Gun Dog: Revolutionary Rapid Training Method

by Richard A. Wolters, John W. Randolph (Introduction)

Gun Dog is:

The first book written for the man with limited time and facilities who wants a gun dog fast and who wants to train it himself.

The first book written in this field with scientific information on the mental development of a dog. From this study by one of the nation's outstanding animal behavior laboratories, Wolters has changed the procedures in training a gun dog.

The first book for the upland bird hunter that teaches the hunting commands with the use of training tools, making training easier for you and your dog.

The first book to show the complete training procedures step by step in picture sequences. It will show you not only what to expect of your dog, but what your dog expects of you. You will be able to see how to do it.

Gun Dog is a revolutionary rapid training method.

Genres: Nonfiction, Dogs

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

Reviews

[Sweetwilliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for training bird dogs. This book was published in 1961 and was billed as the new method for training dogs. The material is a bit dated but I still got a lot out of the book. Apparently, prior to the new training method, puppies were introduced to leaderdog training at about 1-year. Success rates were low. Research gleaned in the 1950's determined that a puppies brain develops much faster than once thought. They are actually ready to be introduced to training much earlier (about 8-weeks.) Leaderdog graduation rates improved significantly when introduced to training at an early age.

Wolters wrote the book for the suburbanite who does not have time and abundant game available for training a bird dog. Instead, he uses a pheasant wing and a fishing rod and line. This is similar to the method that I used to introduce my dog Bella to her first bird at 8-weeks.

One thing about this method is that it is not for the faint of heart. Wolter's believes that at a certain point a dog is ready for correction. I've heard it said by a trainer that some short term discomfort is sometimes necessary for long term gain so keep that in mind.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I literally read 5 pages of this book and could no longer go on because I was so offended!! It was recommended to my husband and I from an avid dog hunter after we got our first Weimaraner.
It may be filled with good info but the author had such extreme views that I was turned off. His idea of even having a dog is for the sole purpose of work; no companionship; no members of the family. On pg 7 he says: "95% of the 26 million dogs in this country are flea bags and affectionate parasites....let's get this straight from the start, your puppy is to be a worker and you the boss. If not, get rid of him!"
I for one love my dog and view him as a part of the family, not a slave that needs to earn his ways into my heart. There has to be better ways to train a dog to hunt than to completely demoralize him. Shame on this author!

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm giving this a book a mixed review. Why? Because I don't agree with the punishment orientated training offered in the book. Granted the book was published in the 1960s, but this style of thinking is still going strong in the hunting dog world. We’ve come so far in dog behavior science yet there’s almost nothing out there about positive gun dog training (I’ve found two books that I haven’t read yet so let me know if you have any recommendations specifically related to hunting training).

The reason I gave this book 2 stars and not 1 is because it is actually chuck full of great information about training your gun dog to hunt birds. I am a complete newbie to the sport of bird hunting and this book really walked me through the basics of training and techniques needed to have a great hunting dog companion. Once I put my offense aside, I was able to see lots of ways I could adapt the methods in the book to a positive training style.

So in the end, I would very cautiously recommend this book to someone interested in hunting dog training only if they have a solid grasp of positive training and have initiative to adapt the style.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I was a bit offended at the rather sexist comments (par for the course in 1961) and I do NOT agree with hitting your dog for any reason (and never lift your dog by its tail!), I otherwise value the training advice within. I also enjoyed the writing style. I found myself laughing out loud at parts. I can't wait to start Puppy Preschool with my new bird hunting dog.

[Alejandro Sanoja · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the only "hunting training for dogs" book that I've read, so I can't give an opinion on that. But in terms of dog training in general, there are other books that are much better.

I'll give credit to the author, because this book was written many years ago. But nowadays, there are much better methods to shape the general behavior of a dog. With that said, if you want to train your dog for hunting, this seems to be one of the best books for that.

A great strategy would be to get this book to understand what is it that a dog needs to learn to be a great hunting dog, and then shape those behaviors with the methods learned in books like "Don't Shoot The Dog" or "Shaping Success".

Flow: 4/5, easy to read and flows well.

Actionability: 4/5, the book does a good job of explaining the steps you need to take (with photos included) on what you need to do to train your dog.

Mindset: 2/5, unless this is the first book you read about training dogs, there won't much new knowledge here.

Some of My Highlights:

"This prevents the learning of bad habits and the difficult process of unlearning."

"The experiment was never completed. Without human contact and love the children died."

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the most outdated and sexist book I have ever opened. It literally begins with women being “property” of man, and compares “breeds” of women to breeds of dogs. I understand the importance of training a puppy but I cannot believe this nonsense is still published.

[Keeley McJunkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was pretty good 👍

[Michael Siliski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is to gun dog training what "The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks" is to cocktails - a thoroughly enjoyable read from another era by a man ahead of his time. Wolters is a character, and he seems to really know dogs. While his training methods would not be state of the art today, I expect they were pretty progressive in 1961. Kind of made me want to take up hunting.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Wolters makes a potentially boring subject fun to read about. His style is informative and witty. Great pictures, and I agree with most of his theories. I can't wait to get our puppy and get started!

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this read. The writer is witty and makes a potentially dull subject exciting.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

ANother great book by Mr. Wolters. One of his earlier books when he was developing his techniques. See my review of "Water Dog" and "Home Dog".

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait to try this. Some ideas are a little over the top for my liking but most of it sounds good.

[Amy Beckwith rawle · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book. works like a charm. my husband has used the principles in the book to train two dogs.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very popular book of its time showing owners of gun dogs how to train their own dog.