I've got a bird!  14 week-old shows off his prize.

So you’ve got your new puppy, now what?  Even if you’ve read and reread How to Help Gun Dogs Train Themselves, any griffon owner can benefit from some personal training assistance, and that’s exactly what the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Club exposure/training days provide for club dog owners.  

Exposure/Training Day activities are planned to fit the needs of the handlers and their dogs.  A young pup of four-five months will benefit from just having the opportunity to hang out and play with dogs of various ages.  The pup will see other dogs splashing and swimming.  If he’s not had much exposure to water, this can help get him in the water.  The young pup will also have a chance to see game—perhaps chase a young hen pheasant or splash after a duck in a shallow, protected pond.  Obviously, bringing a pup to an Exposure Day is not going to turn him into a hunting machine.  The real payoff is for the handler.  Experienced trainers help the handler to learn how to work with the dog.  They’ll size up the pup and suggest techniques and exercises that are likely to help each handler to work with his/her own dog.

 The handler who is preparing for an Intermediate Hunting Dog Test will get to do a dry run of common test categories such as tracking a duck, drag of dead game, pointing, and retrieving.  It’s especially helpful for a new handler to go through the elements of the test in this relaxed, personalized atmosphere of an Exposure/training day, because it more-or-less simulates what is experienced on test day.  Again, the real beneficiary of the event is the handler rather than the dog.  The handler can get a sense of how well the dog is progressing and get help with setting up a training plan to follow long after the event is over.

 

Watch the Light Bulb Come On:  Pup sees his first pheasant; his tail position tells the story.
	Upper Left:  What is that thing?  It smells good, but I don't want to get too close! Upper Right: Wow! I can chase it!  This is fun! Lower Left: Hey boss!  Look what I've got!  I'm a bird dog now!

Exposure/Training days are also a great opportunity for the prospective griffon owner to learn more about the breed.  Visitors are always welcome and they get to participate in the training.  Unlike watching from afar in the gallery on test day, the visitor can tag along in the field, help with bird handling, and ask questions on the spot.  Seeing what other handlers do, listening to advice and seeing training techniques demonstrated with a variety of dogs really helps make one a better trainer.

Young handler gets help with retrieving

Those who participate in exposure/training events can generally take dead game birds as well as reserve extra birds to take home for use in their own training activities too.  Another benefit of these functions is just getting to meet other versatile gun dog enthusiasts.  It’s a great chance to find another griffon owner who may like nearby with whom to share training activity.  Because the events are sponsored by club chapters, most of those in attendance are club members with griffons, but owners of other dogs are also welcome.  Our April 2008 training day in Marshall, MI included a pair of French Brittany Spaniels and some non-club griffons.  

 The frequency and timing of these events varies from chapter to chapter, depending on the number of members with dogs of training age and travel distances.  The Heartland Chapter probably has the most events.  There are usually sessions held once per month from April through August near Marshall, Michigan.  An August session has traditionally been held in Belleview, Iowa with John & Vivian Pitlo. Most chapters try to hold at least one exposure/training day prior to the Spring or Fall tests.  Locations and dates are posted in the Gun Dog Supreme and in the Chapters section of this web site.