Pups are running in the prairies in order to gain confidence, develop intelligent hunting with wild bird contacts, and learn to go with the handler. Older dogs may be in a regimented conditioning program to make them well conditioned athletes with great stamina for the upcoming field trial and hunting season. Developing bird finding abilities and stellar bird manners on wild birds is an integral objective of effective training programs.

Putting a handle on the dog is one of the primary reasons trainers go to the prairies with their four-legged pupils. Developing a dog that goes with the handler in the appropriate range for the arena the dog will field trial or hunt in is accelerated in the wide-open prairies. It is extremely difficult to develop a ten to two in front pattern for the pointing breeds in the grouse woods or the piney woods of the South’s bobwhite country. It is more than a little challenge to develop the proper patterns for upwind, crosswind, or downwind wind directions in the woods for the foot hunting or horseback dog, whether the canine student be a flushing upland hunter or a pointing breed. A flushing dog that quests in the desired range and manner to the gun is simply going to give a shooter more opportunities to pull the trigger. Whether owners elect to send their dog/dogs to the prairies with a professional trainer, have the time, available grounds, and ability to train their own dogs themselves, or remain close to home to get the training done there is still the question of ‘When should I put a handle on the dog?” By handle I am referring to the dog recalling upon command when hunting, going with the handle at a desired range, and running a proper pattern in control. 

In order to develop a handle in the field there will have to be some necessary negative reinforcement for a dog purposely giving the owner the proverbial finger. Putting a handle on the dog before the dog has had bird contacts, demonstrates a keen desire to quest and hunt, has no apprehension with the flush or shot, and exhibits confidence in the field can be detrimental to the training process. I do not believe if is beneficial to developing intensity on game, style, and a dog that looks forward to learning and school if the program is all pressure orientated or by not adhering to benchmarks. That said, there is no better program to developing a dog that quest with style while responding to commands/cue with tail wagging obedience the by incorporating the e-collar into the program, done correctly. I strongly recommend that the proper e-collar conditioning that teaches the dog how to turn off stimulation and avoid stimulation be accomplished in yard training before generalizing the dog in the hunting arenas.