Teaching a Gundog to 'stop'

How to teach the “stop” and have brakes that really work

There’s nothing more impressive than watching a working gundog that can be “stopped” on the whistle at distance and handled onto a bird or moved into an area to hunt.

But don’t just think of this as a fancy circus trick that’s only needed by those mastering such skills for field trials. Being able to stop a dog and control a dog in the often highly-charged situation of a shooting day is one of the most satisfying – albeit essential – elements of gundog training.

Having said that it’s also something that a lot of handlers struggle with – and it’s not always through a lack of trying!

Without a doubt there are some dogs that are a lot easier to train to “stop” on the whistle than others, but it’s what happens in the early part of the dog’s life – even before any formal training begins – that I believe lays the foundation for achieving a good response.

Training a puppy to stop

When I’m spending “playtime” with young pups of just a few months old I like to get them used to coming back to me with a few gentle pips on the whistle - and when they do this I gradually get them to sit in front of me, although it’s nothing too formal at this stage. I have no problem in giving a bit of biscuit as a reward for their response.

Then I’ll start to give a longer pip and hold up my right hand to give the appropriate signal. Pups don’t know what all this means, to them it’s just a game but it’s actually the start of teaching them to respond to visual and verbal instruction.

Later I’ll start to attract their attention when they are just a few yards away from me. Using the same whistle and hand commands, I’ll encourage them to sit down where they are and to look at me. The distance can be very short, but it’s the beginning of the stop.

Progressing

As a dog progresses into more formal training I need them to learn that the single “blast” on the whistle really does mean “I want you to stop what you are doing and look at me.” But when you actually start to introduce this is very much dependent on the dog; it’s not something I’m pressing for too early because it can create hesitancy at a time when you are primarily trying to develop the young dog’s confidence and energy as a retriever and hunter.

I don’t use any force or harsh handling to achieve that response but dogs soon learn by my body language, my posture, the whistle (and backed up with a firm verbal command of sit or stay) to give the response I’m asking for.

Having said that it’s important that the dog does respond. When it totally ignores the command I waste no time in getting over to where the dog is to enforce the command verbally and visually. Provided you have already established a good working rapport with the dog, the sight and sound of your displeasure (and that’s all that’s needed) is usually sufficient for the dog to feel sufficiently chastened and to stop what it’s doing and to sit down as if to say “oops sorry”!

The environment

Always undertake any “stop” training in an enclosed area. If the wheels fall off the wagon you still have control over the dog - ideally a paddock or large enclosed grass area.

For older dogs that are trying to learn the stop from scratch I like to get owners to work a dog in an enclosed space but actually to encourage the dog to “play” while staying fairly close to them. I then get the owner to apply the whistle as well as giving a visual and verbal command. I want the dog to stop what it’s doing, look at the owner and hopefully (and the owner needs to be firm in his instruction) to get the dog to sit.

Continued practice

To emphasise the training of the stop it can be useful to sit a dog, walk away from it and then call it to you (repeated pips) and then to apply the stop command and to move forward a few steps to re-enforce the request using body posture.

This exercise can prove successful for many dogs which can eventually be sat some distance away and yet achieve several stops during the recall.

Over-use of the whistle when dogs are working often means they don’t actually listen to the single “blast” that means stop. So be careful not to get whistle happy in your training and only use the whistle when you want a specific response to it.

And I don’t want dogs to be fearful of the stop whistle. I praise dogs when they do it. Over-harsh “stop” training of some sensitive dogs leads to them starting to creep or being so upset by the methods used that they “freeze”.

Yes, the stop needs to be razor sharp but its sole value is one of being able to obtain the dog’s attention so that you can re-direct instantly and move the dog on with enthusiasm and keenness to do its job.

Jeremy Hunt
Fenway Labradors
jeremy@fenwaylabradors.co.uk
07798 826179

Jeremy is the owner of Fenway Labradors has been breeding Labradors for over 25 years and is based in Lancashire, England.

Jeremy runs gundog training days offering individual or small group training sessions, by the hour, half day or full day.