Summer Shorts - Handling

Welcome back to episode 10 of season 3 at the Upland Disciple Podcast. We continue on with our summer shorts series this week, diving in to the topic of handling. An often under discussed and under appreciated part of bird dog development and hunting/trialing is the working together of dog and handler in the field. This doesn't just mean following your dog around the field but being able to cast your dog, bend them in the field from objective to objective or cover to cover. It means not hacking at your dog but communicating with them via cues, body language, and direction...all built in your training time before you get to real life scenarios! Handling is also one of those parts of training that is as much about you the handler as it is the dog. Being able to read a dog, put them in the best place to succeed, and have a partnership that overcomes tough situations, tough conditions, and new environments. With that being said handling is an art NOT a science, and is often caught more than it is taught. So tune in and listen to the experts lend their experience, advice, tips, tricks, and training styles to develop a good handle in the field!