Training Your Llewellin Setter
To the new owner the question of how to train and when to commence training are issues we are often questioned on. Of course we must split the training issue into two parts.
Part I. Yard Work
This would be the training you would expect to do even if you had no intentions of ever hunting with the dog. However, yard work is very necessary as a foundation for field work also, so it is the mandatory first phase.
Part II. Development of the finished bird dog. This is a process also of several steps which are best accomplished in logical sequence without hurry or pressure on the dog. The question of whether any of these steps are best done by the owner or placed into the hands of a professional will be discussed.
If the pup is to become a “house dog” which the writer prefers with his own dogs, then yard training can be greatly accelerated. After all you are now in a position to establish your domination and to give commands 24 hours a day. You can also quickly expose the pup to all kinds of social interaction with children, friends, other animals, and so on.
This is mostly good but also contains the risks for the bad so be careful. Sleeping on your bed, being fed from the table, taking over your favorite chair, jumping up on visitors, barking at every caller may not be what you want for the long haul. Be careful! You must introduce discipline right away and stick with it.
Crate train the dog so that is his space. Do your yard work in the yard, i.e., outside. Do it frequently but for short duration. Have a clear idea in your mind of what is to be accomplished. It is really simple. Here it is.
Don’t talk to your dog. Give commands only. Do not give a running commentary about how good a dog he is, how smart he is etc. Just give the command, then, shut up. If required, repeat the command using reinforcement (we will examine this), then shut up.
The only commands we need to teach a future bird dog are: “Heel”, “Whoa”, “Come” (Or whatever word you prefer to mean come here). In addition, you need to introduce a release command, which is mostly used to cancel the Whoa command. Most handlers seem to use “OK” for this.
Now let’s be sure we understand what the commands should mean to the dog. “Heel” means walk quietly by my side never pulling me forward and without me pulling you. If you are right handed, heel is always on your left side and visa versa. “Whoa” means stop, while standing up (no circling around, no sitting down). If the dog sits bring him immediately back to standing position with your toe as you repeat the command. “Come” or whatever word you use, means come to me directly right now. Tie a 20ft line to the dog give the command and reel him in.That seems to work if repeated frequently.
After you have given the Whoa command, wait a few minutes then tap him lightly on the head say OK and then say “Heel”. Never give a Setter the command “Sit” Do not have this in your vocabulary. If you teach him “sit” he will eventually start to sit down on long points in the field.
Now, let’s talk about reinforcement. This means some device to encourage the action we want. It can be simply a standard collar and leash. It can be one of any number of so called training collars with various degrees of discomfort built in. In the early days Whips were used. Today the electric training collar is much used and sadly much misused. The modern electric collar is a wonderful tool in the hands of the initiated but for the present work being discussed I suggest not using it.
What I do strongly advocate is the leather training collar with blunt rivets on the inside (one can be obtained from Lynnhill Llewellin Setter Web Site). This type of collar has a built in slip action so that it closes only when the leash is tightened. This being done with a flip of the wrist.
For example, the command “Heel” would be given in a clear sharp voice accompanied by a sharp flick of the collar at the same time bringing the dog into the desired position at our side. You will be amazed at how quickly the dog will learn from this. Some dogs are totally broke to heel and whoa in a few days. Do the same with the Whoa command working towards the point where the dog can be left in position while you walk away and then release him from a distance with “OK” followed by “Heel”. Repeat, repeat, and repeat.
Let’s add some retrieving games in the house as well as outside. Old socks are good. The retrieving games are good from day one. The work on the training collar goes best between 6 and 9 months.
In my next article we will discuss introduction to birds, starting training in the field and use of Pro Trainer versus doing it yourself. In the interim you should give very serious consideration to what your expectations are from your bird dog along with how much you are willing to invest.
Very high standards of performance such as steady to wing and shot, retrieving to hand, backing another dog and absolute steadiness on point are fine points which are for all of us highly desirable. However, the time and cost to graduate to the upper echelons of Gun Dog performance may not be practical for many hunters, or indeed necessary to enjoy great times afield. Be very honest with yourself here. Will you really be hunting with your dog five weeks a season or will he be lucky to get a couple of Saturday afternoons out?
KHS
November, 2005