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A Different Kind of Bird Dog

10/11/2013

13 Comments

 
Typist: Bethany
The idea that dogs and bird watching could go together is sort of like the idea that chocolate and peanut butter could go together. One's salty and one's sweet, one's soft and one's hard, both are delicious... but, wait. You probably didn't come here to read about dessert. You want to know what kind of a crazy person would take her dogs bird watching with her. Dogs love to be outdoors, get exercise and see the humans in their lives happy. Bird watching is outdoors, hiking to birding locations is exercise and watching feathered creatures usually makes humans happy. So it certainly seems that dogs and bird watching could indeed go together like chocolate and peanut butter.
I have been birding since I was very young and I have always done it with a dog (or two or three) by my side. Working breeds, sporting breeds and herding breeds have all been with me to share the joy of spotting a rare, migrating Aves. In fact, it has often been the dog that helped me spot the bird.
Birding isn't for all dogs but is easy to train the skills needed for your dog to wait quietly while you gaze into the trees. Patiently waiting is a dog skill that isn't just useful for birding but for travel and multitudes of other social situations. Wilhelm, Brychwyn and Huxley all began learning to "hang out" on their leashes in their puppy kindergarten classes. Obviously, just waiting nearby while I do whatever gets more difficult in higher distraction environments. So start slow. Inside your house, treat your dog for just hanging our near you with a loose leash. Give lots of treats!* Next, try loose leash hanging out at the house of a friend or family member. Be sure your dog has mastered patiently waiting near you in controlled environments before you up the ante to uncontrolled environments, like out in public or outdoors. Continue to give your dog a lot of treats just for hanging out politely near you especially if you are testing out higher distraction environments. I prefer not to keep track of formal "stay" commands while I am talking with a neighbor, eating
Picture
Huxley quietly and patiently observes resting snow geese at Lincoln Park, Seattle, Washington.
dinner or bird watching. Therefore, the dogs hanging out skill is just that. If I am stopped and hanging out, so are they.

The quietly part of hanging out can be a bit more difficult for a lot of dogs especially in high distraction environments, like around birds. Training a "quiet" is also a life skill that can benefit your dog beyond seeking out feathered critters on the beach. To train your dog "quiet," you should first train your dog "speak." For most dogs, training "speak" is as simple as getting your dog excited about a toy or treat and rewarding the "speak." Once your dog knows "speak," as soon as your dog stops the "speak," reward the "quiet." Go very slowly with training "quiet" and only use the command in low distraction, controlled situations until you can work your way up to higher distraction, less controlled environments. Your dog will not learn the command if you're repeatedly saying "quiet" to a wildly barking dog. In fact, your dog will likely learn the opposite of the word. I have also taught Wilhelm, Brychwyn and Huxley a "quiet" hand signal so I can convey to them the need for silence when a bird is close by.
During a hike, when I stop, whether it is for a drink or to search a grove or trees for the wood pecker I just heard knocking, the dogs stop and wait. More often than not, they will also look in the direction of the bird call that piqued all of our interest. Such great help! When birds are particularly close, I dole out a few treats and praise them for being quiet and still. I simply adore birding with my dogs.

If you would like to try birding with your fit dog, here's some important rules to follow:
  • Always, always, always keep your dog on a leash. I could go on and on about all of the very obvious reasons for this but instead I will just say it again: always keep your dog on a leash.
  • Make sure the area you are going bird watching in is dog friendly. Most wildlife refuges, which are great birding spots, do not allow dogs. We often find dog friendly trails near wildlife refuges and have had wonderful species spotting luck. And even if no leashes are required, keep your dog on a leash!
  • Give other birders a lot of space. It has been my experience that most birders are animal lovers and are happy to see the dogs on the trail or in a hide but this isn't always the case. Many birders think the dogs will frighten the birds (which has never been my experience) so keep a distance that allows others to continue to enjoy their birding (and prove them wrong about the dogs scaring away the birds.) We usually travel to lesser known and less popular birding areas. Most of these areas require a long or difficult hike in which means you'll have a tired dog while you look and listen for birds.
  • Come equipped: Bring treats (to reward good behavior,) water and a first aid kit for your dog. I highly recommend birding with ahands-free leash so you have both hands to hold your binoculars. If you are planning to wait in one spot or a hide for a while, you might want to pack a light blanket or something for your dog to rest on. Make sure that you and your dog are both dressed for safety especially if there is hunting in or near the area you are bird watching.

Technology has made taking up birding easy. There are a lot of smart phone birding apps available (I use Audubon) and there are even some bird watching groups with regional bird trail apps. I have the Washington State Audubon Society Birding Trail app on my smart phone. Other Cascadian birding information is available at Oregon Birding Trails, Guide to Idaho Birding Trail, Birding in British Columbia, Montana Audubon and Juneau Audubon. Find a North American birding trail near you at the American Birding Associations website or simply by searching "birding trail [your areas name.]"

Dogs always enjoy being outdoors. They may not care whether or not their glance into the bushes helped you spot a rare thrush but they will know they have pleased you. Birding with my dogs is just another reason to get us all outdoors, get in fit dog time and enjoy the world side by side. Similar to how cocoa beans and peanuts seemed to be grown to be in tandem, I believe appreciating nature is what humans and canines do best together.
*Remember to count any treats your dog receives in their daily caloric intake.
Picture
Brychwyn watching brown pelicans (look closely just above the water) at Cape Disappointment, Washington.
Picture
13 Comments
Molly The Wally link
10/10/2013 06:17:47 pm

Peeps say no way with me as I would just go off on a chase.and make a muck of it. However bird spotting we think is a nice peaceful pastime.Have a fabulous Friday.
Best wishes Molly

Reply
Bethany
10/11/2013 07:07:19 am

You never know until you try, Molly. Maybe if you did a lot of appropriate (ball, toy, squirrel) chasing before bird watching on your leash? Even fit dogs need peaceful pastimes! :)

Reply
SlimDoggy link
10/10/2013 10:53:21 pm

Very interesting - never thought about putting those activities together, but I can see how it's a natural. I like the idea of a 'hang out' command and realize my guys do it without me rally having taught it. Part of that is Maggie has a natural hang out of her own and Jack is used to it so we just do it.Actually going to write about that on my FB today. Thanks for joining the Hop - great tips as always.

Reply
Bethany
10/11/2013 07:11:48 am

Thanks, SlimDoggy. Some dogs, especially seniors that are bonded with their humans are better at just hanging out than others. And it isn't so much of a command as it is just an attitude. With all of the love and exercise Jack and Maggie get, no wonder they naturally hang out with you. Maybe you can take some binoculars on your next outing and see if they help you spot some birds!

Reply
Hawk aka BrownDog link
10/10/2013 10:56:15 pm

Hi Y'all,

Great "step by step" for training your pawed partner to watch birds...Since we live in really, really rural areas and our home at the shore is in a wildlife preserve, I've learned to find many birds for my Humans, then stop and sit. In fact at the shore many of the migratory ducks and geese just watch me, but otherwise ignore me. Since many of the areas I "hunt" are private property, I'm never on a leash any longer.

My Human got some great pictures of a grouse she never would have gotten without me...if you missed it: http://browndogcbr.blogspot.com/2013/09/mischief-or-just-my-job.html

Y'all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog

Reply
Bethany
10/11/2013 07:21:46 am

That is a lovely grouse you found, Hawk. You are such a specially trained dog; not many canines know how to hold back from scaring off or retrieving a bird let alone be able to avoid trampling nests. My chessie mix, Tynan, was a wonderful birding partner like you are, but he needed his leash to keep from doing too much birding!

Reply
Diane @ To Dog With Love link
10/10/2013 11:37:12 pm

Great post and tips! "Quiet" and "hanging out" are so useful. We need to get back to reinforcing those more!

Reply
Bethany
10/11/2013 07:28:53 am

Thanks, Diane. It's funny how when working on formal training, practicing real world skills often falls by the wayside.

Reply
Roxy the traveling dog link
10/11/2013 12:32:58 am

Great advice. Roxy is great at waiting, Torrey, sometimes. Like you say if there is a distraction or something to chase, she really does not want to sit patiently.

Reply
Bethany
10/11/2013 07:34:17 am

Well, no dog ever really wants to sit patiently. That is one of the ways "hanging out" is different from a "sit, stay" or even a "wait" command. As long as my dogs are quiet with a loose leash, they're doing it right! I bet with a lot of praise, Torrey can get the hang of it. You all travel to and through some wonderful birding areas.

Reply
Tenacious Little Terrier link
10/11/2013 07:34:52 pm

I never would have thought those two would go together either. Mr. N is very prey-driven so we have a lot of work to do in that department.

Reply
Paws and Pedals (Scooter and Kate) link
10/13/2013 12:00:36 am

I dig birds too...mainly as I've been a native bird carer over the years & always interested in what they're up too. Can't say Scooter would be the perfect companion for proper birding though....unless you wanted to 'hunt' or 'chase' the ground birds......trying to train him out of it though. Maybe one day ;)

Reply
GizmoGeodog link
10/13/2013 05:45:22 am

The beach photo took my breath away...it's gorgeous...I give you big props for training the dogs to be bird watchers...Gizmo tries, but the site of a duck or heron just drives him to the edge...I can get him to wait for a moment, but then zoooooom, it's off to the races for him

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