Gun Dog Forum

We did the drill of steadily getting closer shooting .22 short blanks and then the .410 today. Only hitch was he hesitated before coming after the pigeon at 40 yards after I shot the .22 blank, and so I backed up 10 yards and tried again. No problems the second go around. My old .22 rifle wouldn't s...

I think he was looking for comfort/reassurance because of the shots. As soon as he figured our where the truck was, he took off for it. Every time I give him a few days off, he is ready to go again, though. I should have paid closer attention to the signals he was sending: hung back when he saw the ...

gonehuntin: I will try your approach. Thanks again.

Again, thanks for the help everyone. 4dbirds: I initially introduced gunfire by popping packing blister pack material and then moved to .22 blanks at a distance and then .20 gauge at a distance and then closer without any reactions. He was bird-crazy throughout, and I even with-held shots in between...

No, he didn't act anxious. I think he was playing keep a way with me. Kids messed him up at an early age by chasing him when he picked up things. He learned that keep a way is a fun game. Given his young age (1 year), I haven't made a big deal out of it since I plan to force break him to retrieve ne...

Thanks for your advice. I took him out last weekend, and once again he was fine with the .22 blank from a distance, but when I fired the shotgun just before he caught the pigeon he picked the bird up, and then returned to the truck and jumped up into the front seat with the bird in his mouth. Seemed...

Thanks, makes sense.

I am an allergist, and there is no such thing as a non-allergenic dog. Every living creature sheds skin, and it is the dander that is the primary problem. The allergenic proteins are also present in saliva and urine, but dander build up is usually the biggest issue. Long-haired animals seem worse be...

I have trained several bird dogs and (knock on wood) never had a gun shy dog, but this guy is a challenge. I knew he was going to be a soft one from the get go-- thunder storms, slamming doors, arguments, fireworks would all send him hiding under the bed when he was a pup. He has had other challenge...

I appreciate all your advice, and will go back to the yard work with the check cord and e-collar. I probably pushed her too fast to get out into the field, and will try some of the approaches outlined above. Thanks again, C.

I bought a two year old setter bitch from a kennel in South Dakota. I dealt with them because I had a male dog out of the same kennel that was a terrific bird dog. She had not been worked with much, and the breeder wanted to sell her because she "didn't have the range he was looking for to hunt off ...

I am 60 years old, and have been training and hunting bird dogs for 33 years. Started with a Brittany pup from down the street and a couple of training books, and in spite of my training ended up with a great hunting companion. Since then have had a Gordon Setter, another Brit, two English Setters, ...