Problem Scents
 

Beware If You Have To Hold Your Nose!
 

The importance of scent to a dog is well known to every owner. Without a good nose, for example, a hunting dog coudn't perform at his peak level to seek and find the quarry. But, while seldom thought of, or simply overlooked, is the same significant association between scent and the pet dog at home. Scent--or, actually, more fittingly, smells--wafting from your dog can often tell you that he, or rather, his system, is not operating at peak efficiency either. Unpleasant odors typically indicate troubles brewing that demand examination and attention. Characteristic odors accompany various skin ailments; similarly, ear infections generate pungent smells. Bad breath may signal kidney or intestinal ills or simply tooth decay. Really foul odor can emanate from compacted or infected anal glands. Aside from the occasional "wet dog" smell, (actually aped by some after shave lotions) when your dog's presence affronts your nostrils ... take heed...and take appropriate steps.
 

    The English Springer Spaniel       A Breed Profile

                         "Ringneck Nemesis"                

By

   John R. Falk   

   Toss a nomination into the hat to name one breed the most practical, multipurpose gundog for American hunters and you can bet the farm there'll be disagreement, followed by a long list of other “favorite son” candidates. But nominate the standout pheasant dog of all time, and only one breed will emerge to unanimous acclaim: the English Springer spaniel.

   No other gundog is more closely identified with successful ring-neck hunting than this compact package of dynamism and determination. The springer's basic job--to search out, find, and flus“RINGNECK NEMESIS”h pheasants, grouse, woodcock and other upland gamebirds for the gun--frequently forces him to search covers so nearly impassable that even the quarry often has problems traversing them. But, seldom deterred, the hunting springer bores in with the energy and inexorability of a hurtling locomotive, pushing his prey skyward, and hopefully for the gunner, to be centered in a well-placed pattern of No. 6 shot.

Only Half Finished

   Yet, even with the resounding thud of the grounded quarry,  his successful work doesn't stop there. Immediately sitting, or, more accurately, hupping, at the flush and ensuing shot, the well-trained springer impatiently but obediently awaits the gunner's next order. Then, hair-triggered by the “fetch” command, he scampers off to snatch up the downed ringneck, retrieving it quickly and tenderly to hand, capping a performance of absolute pure quality that stifles any reservations over his unquestionable claim to the title “Top Ringneck Pheasant Dog.”

   Though changed and improved through evolution and selective breeding, like most of today's gun dog breeds, the modern day springer owes his basic hunting talents to common spaniel ancestry of the 14th century. Gaston de Foix, a French nobleman, first described the spaniel's hunting, swimming and retrieving abilities in 1387 in his “Book of the Hunt.”

   A couple of centuries later, in his book “Of Englishe Dogges,” Dr. John Caius, separated the spaniels into two varieties: land and water types. The former were employed to spring game for pursuit by the sight hounds or hunting hawks. Lacking uniformity and substantially varying in size, the early land spaniels of the flushing type commonly were named after the game on which they specialized. Since the smaller dogs ordinarily found use for woodcock hunting, they eventually came to be known as cocking or “cocker” spaniels. Their larger counterparts, much favored for springing hares, took on the designation “springer” spaniels.

A Welcome Immigrant

   Only shortly after the turn of the 20th century did the springer migrate to the U.S. Here, in 1924, with the establishment of the English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association, the breed found enthusiastic support and flourishing popularity.

   Despite the all-purpose qualities of the various “Continental” breeds, the springer's only popular competitor for all-around hunting field versatility is the Labrador retriever. And though ringnecks and springers are as inseparable as ham and eggs, the spaniel also excels at handling most other upland gamebirds. Notwithstanding that he can't vie as a waterfowl dog with Labs, goldens or Chessies, he can turn in some very serviceable work on ducks and medium-sized geese in all but the extreme water temperatures.

   Certainly, the springer is no exception to the hard fact that no breed is perfect. However, his shortcomings are blessedly few. Normally eager to please his owner, he does occasionally display a stubborn streak that calls for astute handling to overcome.

   His somewhat soft, sensitive nature adds further to the need to combine a mixture of adeptness and firmness in his training. Push impatience and harsh discipline on the average springer and he'll routinely turn sulky. But, blessed with an affable, fun-loving temperament, the field springer normally exhibits willing attentiveness to training and comprehends his lessons well.

             Choose A Field-Type              

   For the hunter choosing a springer, the operative word is field-type. Unfortunately, so many sporting breeds today have become divided into two very different types: show dogs and field dogs. This is also the case with Springer spaniels. A lion's share of springers sold as pets are of primarily bench-show lineage, and while field-bred springers make fine house pets, the bench types usually don't measure up in the field.

So, when buying a springer for hunting, make sure there's field-bred ancestry on both sire's and dam's side for at least three generations. That's your insurance that virtually any physically sound specimen you buy will possess a full measure of the proper instincts and qualities to become an excellent or, at least, a good hunter.

 Since the springer is a flushing breed, he can be successful only when he puts up birds within gun range-inside of 35 yards. An out of control or too rangy dog that flushes birds at 50 yards is clearly counterproductive.

The single most important element in training the field springer, therefore, requires his learning the proper ground pattern that will keep him working within gun range. He can be taught, with whistle and checkcord, to quarter, in windshield-wiper style, about 25 yards to each side and 30 to 35 yards in front of the gun.

When you're not out hunting with him, there's no good excuse not to give a springer house pet status. As a medium-sized breed weighing only about 45 pounds, he fits handily into most households. His affectionate nature, blended with customary good manners and alertness as a watchdog, earn him high marks with all members of the family.

If seniority in working the coverts of the northern half of the United States alone were considered, then the English setter definitely has earned and deserves the status of favorite grouse and woodcock dog breed. For more than a century the stand-by of Yankee gunners, the setter is particularly well adapted to working the punishing covers that grouse and woodcock usually inhabit.The setter's longhaired coat easily wards off the north country's brisk autumn climate and punishing brier tangles. And, when he's bred and trained specifically for such regions, his close-to-medium range and moderate pace eminently qualify him to work the brushy woodland edges favored by grouse and woodcock. Even his coloring—basically white, and ticked or patched with black, black and tan, orange, lemon or chestnut—provides the hunter a distinct advantage by making the doghighly visible, moving or on point, in darkened thickets and tangled alders.

Strongly deep-rooted hunting desire, pointing instinct to spare and a classically good nose are talents to which the average setter justly lays claim. And, although maturing a bit later than some pointing breeds (most. setters reach their peak at about age three), they seldom forget the lessons taught or the field experience accumulated Complementing these credentials, are a bright, alert personality, gentle, affectionate, nature and an always companionable demeanor.

Notwithstanding his specialization on grouse and woodcock, the average well-bred field setter can stylishly handle other upland game birds, as well. He can capably hunt bobwhite quail, appropriately increasing his range and pace in the open cover they favor, and also ringneck pheasants in the brushy coverts preferred by this running champion..

Weighing about 38 to 50 pounds, the field-type setter stands approximately 21 to 24 inches at the withers and sports a long tail.

“Put Your Commands On A Diet”

By: John R. Falk

Can a dog understand our language? If so, how much of it? The question poses possibly as many answers as there are dogs. Certainly the boundaries of a canine's lexicon vary, according to his age, environment, training and inborn intelligence.The average house dog is thought to develop a functional vocabulary of close to a dozen-and-a-half different words by the time he reaches five to six years of age. Additional phrases containing up to three key words can boost this total to a potential of about thirty.

While impressive, such a hefty vocabulary brings little to the average dog's trainability. In fact, the more the dog's vocabulary can be pruned, the better. Contradictory? Hardly. Our spoken words, though meaningful to us, are simply sounds to the dog. Heard initially, they express about as much to him as gobbledygook would to us. Only by demonstration and constant repetition can he be made to understand how each word applies to him, in terms of expected behavior response.

Some canine behaviorists compare that process to how a child learns. To a limited extent, the similarity may hold true. Still, there is scant valid basis for real comparison. True, a parent commonly uses phrases and often whole sentences to convey ideas and meaning to a baby. Yet, besides the meaning of words, the infant must also learn the more complicated process of mimicking their sounds for eventual speech. For the child then, speech sound patterns, to be imitated, swiftly vie in importance with word meanings. The dog, however, has neither the human intelligence level nor our need or ability to speak. It follows, then, that phrases and full sentences serve no purpose in enhancing the dog's training. They should in fact, be considered excess baggage. Really, in the early and middle stages of his education, they tend only to create confusion and dilute his ability to absorb training

 Unfortunately, too many new owners tend to muddle up their dog's tutoring with surplus verbiage. It's human nature for us to speak in whole sentences, but “Come on now, King, big fella, be a good boy and come right in here now when I call you,” can't possibly pass muster as a good command to teach a young dog to come to you. Bet you can't repeat that “command” from memory. So, how can you expect a dog to respond to something you can't even remember yourself? Then, when he fails to comply or reacts erratically, the “command” often gets a few angry words added to it, further compounding the poor animal's bewilderment and slowing the learning process..

It's not impossible to train a dog using such excessively wordy commands. After all, most dogs are amazingly adaptable. Sooner or later, they will catch on to what's wanted. But, your goal should be to speed the pace of training using the simplest, most direct orders to teach the young dog what's expected of him.

This means using the basic commands so important to all his future training. These are: his name, "No," "Here," "Sit," "Stay" and "Kennel."  Equipped with this fundamental lexicon alone, any pup can become acceptably "civilized" in a matter of four or five weeks.

Choose a short, crisp, distinctive name for your dog that sounds nothing like  any of the commands to be used now or later. It serves a two-fold purpose: 1) to give the pup identity, and 2) to get his attention to receive further orders.

“No," is the most direct and practical negative; it interchanges effectively for several otherwise superfluous commands such as "Shame on You," "Quiet," "Get Down," "Bad Dog." "Dirty" (for housebreaking errors)

"Here," of course, is the terse call in order that tells the pup to come to you. It is obviously more concise and effectual than "Come on in to me, now" or "Get in here, right now" and helps to avoid confusion.

"Sit" and/or "Stay" are the crisp directives that set up both the owner's authority and grab the pup's attention. Actually, the “Sit” command should also mean for the dog to “Stay,” until released with “OK,” or “Alright.”

 "Kennel," is a short, business-like order that encompasses a variety of meanings and eliminates the need for additional commands. For the dog it means “Get in the house,” "Get in your bed," "Get in your kennel run," "Get in your doghouse," "Get in the car," or "Get in the crate in the car," depending on the circumstances of the moment. Obviously, such single-word commands are much more effective and time-saving than all of the above-mentioned separate ones Thus, his vocabulary has been slimmed, but not his understanding of, or obedience to, your various orders.

   His later training will expand his vocabulary with the new directives of "Heel," "Wait" and "Down." Since you've used "No" to stop your dog's various unwanted acts, such as jumping up on people, the word "Down" can now specify only one thing to the dog: lie down.

 Eventually, he can be taught still more commands, such as “Off,” to tell to get off the furniture or your bed. Always keep in mind that these should be selected on the basis of crispness, simplicity and whenever possible, pertinence to a variety of situations.

The use of the fewest and shortest commands possible cannot fail to make   your job of training and the dog's job of learning much faster and easier. There's just no sense in overloading his vocabulary. Keep it and his body lean and you'll raise an alert, responsive, well-behaved, healthy dog…a pooch you can be proud to own.