Cove Mountain Kennels

Here is a photo of another pointer we are training. Daisy is a 9 month old female shorthair who is slight of build, but can run all day long. She has a very sweet disposition and seems to want to please. She has fit into the pack very well, has been well socialized and is a pleasure to have around.

I just thought I would post a photo of one of the dogs we are training. Morgan is a very fine German Shorthair Pointer. We are thoroughly enjoying her confidence and energy. Her training is coming along very well.

The kennel box (airline crate) is one of the greatest aids for training and caring for dogs. A lot of times we forget what it was like before they were out there. Now, for between $35 to $90 you can have a well made, durable, light weight, safe den for your dog. We use them for transporting dogs, house training aid, safe zone, sleeping in at night, and a backup summer dog house.

The best way to get your dog used to them is start when they are a puppy.  Use them for house breaking the dog and as their sleeping quarters. They quickly learn to love them. They see the crate as a cozy den.

If you haven’t used them since the dog was a pup, they may be reluctant to go in. Here’s a trick. Take the dog by the collar and give the command to kennel. Steer the dogs head into the crate by the collar. If they are reluctant, wrap your arm around their hips (see photo) and lift their back legs off the ground, direct them where you want them to go and they should go right in. This trick will work for directing the dog anywhere they don’t want to go. With out their back feet to dig in and push against, they loose their fight. (The slick metal table top at the vet has the same effect.) I believe I learned this tip from one of Bill Tarrant’s books and it has served me well.

Once you get the dog used to going in the kennel by lifting his back legs off the ground, then you can just begin wrapping your arm around the dog and touching their underside, then soon you should be able to simply command and give a gentle nudge. Try it. It works like a charm.

 

One of the things I work on early in training and continue throughout the training process is walking at heel. It is so nice to have a dog that will reliably walk at heel when you are in the field walking to or from a hunting spot. Similarly, when you want to take the dog out for a walk, or go on a run it is nice to have the dog right beside you keying in on you.

One thing I commonly see, is a dog straining at the end of a leash, pulling for all they are worth and their owner bracing themselves trying to control the dog. If there are two things that commonly make a hunting dog and the hunter’s spouse at odds, it is this lack of leash control and jumping up on people. Luckily, these are things that you can cure in short fairly short order.

In order to train the Heel command, the first step is to use a lead that will ride in the correct place, high on the neck, right behind the ears. A collar is important to have on the dog (see post on March 11, To Collar, Or Not? ), however, as far as heeling the dog, they ride too low. They ride down near the base of the neck where the dog has the most pulling power (think of a yoke for horses or a harness for sled dogs – they are placed for maximum pulling). Place the lead right up behind the ears, high on the neck where you have the most control.

I really like the command lead, also called the Wonder Lead from Rick & Ronnie Smith. It looks like a roper’s piggin string, but has a rubber stopper which you adjust to allow the neck opening to spring open to the right size and no larger. This command lead is sized perfectly to stay in the groove behind the ears and skull and in front of the first vertebral process. Other devices that work well are the choke chain, prong collar, and the pinch collar (a flat and wide leather collar with dull spikes on the inside and a spring open metal core). 

The key is this: think of the leash and collar as a communication device rather than a control device. If you try to simply control the dog by pulling it into position all the time, what you end up with is a constant battle for control (dominance). Also, by allowing the dog to constantly pull, you are inadvertently training the dog that when they are hooked up on a leash, they are supposed to pull. On the contrary, put the lead correctly in position, confidently give the heel command and head out. Keep the lead slack except to pop the lead to communicate to the dog when he is out of position. Early in the training, purposely set the dog up by walking straight for a ways, then when the dog is distracted and starting off on their own tangent, turn 90-degrees and walk away giving the leash a crisp pop again letting the dog know that the are out of position. Establish clear, decisive leadership and the dog will naturally follow.

 

One of the things I am working on is giving a command once and once only, then following up to ensure that the command is followed.

This is easy to forget and drop back into old habits, and give the command two or three times. Usually you give the command the first time and when they don’t respond, give the command again louder or with more growl in your voice, and even once again. I try to remind myself that this just trains them to come on the third command when you’re frustrated.

One command and then enforce.

I am regularly asked if I use e-collars or electronic training collars in my training program. My emphatic answer is “yes, absolutely!”  I use them for two reasons, first, I am able to give a dog feedback (positive – turning the collar off, or negative – turning the collar on) at the exact instant that it is needed. Dogs ability to chain an action with a consequence is very short (< 2 seconds), and with the collar you can reach them at that exact moment. The second reason is that I can reach them at any distance, whether it is three feet, 50 feet, or 500 yards.  That said, I use the e-collar very lightly and only as a teaching tool, never as a control. If you are using an electronic collar as a way to control your dog, you’re abusing it. I have heard it sometimes called a dog’s hearing aid. I rank this thinking somewhere near pelting the dog with bird shot at 50 yards to get them under control. A good way to ruin a bird dog, rather than bring out their best. Two months ago I purchased the Dogtra 202 gold – two dog e-collar system and have been very pleased with it. The collars are very small and light as well as being water proof. They seem to hold a charge for a long time and with the dial setting, they can go from no current gradually to a very strong one. The transmitter is small, hangs nicely on its lanyard around the neck and is quick and straight forward to use. I haven’t yet taken advantage of the page (vibrate) button feature, but suppose it could be useful. I also have a Tri-tronics sport 50 e-collar that I have used for about five years. I liked this collar and found it easy to use. One thing I like about my new collar over this older one, is that the power settings are infinitely adjustable with the dial, as opposed to only 5 click settings on the older Sport 50 model. I noticed that the new tri-tronics sport series have 10 click settings for a finer range of adjustments. I am sure these new collars are nice, as Tri-troincs products are always quaility. I also liked the idea of being able to marry additional collars to your transmitter in the field. Although, I don’t know how practical this is. I’m not going to let my hunting buddy take the reins on my dog no matter how much I like him, nor is he going to do that for me. I also have an old Tri-tronics collar (~1990) that you have to change the contact points on the collar to change the intensity level. It was a pretty good collar in its day. The problem is that in changing situations (distractions) you can’t increase the power to fit the need. One of my training partners purchased the same Dogtra trainer that I have in the one-dog model and has really liked it. Another training partner is getting ready to purchase the DT H2O 1800. I look forward to seeing this collar in action, so I have another one to compare between. I think most of these collars are comparable. The things I look for are receiver size (small), adequate range (my opinion is that ½ mile is plenty – beyond that and you can’t see your dog to properly know when you should correct and when you shouldn’t), ease of use, range of power settings – especially at the low end, and finally warrantee service.

We’re still fencing the yard. I found that I broke the sprinkler pipe in three places. One of them I knew about and fixed, the other two I didn’t until the water welled up and washed everying away.

The dogs are really enjoying the warmer weather, especially the older ones. Chandra loves to go out in the pasture and bask in the sun in the cool grass. Allie of course, is still in lock down and lets us know that she is not happy about it.

 

Allie, our twenty month old lab is in heat for the first time, so she is in lock down. Man, that’s a pain. We have to keep her and her brother Zeke well separated. She has a lid on the kennel and we wrapped the sides with chicken wire to prevent any through-the-fence visitors. And she sulks in the house when she has to wear a pair of kids underwear with a hole cut for her tail. The kids thought that was funny looking. To tell the truth, the neighbors think it kind of strange as well.

Some things to remember about the heat cycle: it usually occurs for the first time between 6 to 12 months, but may be as late as 24 months. The full cycle usually take about six months, so the actual estrous period comes about twice a year. However, a friend’s German Shorthair has had her last two cycles 3 months apart. There are 4 parts to the cycle: 1.) proestrous – begins with vaginal bleeding and lasts 4 to 9 days. Males become very interested in the female, but she does not accept them. They often feel kind of mopey and lie around.  2.) Estrus – discharge shifts to more yellowish than bloody and is ususlly lasts for 4 to 12 days. The vulva will usually swell and may even be flagged or winked around a male. This is the period when she is most fertile and willing to willing to accept the male. By nature, she will stand and hold her tail to the side when you press on her back or when the male tries to mount. 3.) Metestrus and anestrus are periods of the ovarian cycle, but with no outward signs.

Keep in mind that you may easily miss the first day or two of the heat, and they may take longer or shorter than the norm to move through the cycle. Consider her to be in season for 21 days: 7 early heat, 7 days in season, and 7 days late season. Though conception is most likely to occur when they are in full season, due to individual variation and sperm life, it may occur anytime during the 21 days, so you have to keep them confined the whole time. Something else to remember is that she may attract dogs from all over town and males during this period like to mark everything that seems like a good scent post, like kennel corners, house corners, fence posts, standing bags of dog food, the car tire, whatever.

I have also heard many stories of neighborhood dogs (several specific to Australian Shepards) climbing a 6’ kennel and breeding a female in heat. I have also heard stories of dog breeding through chain link kennels, so be aware. Please think through breeding your dog very carefully before breeding your dog. Think of your young female’s health first, and remember that there are lots of very good, proven breeders out there. Visit the local animal shelter and see how many puppies end up there before you proceed.