Gun Dog Forum

phoneman45

I had a Brittany once that watched me pick a few blackberries along a fence row when we were out in the field. I gave him one, not expecting much. After the third one he started picking them himself. He ate them everytime we ran across some after that.

eric

phoneman45

I use pigeon socks. To me it is the best way to plant a bird in a controlled situation when training a young dog. I used them when training a Brit once. He ended up being one of the best, and I believe that multiple finds using pigeons was a big factor. Good luck. eric

phoneman45

gotpointers, I was considering getting a yellowrose pup for hunting grouse and woodcock but have always heard that pointers are wide ranging dogs, too wide for effective grouse covers. What has been your experience with those dogs as far as range is concerned? phoneman

phoneman45

hunting cop, I would agree with the other posts on here. I have lived in Ky since 88 and back in the day grouse seemed to be everywhere but not any more. There are some pockets in the eastern counties such as Lewis, Carter and the counties in the mountains such as Letcher and Pike that still hold bi...

phoneman45

cheetome, Dont give up. I once lost a hen when she joined a wild flock as it passed near the house. I thought she was gone for good. She showed up on the loft roof one morning four days later none the worse for wear. She never left again, and she flew around the farm each day after she returned. pho...

phoneman45

asc, As you may know, Elhew Kennels was owned and founded by Bob Whele (Elhew spelled backwards), He had training grounds in New York state and in Alabama where he kept winter training grounds as well. I have several old mags as well and there are numerous ads for Elhew Kennels. You may also know CH...

phoneman45

bigbob, In my opinion you created the problem inadvertenly. The reason your dog growled at your child and not you is because he respects your dominance which you asserted and established mostlikely with the bone in the crate incident you described in your post. However, he considers your children, e...

phoneman45

Guys, I did say in the 30's and 40's. Back then society was a little more tolerant of hunting and guns in general than it is today. In my local park I see men training labs on basic drills such as single and double retrieves, as well as basic obiedence commands. although they do not carry firearms. ...

phoneman45

lockhart,

here is a bit of history that many dont know and should answer ur ?'s Back in the 30's and 40's men who lived in NYC trained dogs (some to FTC status) in Central park. Any vacant land that is open to the public can be utilized.

phoneman

phoneman45

maverick, Although birds are extremely important in the development of a good gun dog dont forget basic obedience. Come, sit, stay, heel etc... If he is to be a nonslip retriever, meaning he will sit in the blind with you and only go on your command these commands are critical, judicious use of trai...

phoneman45

roostersmom, I commend your ability to pay as you go. I took several classes at a local comm. college but as I climbed the ladder at work the demands of the job got to the point that attending classes was no longer an option. I had to finish my degree online. Unfortunately pay as you go is not an op...

phoneman45

just flabbergasted by the need to take out students loans? I didnt have an extra 40k lying around I wasnt using. The student loan organization helps those of us who work hard to make a living pay for school. There is nothing wrong with the concept, the only problem is if you decide to default. That ...

phoneman45

stoneface, Just watched one of the youtube vids you provided the link to. Pretty neat, the wife loved it. I have a book on log home construction that also has a chapter on cordwood construction, using firewood to build a log home. Pretty interesting design option. Good luck to you, and remember that...

phoneman45

willie,

His name, all else will follow.

phoneman45

hunting cop, Throw the video away before you ruin him. A four month old Brittany is like a 18 month old child. Let him be a pup. Introduce birds in a controlled environment and MAKE it fun. I had a Brittany pup that I was shooting birds over at 6 months ( he turned out to be the dog of a lifetime) A...

phoneman45

cptn, I am no expert but have trained several Brits over the years and been around many more. I have never seen one act the way you have described. If I was in your shoes I would contact the breeder about a possible replacement. Brittanys are fun loving and outgoing dogs, what you are describing goe...

phoneman45

Stoneface, I feel your pain. I am one class away from my BA and will have 40,000 in loans. Many on here will think to accrue such debt is ridiculous but I will be the first in my family to earn a degree. so it is worth it. As for going back to the land I applaud you. Have you ever read Richard Proen...

phoneman45

Solid with pine shavings (like the kind you buy for hamster cages). But clean it often. Your birds should do fine.

eric

phoneman45

aahhhh. GM memories. My first car, a 73 Delta 88, 207k miles, my next one a 79 Delta 88 190k miles, then my 3rd car, a 83 Impala, when I bought it the odometer had broken at 134k, I drove it for 8 years, I have no idea how many miles I drove it. My point, GM was great back in the day but I have my d...

phoneman45

There is a reason K9advantix is much more expensive than Hartz. I have tried Hartz products several times over 25 years of foolin' with bird dogs. I never seen any proof of flea control. You get what you pay for.

phoneman

phoneman45

be careful chevy owners, I have heard that the smaller chevy's (colorado and S-10) engines are built in Japan or are built of mainly Japanese components. Not sure if its true though, time to Google it I guess.

phoneman

phoneman45

wild pigeons will rehome but you must train them to do so first. I used mine about 250 yards away at most. I did lose a wild female that I had trapped once. She joined a flock of feral pigeons the first time I released her. SHe returned four days later. I have no idea how far she had flown. eric

phoneman45

looks like I need to call my local dealership to schedule an appt. I guess all vehicles have something go wrong sooner or later.GM is excellent but will nickel and dime you to death. I priced a new Silverado two years ago, extended cab 4 whl drive 37k$. I didnt want that much of a payment each month.

phoneman45

Deke,

Have always been a GM man but bought a Tacoma a couple of years ago, cant complain about 30+ miles to the gallon. Also thought I would put the Toyota longevity reputation to the test as well.

phoneman45

phoneman45

ultracarry,

I have recieved a few recall notices concerning the accelerator for my 06 Tacoma, I got another notice in the mail the other day but never opened it. Is there a new recall out now? Guess I better open it up and read it.

phoneman

phoneman45

Scout, Get some pigeons. Then introduce them by holding one in front of your pup, letting him sniff it. Then take a few steps away from him and bend down close to the ground letting the pigeon go at the same time. This will excite him making him even more birdy but releasing the pigeon a few feet aw...

phoneman45

Benelli, The wing on a string technique is very valuable when looking to pick a pup from a litter. It is a good tool to determine pointing instinct in a young pup. After a few weeks though it is best to drop it as it can encourage some pups to grow into sight pointers that will begin crowding birds....

phoneman45

okay I had to respond to this one. I spent 11 years in cable tv and broadband via cable modem is an excellent choice. As I now work for the phone co I have DSl. 3 mg DSL works just as well for most applications as 10 mg cable (run a speed test sometime if u have a cable modem you might be surprised)...

phoneman45

Jw, i bought a Ruger Red Label 20 o/u last summer, used at a local gunshop, excellent condition but still pricey. A very nice looking, well built gun. Perhaps a bit heavy for a 20 as others have previously noted on here, however as a grouse hunter it may help me to get on the bird quicker as it poin...

phoneman45

jason,

hello, I live in Lexington myself. Welcome to Kentucky.

eric

phoneman45

Gene Hill wrote some good books..... now there is an understatement. Hill, Wolters, Tarrant, Huggler, Davis (Tom and Henry P) Ben Williams, Jerome Robinson just to name a few. The next best thing to being there is readsing about it. Happy reading.

eric

phoneman45

crackerd, NAsh hunted with two Chessie's Bartholomew and Pat O Gaul, he also hunted over the great black lab Grouse of Arden who was a son of the legendary Shed of Arden. Not sure if he ever trained his own dogs though. What you say about one program makes sense. I am still a big Wolters fan so I ma...

phoneman45

bumper, Thanks for the info. I have not trained a lab for myself but have helped a buddy. I buy alot of gundog books from ebay and have all of Wolters books. I have considered a Lab in the future (here in central Ky where I now live we have ducks everywhere) and will look to update my library. I kno...

phoneman45

zoey, I never used the launcher, I just dizzied the bird and planted it. I agree with coveydogs completely, always use a checkcord when introducing a young dog to birds. Breaking at flush and chasing birds is normal for a young dog that is being introduced to birds. It helps to make them " bird craz...

phoneman45

Ron, Reminds me of a waterfowl hunting show I saw a few years back. The group of hunters were in a elaborate blind in the deep south hunting mallards. AS the birds came into the decoys 8 guns would open up often on only one bird at a time (many times they were hens). It was appalling. They would hoo...

phoneman45

Thanks for all the info guys. I have been a pointing dog fan for many years and have owned a few Brittanies and Setters but was always intrigued by the springer. I can attest to rage in cockers though. In the summer of 99 I worked for a vet clinic part time as a kennel tech, My job was to clean kenn...

phoneman45

several years ago I trained a Brittany for a man and I made a casual statement about being interested in buying a springer sometime in the future. he asked me why I would ever consider a springer as a bird dog because Gun Dog magazine had written a story called springer rage. It basically (according...

phoneman45

Wolters outdated? I would think the methods that worked on a Lab in the sixty's would work on a LAb today. Or have we created a super Lab that we just unplug and take to the field? Robert Wehle wrote his book Wing and Shot in the early seventies yet it is not considered out of date and is highly sou...

phoneman45

Adam, Yes it does work. Although I never used a piece of garden hose. I used a piece of cardboard the size of a business envelope. You tie it to one leg with a short peice of string and when you flush the pigeon it flies a short distance erratically and quickly sets down. Ready to be pointed and flu...

phoneman45

I agree with others on here. If the dog needs help, help her. I ran Britts for years, excellent dogs but many are not as resilient as other big breeds like shorthairs or English pointers. You could also try laying a board against the tailgate and let her walk up. Just slide the board in beside the b...

phoneman45

hey guys, Thanks for the reply's. They were priced at about half of what De Coverly dogs are. I have read extensively about the Old Hemlock dogs that George Bird Evans developed and have seen much written about the Ryman strain such as what Corey Ford hunted over. It seems that the three biggest ken...

phoneman45

Hey everyone. Here is a few questions I need answered. I have long been a birdogger, owning my share of setters and brits and consider myself a fair trainer. I have recently been given the opportunity to purchase a setter out of De-Coverly lines. A kennel not to far from here has pups coming in the ...

phoneman45

jimbo, I used a pole with a Brittany when he was 8 months old. it is a great training tool. never seen one used with a bird launcher though. Another option is to use flagged pigeons. Tie a piece of heavy cardboard the size of a business envelope to one leg and then plant him. He can make successive ...

phoneman45

Any book by Gene Hill tops the list. He was fortunate enough to have lived during the heyday if you will, of bird hunting in the northeast. he hunted and fished during the 60s 70s and 80s and was a master essayist as well. He wrote for all the main outdoor rags of the day and his Hillcountry article...

phoneman45

try the whoa post method, Tarrant trains gun dogs (the book by Bill Tarrant) explains it well, it sounds like your dog is going to be great, the whoa post should correct your problem.

phoneman45

ib, There is one other book if you can find it (it is somewhat difficult to find) about Britts, It is titled Training and Hunting the Brittany Spaniel by Ralph and Robert Hammond. It was written in the early 70,s hence the Spaniel on the end (that was dropped by the AKC in 85). Still an interesting ...

phoneman45

ib, Every title you mentioned is an excellent choice. I own two of them (Wehle and Robinson) I also own other books by Duffey and Tarrant and i also own Gun Dog. It depends on the breed of your pup and his stage of training. Although they are all great choices Gun Dog by Wolter's would be my first c...

phoneman45

Shane, You answered a few of your own questions with your explanation of what happened. As for the dog you have a winner. A pointer from the Elhew line is perhaps the best you can find. He is only 1 year old. Any birdog will not settle down and be a seasoned hunter until they are four to five years ...

phoneman45

wing on a string and intro to retrieving (feathered dummy) is a couple I can think of, although these training tips are normally only used on pups.

phoneman45

the whoa barrell and its set up and use have been covered in several good dog training books such as Larry Mueller's Speed train your own birdog. You should also be able to Google the info as well. I have seen it used by placing it on a wooden cradle and hanging one from a rope swing attached to a t...

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