Question:

Martha, I would ask you and other users of the West method to please
explain to me why "Whoa" is not to be used around game. I have read
some articles on the West method and have been part of this and other
West method boards for some time, however I have yet to read anything
that has convinced me not to use Whoa around birds.

Answer:

Bob---let me see if I add anything to what Will, Maurice, and Brad said.

Remember, this is just my opinion.

There are really three situations that come to mind. The first situation is whoaing a dog into a point. In the West method, the dog learns that the carded pigeons get up if he crowds or chases them, so he learns to point them. Eventually, he learns how to handle birds---learning how close he can get without making them flush. As a human with poor scenting abilities, I really don't know when my dog should establish point, so I want to train my dog so it is his responsibility to know when to establish point. If I think he should point and tell him "whoa," then I'm telling him when to point, and he never learns how to handle birds on his own. Does this make sense?

The second situation is using "whoa" once the dog has established point. This is the same as telling a dog that is already sitting to "sit."

The third situation is a dog that establishes point and then moves up. If you yell "whoa," you are denying the dog the responsibility of handling game. I guess I should ask what you think are the benefits of using "whoa" around birds. Unfortunately, a lot of people use "whoa" and the e-collar at the same time, and as Maurice points out, the dog begins to associate "whoa" with a correction. It is almost too easy to make this mistake if you use "whoa" around bird.

Let me know what you think,

Martha Greenlee