Bird Dog: The Instinctive Training Method

By Ben O. Williams

Book Overview

Originally published in 2003, this one-of-a-kind dog training book is now available in softcover. Ben Williams has become legendary for his hard-charging, bold, and obedient hunting dogs. The training method he has developed over 40 years consistently produces friendly and affectionate dogs that also perform at the highest level in the field. Both a training manual and a hunting philosophy, Bird Dog reveals unique and time-tested methods that cultivate a dog's instincts to hunt.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1595433309
• ISBN13: 9781595433305
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: Willow Creek Press
• Length: 187 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.9" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

another Ben O. Williams classic

Any bird dog training wannabe should read this book. Ben gives some great perspectives and alternative approaches. This is not a 'gadget heavy' methodology. Common sense, repetition, exposure, and decent canine genes are the path to success. It is just plain refreshing to read Ben's writing.

Great Book

I wish this was the first hunting dog book I picked up. Very good stuff and every person raising a dog for actually hunting purposes should have it. Most of his philosophies are what I've learned in that last 6 years working behind a good dog. You just need their trust, respect, and a few basic commands they obey. Great book for training an actual hunter.

Best training book I've read

This is the first book I would recommend for someone wanting to train their pointing dog. Ben Williams is an excellent writer. He takes the confusion out of the training process that so many beginners feel by keeping things simple. His philosophy is that a good bird dog is the result of 95% genes and 5% training. So let your dog just be a dog and do what it was bred to do. A trainer really doesn't have to be too hands on, he or she just needs to provide the necessary requirements of love, exercise and plenty of time out in the field which is the dog's classroom and favorite place to be. Good breeding will compensate for many training mistakes. I wish this book had some extra components in it such as an index, a first-aid contents list, and a problems section. Otherwise this is an excellent book that has helped me more than any other.

Excellent bird dog book

Bird Dog by Ben O. Williams is one of the best bird dog books I've read, and I've read many books on this subject in addition to several upland hunting magazines I subscribe to and read regularly. Williams is a legend in upland bird dog training, and I wish that I had read this book as one of my first bird dog training books many years ago when I was starting out. It would have helped me get off to a much better start than I did. The book is full of common sense information, and what I found most useful (compared to other books) were the anecdotal stories that Williams related about various dogs he had owned and how the training methods he describes affected or impacted his dogs over time. That was something I found in no other book. Given Williams lifetime of experiences and the many dogs he has owned and trained, this is not trivial. I found the book entertaining, informative and useful to me is spite of the many years that I've been working with bird dogs myself. So whether you're first starting out, or been at it for some time, I highly recommend this book, and most others written by Williams. He is an excellent author, an expert on the subject of upland game birds and bird dogs (especially Brittany's). His books are well written and a pleasure to read. Enjoy, I did....

Excellant Bird Dog Training Book

This book is a great read for anyone who enjoys training bird dogs and wingshooting. Mr. Williams knows bird dogs and how to train them. He never sweats the small things or mistakes dogs make. He is very patient and kind. Once I started to read this book, I couldn't put it down. Thanks for the wisdom.