8 replies to this topic

[sxshooter]

I'm signed up for another dog training class. This one is a George Hickox class up in the panhandle of Idaho next week. http://www.georgehic...ools.html#4-Day

I had planned on one of his wild bird training/hunts up in North Dakoka where you get a lot more personal time in real hunting situations for a lot more cost, but my hunting season is booked pretty tight.

Since I bought a dog from him last year, I get a big discount on the class. So, I figured I go again (the last time I went to one of his classes was in Oregon in 2009 and I wasn't paying much attention to the pointing dog parts since I only had a lab. Besides...it's summer and there's not much else to do except wait for the seasons to come around again.

I like George's no B.S. approach to training. He's a great lecturer and goes for 4 full 10hr days, which includes some hands on with your dog, if you bring one to his class. The classes are attended by from first time dog owners all the way to local professional trainers and every level between.

[stephen722]

pic of wire pointing wild valley who thought he could hide in the grass

pic of wild pheasent found on quail hunt, I would love to buy a finished dog, but can't aford one. bird exposure seams to be the key!
while I spend three years working a dog up to good, a pro trainer is turning out a dozen in six months. there must be some short cuts I'm missing

[sxshooter]

Stephen
I figured I had better get as much dog as possible. In 3 years I'll be almost 60. It was a lot but it's in money vs the hunting experiences.

[64ssking]

i wish he had a class in so cal

[sxshooter]

Closest I saw him get was Oregon a few years ago.

On the other hand, Rick Ellis down in Poway hosted Rick Smith of the HuntSmith classes, just a couple months ago. I wanted to attend but I was in Dallas at the time. I can hook you up with Rick Ellis if you're interested. He may host another next summer.

[stephen722]

Stephen
I figured I had better get as much dog as possible. In 3 years I'll be almost 60. It was a lot but it's in money vs the hunting experiences.

And I thought you were old! maybe not 98 but older than 60, I will be 54 next month. was doing some service work on my pu saterday and noticed the old girl locked up in the driveway, looked around the wifes car and sean these

[sxshooter]

Very cool....very cool the dog was steady.

[stephen722]

yea and I don't know for how long, birds were walking right towards her, lost scent and reloated to the other side of cars, by the time I fetched the camara turkeys were headed back to the creek, have fun stephen

[sxshooter]

Stephen,
Well, I attended the class in northern Idaho last week. It was a long way to go for a 4 day class, but I thought it was worth it. Besides, I got the wife a short vacation in there as well. We hit Napa Valley wineries, visited some friends in No. Calif, saw Crater Lake, Mt. St. Helens, and some more wineries in the Washington wine country around Walla Walla. We bought a lot of wine, which I had to lug in and out of the truck everynight to the room to keep it cool from the heat everywhere we went. The next time I move that wine I want it to be to open it.

Since Hickox trained my dog, I learned some new things about her and how to better handle her. One very important thing I learned was that multiple whistle blasts, beyond 2 blasts, is her command to go faster/further. That's a very important thing to know. For example, if I give her 2 blasts to bend her, and I don't see a response, if I give 2 more without waiting long enough, the dog will string them together and read that as a command to go further/faster.

The other good part about bringing my wife to the class was to get her back on the same page on commands, feeding, and all other dog handling around the home. It's important to me to have both of us treating the dogs consistantly and with the same expectations. If you get a chance to take a class from either Hickox or some of the other well respected pros, they'll all say the same thing about "no free lunches", consistant repetitions, learning from association, and a few other basics. Really powerful stuff, once you hear it and see it in action.