Excerpt from the Vizsla Voice, a newsletter published by the Twin Cities Vizsla Club, July 2008

The weekend of June 7th was busy and full of decisions on what to do. While many people attended and participated in the TCVC dog show and specialty, I went to work on training dogs for the field. I attended the Dave Walker Seminar at Kojac Kennels in Center Point, Iowa. Jerry Jordan has brought Dave Walker in for this seminar for the past 10 years. The Dave Walker training methods do not require you to get very physical with your dogs to get immediate results from each training session. The dog rapidly learns that they cause themselves discomfort and do not get the reward of petting if they do not stand still for the birds. In just a few minutes a dog that would typically be dragging you around on the lead is walking beside you and searching for birds. They learn very quickly that the birds need to be pointed and that they must stand still when the bird flushes. Once a dog will stand its birds to flush the gun is introduced. The training continues until the dog is steady to the shot and then the kill. The final stage is the commanded retrieve.

I witnessed many young dogs progress in minutes from not holding point to proudly standing their birds when flushed. Each person worked their dog with Dave in one-on-one training sessions. The rest of the crowd watched from a tent and could hear all the information given for each dog and each scenario of training. The next day you work your own dog and Dave gives you more feedback on the training needed. I had two dogs to work. Saturday Dave was able to get my 14 month old female to point birds and be steady to flush.

My session was about 10 minutes long. It started with her pulling like a sled dog on the check cord with Dave. He allowed her to correct herself against the training collar a few times and then would just rattle the buckle on it and she would not pull any more. Her first bird she just rushed in and tried to grab it. Dave spun her around and set her back up as the bird flushed wildly. The next bird she slowed down a bit and almost held the point before the bird flushed and she was spun around again and reset to watch it fly off. The third bird she held the point with nice style. She began to move her front foot and Dave rattled the buckle on the training collar. My young dog replaced her foot and stood proudly and held her bird so Dave could walk out in front of her and make the flush. She stood still and watched the bird fly off. We did this two more times with the same results and each time she became more sure of what the program was supposed to be. I then took her back and put her away.

My second dog, a 2 ½ year old male, was used for the backing drills on Saturday. Dave let me handle the dog for this as there were two others in the field he was working to hold point and back. Dave would get the first dog set up pointing a bird and then he had me walk up over the hill with my dog. When my dog saw the first dog pointing he was supposed to stand still and honor the dog working the bird. I was able to get him to stand still for the pointed bird but he broke and moved when the bird was flushed. Accordingly, I spun him around and set him back up on the first dog pointing. We did this again and my dog did not break so much but just took a step. So I again spun him around and reset him. The third bird we worked I was coming over the top of the rise so my dog would see the others pointing and he locked up hard like he was pointing his own bird. The flush was executed and my dog just turned his head and watched it fly. This session was maybe 15 minutes. I then put my dog back for the day.

The Sunday session found us all in a garage due to pouring rain in the morning. So we moved in the training table and went over some force breaking with dogs. This was more like a classroom session with lots of questions. We worked about 4 dogs on the table getting them to hold a soft paint roller and then walk across the training table without dropping the roller. This was a very informative session for everyone to be able to see how to get their dogs to hold an object. We then switched up and used a few dogs to demonstrate how to get the dog to stand still and look straight ahead so you could walk out in front of them without them moving their head or taking a step. This was without birds but was a direct carryover from what we were doing in the field the day before, pointing the birds. Dave reviewed the proper method of petting the dog to get them to stand tall and confidently.

One thing about the Dave Walker method is that you really do not talk to your dog at all. For some of us that is not always an easy thing to do. The reward is the petting of the dog at the completion of the exercise, if it is done correctly. In two days of training I think the only commands we used were “hold” to teach the dog to hold the paint roller, “give” to get them to drop the paint roller, and “here” to get the dog to turn away from the flushed bird and come in your direction.

I offered up my wild child from Saturday to demonstrate a dog that would not stand still and let you walk out in front of her. She came into the garage through the rain on her hind legs, ready to prove it. Dave put the training collar on and just like the day before rattled the buckle and spun her around. She got the hint and stood still but was not very sure about herself. Dave stroked her and pressed down on her shoulders. She pushed back and stood. He then stroked down her back and pressed on her hips and she pushed back and stood up. He then cupped her head and moved it to a forward position to give her the idea of what he wanted. She moved it back and he cupped it again and reset her. She did this a couple of times then got the idea and stood still with her head facing forward. Dave then moved away from her side and said, “here” and she turned around and walked with him. He stopped and rattled the buckle on the training collar and she stopped. Then Dave stroked her head and pushed down on her shoulders and hips. She pushed back and remained still with her head facing forward. Dave was then able to proceed with trying to get out in front of her. Of course she tried to move at first but Dave rattled the buckle and she knew to stand still. Dave slowly moved around in front of her and then petted her head. He moved back to her side and then stroked her and pressed down on her. This session was again not more than 10-15 minutes. So I put her away for the day and took my success where I could get it.

The rain let up mid morning and we got back outside to work some more dogs in the field with birds. Owners handled their own dogs and Dave provided information and commentary on each issue as the handlers worked. Many dogs did remember the experience from the day before and allowed the handler to flush the birds while they stood still and watched. It was very helpful for all the handlers to have the one-on-one time with Dave to get a real feel for what their dog needed and the means to get it accomplished.

These sessions took a bit longer as the handlers were learning as much as the dogs. My turn finally came and a few people had been egging on my wife to handle a dog. She was very nervous as she had not handled them in the field before. House, yard, leashed and unleashed at home but never on birds and certainly not with a crowd. My wife, Sue, took out Ozzie, the male, and brought him out to Dave. She asked him if he would work a bird with Oz so she could learn the proper way. Dave moved Oz into a bird and the dog pointed. Dave showed my wife how to get out in front of Oz to flush the bird. When the bird flushed Oz broke so Dave spun him around and set him back. He then handed the check cord to my wife and told her to go and find a bird. She moved off down the field and Ozzie pointed. Sue was able to get in front of him, holding the check cord and the bird flushed. Oz took a step so Sue spun him around and set him back to watch the bird fly.

Then Dave told Sue to go and find another bird. She and Ozzie found one quickly and he pointed. Dave told her to drop the check cord as the bird was pointed farther ahead than the cord would reach. Sue went up and flushed the bird and Oz stood still. Dave told her to then hurry back and pet Ozzie’s head, then to move around to his side and stroke him and press on his shoulders and hips. She did this and Oz stood tall. Then Dave told her to find another bird. They did and worked it with no trouble. They found two more birds and worked them without an error. Dave then told her to get the dog out of the field before he makes a mistake and we would have to correct him. So they tried to do it. The bird planters were out and getting birds set for the next person to work. They were upwind and so poor Sue and Oz had to go right through them. After the fourth additional bird that Oz pointed and Sue flushed with no error they were just about out of the field when two birds flushed wildly to their side without being pointed. Sue stopped and Oz just stood with his tail high and watched them go. They left the field on a high note and a positive training session.

This is just what the Dave Walker seminars are supposed to do. They are designed to get you out with your dog and to train you both on how to have fun in the field. I cannot say enough good things about the methods used in the two days. Each and every person who attended saw huge improvements in their dogs. They all went home with a new sense of control and with techniques to make their time in the field with their dogs memorable. The Hallmark moment for me was to see Sue work Oz for the first time and leave the field on cloud nine with her dog at her side. The Dave Walker seminar is one I would attend again and as you can tell, recommend to others.