"Honoring" or "backing" is required in many bird dog competitions, and it is always preferred when hunting with other dogs. (Photo courtesy of Tanner Smedley)
Have you ever hurried across a picked bean field, attempting to get to a dog on a beautiful point, with four pounds of mud stuck to each foot, arriving just in time to see your buddy’s dog bust past your dog’s point, busting the covey your dog worked hard to hold for you? Or, even worse, have you ever caught your own dog in the same act? In either case, “it ain’t good for public relations.”
We all agree, the ideal outcome should have been, upon seeing it’s brace mate on point, the approaching dog stopped and immediately held motionless in a pointing posture so as not to pressure either its brace mate or the birds he had pointed.
Why Bird Dog’s Back This act of “backing” or “honoring” is critical, whether you’re hunting multiple dogs, running in bird dog field trials , or running in hunt tests . If you're blessed with a natural backing dog, thank your lucky stars or your good sense to choose from quality breeding.
Most agree, backing is an extension of pointing instinct, combined with a cooperative nature. Those that have these instincts in balance, back naturally as young adults, often before they’ve pointed their own birds. There are many young dogs that naturally point their own birds yet require experience to understand or trigger this innate response. Then, there are those self-serving individuals who point their own birds but are likely to run through another dog’s birds. Even though each involves a slightly different twist or emphasis, the basic combination of training and experience in the field is the same for all.
Real hunting experience is a problem now days. Fifty years ago, we had the young ones drag a check-rope, so when birds were pointed one of us took over the rope and positioned the pup, while the others enjoyed shooting birds. After a week or two, and a bunch of bird contacts, most six-month to year old pointing dogs were pretty dependable doing the work. Yes, we did teach “whoa” then as now, but back then there were a bunch of wild birds, and they didn’t allow mistakes. If we didn’t get to the rope, the birds taught the young dogs that if you get pushy, we’re gone!
Teaching to Back Using “Whoa” Nowadays, training on pen raised birds , a dog busting past the point is likely to catch a bird, rewarding this incorrect behavior. So, it is very important your dog has completed basic yard work and clearly understands and obeys the “whoa” command before working birds, for several reasons. Basics are critical, emphasizing the time spent for your dog to clearly understand commands. Why? Because, if a cue/command word isn’t understood, any pressure might be interpreted by the dog as coming from the bird. It is possible this would result in your dog ‘blinking’ or turning, moving away, and avoiding the pointing dog, rather than stacking up real pretty in a pointing posture. This shows another tool the “whoa” command provides. Using this same training scenario, “whoa” as a command gives us a way to teach the dog not to turn away, but to ‘stand still, don’t move your feet.’ Early in “whoa” training, your dog might not look so fancy, but you’ll find over time, as he understands and obeys in several set ups, his confidence as well as his normal pleasing pointing posture and intensity will return. ‘Whoa” as a cue or command is also our tool to advanced work, during pointing as well as backing, and through flush, wing, shot, and fall if you intend to compete at a higher level.
Whoa training takes time but creates a helpful handling tool in the field. (Photo courtesy of Bob West) How to Teach a Bird Dog to “Whoa” Realizing that giving a complete overview of teaching “whoa” would take more space than we have, let’s outline a couple steps for now. Then, next issue we’ll layout training for a dependably steady pointing and backing dog.
Most training establishes steadiness in each dog as an individual, on their own pointed birds, ahead of reinforcing the “whoa” command as it applies in backing situations. So, we’ll do the same, starting with steadiness training from square one. We’ll discuss the concept of using a table or barrel in the beginning to achieve a little more attentiveness. By elevating your dog and putting him on a table, you take away the sense of security/confidence he has with four feet on the ground. This causes him to look to you for guidance. Trust me, it works. A lot can be learned on the table before moving to the ground, and way before birds are brought in to play. Again, on the ground we’ll suggest several steps of ‘yard work’ to assure ourselves clear understanding and obedience to the “whoa” command. Then, we’ll introduce birds into our steadiness training.
