by Kat Kelly

The weather is finally starting to break! If you have a bird dog breed like I do, that is especially good news. It is time to cure our energetic pups (and ourselves) of that wintry cabin fever! A trek out to your favorite woodsy park is the perfect medicine. Bird dogs (pointers, labs, spaniels, setters, poodles, retrievers) love to work, so they need to exercise that brain just as hard as the body.

Now is the perfect time to try out some field training! You don’t have to be a hunter to enjoy these activities with your furry friend. Field exercises are not only super fun—they build up a dog’s confidence, keep their minds sharp, and tighten the bond between pup and human. I will mostly refer to bird dogs, but these are great for any breed to practice! Below, are a few field activities you can do to work your athletic/brainy companion.

Things to bring

First, make sure you have what you need before heading out to the park. Good, basic equipment to have with you would be:

• High value treats. The great outdoors holds many distractions for our dogs, so you will want to pack the good treats (meats, cheeses, jerky) to make sure you can gain that attention back!
• A long leash (15-30ft long). Keep control while working recalls, retrieving, etc. A squirrel or a deer might be too much temptation, even if your dog has the World’s Best Stay. Also, many parks require a dog to be on leash, so these allow room to romp while still following the rules.
• Retrieving dummy. Of course if you don’t have one of these, a good rope toy or even a tennis ball is just fine!
• Water bowl. All of this hard work can make a dog super thirsty. Make sure they stay hydrated! Portable water bowls will fold up and fit in a backpack nicely.
• Clicker or whistle. If your pup is familiar with them, bring your reinforcement tools.
• Flea & tick medication. Make sure they’re up-to-date on their preventives! ‘Tis the season.

Recall

The very first exercise I worked with my German Short-Haired Pointer, Inga, was a strong recall. Out in the field, if your dog will not come back when called, things can get difficult/annoying/possibly dangerous quite fast. This is where breaking out the super delish treats comes into play. Have your dog on the long leash, and when they wander out a good distance from you, give them a nice clear recall command or whistle. I say “come” when I am at home and Inga is not distracted, but in the field I use “Here!”. She seems to hear that more easily. You can come up with a command that works for you and your dog. If they don’t come back right away, give a little tug on the leash, give them that super tasty treat when they return to you, and repeat. For the advanced pups, build a heel into your recall, so when called, your dog beelines right to your left side.

Field Agility

Out in the field, your pup can jump over logs, weave between trees, and duck under bushes. It is not only fun, but practical. Inga adores launching herself over natural obstacles. She is a bit clumsy at home, so it is always a joy to see her building physical coordination, timing, and strength in the field. Those yummy treats can help encourage nervous dogs. Start small, like hopping over large sticks, and build up to bigger jumps. Once your dog is comfortable with these obstacles, you can start working commands like “under”, “through”, “over”, and your dog will be a hiking pro in no time. No more lifting your 50 lb dog over logs!

Retrieving

Retrieving comes naturally to most bird dog breeds, but we can always improve on it and make it more challenging. First step is to make sure your dog has a strong fetch. Just like recall, reward well when they bring back the toy and drop it for you. For some dogs, the reward might be just throwing the toy again! Others will look for that high-value treat. For added challenges, try tossing the dummy/toy behind a bush, into some tall grass, or even a body of water (if you don’t mind a soggy dog in your car). This is great search practice. For more advanced nose work, you can add scents to the training dummy, trail it around a small area, and then hide it. This will really get those doggy brain neurons firing.

Stays

With the distractions of the outside world, this is a great time to practice stay. If you are training a hunting companion, this is absolutely crucial/lifesaving. Use your long leash for this in case the distractions prove too much for your pup. If they are relatively new to outdoor stays, you may need to give treats heavily at first, to keep them in place. If they pop up, bring them right back to where they initially were told to stay, and start again. If they are doing well, add more distance between you and your dog. For more advanced dogs, place them in a stay while you toss your dummy/toy, then release them to retrieve it. If they break before you release, bring them right back, and try again, reducing the tossing distance to make it a bit easier. You can also practice out-of-sight stays by asking your dog for a stay, then ducking behind a bush or tree. Add more and more time out of your dog’s line of sight each time.

The most important exercise of all, is having a blast bonding with your fuzzy friend! Use these skills to blaze new trails, prep a young hunting partner, or simply enjoy a lovely hike together. You will see your dog start to shine in all areas with the confidence boosting and brain workouts that field training provides. See you out there!