Keeping a Training Journal

So, you got yourself your first gun dog pup and have decided to be part of the training process. Excellent decision! Not only does that develop a much better working bond between you and your pup but, if you’re relatively young, that practice will come in handy for many dogs to come. Lord willing!

Wait! Let’s think about this a moment. If you’re like most folks, you may not get your next pup for another decade - or more! How are you going to remember the training tricks you used on the previous pup?! Sure, you may have a book or two - most, likely the internet - but often, as you develop together, you come up with techniques that meld with your personality and lifestyle. Indeed, it’s one of the greatest feelings in the world to develop a few personal touches in your gun dog training.

I made numerous mistakes with this Irish Setter that previous experience to turn to might have prevented.

I made all of the mistakes. Beginning with the thought that hunting dogs just do that naturally. (Those of you that have had a dog that could hunt with very little training were truly blessed!) I went through a few years of frustration before necessity urged me to read books and seek advice. In addition to training, I read articles and books that discussed hunting journals to keep tabs on bird populations and favorite bird hunting haunts. I was in the market for a new pup and had decided that journaling the process might come in handy.

It can be a long time between puppies and the tricks you used to train them can be forgotten.

This made sense for several reasons. First, many of the authors I read were professional trainers that had access to acres of land and hundreds of birds to train with. Second, most of them had mentors that they learned from and could turn to. Another factor was that many of them trained a different breed of dog and hunted upland birds that were, at that time, unfamiliar to me.

Even if the breed was similar, that didn’t always mean that they were the same. For example, by this time I had moved from Irish to English Setters and, like the richly talented George “Bird” Evens, was generally a grouse hunter. Evens hunted with his Old Hemlock English Setters - a line that he had developed. They were large and lanky, grouse woods, English setters and were a world apart from the racy field setters that I had. And, like the other writers, he had miles of ground outside his door to train in.

Time and logistics determined that I had to train in a yard, a few parks and, occasionally, the woods and fields just out of town. We were more isolated back in those days; no internet with its social forums and widely proliferated information. Unique situations created unique mistakes and required that I develop personalized approaches to overcome them. Over the years I have tried several training techniques, modified some and developed others - all in an effort to meet challenges that the surroundings and the dogs, themselves, presented.

Puppies separated by decades, the journal became my personal reference book to recall what had been successful for me in the past. Sometimes the written techniques had to be used as a reminder when a dog repeated an unwanted behavior sometime later.

So, it was this setter named Ted, “Teddy-Dog”, that would become the main subject of this first journal; a practice I continue in various forms to this day. One of those includes the evaluations I provide to my clients after each day’s session. This practice is extremely important as a tracking tool for individual clients as well as training reference for similar issues and opportunities that develop in the future.

Write down a brief paragraph or two of field notes dealing with training or hunting events. Compile and computerize; adding photos or artwork when you have time.

Example pages from, Ted: A Dog’s Tale By: “Birder von Hutson”

I strongly recommend starting a journal for those that wish to develop a more consistent and effective training regime. For those that have given me the opportunity to train their dog(s), I have already provided the beginning of your journal with the evaluation documents I send. Adding your own point of view, sketches, and photos, of course.

Keeping field notes and a few sketches can be used to create an interesting journal.

Whether it has a singular purpose or, like mine tends to be, multiple bits of information, these pages can be most entertaining. By adding sketches - now digitized photos - you can relive the “good ol’ days” when they, indeed, become just that. I have grandchildren to share my memories with, now.

Equally motivated, we share a partnership for life; learning just how attached those lives can become. - Enjoy Your Dog!