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Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, DOGS CAN DO AMAZING THINGS!
We want to help you bring out all of the potential in your dog. We are offering an additional class this year, our “SPECIAL WINTER CLASS.” During the months of January through April of 2013 we can:
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Give your puppy a great head start in our Puppy Development Class,
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Take your young dog through all of the formal training steps and turn him in to a polished bird dog that’s a pleasure to hunt with,
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Take your dog through a trained retrieve program or
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Take your trained dog through a customized tuneup or problem fixing class.
Tell us what you need and we will do our best to make your dreams a reality.
Contact us to discuss the details!
Posted on January 8th, 2013 in Bird Dog Training, Uncategorized |
“At what age should formal training begin?”
Emily in Nebraska
A general rule of thumb is that dogs are ready for training at around a year of age. However, there is no magic age. Whether or not a dog is ready for training has to be measured on an individual basis. We have been able to begin formal training with some dogs at about 6 months and we have also not been able to start training some dogs that were 3 and 4 years old.
It is my experience that a dog is ready for formal training when he has met two criteria. First, the dog has to have good social skills so that he will be receptive to the trainer and the training. Second, a high prey drive is the passion that will sustain him through the training process. When your dog has met these two criteria you can begin your Foundation Level workouts with confidence.
To make sure that you are developing a dog with good social skills spend a lot of time with your young dog and expose him to as many new things and environments as you can safely do. Dogs that have been routinely exposed to new environments and people tend to be bolder and more confident. They will not perceive strangers as something to be afraid of and that will help them to become a better hunting companion in the long run. Not only should you be sure to expose your dog to new people, but to other dogs as well. Dogs raised in a single dog household often do not know how to interact with other dogs. So be sure to give them that exposure as well.
A high prey drive is part genetics and part experience. If you give your dog lots of experience around birds at a young age his genetic potential will be fulfilled. Young dogs exposed to lots of birds are simply more proficient in the field. I think Puppy Development is critical for young dogs, if you don’t have access to birds, this is a good time to consider sending your dog to a professional for a Puppy Development Class. Puppy Development should give your young dog bird exposure and field time, at this point there is no need to try to implement any rules. Just let them have fun.
“When do you begin formal obedience, sit, down, heel and come? I have always been told never to teach a pointing dog to sit. I have also been told never to teach a pointing dog to heel until after its first year.”
Donnie in West Virginia
We suggest beginning formal obedience when you begin your dog’s formal training. You are right, the pointing dogs we do not teach “sit” or “down.” The reason is that it can become a default mode that will follow you out in to the field and your bird work. For example, a dog that is taught to sit or down will sometimes default to that position while on point, after a flush, or during a back. For this reason we suggest not teaching a pointing dog these commands. If you really feel the need to do so, we recommend waiting until after your dog’s formal training is completed.
“What should I expect when hunting my dog for her first hunting season?”
Freda in Hampton, Virginia
This really depends on the amount of training that your dog has going into the season. If you have not yet been able to do any formal training with your dog then you should look at this first season as simply an opportunity for your dog to gain more proficiency at locating birds. Be patient with your young dog because you will not be able to enforce any rules around birds yet. So if he punches the bird and chases it over the next hill…it’s all fair game at this level! Just grin and make a resolution to get his training completed this next year!
If you have been able to take your dog through all three levels of training (Foundation, Intermediate, & Advanced) then you will be able to hold your dog to the proficiency level that you taught during your training classes. That may be steady to wing or steady through the shot, it is up to you.
Most importantly, always keep in mind that an animal does not program like a computer. Even if your first year dog has performed perfectly in a training scenario for weeks, he may forget himself in a real world hunting situation. This is to be expected and is why you spent all of that time and effort putting a good foundation on your dog. With a solid foundation in place you can simply use low level remote cues to keep your dog steady and bring his performance back to the top while in the hunting field. It will be up to you though to not get caught up in shooting and forget to be your dog’s coach!
Thanks for the great questions y’all! We look forward to hearing more!
Posted on January 8th, 2013 in Bird Dog Training, Bird Dogs, Kennel and Dog Care, Uncategorized, Upland Bird Hunting |
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What Turns A Piece of Birdwork Into Artwork? Your Training.
Train Your Dog With Rick & Ronnie Smith!
Rick & Ronnie combine dog psychology with good ol’ commonsense help you teach your dog the disciplines of a fine bird dog. They will walk you step-by-step through their training process. For decades people have been successfully training their own dogs using this system. Rick & Ronnie believe you can too.
Understanding your animal is the key to success in any training. At each seminar Rick & Ronnie concentrate on reading every dog’s body language and understanding his canine nature. They will spend time talking with you, both in group settings and individually. You and your dog will be given the opportunity to work together completing exercises under the Smith’s guidance. |
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Foundation Seminar ~
The Most Important Stage of Your Dog’s Training
A foundation gives you a solid base to build upon and is the first formal step in molding your pup into a good bird dog. In the simplest form, a bird dog needs to know three behaviors; go with you, come to you, and stand still. We will show you how to have your dog walk calmly beside you (the onset of having your dog go with you in the field), introduce your dog to birds, develop points of contact for cues, work your dog on a checkcord, including pointing and backing exercises… and much more. Key training tools at this stage are the Command Lead, check cord, and whoa post. This is the beginning of teaching your dog the fundamentals that every bird dog needs to know. No matter your level of expertise, the Foundation Seminar is the place to start with this training format.
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Intermediate Seminar~
Transitioning to Remote Cues
At this level you are well on your way to having your dog trained using the Smith method. To be ready for the seminar your dog should have a solid foundation and have completed all whoa post work. The Intermediate Seminar will take you through the transition to the remote cues of the e-collar. This transition to light cues with an e-collar allows you to heel your dog off lead, handle him in the field, train him to honor another dog’s point, and steady him on game. This seminar enables you to move away from training with the mechanical cues of a rope. One-on-one sessions with Rick or Ronnie, combined with numerous opportunities for learning from dogs on their bird work, make this a particularly fun seminar.
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Advanced Seminar ~
Tie It All Together & Complete Your Dog’s Training
Put the finishing touches on your dog in the Advanced Seminar. You will work one-on-one with Rick or Ronnie to make your good dog great. Learn how to transition the e-collar to the neck, progress from pigeons to quail and finish steadying up your dog on birds. Plan on full days, hard work, and plenty of fun and learning.
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Signing Up Is Easy!
To sign up for one of the seminars simply
find the location closest for you and give the host a call! Our hosts can give you more details about each particular seminar and get you set up to attend!
(Seminar host phone numbers are listed below.)
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Posted on January 10th, 2012 in Uncategorized |
We’re having a great summer at RSK and would like to share it with you! This video shows some pictures from our training seminars, bird dog training school, and bird dog certifications. Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without some shots of Delmar Smith, the man that started it all!
Thanks to all of our clients for allowing us to work their bird dogs! Also, a special thanks to our 2011 Advanced Level Trainers Chris Smith (Backcountry Bird Dogs) and Jerimiah Davison (Western Wing Adventures) — you guys are great!
Enjoy the video!
Ronnie Smith Kennels on Vimeo
Posted on August 10th, 2011 in Uncategorized |
When dogs first arrive at our kennels each summer to begin training, the atmosphere around the kennel is similar to that of a dorm of freshman college students. There’s excitement about the new social life. Of course, no college dorm would be complete without the 2 am “Chatty Kathy” that keeps everyone up late and makes it a little rougher to absorb the lessons of the early morning classes! Every bird dog class has at least one of those too! Overall, there’s just a little anxiety about the new environment and all the bustling activity on the grounds. There’s even an adjustment period while being introduced to the new curriculum and the teachers.
Our students however don’t gain the “Freshman Fifteen” from stress-eating through the transition. In fact, with any change in routine dogs are more likely to go off their feed temporarily and/or get loose stool for a short while. The folks at Purina have given us a useful tool that we have incorporated into our program. This tool is a powdered pro-biotic called FortiFlora.
Anytime you change your dog’s environment (ie: travel, boarding, etc) or ask a little extra from your dog (ie: during a hunt or a field trial) it is a good idea to utilize FortiFlora. This probiotic helps to keep your dog’s digestive system on track.
Ronnie’s uncle Delmar Smith has always coached us that the most important job in a kennel is that of the kennel washer. As usual, Delmar is absolutely right. The person washing kennels knows a great deal about each dog’s mindset and overall health. At RSK we pay special attention to each dog’s stool as it tells us how well the dogs are digesting their food and whether the dog is mentally and/or physically stressed. Our experience has been that FortiFlora keeps stools firmer during any type of stress and helps the dog to continue to digest the nutrients in their feed.
Often when putting an additive in your dog’s feed the main concern becomes disguising the additive so that your dog doesn’t pick around it, eating everything else. We’ve found that FortiFlora is so palatable that you can sprinkle the powder in an empty bowl and your dog will make sure the bowl is licked clean. Unlike the broccoli on your child’s plate, there’s no need to check up on your dog to make sure he’s eaten his pro-biotics.
We use FortiFlora proactively when we receive dogs for training, during any type of travel, and when our dogs have any added demands on their body. We’ve found it keeps our dogs healthier, keeps stools firm (after all a good stool is the first sign of a healthy dog), helps us keep a cleaner environment, and gives our dogs an added advantage when they need it most.
We believe in FortiFlora and think once you’ve used it you will believe in it too. We’d love to hear your experiences with FortiFlora. Email us your experiences with FortiFlora or connect with us on Facebook!
Posted on July 8th, 2011 in Kennel and Dog Care, Uncategorized |
Since its unveiling a few years ago, the Garmin Astro has quickly become an almost mandatory piece of equipment for bird hunters. The benefits of the product range much farther than just the ability to keep track of your dog. It allows you to mark and monitor coveys, analyze the course and speed of your bird dog as he hunts, and much more.
Garmin has taken the time to listen to its consumers and improve the design and function of the collar by the addition of the DC 40. The new collar, the DC 40, is a self contained unit that can be put on the same collar that you are running your electronic collar. This eliminates the need to have two separate collars on your dog (and the much joked about need to breed dogs with longer necks to accommodate all of the new fangled equipment!).
Garmin also improved the charging system on the DC 40. The DC 30s were known to have faulty charging connectivity should even the slightest bit of dust or mud get in the connection. Garmin has replaced the old charging method with a slip on flat contact charging interface.
Garmin has also added a security feature of a collar lock. The lock gives you the ability to control who can or cannot track your dog’s signal on a Astro unit. This feature will make the unit more field trial friendly as it allows the judge to lock your collar and hand you the PIN to unlock it once your dog has completed his run.
We intend to be training and hunting with the new collar after its release in August. Once we have submitted it to our rigorous use, we’ll let you know the pros and cons that we encounter. However, while this new collar may not revolutionize the bird dog world, it definitely is a step in the right direction for Garmin. Thank you to the staff at Garmin for listening to consumer’s concerns and issues.
Posted on June 16th, 2010 in Bird Dog Training Equipment, Uncategorized |
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