What is the best way to train young dogs to respond to the tone button when applied and when should one use the shock button if at all-Thanks

There are many other hunters who know more than I do and can give you a better answer. They’ve been doing this for years and have started literally hundreds of dogs. However, I will give a stab at answering since I had to start from scratch with two puppies and was brand new to hunting. It always looked so simple when I saw other hunters toning their dogs in, but it took a while for me and my dogs to learn. I am thankful to everyone who has let me ask them a million questions and tag along with them. It’s definitely one of those things that you have to jump right in and do it. Read up and plan first, but then you gotta throw yourself in the deep end.

First, are you teaching just one or do you have multiple dogs? Do you know anyone who has dogs trained to come when they’re toned? I ask because if you know someone whose dogs are trained to come to the tone, it would be helpful if you could run with him; that way, when they’re running together, when he tones his dogs, you can tone yours at the same time. You stand a better chance of getting yours to come if the other dogs are coming back at the same time.

If you don’t know anyone, do not worry! All is not lost. You can still teach your dog to come to the tone.

Part 1: Make sure your dog knows his name when you call it out in the yard.

Part 2. Make sure your dog understands the “come” command in the yard. He needs to understand the verbal command in his everyday environment where distractions are few. The way I teach the “come” command is to work with the dog by himself, away from other dogs. I use a few thumbnail size pieces of beef jerky as rewards. He knows his name, he likes me, it’s natural that he’ll come to me when he sees me in the yard. When he starts to walk toward me, I call his name and say “come” in a cheerful voice. “Archie, come!” When he reaches me, I praise him and give him a little piece of the jerky. Some people say, “Oh, I don’t bribe my dogs.” The jerky in this instance is not a bribe; it is a reward. Eventually, you can phase out the jerky altogether and reward with praise.

The trick is to only give the “come” command when you can enforce it. This may mean working with the dog in a very small area, like an 8x10 kennel, or working him with a rope tied to his collar so that you can give him a gentle tug if he hesitates for too long. Warning: If you give the “come” command and cannot enforce it, he learns that he can ignore you. We have all seen (and been!) the person calling the dog, “Rover, come! Come here, Rover! Come on, Rover! Rover! Come! COME HERE!”

If it takes him a while to understand it, that’s okay. Hounds are smart, but stubborn. They have been bred to think independently. It is not their natural inclination to do something just because we ask them to. And if we are rough with them, they soon won’t want to do it at all.

Keep the training sessions around 10 minutes long. It will just confuse him if you work him for too long. You can work with him two or three times a day.

Part 3. When he understands his name and is reliable with the “come” command, you can start working with the collar in the yard. Again, work in a small area or with a rope around the collar. Call his name, give the “come” command. When he’s taken the first couple of steps, hit the TONE. He may stop to try and figure out what the noise is. That’s okay, just call his name again and get him coming. Praise him, hit the TONE. Keep that up until he reaches you. Then praise, pet, treat. Keep working with him in 10 minute sessions a few times a day.

After he understands the BEEP BEEP BEEP from the tone, you can take him to the pen. Like I said earlier, this part works better if you know someone whose dogs are trained to come to the tone. It is definitely not guaranteed that when your dog sees them coming in that he’ll come too, but the odds are fairly decent that he will. Personally, I would choose a day when it’s super hot and dry and the running isn’t good. Why? Because he’ll be tired and won’t want to keep running around when there’s not much scent. The more tempting it is for him to stay out and run, the harder it’ll be to get him to come in. That’s human nature. Err, hound nature.

The smaller the pen, the better.

Step 4. “If you love something, set it free … “ Plan to spend 4 or 5 hours at the pen. Ideally, it will be a place where if you can’t get the dog up, you know it’s okay with the pen owner to leave him until the next morning. It’s better not to feel stressed or rushed. Open the door and turn him out. Let him run until he’s tired. You know how far he has come in his conditioning but I don’t, so I won’t suggest a time period. When you think he’s tired, go back to the same spot as where you turned him out. I always tone them in from the same place where I turn out at. It’s less confusing for the dog.

Check on the Garmin to see where he is in the pen. Wait until he gets close to you, say 100 yards, and isn’t running anything. Then start calling his name and toning him. Not gonna lie to you, he may not come. That is okay! Rome was not built in a day. Let him run. He’ll come near again eventually. When he does, start calling his name and toning him.

At this point in the training, I don’t beep him in when he’s far away or when he’s trailing something. That’s asking too much. Believe me, at some point, he’ll get tired and come to the truck. I personally at this point do not use the shock button. IMO, it’s too early in the training for punishment.

He’ll either come to you, or he’ll keep running. If he keeps running, he may tire himself out and lie down somewhere. If that’s the case, get in the truck and drive to him immediately. Call his name in a friendly voice, tell him to come, and hit the TONE button. Odds are pretty good that he’ll start coming to you. Walk towards him with the leash in your hand and when you get close, put the leash on him. Praise him, pet him.

You might have to, in the words of one of my favorite hunters, “leave his ___ out there.” That’s not a problem, as long as it’s okay with the pen owner. I guarantee you he’ll be waiting for you in the morning when you come back.

Take him to run as often as you can, just be sure not to overwork him. The more he does it, the more he’ll realize that he’ll get to go again, so he won’t mind coming in.

So when do I use the shock button? I have used the shock button on my two probably half a dozen times total in three years. Every time I’ve used it, it has been because the dog has known what I want him to do and he’s ignored me. He wasn’t running game or anything, he just didn’t want to come in, even though he’d been running for 4 or 5 hours and it was time to go. Every time, he was coming towards me, then changed his mind. One time, he ran by me at the truck, slowed down, then booked it right on past me! So I used the shock button a single time. I believe he was more surprised than anything.

I hope this helps.