Dog trainers game for any question

When it comes to hunting dog woes, Tom Poorker and Doug Schoenborn have seen or heard it all:

The retriever that won't retrieve.

The pointer that cowers at the sound of gunshots.

The Lab that won't sit still in the duck blind. Or the pooch that simply won't come when called — no matter what.

"There's nothing more enjoyable than working with a quality gun dog — and nothing more frustrating than working with a poor one," said Schoenborn, 35, of Mahnomen, Minn.

He and Poorker, 46, of Milaca, Minn., are longtime professional gun dog trainers and dog breeders who, for the past half-dozen years, have teamed up to share their expertise with gun dog owners. They do free-wheeling question-and-answer seminars at sport shows around the Midwest, including Game Fair in Anoka this weekend and next.

There's never a shortage of questions.

"What amazes me is the misinformation out there about gun dogs and dogs in general," Poorker said.

Though both get paid to train dogs, they say there's no reason average hunters can't properly train dogs themselves, given some basic knowledge, time and desire.

"If people do their homework, it's very easy to have a good quality dog," Schoenborn said. The old axiom that a hunter only gets one good gun dog in a lifetime is false, he said. "There's absolutely no reason every dog can't be a quality hunting companion."

Both say success begins with genetics.

"You can't make a racehorse out of a Clydesdale," Schoenborn said. "The dog has to be born with talent and ability. There are lots of quality gun dog breeders out there. If you know what to look for, it's real easy to have a good dog."

Match the type of hunting you do with the breed, they say. But even a well-bred dog needs training.

Time and patience

Dog training isn't rocket science, but it takes time. And people often aren't willing to spend enough.

"It doesn't require a lot of time -- especially basic obedience," Schoenborn said. "We're talking 10 to 15 minutes twice a day, but doing that five or six days a week. You can't just go out and do it on Saturday afternoon."

Said Poorker: "Our society wants things right now. I call it the fast-food syndrome. But training dogs is not like fixing a car or flipping a burger. It takes time and patience."

Basic obedience is the foundation. If you can't get your dog to come to you in the backyard, it certainly won't come to you out in the field.

"Without that foundation of obedience, you're in trouble -- and we see a ton of that," Poorker said.

There are no shortcuts, no magic tricks.

"It's old-fashioned hard work and repetition -- that's what it takes to make a successful gun dog. If you can't commit to the time, then maybe you shouldn't have the dog, or you should seek professional help."

Said Schoenborn: "What limits people are three things: No. 1 is resources -- a place to train and birds to shoot over your dog. You can't make a bird dog without birds. No. 2 is knowledge of what to do. And No. 3 is time."

A gun-shy dog?

A hunter's worst nightmare is a gun-shy dog, and it's quite common, both said.

"So many people put a young dog on the ground and shoot birds over them ... and the dog runs back to the truck," Schoenborn said.

Don't blame the dog.

"Gun-shyness is a training problem, not a dog problem," Poorker said. "There are no puppies born gun-shy."

The key is to slowly introduce gunfire at long distances, then gradually move closer to the dog, carefully watching its reaction.

"I say introduce a dog to birds before you introduce the gun," Poorker said."Gun-shyness is a hard, hard problem to fix, and some never do come out of it."

Those electronic collars

Electronic collars have dramatically changed training, but misuse is among the common mistakes novice trainers make, Poorker said.

"The e-collar is the best tool in the world, if it's used properly," he said. "But it's not a miracle fix. People slap an e-collar on the dog and think it will automatically correct everything.

"You need to do all your obedience training thoroughly before you ever use an e-collar," he said.

In the end, a treasure

For those unwilling or unable to train their own dog, professional training can cost $700 to $1,000 a month -- and two to three months of training is the minimum usually recommended.

A well-trained hunting dog is an investment in either time or money.

"The alternative is to have a miserable time when you and that dog are in the field," he said.

Said Poorker: "What really excites me more than anything is to watch a young puppy become a very competent gun dog, and knowing you molded him into something to be treasured."

Doug Smith • dsmith@startribune.com