Pickers-up and Beaters with Gundogs
Gundog handlers, pickers-up etc need to have good control over their dogs and tend to use whistles for long-distance commands, rather than voice commands. Some beaters might wonder what is happening ..... so this a short explanation of gundog whistle commands ... it's not a guide on how to train gundogs .... there are books and DVDs on our online bookshop.
There are 3 main gundog whistle commands you may hear whilst beating:
1) A single 'pip' ..... is the 'sit' command, (think of the short sharp verbal 'sit' command and you will see why it is used) though you may hear some dog handlers (labrador/retriever owners rather than spaniel owners) using a long blast. The single pip is often accompanied by an open palm signal on a raised arm.
2) 2 pips ..... is the 'turn' command (think of 'left / right') ...... which is used to get the gundog's attention (they look to their handler) and then see which way they need to go from the handler's hand/arm signals - left or right. I've heard some advanced handlers use a 'bosuns pipe' type whistle to move left or right, rather than just hand signals.
3) Continuous or 'extended' pips are used to recall a gundog. You may also see the gundog handler stretching both arms out as a visual signal to their dog to return.
By the way, a 'pip' is created by using the tongue, more or less in a 'spitting' fashion. You may have learned how to do so if you played a wind/brass instrument.
There are 3 main gundog whistle commands you may hear whilst beating:
1) A single 'pip' ..... is the 'sit' command, (think of the short sharp verbal 'sit' command and you will see why it is used) though you may hear some dog handlers (labrador/retriever owners rather than spaniel owners) using a long blast. The single pip is often accompanied by an open palm signal on a raised arm.
2) 2 pips ..... is the 'turn' command (think of 'left / right') ...... which is used to get the gundog's attention (they look to their handler) and then see which way they need to go from the handler's hand/arm signals - left or right. I've heard some advanced handlers use a 'bosuns pipe' type whistle to move left or right, rather than just hand signals.
3) Continuous or 'extended' pips are used to recall a gundog. You may also see the gundog handler stretching both arms out as a visual signal to their dog to return.
By the way, a 'pip' is created by using the tongue, more or less in a 'spitting' fashion. You may have learned how to do so if you played a wind/brass instrument.
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Dog training is often more about owner training. Getting dog owners to do what is required to make a dog do what is wanted, is mainly the issue. My father has trained gundogs over many years ... and seems to work miracles with them, including those that have been recovered in a pretty difficult state as 'rescued' animals. Many dog owners do not grasp what is required of them as owners and trainers of their own dogs despite a plethora of DVDs and books on the subject.
Just recently I saw a gundog handler beating on a shoot .... and spending far more time 'training' his gundog than trying to put pheasants over guns. Perhaps a balance of training and attention to the job in hand would have been better? To this beater the 'line' didn't seem important (he was many metres behind the beating line) .... pheasants running back were ignored .... likely hiding places for pheasants (fallen trees covered in bramble etc) were avoided. His sole concern seemed to be training his gundog .... yet he didn't seem to have grasped the basics. His 'commands' were very soft ... and uncommanding. And he said that the gundog trainer he was working with had perfect control over this dog, but that he didn't. Perhaps the trainer needs to be open and honest with the dog owner and train him rather than the gundog?
There are plenty of books and DVDs on basic dog-training (see our new online bookshop) plus TV programmes such as The Dog Whisperer and Dog Borstal - mainly sorting out problem pet dogs (or their owners!) However, such programmes do have their critics as well as their supporters and in particular some of the methods of Cesar Millan (Dog Whisperer) have been called into question. Details can easily be found via a good search engine such as Google.
However, search for gundog training DVDs or books on Google rather than 'dog training' and you may well find something more appropriate for you and your breed of gundog. There are also specialist gundog trainers dotted around the country, who can put gundog owners on the right path.
Badly behaved gundogs can be really annoying on a shoot day and might not be invited back. So, good training and control is essential. It is beyond the scope of this site to go into any detail about training dogs/gundogs.
Just recently I saw a gundog handler beating on a shoot .... and spending far more time 'training' his gundog than trying to put pheasants over guns. Perhaps a balance of training and attention to the job in hand would have been better? To this beater the 'line' didn't seem important (he was many metres behind the beating line) .... pheasants running back were ignored .... likely hiding places for pheasants (fallen trees covered in bramble etc) were avoided. His sole concern seemed to be training his gundog .... yet he didn't seem to have grasped the basics. His 'commands' were very soft ... and uncommanding. And he said that the gundog trainer he was working with had perfect control over this dog, but that he didn't. Perhaps the trainer needs to be open and honest with the dog owner and train him rather than the gundog?
There are plenty of books and DVDs on basic dog-training (see our new online bookshop) plus TV programmes such as The Dog Whisperer and Dog Borstal - mainly sorting out problem pet dogs (or their owners!) However, such programmes do have their critics as well as their supporters and in particular some of the methods of Cesar Millan (Dog Whisperer) have been called into question. Details can easily be found via a good search engine such as Google.
However, search for gundog training DVDs or books on Google rather than 'dog training' and you may well find something more appropriate for you and your breed of gundog. There are also specialist gundog trainers dotted around the country, who can put gundog owners on the right path.
Badly behaved gundogs can be really annoying on a shoot day and might not be invited back. So, good training and control is essential. It is beyond the scope of this site to go into any detail about training dogs/gundogs.
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The space below is intended for gundog trainer's adverts and/or links. Just e-mail me with the details and you will be added. This will probably be transferred to a separate page in due course.
The space below is intended for gundog trainer's adverts and/or links. Just e-mail me with the details and you will be added. This will probably be transferred to a separate page in due course.
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