Category: Uncategorized

Moving

Dear Subscribers: I have written precious little in the last several months.  Work and life demands have gotten in the way, because: I have moved. Yes, I have moved, both physically and, er, blogally. ? For the last 40 plus years I called the greater Chicago-area my home.  Recently, I moved the family to Western... Read more »
By Rick Bohning,
February 28, 2016 at 5:07 pm • 

Reasons Behind A Pointing Dog Not Pointing

A pointing dog not pointing is a big problem. This is the basic behavior that we expect from our dogs. Our dog may find game and may retrieve and handle like a dream in the field. But if he doesn’t point, then the dog is essentially useless. He does not meet the most basic requirement... Read more »
By Rick Bohning,
August 19, 2015 at 8:12 am • 

Selling Bobcat Pelts In Illinois: One Mans Pointless Law

With the recent legalization of bobcat hunting in Illinois, some politicians are now targeting the practice of selling bobcat pelts. By way of review: the Republican governor of Illinois recently signed into law a bill presented to him by the Democrat legislature which will allow bobcat hunting in Illinois in 2016. I am still in... Read more »
By Rick Bohning,
August 12, 2015 at 8:03 am • 
Advertisement:

I'm Moving Away And There Are Things I Will Miss

I'm Moving Away And There Are Things I Will Miss
I am moving away from the suburbs of Chicago to Whitehall, Michigan. The house I am moving to has 25 acres, hunting across the street and out my back door. I have room to garden. I have room to train my dog. I have room to take on some dog training clients. This move is... Read more »
By Rick Bohning,
August 7, 2015 at 8:01 am • 

Bobcat Hunting In Illinois: Sign The Bill Governor

Bobcat Hunting In Illinois: Sign The Bill Governor
There is a law sitting on the governor’s desk which would allow bobcat hunting in Illinois. Governor Rauner needs to sign it. A Brief History Before game laws, bobcat numbers fell due to over hunting and habitat loss. According to population estimates performed by the DNR, the numbers are now high enough to allow for... Read more »
By Rick Bohning,
June 11, 2015 at 8:00 am • 

Gun Dog Training: New Dog Owners Require Positive Training

Gun dog training styles and techniques are starting to change. This change is coming from demand created by a new generation of gun dog owner. I am 47 years old. I am from a generation whose gun dog training guiding principles are: “show the animal who is boss.” This included no small amount of force,... Read more »
By Rick Bohning,
June 3, 2015 at 8:00 am • 
Advertisement:

Shock Collar: Not Every Punishment Needs To Hurt

I’ve written a lot about the shock collar in the past.  In a very narrow set of circumstances, there is no better way of getting rid of problem behavior. However, a shock collar is far from the best solution for most of the problems. I have never used and have never needed a shock collar... Read more »
By Rick Bohning,
January 30, 2015 at 9:15 am • 

Positive Only Dog Training: There's Too Much Punishment

Too much of what is purported to be positive only dog training is anything but. I’ve seen adherents of positive only dog training talk about how horrible shock collars are, then proceed to yank a dog around to get it to come, sit or stay. The latest example of positive only dog training which uses... Read more »
By Rick Bohning,
January 24, 2015 at 8:15 am • 

Barking Dog: A Non-Intuitive Fix

I recently tried this technique for fixing a barking dog. It works. I don’t really know why, but it does. It took 5 minutes. My dog does this “stranger danger” bark when we have visitors. After a few minutes, the dog settles in, but, initially, the barking dog is driving me crazy. I like the... Read more »
By Rick Bohning,
January 20, 2015 at 8:15 am • 
Advertisement:

Hunting Dog Training: Can It Be Done Without Aversives

A generation ago, hunting dog training was put off until the dog was a year old. This was done because the heavy reliance upon aversive techniques required some maturity in the dog. An aversive technique is anything that the dog finds unpleasant. It can be pain, or it can simply be annoying, like a squirt... Read more »
By Rick Bohning,
January 11, 2015 at 5:56 pm •