The Cult of the Positive sets it's sights on a new Goal

I find myself with an eyeroll reading about the pure positive trainers touting the newest thing in gun dog training. The positive bird dog.

This is of course nonsense and people seeking to push their culture on a population that really isn't looking for help. These people never speak of conservation of the hedge and other areas where birds exist, they never speak of ammo, the gun, or the responsibilities of the shooter as a sportsman and a conservationist. They speak of the dog and pushing their philosophy on dog training above all else.

This all over one part of the normal training of gun dogs called the forced fetch or compulsion training. Without a doubt this topic is one of the most misunderstood in the dog training arena and seems to be the dividing line for trainers who work and those who internet philosophize to the masses.

So anytime you are getting advice from someone about these topics I would ask you to give their credentials and advice a sniff test.

 First sign you are sniffing bullshit is that they don't actually hunt with a dog, some don't even own a gun but they're going to tell you all about how to hunt with a dog. 

Second sign of sniffing bullshit is that their biggest fans and page spreaders are those that don't actually hunt with a dog. Most of them seem to own shelties and run agility or also are offering R+ gun dog training.

The third sign is that their proof of superiority is a non witnessed trial anecdote about the performance of some dogs at trial and how you can just tell who is training what style. A trial is not a hunt - and a hunt typically isn't about the dog in the blind.

The fourth sign is that they form their own trade club to espouse their moral superiority but lack any endorsements from any hunting related clubs, associations, or speak to their dedication to outdoor sports.

They promise the world. A dog ready to start earlier. A dog performing more reliably. A dog who slices and dices, calls ducks and shoots them too, all for the cost of a clicker.

The final sign is that they can't produce a video with an actual finished gun trial dog, a dog on a actual hunt, or a list of clients that tout the reliability of the dogs they produce in the field. Even a picture of a dog holding a bumper correctly and giving a proper controlled retrieve would be fantastic.