Training the "Whoa!" command

The "whoa" command is the most important command for a bird dog to learn.

Whoa simply means "stop, don't move your feet until you are told". It is an obedience command every bit as much as come or heel. It has many uses, from it's obvious use on birds in the field to extend the natural point, to just being able to put the dog somewhere and have it stay put while we take care of something else for a moment,to possibly saving the dog's life in traffic or other hazardous situation.

Why would you have to train this? You may ask, after all, everyone "whoa"'s their dog on point...right? Isn't this what it means?

Good, question. However the question makes my point for me. Anyone who has been around bird doggers much, has seen more than one situation, either in competition or actual hunting in which the handler repeated this "command"; to a dog on point so often and so loudly with such nebulous results that one might conclude that :

#1) The dog's name was in fact, "Whoa".

or

#2) "whoa" is a command we tell the dog to mean "ok, dog, you and I will now wrestle over this bird"

The way it is supposed to work is; dog points, dog holds, handler comes up, gives command ONE TIME in a low voice and proceeds to flush the bird while the dog remains like a statue where she fist pointed until the bird is shot or the dog is relocated.

Too many times we see dogs assisting in the flush or worse, busting a ticklish bird, often before the handler is anywhere near. The object here is to to teach the dog that his job is to find and point the birds and then stand pat until we flush and shoot the bird for him. He must learn that if he assists in the flush or busts the bird, it will not be shot and he will not get to retrieve the bird in question. This is easy to teach, although sometimes some of the old timers would like you to believe that all of those rock solid dogs we all see and envy are the result of some sort of voodoo or alien abduction that mere mortals cannot duplicate.

I think one should begin serious training on this command at about 6 month's of age, after you have come and heel well started. I like to wait on this command until the dog is hunting hard and flash pointing birds. Beginning this command is the start of taking the dog's training to the next level of making him a useful hunting partner. I like to take the bird completely off birds for the time it takes to get the dog reasonably reliable on this command.   

Stephanie demonstrates how to run the long lead under the dog's collar to begin assembling the dog into "the sling" (1996)

The method we will explore for teaching the whoa command is freely adapted from the method that Harold Adams demonstrates in the video,"The Complete Pointing Dog". I believe this method is much easier on the dog and is easier to transfer to the field and birds than "whoa post and pinch collar" methods, which I believe are suitable only for inferior breeds, such as Animal Rights Activists. You will need a 30' lead with a good snap one the end and also a large heavy steel screw turned into a tree limb or other sturdy support about 8 ft overhead in an area clear of ground obstructions.

Begin by running the snap of the lead UNDER the dog's collar from front to back (head to tail), then over the hook and the back down under the dog's tummy, just ahead of the hips. (I prefer a 1" wide, flat nylon lead for this so it will not pinch and bind as much) Finally, bring the snap up over the dog's back and clip the lead to itself so that the dog is inside a loose loop of lead just ahead of his hips.

Stephanie has "Boss" (Freck's pup) in the sling ready for her first "whoa" lesson at eight months of age. Note how the lead is run under the collar, over the hook and then clipped around the dog's waist to form the "sling". The flat nylon lead prevents binding and pain to the dog. (2000)

The dog may be a bit apprehensive about this whole deal so it might be a good idea to just hook the dog up in this "sling" a few times over the course of a few days to ease it's mind about this. Give lot's of praise and make sure pup is comfortable with this before you start.

Ok, now we start; Hook pup up in the sling and take the free end (ahead of the collar) in your hand and step back about 6 feet or so with pup facing you. Put tension on the lead so pup cannot move and command "whoa!!". Pup is now anchored, fore and aft. Hold a hand, palm up, "policeman style" at arms length in front of you as you verbally give the command. Gradually release the tension on the lead. The dog will likely try to come to you at this point. As soon as the dog as much as lifts a foot or otherwise tries to move off, haul back on that lead without saying anything, lofting pup up in the air a foot or two and hold him there a moment. Pup will freak, as dogs hate having all four feet up off the ground. Drop him back down, and pull him back into the whoa position (high on both ends!!) with the lead and command "whoa!!" again. 

Here Stephanie demonstrates how to correct a young dog for moving in the beginning stages of "whoa" training.She hauls the pup up off the ground momentarily and then...

Hold him there a few moments and release the tension on the lead again. He may try to come to you again. Just haul him up again and repeat. Set her back down, pull her gently into position while you reinforce the command with the hand signal and voice. About 15 minutes of this, twice a day, is a good way to start. Be sure to go to the dog and release her with "okay" and give lot's of praise for proper performance. Once the dog will stand in position when given the command while hooked up in the sling, begin to move around the dog as you reinforce the command. Stay at that 6 foot distance and try to go the full 360 degrees around the dog.The dog will likely try to turn and follow you. As soon as he even lifts a foot, you must haul him up and reposition the dog and reinforce the command. The beauty of the sling is that you can instantly enforce the command no matter which way the dog turns or moves. After a week of two-a-days on this, the dog should be completely obedient on this command while in the sling.  

...sits her right back down where she should have stayed and immediately reinforces the "whoa" command with a hand signal and then the voice command.

Begin to increase the distance from the dog you are working until the dog is completely reliable with you clear at the end of the 30" lead going completely around the dog. Haul the dog up, reinforce and reposition as needed. The trick is to only give the command once. ONE TIME, no more. The dog will learn to stay put until released with "okay". Wait until you release to praise for awhile as the dog will likely try to come to you if you praise alot while he is standing, forcing you then to immediately correct him; a confusing situation. Once the dog is reliably standing still in the sling as we move around him on the ground for a few days we need to get him away from the tree or swingset or whatever you are hanging the lead over and progress toward implenting this as a yard command and then a field command on birds.

Here we go...You will now need two leads, the 30 footer you were using to hoist the dog with and a regular length lead. This part may seem a bit complicated at first, so read it over several times and have a look at the pictures that accompany this article. It is also necessary that the dog be reliable on "heel" and "come" before you progress to this point.

Start by clipping the long lead to the dog's collar and then throwing a half-hitch in the lead around the dog's waist. Then clip the short lead to the dog's collar as well. I will give the directions for a right-handed handler, if you are lucky enough to be a lefty like me, just reverse the instructions. Take the short lead in your right hand and put the dog at heel. Start by just heeling the dog on this short lead and trailing the remainder of the long lead out behind you as you go. Now we add the "whoa" part. Take the short lead in your right hand as before and the long lead in your LEFT hand, it helps to be part ballerina at this point, but you will get more comfortable at this as you go. Heel the dog off, remembering to give him the two little "pops" with the short lead as per the instructions for training the "heel" command. After a a dozen steps or so give the command "whoa" and reinforce with the LEFT hand taking up the half-hitch at the dogs waist. If you have done the work in the sling properly the dog will freeze at the command with just a bit of pressure on that lead around his waist where the sling used to hoist him skyward. Reinforce with the hand "stop sign" signal as well. Give lots of praise for complaince. Talk very gently, we don't want this to be a battle, remember, you are just giving good advice here.

At first you will need to stop walking with the dog on command, this helps him to take the cue. Of course, then we need to keep him on "whoa" while we move about the the dog on the ground, like we will be doing when we are flushing birds. The first time you go to step out in front of him, I guarantee the dog will step off with you. All you to do is just haul the dog slightly into the air with both hands (one lead in each) and set him back in position. Soon he will stand pat and allow you to move all about him. Kick the grass as you would as if trying to flush, he may have no idea what you are doing at this point, but it helps to condition him for the bird work which comes later. Work your way further and further away until you are able to have him stay in position. A good trick at this point is to keep ahold of that long lead and just give it a litle flick with your wrist every now and again to reinforce the command, the dog will feel that little pulse in the half-hitch about his waist and he will remember, "hey, stay put!!". Walk back to the dog frequently once he is standing well so he will associate praise and pleasing you with staying where he is told. I don't like to call the dog to me for praise at this point. Be sure to give him the palms up "stop-sign" as you go along to help reinforce this as a verbal and visual command. If the dog does move I snatch him up in the air with my hands on both leads and turn my body in a complete circle, swinging the dog around and plunking him right back where he was told to stay. This makes a bigger impression on the dog than just moving him back to position. Remember to always give lots of praise and strokes for proper response before releasing the dog, even if you have to correct him to get it.

What I like to do next is to test the dog a bit and reinforce at this point. The dog should be standing on command for longer periods of time by now. I do it like this. Put the pup on "whoa" as before and move out in front of her about 20 feet.Turn your body and stand so that she is on your left. Now, command and give the visual reinforcement with your hand and with your right hand, toss a dummy out about 20 feet to your RIGHT. If the dog breaks, say NOTHING. You are between her and the dummy and are in control here. Let her go until she gets just to you, the grab the leads, haul her up, command "whoa" in a slightly growly voice and take her back to where she was supposed to stand. Remember, praise her once she is obeying .

Freck assumes the position in the sling as a pup herself. Be sure to reinforce the verbal command with the visual command of holding your palm up while extending your arm in "traffic cop" style.

Give praise for being in the right place, growl and shake her up when she is in the wrong place. Do not say anything the dog as she is breaking until you have her in the air, off her feet. Learn to anticipate the dog's breaking, the first thing you will see as she breaks and runs is that her shoulders will drop toward the ground. Keep your eyes on her shoulders, when they dip, she is about to break, so get ready. If you can time it, that is a good time to flick that lead so she feels it about her waist. DO NOT yell "whoa" at the dog once she is in the process of breaking. Let her pay the price or decide on her own to stay put once the command is given. The command is given once and the dog must choose to obey or go for a ride in the sling, again WE are just giving good advice.

Once the dog will hold in place once the dummy hits the ground with no further input from you, about every third toss, let her go get it and bring it to you as a reward. Also about one out of every three, YOU should go get it yoursself and make her stand there so she doesn't get the idea that every retrieve is hers. Think about it, every retrieve is NOT the dog's, is it, really?. What if you are hunting with a friend and his dog? What if you want to hunt with him...AGAIN...? No one that can't keep their dog off of my dog's retrieve hunts with me more than about twice, that's for sure. What if you are hunting in South Dakota and someone shoots a pheasant that floats a half-mile out to plunge dead into the middle of I-90? What if you shoot a rabid skunk while hunting? This is good training for a complete bird dog to retrieve only on command, trust me. There are many ways to incorporate this training into other aspects of field training, such as retrieving. Also practice just heeling the dog off without a lead or having it come to you instead retrieving as well. I will also cover a complete "trained retrieve" course sometime in the summer in thses pages.

If you get really good at this, take your gun out with some live pigeons in your coat, "whoa" the dog, toss the bird, let it fly off and kill it. Make the dog stand steady to shot and practice retrieving, heeling off etc. this way too. Be sure to make the dog stand and go get about every third shot bird yourself. At this point,a partner can make things go very easy.

All that is left is to move into the bird field and extend what the dog has learned to dovetail with his instinct to hunt, find and point birds. There are three things that you must remember here and they are equally important. They must be upheld lest you just defeat all of your hard work up until now.

The Rules

Rule #1 - Never, ever, ever allow the dog to catch a planted bird on the ground

Rule #2 - Never ever, ever shoot a bird that the dog has not pointed and allowed you to flush, even in hunting season! (During the dog's first season this even includes wild flushing pheasants and coveys of quail that YOU step on first!...sorry...)

Rule #3 - Never, ever forget rules #1 and #2 !!

Get yourself a good supply of pigeons, homing or otherwise and be prepared to just watch the $$'s you spend on them fly off for a week. If nothing else, I am the voice of experience here and the cost of 2 dozen birds is much cheaper than having to correct problems later on.

Ok, take a big, strong pigeon and first say goodbye to it. Then dizzy it a bit by holding it in one hand, head up and twirl it so that it's head spins in a gentle circle for about 30 seconds then give the bird a good hard toss into medium grass that is just more than head high ("head high" to the pigeon...ok?....yeah....someone had to explain it me a few times to me at first too...). It will stay there for the few minutes that it takes you to get back with the dog. This is better than "planting" them for a number of reasons. The two biggest being that the bird will be alert when you get back and can escape the dog much easier this way, thus avoiding breaking rule #1. Secondly, a bird that is alert, standing upright and pottering about when the dog comes in actually gives of a better scent for the dog to point than a bird lying sleeping, down in the grass, unaware that it is being hunted. 

Steph holds Freck staunch on her very first pigeon back at 25 weeks of age. Note that the lead is half-hitched about the dog's waist and the pup standing the bird pretty much on her own

Try to leave the bird in the grass at least 8 to 10 minutes after you toss it before you bring the dog in on it. Bring your dog in downwind of the hidden bird with just the long lead clipped to his collar and half-hitched about his waist. Make this hunt short so you can stay right with him at first. An assistant, as always, is a big help. Watch the dog closely and as soon as he makes scent and starts roading in on the bird, pick up that lead and be ready to keep the dog from catching that bird, don't worry if he doesn't point or just flashpoints at first. Most dogs that are over 6 months old will point the first or second time you do this if they have been on birds before you start this training. The dog will likely move up on the bird and point pretty hard. As soon as the dog establishes point, put just the slightest amount of pressure on that lead so that he feels that little reminder of the "sling" about his waist and command in a low voice "whoa!", ONE TIME. Work your way up the lead towards the dog, continuing to praise and reassure him in a low voice until you are up even with his head, still holding a bit of pressure on him.

The best thing that can happen at this point is that you or your partner goes in and flushes the bird. I like to let the dog chase once the bird is flying off so I can pop a blank in the air to help condition the pup to gunfire. Let the dog get aways off so it is not too loud at first, most dogs will just ignore the pop of the pistol at this point. The second best thing that can happen is that the bird will flush wild as you are coming up, again let the dog chase and pop the pistol, as long as we don't break any of the three rule's above, we are ok and on our way to success. If the dog stands staunch and allows you to flush, fine, give lot's of praise. If he wants to lunge in and torpedo the bird after locking up, fine. Just hold him back and say nothing, let him thrash at the end of the lead right where he stopped, eventually all of his commotion will pop that bird out of the grass and fly off and we will still not have violated "the rules". Just stand him back up, command "whoa", hold him in position once the bird has flushed, praise him and if he can still see the bird in the air, let him chase it and again, fire a blank in the air. The third best thing that can happen is that the bird flushes wild as the dog is roading in on him, this looks bad but actually teaches the dog a great deal. Don't yell, don't pull the dog back with the lead, just let him blunder in and flush your money...uh..pigeons that is, into the sky. Try to think of the birds as very inexpensive pheasants. Short of a month at "summer camp" on wild birds, a few wild flushing pigeons will do more for your dog than any amount of hard planted birds that he can get way too close to with impunity. I actually prefer to see alot of birds get away at first. Of course, I am lucky enough to train on homing pigeons, so the impact on the wallet is greatly reduced, as the same bird is used over many times each week. Pigeons used this way actually become very dog-wise and it is remarkable how close to game birds they can behave once they learn the game.

Soon the dog will allow you or your partner to flush the bird while he stands with no pressure from you. Stroke the dog and press him towards the bird with your knee as you lean into his rump or with your hand between his shoulder blades. He should start to push back to avoid busting the bird, it is at this point that you know you have the battle won. After he performs this way about six times, holding that bird for at least 30 seconds on his own it is time to get a gun and kill a bird for him. Refresh yourself with the "rules" and proceed. It helps to have a partner so that of you can flush and kill the bird while the other holds the dog back once the bird is in the air for safety. A young dog may leap at a weak flying pigeon and get shot in the process.

Come up on the dog, use a bit of pressure on the lead to reassure him, say "whoa" ONE TIME to the dog as you move in.Try to come in from off to the side to flush and kill so he can see you. Also give him the silent hand signal as you approach his point. Dog don't like things sneaking up behind them, so if you can remember to circle out a bit from his point and come in when you are just ahead of his nose, it will help. If he stands by himself through all of this and allows you to flush the bird, let it fly a ways off and kill it. Alway keep in mind and follow "the rules".

A word about your training battery here. 12 gauge Heavy target or Trap loads (1 1/8 oz.) in 7 1/2 or 8 shot with an improved cylinder or skeet choke are good for this work for us average shots. Pigeons can be tough to hit and bring down cleanly. This combination hits hard and gives good margin for error. The 1 1/4 ounce premium pigeon loads are even better but they are hard to find and it is just as well as I will have to wait for some inheritence before I can buy boxes of those regularly anyway. Let pro's shoot those pretty little 20 gauges and steer clear of anyone who wants to help you train and shoot a .410. I am a big believer that in training,the more birds that get away from your dog, the better, but when it comes time to put them down, more boom is more better.

Hang on to the dog's lead until after the bird is down, command "whoa" and position the dog properly and stroke him and then release her to go get the reward, the dead bird.The dog will likely run out and scoop the bird right up now leaving you with the oppurtunity to work on his retrieving, which we will cover next month, I think... Anyway, you now have a dog that will find and point and hold birds for you to shoot. She will have begun to learn what her role is in the bird huntin' game and you will be well on your way to really putting more birds in your bag and enjoying having the dog help you do it. You can now move to liberating pen-raised game birds for this work. Just keep "the rules" in mind and remember that escaped birds are cheaper than fixing other problems later.

This series of articles on Come, Heel and Whoa are just the beginning steps in training your pointing dog for the field. Passing this course is the bare minimum to having a dog that will do what you want it to for you in the field. It has been alot of fun putting them together and I hope it gives you lot's to think about and work on over the summer, I know it does me....now where is my whistle....?

This is what we want our end result to be; a dog that will hunt through nasty weather and cover to find and point birds for you to come and shoot for her. She will stand there all day for you if need be.

Article by Steve Radik             { I couldn't say it better myself.    Cathy }      Thanks Steve