Anybody who has hunted with a well-trained dog in pursuit of ducks, geese, doves or other birds knows that to do its job efficiently and safely, the dog must stay put. In other words, it should not “creep” in front of the handler or move laterally. Creeping up can put the dog in the firing line, putting itself and at times the hunters in grave danger. If you haven’t heard a tragic story firsthand, ask around and you will.
The old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is sage advice. It’s infinitely easier to fix it before it becomes a much bigger problem.
I hate to say it, but I’ve found myself in the pound-of-cure search with my 5-year-old Lab. We trained heavily when she was a puppy and as she matured. She put quite a few successful hunts under her collar and got her Hunting Retriever Champion title just shy of her third birthday. For the last few years, family commitments and a busy work schedule have drastically reduced the time we have been able to train and hunt, which has led to the predicament we’re in now.
Creeping
What is happening is she gets “loose” and wants to creep during training. She loves to train so when she comes out of the truck she knows the fun is minutes away. Hunting is different. There’s the boat or UTV ride out to the blind, the pre-dawn wait for shooting light and then wondering if the birds will show up. Point being, there’s lots more waiting during hunting than during training, and dogs can separate the two. Hunting out of a pit blind with a dog box largely eliminates the temptation to creep, but that “luxury” isn’t always available. Creeping a little at a time puts the dog farther out, lessening control and ultimately breaking it.
For us, it’s a multi-pronged fix. One prong is working from a platform at the heel position. Stepping off triggers a correction. I have noticed it’s worse when training in a group and the excitement is amplified, so having other sets of hands and eyes helps. But for the most part, we work on this alone quite a lot to reinforce it has to stop.
The step back drill
As luck would have it, I came across a video on Facebook posted by Cory Baudoin of Old Cypress Retrievers in Kaplan, La., detailing what he calls the “step back drill.” Baudoin has been a professional trainer since 2003 but has trained dogs long before then. He’s also a full-time guide at Lake Arthur Hunting Club during waterfowl season. I reached out to him, and he was happy to offer some insight.
“The step back drill is really for an older, experienced dog that gets loose on the line and creeps,” he said. “It’s mainly for hunt tests but it certainly applies to hunting situations.
“With the dog at heel, a mark is thrown and I take some steps back. I don’t say anything, but I want the dog to back up to heel. If they don’t, I’ll give a light nick with the e-collar. What I’m teaching the dog is to be aware of where I am and stay with me. If it doesn’t, it’s not going to pick up the mark.
“When hunting, it’s not practical, but when training, the dog learns its place is always next to me and when it stays there the rewards come.”
I started using Baudoin’s drill and my dog picked it up surprisingly quickly. It, in conjunction with the platform work and lots of repetition, should yield the results I’m looking for. It won’t happen overnight, but I have faith in the process and my dog’s ability. If you have a dog with the same issue, give these methods a try and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
A video detailing the step back drill can be found on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/@sportsmantv.
Cory Baudoin can be reached at: www.oldcypresskennel.com or the Old Cypress Retrievers Facebook page.
