Originally Posted by
Jayock
I have a good bit of experience training flushers and retrievers, but none with pointers.
The best way we have done hand signals is by first whistle training. One short whistle for stop,sit,look at me, and repeated short whistles for come to me.
I assume he likes to retrieve. And you can use that to your advantage. For signals:
I usually do arm at side and raise to either direction for left/right. I do a throwing motion for further, and a arm extended, swept down and back (like throwing underhand and to behind you) for back.
These motions can be used to throw something he wants in each direction, which will get him used to going that way when you make the arm gesture.
Next, Plant wings without him seeing and get him close enough that he is just out of scent range. Sit him down next to you and do your waive motion to either side or front back and give him a nudge that way. He will find it. Repeat and keep moving him further away. This tells him that there is always something where you are directing him.
Once they have that down pat, you get to the hard part. Plant some wings/dummies/whatever in the field, on both sides, without the pup seeing. Send him out, down the middle. When he is near some to the sides. Give him a short whistle burst indicating a stop, sit and look at me. Then waive him to either side, or forward. You can cheat a bit with backwards, because you can give the whistle come command (many rapid short bursts) while giving the back hand signal. Stop your whistle bursts when he is near the bird.
It will take a lot of perseverance, but he will get it. They will astound you with intelligence at times, and piss you off with their hardheadedness others.
