06. Teaching "sit" or "down"

Post date: Aug 16, 2011 6:30:33 PM

Serious pointing dog people never train a pointing dog to sit or lie down. That's one area where almost all the training books get it wrong. It might encourage the dog to sit or lie down on point which is a huge fault for a pointing dog. Plus, a good whoa command is just as good if you need your dog to stay still.

On a similar note, don't spend too much time teaching your hunting dog to "heel." That's what leashes are for. Too much heeling practice can turn a good dog into a bootlicker. You got a pointing dog because you wanted an independent bird dog who makes intelligent decisions. In order to avoid hindering that decisionmaking ability, wait until your dog is older (2-3) before teaching heel.