I watched the training video in rapt attention trying to make out the shape of the bobwhite quail among the oak leaves. A handful of the little feathered track stars scurried through the undercover. The great Ferrel Miller’s white pointer froze as it caught scent. The young bird dog stood perfectly still on the end of a check cord. Ferrel moved briskly toward the quail, maintaining ample slack in the cord. The slack allowed the young dog to move forward at will. As a bird suddenly took flight, Ferrel softly stopped the pointer’s chase with the rope. He then quickly redirected the dog’s attention toward birds yet remaining on the ground. Immediately the dog went back on point. That particular piece of training captivated me. I rewound the video to watch it again and again.
I was fascinated with Ferrel’s proficiency developing the dog to be steady to wing and shot. The very definition of steady to shot and wing means no movement from the dog once the handler is in the act of flushing until the handler has fired the gun, and returned to the dog. Yet, Ferrell allowed the dog to move during the flush, only stopping the dog when the bird went airborne. Why hadn't he stopped the dog from moving forward as he moved in to flush? I was also amazed that the dog had remained so poised and careful when the first bird flew, then went right back on point. My previous experience regarding ‘steadying a dog to wing and shot’ consisted of building high levels of drive in the dog and then developing high levels of control so as to restrict the dog from flushing or chasing the bird. What I saw Ferrel Miller doing was entirely different.
The video was Ferrel Miller on Common Sense Bird Dog Training .
I wore out the video as I watched it so many times. His training left an indelible impression sketched permanently into my memory. Although I haven’t reviewed the video for twenty some years, I can still recall its imagery as if I watched it just moments ago. It was a pivotal moment in my bird dog training career.
I have never had the opportunity to personally meet Ferrel Miller or discuss training philosophy with him. I do, however, feel a great amount of gratitude toward him, and his willingness to share such unique video footage with the world. That one short clip sent me on a journey to understand the mindset of my own dogs. To better understand what they are thinking, and their understanding. Ferril’s work provided me with a better ability to determine my dog’s view of the field trial/hunting games we play. I have come to the realization that developing a steady dog was deeper than simply controlling the physical actions of the dog. It seemed obvious that Ferrel was shaping the way the dog thought about the situation. His dog showed more interest in the bird on the ground than chasing the bird in the air.
Woah boards are a technique some trainers use during the steadying process. (Photo courtesy of Kali Parmley) Steadying a Pointing Dog to Wing and Shot It was not easy to duplicate the situation from the video, but I was on a mission. I let my imagination run as I used pigeons, quail, chukar, Hungarian partridge, recall pens, and bird launchers. I focused on two main things:
Stopping the dog when the bird leaves the ground. Drawing the dog’s attention to the possibility of another bird on the ground. I like to refer to this experimental stage as the “muddy water” stage. Just like muddy water, it is hard to see clearly what is happening, but with time, the dirt settles allowing me to see things more clearly.
As I practiced my newfound philosophies, I was shocked at how careful my dogs became around their birds. Their desire to move with me to the flush naturally disappeared, and the distance they pointed the birds from increased. Clearly, they would rather point the bird than watch it fly away. I then began to include a second bird in my drills as I saw Ferrel do. This brought on greater change. Miraculously, once my dogs realized that there might be other birds on the ground, they seemed to stop caring about the bird that flew off. The dogs, instead, turned their attention to figuring out if there were any more birds left on the ground. Ultimately, they stopped moving at all, and would simply stand on point, allowing me to walk around in front of them to see if there were any other birds.
It was so satisfying to learn how willing, even eager, the dogs are to trade the bird in the air for a bird on the ground. As they realized that the movement of their feet was tied to the flight of the bird, and that there is always a possibility that there is another bird, I saw my dogs begin making their own decisions to avoid flushing the bird. I’ve experienced many thrilling moments as I watched dogs make choices on their own to back another dog, stop to flush, stand steady through multiple flushes—all because they realized that a bird on the ground is worth more than a bird in the air, naturally coming to their own conclusion that where there was one bird, there was probably more yet to come.
As my dogs began watching birds fly away in hopes of another bird, I began to occasionally shoot the second or third pigeon I flushed. I thought this would cause the dog to start chasing; however, to my surprise it caused the opposite. Instead of chasing, I saw the dog watch the bird, if it didn't fold, the dog stood still in hopes of another flush. If the bird folded, the dog would run to the fall. Being stationary seemed to improve the dog’s ability to mark the fall. I even had dogs that would choose to stay on point even though a bird had been shot. This showed me that pointing a bird not only had a higher value than chasing, but it also had a higher value than retrieving.
It is important to train your dog in a way that will transfer to wild birds when the time comes. (Photo courtesy of Kali Parmley) How to Steady a Dog on Wild Birds Because this development is built around the relationship between the dog and bird, the lessons the dog learns are easily transferred into wild birds. I handle my dog on wild birds the same way I handle them on pigeons. The difference between training and hunting is simply that instead of a check cord, I use the word “whoa,” and when necessary an e-collar, to stop the dog if the birds fly before I’m present to flush. Often the dog will choose to stop on his own, hoping that there is a bird or two that didn't fly. Fortunately, in the wild this is often true. This is especially common in the early season when the birds are young. A few stops on wild flushes and the dog will begin to treat wild birds with the same respect that they gave the pigeons. Because the dog believes that the greatest pleasures come from the birds on the ground, they become very dependable and will hold the birds for extended periods of time.
If mistakes are made, simply stopping the dog will set things straight. I often feel that once the dog truly understands how the game is played, they begin to govern themselves. After all, as the old adage says, “A bird on the ground is worth two in the air...” Or something like that.
