09/09/2025
Here is an example of positive reinforcement training addressing an undesirable behavior in a bird dog.
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In this video I throw a frozen quail, then a frozen 🥶 pheasant for Grimm. He has a lovely retrieve, but has still had relatively few opportunities to actually have birds in his mouth. So when I pulled the birds out of the freezer to train he struggled to commit to returning to me because parading loops around the yard with the bird in his mouth is super fun.
So I changed my training plan. I toss a bumper, and if he can stay focused and retrieve it, I toss something more valuable🪙🪙🪙 next- a bird dummy. And so on and so forth. What I mean by "stay focused", or the criteria I'm looking for, a behavior chain, is for him to sit in heel without breaking while I toss the thing, be steady until I cue him to go, he should locate and take the thing, run back to resume a heel at my side and deliver the thing into my hand on cue. "The things" in order of least to most valuable...
-Bumper 🪙
-Bird Dummy(stored with quail for scent) 🪙🪙
- Quail🪙🪙🪙
-Pheasant🪙🪙🪙🪙
-Raccoon hide, scented 🪙🪙🪙🪙🪙
As the value increases so does my involvement with the retrieve. To prevent Grimm from running off with the goods he drags a long line (I use a horse lunge line). I run after him like I'm racing to the thing, but as soon as I can catch up with the end of the lunge line, while he slows down to make the retrieve, I grab the end of the line without putting any pressure on it. Then I run and cheer him on, racing him back to the start where I resume my stance and he heels, then gives me the thing on cue.
In addition to the lunge line giving me control to prevent an unwanted behavior (the parading) and adding motivation by racing him, I am also using pattern games to increase the likelihood of correct performance while using that pattern game to reward him by increasing the value of the retrieve item. Food rewards are also given at key points, at this stage and in this training session those are given after successfully completing the entire behavior chain. Praise and trained verbal cues are also incorporated into this session.
We are both having fun, both exercising and he is getting the repetitions in without practicing the unwanted behavior. No punishment necessary.
