Accelerated Dog Training: Backing and Whoa in 2 Days?!?!

[@Randy-d5x]

Used this method to teach whoa for 6 month setters. Used it when running two pups at same time and got them backing too. Great method worked in two sessions.

[@Payton1221]

That's fantastic! But remember, they're doing it because they want to (they want to see the bird!). When something more appealing comes along to distract them, you have no ability to make them comply, but it's a fast, simple, pressure-free way to introduce both concepts.

[@Randy-d5x]

@@Payton1221 that's OK I just need them to whoa long enough for me to start killing birds for them, then they will put it all together.

[@menwillbeboyz9347]

Another great video. Thank you for sharing a simple no pressure way of starting a dog 👍

[@Payton1221]

Thanks

[@RushoftheFlush]

I get back to my family and dog soon. I will have about three months to get my dog ready for his first season since I was gone last season. I’m planning on using some of your videos to get him squared away. The little formal training he had I’m sure is long gone. Can’t wait to use your methods to get him ready.

[@jimmyrouse8507]

Great video Mark! Thanks for sharing.

[@Randy-d5x]

Glad i found this video. Tried it with started dogs and it works great.

[@Payton1221]

That’s great! Thanks for the feedback.

[@pedrothehunter3721]

Great work with the dogs man doing same here with my dogs but using on barrel the being steady and whoe too thanks for your videos helps a lot

[@Payton1221]

Thanks Pedro.

[@artpatten1279]

Whoa Nellie.....Keith Jackson approves. ;)

[@DCon14]

I am training my first bird dog, a now 18-month GSP. I am following a similar approach to you with the pigeons and launchers, which has worked very well. However, I took him to a trial last weekend which used weak / wet pen raised quail and instead of pointing he went straight in, picked them up, and brought them to me. I did use dead quail as i finished Force Fetch, which I'm worried created the problem. Any ideas on how to solve the issue? He has a strong nose, i think he may just be confused at the task.

[@Payton1221]

In sports, some will say you "play like your practice." If you hadn't trained using pen raised quail that had been "released" (typically thrown down, dizzied, or otherwise "planted" in hopes of keeping it where it was initially placed for a few minutes), they you had no idea how your dog would react. Add to that the birds were poor flyers, you should have pulled your dog from the competition even if that meant losing your entry fees, because chasing some cheap ribbon or trophy isn't worth taking a major step backwards with your young dog. But what's done is done so just go back to pigeons and launchers for a while. Then on a later workout, run your dog on a pigeon, then a GOOD FLYING quail, and then back to another pigeon. Keep mixing it up between pigeons and quail in subsequent workouts until you're using more quail than pigeons as your dog proves to you that he's ready to proceed as such. When he's good with launchers and quail, slowly phase out the launchers using a quail in a launcher, a released quail not in a launcher, and then another quail in a launcher. Bottom line, incrementally switch from pigeons and launchers to released quail bit by bit, step by step, and don't attempt this overnight. P.S. I made the exact same mistake nearly 30 years ago. Live AND LEARN :D

[@ronyoung2709]

Been watching your videos. I get my puppy in 3 ½ weeks. She will be 10 weeks.

[@Payton1221]

That’s great. Enjoy the adventure!!!

[@drewp4]

Nice pup! I like how this method keeps the dog's attention on you. I've seen Ferrell Miller do something similar with a pigeon tied to a pole. Do you raise your own homing pigeons?

[@Payton1221]

I do frequently refer to them as homers, but I use primarily rollers which won’t home from great distances, but they are a smaller bird. Not sure why, but I have had the worst luck when it comes to raising chicks. I’ve already had two die on me which I attribute to hatching too early because we later had sub freezing weather. Speaking of Ferrel Miller, I bought a pup from him in 1993. I went back a year later and ran dogs with him off horse back. It was like meeting royalty, and at that time I saw in his kennel, Bullett, Spirit (I think), Rising Star, and Sodbuster. And then I got to see the trophy room. It was a very memorable experience.

[@Okay17282]

This backing method you showed, should I do that first or do the one you showed previously with the leash and launcher?

[@Payton1221]

Probably the more structured one, but for context, how old is your dog; what kind of birds do you have access to (and how many of them); how old is your dog; and how much training has your dog had already (and what commands does it REALLY know)?

[@Okay17282]

@@Payton1221 I see thanks

[@aibekkenzhebayevddrahtman4642]

Thank you! what is the brand of your bird releaser?

[@Payton1221]

I use one that's no longer available. It was called the EZ711 and I added electronics so that it I could launch remotely. Check out the video I did entitled "Dogtra vs DT Systems: Launcher Comparison." Both of those brands have both pros and cons, but for me, I prefer the Dogtra unit.

[@aibekkenzhebayevddrahtman4642]

@@Payton1221 Thanks. I use dogtra also, but your seems to be lighter and more versatile.

[@Payton1221]

@@aibekkenzhebayevddrahtman4642 You’re right. Watch the video that I mentioned. It shows how my launcher is much lighter and quieter. I think that Gun Dog Supply is considering manufacturing a similar launcher, but it’s currently not available.

[@ronyoung2709]

I noticed at the point the dog backed/honored the silhouette you changed birds, putting the one in hand back and getting one from the inner bag. Did you have shooting birds in one, and recall homers in the other? Just curious.

[@Payton1221]

I had to rewatch that but YOU’RE RIGHT(!!!): I had one “shooter” in the bag and the rest were homers. I mention in the video it was “bird number one” for that (second) workout and the dog really surprised me by backing so well on bird #1. I did these same exercises last night with a Brittany that had never been taught to back, and by Bird #6, she backed like a champ. Obviously more work is needed to be fully proofed, but she definitely understands the concept.

[@lukeblankenship8424]

I love that she didn’t want to break her point even though she had a dead bird🤣 awesome stuff

[@vladimirfomichev1784]

thanks for video. as for me i suppose it is rather strange that you let the younger dog run after the bird

[@Payton1221]

This is a ZERO stress means of introducing backing and whoa. Applying any pressure (even just the neck pressure that he feels at the end of a checkcord used to keep him from chasing) may prevent the reaction that we desire.

[@richyf194]

How come the Dog isn't all over you what with you carrying a bag full of Pigeons? I would have thought that it would have smelt them and consequently be right at your feet.

[@Payton1221]

The dogs are initially too excited chasing the bird. By the time they come back to me, there's another bird to chase until they associate the sight of the pointing dog silhouette or the sound of the whoa command causes them to assume the pointing posture. When I head out on a course of my own choosing with a bag of birds and one launcher to work on pointing, a small percentage of those dogs will shorten their range to just 15-20 yards knowing that all planted birds will be found near me. This makes the "one bag, one launcher" technique impossible to use.

[@nielsonnc]

​@@Payton1221expound on this...what happens when you use one bird one launcher?

[@Payton1221]

@@nielsonnc if you mean one bird per workout then it’s going to take a lot longer to see results.