There are many circumstances in which we may want our dogs stop and stand still in the field. A cue is defined as “anything said or done that is followed by a specific action.” Whoa is a common cue that most people teach their dogs, but oftentimes the dog only understands this one cue, when in fact most people want their dogs stopping at various situations. Some of those situations, or cues, include:
- Dog stops, bird flushes
- Bird wild flushes, the dog may or may not have scent
- You are in front of a dog on point
- Another dog is on point
While the whoa command can be useful in many situations, silent training can help facilitate the dog learning the circumstances in which he should stop without solely relying on the direction of the handler.
Do you use “whoa”? If so, why; if not, why not? In what other circumstances do you want your dog to stop? Please comment below!
photo © Vic Williams & courtesy of Lindley’s Kennel
September 25th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
This could be a very good discussion. If I teach a verbal whoa command to a clients dog it will be at the very end of the training. The dog will already be broke on game and backing, some clients still request it, most don’t. My personal dogs I don’t even teach a verbal whoa command. Bill West told me Whoa was the most abused word in bird dog training, Bill was right.
September 26th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
One afternoon in the White Mountains at Bills camp this summer I was working a nice setter male I own called Max; well Max came flying down the hill and several birds came up and I just said “Ahut Ahut” and Max stopped and stood to flight (he was going full speed when I stopped him) Bill looked at me a I thought Oh boy here it comes… he walked over and said what you say that for? And of course I found no words to meet my tongue.. I’m standing in front of Mr Bill Gibbons…finally I said to stop him… he said stop him with this as he grabbed his tritronics…what if he’s over the hill and can’t hear you or you can’t see him… it’s the bird in flight that shouold make him stop. Feeling about two inches tall but a ton smarter I now use the whoa verbally if I need to stop him for a saftey reason like a truck crossing the road etc.
Bill actually used a Ssssch sound today and stopped a dog he’s trained for me..like you would if you were working a dog and was kicking around to flush a bird… it’s a sound we all use from time to time… but he’s taught this dog that that sound means a bird is somewhere close and that dog froze solid… keep in mind this is one of my horseback dogs so she was really moving…it’s so great to work with Bill a couple times a week, so much to learn so few precious moments to spend.
October 4th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Howdy Maurice: I certainly agree that “whoa” is abused and while I teach it I try not to use it at all. However, in a field trial situation with a green dog, sometimes it is the only way to save a dog from making a major mistake. A quiet “sssch” or “whup” is usually sufficient, but if a bracemate steals point and rips a bird, for instance, I need a way to flat out stop my dog. Steve