Much like their human counterparts, dogs develop habitual responses to circumstances or stresses. These ingrained responses, known as defaults, are behaviors that have been repeated so frequently that they are often done without thought and in the absence of specific cues. They are automatic behaviors that dogs often exhibit when they are struggling with impulse control, frustration, excitement, or uncertainty. Ideally, we would like to develop default behaviors that are beneficial to our dogs and their performance in the field, but the reality is that daily life may instill defaults that are not beneficial to the dog’s performance when hunting.

How to Handle Pointing Dogs Sitting on Point

Let’s first tackle one of the most common default behaviors, which is sitting. Teaching a sit command is often one of the first things people do when they bring home a new puppy. It is one of the most useful commands/behaviors in getting a wiggling little puppy to simply be still and pay attention for a brief, mannerly moment. It is easy to teach and to reinforce—often simply holding a treat above the puppy’s head achieves the desired outcome. Typically, a sit is one of the foundational behaviors taught by professional pet obedience trainers.

Once a sit behavior is taught, it is a very useful tool in getting a dog composed in moments of excitement. A sitting dog is far more manageable at feeding time, when being petted, when waiting to go out a door, upon the arrival of some new person in the household, or generally when integrating at the dog park. As a result, the sit becomes one of the most frequently referenced behaviors in that dog’s daily routine. At Smith Kennels, we fairly often have visual, reactive, impulsive dogs that sit on their own as a learned method of self- composing when they know they are expected to be calm and mannerly, even though no cue to sit was actually given.

With so many applications and beneficial uses, why is there still that lingering adage of “never teach your pointing dog to sit?” Let’s frame that question against the ultimate goals inherent in training and hunting with a pointing dog.

We will preface this with the acknowledgment that not all sitting is bad. However, when sit is developed as a habitual way of responding to moments of excitement during a dog’s daily routine, it can show up similarly in the bird field. A default sit can occur when a pointing dog encounters that exciting stimulus of a bird encounter, a point, or an honor. If sit is broadly incorporated into the daily routine, it can become a challenge for the dog to differentiate when a sit is and is not appropriate. Consider feeding time, when the dog is excited about the meal about to happen, and the reward is delayed until the dog has sat, becoming still and calm, and electing not to move. This desirable behavior at feeding time can become problematic when that same dog reverts to that same habitual behavior in the field...on birds.

Bear in mind that sitting during bird work does not actually negatively impact a dog’s performance. It has no relevance to how many birds the dog finds, or whether the dog will flush when he is not supposed to. However, somewhere along the historic timeline of bird dog development, someone deemed it undesirable for a pointing dog to sit during bird work. The desired behavior is for the pointing dog to stand stock still with their head and tail high, exhibiting a beautiful staunch point or back. Therefore, the default sit has become undesirable in that moment of high excitement.

If your pointing dog happens to sit during bird work, don’t panic! Start reshaping how your dog responds generally to excitement on a daily basis. Start building new, beneficial habits. At Smith Kennels we always like our pointing dogs to stand calmly. We build that skill as puppies and then it becomes a polished “whoa” later during their training, which is a benefit in the field. Simply swap the default sit for a default of standing still; by doing so, if the dog reverts to that default behavior in the field, it will serve the desired outcome of a staunch point or honor.

How to Balance Heeling in Day-to-Day Life and in The Field

Most bird hunters live in an urban environment. In such a setting, the most practical way of getting dogs out for exercise and mental stimulation is to walk them at heel on daily outings. As a result, many urban dogs spend a great deal of time outside of the home at heel and the default mindset of “when in doubt, heel” may be daily reinforced.

Outside of hunting season, heeling is a pretty handy default. It helps keep the dog mannerly and safe. However, during hunting season, an ingrained default heel is the last behavior that we want to see in our pointing dog. In the field, we want our dogs enthusiastically and confidently ranging out to the front, making assertive casts to objectives in search of game birds. The moments when a default heel typically shows up in the field are those challenging, confusing, or super exciting moments of the hunt. We sometimes see a default heel surface when it is hot out, the vegetation is tough, or when the dog is overwhelmed by some other unforeseen situation. To mitigate this default, we challenge our clients at Smith Kennels to figure out a way to balance a nice, composed heel with some time running free to the front in their dog’s daily life. We discourage allowing the heel to become the dog’s sole focus on outings. This balanced approach mimics the behavior that is desired in the field, ensuring that running out front is as much of a habit as the heel.

How to Keep a Pointing Dog from Yo-Yoing

If the only cue commonly used with a dog during off-season conditioning and work is a recall, this too can become a default behavior, particularly when the remote cue of the e-collar is used mainly for recall. Fear of pointing dogs ranging too far or getting out of sight lends itself to owners/handlers continually calling their dogs back in. This has the potential to create in the dog a habit of yo-yoing, wherein the dog hunts to the front to a certain range and then turns and runs all the way back to “check in” with the owner. This behavior creates a 50 percent hunter in the field. When that yo-yo mindset is transitioned to a hunting environment, the dog may exhibit the same pattern as they do during their daily routine, hunting out and running back. When that dog is “checking in” it is focused on returning to the handler and not on hunting or looking for new objectives.

To combat this mindset, we encourage owners to adapt a dog’s range by making changes in the direction they are walking instead of calling a dog back in routinely. For example, if the dog is headed out too far, change direction to a new angle and, while continuing to walk, signal to the dog to range in front in that direction. This allows the dog to continue to range out and hunt while staying in the pocket and paying attention to where the handler is and where the handler is headed. In this manner, the default behavior of coming all the way back on a recall is replaced with a more desirable default. We encourage people to be proactive in shaping the pattern work with their dogs on a regular basis and to do that work in fields where they can see the dog work so the timing is appropriate and the fear of losing the dog is less.

How to Determine if a Behavior is Good or Bad for a Pointing Dog

When trying to determine whether to allow a certain default behavior to continue or to reshape it, we always recommend a simple rule of thumb to our clients: Picture in your mind that behavior showing up on a bird hunt, notably in a moment of excitement, or a moment of challenge. How does your dog’s default behavior impact that hunt? Choose to maintain defaults that have a positive impact on your dog’s performance. Defaults that have the potential to negatively impact a hunt, need to be reshaped in the dog’s daily life.

Each day shapes behavior and builds habit, either beneficial or detrimental. It is our goal as trainers to build beneficial habits throughout the year that help the dog and that augment the dog’s performance in the field. A pointing dog who can stand calmly in moments of excitement, who can both heel in a composed way and assertively navigate wild terrain ahead in pursuit of game, and who can go with their handler without recalling all the way in is more likely to be a valued member of a hunting group. Every day is an opportunity to shape behaviors that are beneficial to the dog and to future hunts.