).

[Erny]

I understand the concept (reward for pointing) , but but but, for one, cannot help wondering if he is encouraging returning to the handler (instead of hunting).

LL .... I thought the same as you as I was watching the video footage. The dog might as well give up chasing the birds ..... where is the drive satisfaction?

[Nekhbet]

did you see the one where the dog pinged off to the right instead of where the bird went

also I hope that is not a live pigeon in the dogs mouth at the start .. looks like it

[corvus]

Well, it depends on how far you take it and whether you are doing it in isolation, doesn't it? I'm having a similar training conundrum with Erik at the moment, who tugs like a fiend and won't give up his flirt pole toy once he's caught it. I've been trying to balance training him to release a toy on command and rewarding that without diminishing his desire to tug like a fiend. He likes tugging more than food sometimes and sometimes less. I feel it would be useful to be able to reward with a tug at times, but only if I can get the damn toy back again! If I don't balance it right, he wants to bypass tugging and just grab it and instantly release for the reward. I wasn't sure how I was going to solve this, but I'm currently rewarding his release with more tugging, and it seems to be doing the trick, although it's early stages. I don't see why rewarding with something so high in value should also diminish the desire to hunt. Although by all means say so if you disagree! I don't know much about hunting dogs. I just know that rewarding Erik with a tug doesn't mean he wouldn't chase the tug toy if I threw it.

[Nekhbet]

when he catches it have another and wave it around, then tell him to release, when he does praise hard and let him catch the other toy, go back and forth

made a really reliable out in my Malinois

[corvus]

Thanks Nekhbet, that sure makes sense!

[Lablover]

Well, it depends on how far you take it and whether you are doing it in isolation, doesn't it?

I agree. We talk about balance for example in retriever training and trialling, control v freedom on SELECTED marks/seen retrieves. This takes experience and dog sense to chain required behaviours.

Did the trainer on the youtube example, have difficulties with attitude, focus, obedience, whoa/stop, flushing (if required), retrieving, ranging or required dog close to hunter or horseback long ranging. No idea!!!

The closing of a gun and reloading can sound like a clicker.

Edited November 11, 2009 by Lablover