Gun Dog Forum

Timewise65

French Brits are great upland dogs! I have a 2.5 year old male from Mark. Mine is very fun to hunt with, extremely smart, nice size, very friendly around other people, dogs and kids. I primarily hunt chukar and Huns here in Idaho with mine - and occasionally pheasant in Oregon. His range varies wit...

Timewise65

Timewise, I have never owned a French Brittany but I am going to buy a puppy this spring from Mark Dinesmore. Mark posted that he has a few extra puppies that are not yet born and is taking reservations right now for a confirmed litter. His facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/LEtoile-du-Nord...

Timewise65

If you want a French Brittany for reasons valued to you, that is fine.... One of the most unruly renegade Britts I ever saw was a tri-colored French Brittany. One experience does not really suggest a problem with the breed does it? I re-iterate, habitat and training play a huge part in ANY bird dog...

Timewise65

I recently lost one of our 3 Golden Retrievers, she was 141/2 years old. Over the last 25+ years we have owned and trained (with the help of pro’s) many field bred Goldens. I have been an active waterfowler and AKC Hunt Test participant. Over the last season I have done more upland game hunting than...

Timewise65

Welcome...I think you will find this website a great resource for you as you go forward. Most on here are well versed on most pointing and flushing breeds and many of us know retrievers. And a few on here have owned and trained both upland dogs and waterfowl dogs.... When talking about families with...

Timewise65

Nothing like a good day in the field with your favorite four legged hunting buddy....! Looks like a good time had by all...

Timewise65

Real nice looking Chocolate! His eyes say it all....life will be good going forward....he just is hoping you can 'keep up'

Good Luck

Timewise65

With Retrievers in the USA we do obedience training starting around 12 weeks. That typically includes sit, here (recall), down (laydown), give (to hand), drop (drop what you have) and heal (on one side and when walking slow or fast) This is all done using positive reinforcement, verbal, petting and ...

Timewise65

Welcome.... The hard part will be deciding if you are going to train the dog as a Pointer or Retriever. That would be determined by what you plan to use the pup for...upland game or waterfowl? Of course some of us do both, for us we train for all conditions, but you have to start out focusing on one...

Timewise65

I agree with Meskousing...but I will add a few comments from my experience with my Retrievers. Dropping a bird on retrieve is a fundamental technique used to avoid a wounded bird from getting away. Many of us have had the experience that a dog brings a down bird on retrieve and drops it in the area ...

Timewise65

As a primarily, waterfowl hunter I am stuck using all types of loads, except lead! Accordingly, I keep my shots in a much shorter range than I used to with lead. Although, I understand and accept why waterfowl hunters are forced use steel or other loads, I still much prefer 'lead'! I have tried all ...

Timewise65

It is illegal and is an example of the "ugly sportsman'....like the 'ugly American' not something a real sportsman/woman would do!
Doubtful this is a real post question, some clown trying to get attention....

Timewise65

JonBailey… you ask many questions, primarily about dove hunting and retrieving. I am an avid dove hunter and I have two well trained Golden Retrievers (I did have three but my best dove Retrievers, died last week, she was 14.5 years old and lived a great life). I will try and answer some of your que...

Timewise65

Here to keep the dog safe!

Drop it to keep the dog safe...if you drop a pill you were taking, if you drop a peace of plastic wrap with food on it, etc. etc. Everyday events can put a pup at risk!

Timewise65

Both my wife and I grew up in Colorado. We left in 1986 as the people moving into the state and the direction the big cities on the eastern slope of the state where taking on many levels were not something we wanted to be involved with. The state is a nice place to visit, but if you are thinking abo...

Timewise65

Sharon,

Love that comment....it is 'spot on'! I hope my wife gives me the same respect when the time comes....

Have a Happy New Year

Timewise65

I hope he recovers well and has many more days in the field with you going forward. He may just need more rest between hunts....they all go so hard, even when they are getting up in age. Seems like some of us they only have one speed.... That 7 month old pup sounds like a doozy!

Good Luck

Timewise65

Since the dog is over 10, I would error on the side of being extra careful going forward. I would get the x-ray and talk in depth about future hunting with the dog. I also would not hunt him the rest of this winter giving his immune system ample time to recover, following the discontinuation of the ...

Timewise65

Sharon, You add much to this forum community. Merry Christmas to you and your family (dogs of course included)! As you probably know I am one of the few 'Retriever' guys on this forum. I love dogs, and especially, sporting dogs...this site is so very well put together and maintained! God Bless CC

Timewise65

I agree with Shags and V-John....shake the crate! I fear since you have allowed the dog to bark for a time, this shaking may take some time. Using water is an added idea, but depending on the dogs age and temperament, that could cause additional problems going forward. Moving the crate may also help...

Timewise65

As you probably know, people like me who run Retrievers, uses whistle commands on most all finished dogs. We not only use them for recall, but for sit command also. This allows us to stop a retriever who has been sent to retrieve a bird they did not see drop (a blind retrieve). On command the dogs l...

Timewise65

DonF………… Many of the field bred Golden are small compared to the AKC breed standard. Field Breeders are doing this to develop a faster more athletic dog with less likelihood of have joint problems later in life. On top of that they have much shorter hair than a standard show Golden. Couple those two...

Timewise65

Don't forget the Field Bred Golden's, you will find many breeders are breeding dogs with shorter stature and hair for the field. They are hard driving, fast with lots of style and can run all day long...

Timewise65

What are the pros and cons of each kind of America's most popular breeds which happen to also be retrievers? That's' a nice looking red Golden you have on your post! I youngest Golden is also a 'red'....and she is a doozy! Wow, that is a loaded question. I would you look at the breed description pu...

Timewise65

I agree that going through the FF routine may resolve this problem. I am a retriever guy, but have many friends who own and work pointers and setters. I think it is unusual for a pup to not want to pick up birds, and some cannot be trained to it! But your best shot is the FF you are doing. Be sure t...

Timewise65

Again, many still seem to resist the idea that dogs do not need to be fed before being worked (hunting, pulling dog sleds, etc.). Most of us who understand this is dangerous avoid this as it can kill the animal. I will not feed my Golden's after the morning before a hunt day! I want their stomachs t...

Timewise65

From all the information you have provided, I still think, from what I have read, that your dog is not completely trained to a recall command (Here or Whistle). I think I see you suggesting that having a better tone collar or e collar will fix the fact that the dog is not recalling when called. All ...

Timewise65

I think everyone has pretty much addressed these issues.... From my perspective you have 2 separate and distinct issues. #1 - Your dog is not fully trained on recall, which is the number one command for gun dogs. Obviously, every time he runs free he is at risk! So I would focus all my effort on tra...

Timewise65

As most others have said, HERE is critical! But is must be taught so that the dog will return on command regardless of what distractions they may have, that is a lot harder than getting a dog to come to you in a calm setting. Get that dog around a crowd of people, or have a deer/rabbit run in front ...

Timewise65

When my Retrievers were young following hunts for Pheasant, I too thought they had abrasions of their noses. What I learned in time is that many dogs have their noses turn from black to brown as they grow up. I started gradually from the back of the nose and moving forward in time, until the whole n...

Timewise65

My vet tells me that dogs, unlike humans hold food in their stomachs for up to 24 hours. They do not get a rush of nutriments after eating. Therefore, feeding to prepare them for an 'event' needs to be done 12-24 hours prior. When running hunt tests with my Retrievers, I feed them nothing for 12 hrs...

Timewise65

I can only speak from having my retrievers trained. I agree with most that 2-3 months of basic obedience training is plenty and a 5 month old pup ,typically, is not yet ready for more. That being said, what level of training are you going for? With my first two Golden's I wanted them to be trained t...

Timewise65

I have had nothing but trouble finding covers that fit. They say the are for the XL and they just will not go on the XL kennel. I finally concluded the best way to get a cover is to buy a kennel with one on it. I am sure some covers are well made and fit as they are said to fit, but I have 2-3 that ...

Timewise65

My experience, limited as it may be, is that 95%+ of my dogs problems are a direct result of my poor or improper training and/or handling! I always hate to face it, but the professional trainer I use, is great at observing a person working their dog, and then giving honest, if not somewhat painful, ...

Timewise65

I agree with much that has been said about moving the pup away from the area you are sleeping in. Use a smaller crate or put a box in the end of the crate you have limiting the area the dog has. Only enough to laydown. I have never used a bark collar, but seems like another option. Our current femal...

Timewise65

Going forward get the dog neutered, unless she is an exception dog with an exceptional pedigree...

Timewise65

I have owned and trained Retrievers for over 25 years. I also, over the years, worked with professional trainers to help me learn how to train properly. Training a dog properly is a process that takes month of consistent effort by someone who knows how to train retrievers. As already mentioned Force...

Timewise65

Trainers have a term they use for when people transfer human characteristics to dogs, but I'll be darned if I can recall the term. I think it applies when feeding carbs to dogs for energy. Unfortunately, this practice is more common than 'tics on a hound'! Especially when talking about dog feeding. ...

Timewise65

Since dogs digest food much slower than humans, there is nothing you can do for a quick pick me up, although that myth still persists. From your comments it appears you already understand that, and want to supplement his nightly food intake with something will help him over the long-run. I always fo...

Timewise65

Part of the FF routine that I know, is to have the dog, quickly pick up the buck quickly with urgency, when you lay it on the table and command fetch. This of course demonstrates that the dog understands the trained desire to pick up the puck (game) when told to fetch. The next phase after this is t...

Timewise65

Kovan wrote: Again thanks for the advice and the suggestions. I will definitely look into the programs.

If you have not already, check eBay and other sites, frequently you can get these programs used for a lot less money.

Timewise65

I have been training and hunting with Golden Retrievers for over 25 years now, not to mention the Lab's my two adult son's have had. I always work in conjunction with a pro trainer for guidance on how the dog is progressing and to do the Force Fetch routine when the dog is ready for that. A 5 month ...

Timewise65

I was dove hunting with my Golden Retriever. I hit a high flyer, but it did not drop it just glided and I never saw it drop. Later when we started walking back to the car my dog picked up a scent. I let her work on it and she eventually brought back to me a wounded Dove. We were about 1,500 yards fr...

Timewise65

A very young puppy can be trained the Hold command using clicker or marker word and treats. A properly trained Hold command is the solution to avoiding and or correcting mouthing issues, and has nothing to do with ear or toe pinches which come later in a traditional FF program. I trained my current...

Timewise65

Many who have not been involved with AKC Field events which includes Field Hunt Tests for Retrievers (not competitive but tests a Retriever's abiliyies to a set of AKC Standards for Retrievers. The dogs that meets these test standard will get a 'Pass" for the event and eventually get a hunt test tit...

Timewise65

Hey guys, New on the forum. Thanks in advance for any advice. I have a 6 month old chessie and he is a fetching machine. He is doing great on all basic commands. Heel, here, stay all that good stuff. My question is what are the absolute basic commands he needs to know before I start really diving i...

Timewise65

If the dog is a fetching machine; why would you want or need to force fetch? Or maybe you don't understand the term "force fetch" It can be pretty extreme and not fun at all. Don't forget the number one command to learn is WHOA. Once your dog will lock up solid to this command all else will follow....

Timewise65

From my experience with Retrievers is the best method to break or avoid 'hard mouth' is that the dog be 'Force Fetched'! All of my dogs have been FF over the years, and none have shown HM! If your dog has already been FF, maybe go though it again and continue it into collar training. Doing this make...

Timewise65

I live in KC, MO area. I hunt upland in Kansas and North Dakota (thought about SD, but when I saw school buses unloading hunters in fields and then priced the associated costs, we drove the extra distance)….I know SD has good population of birds, but so does ND, but ND is not hunted as hard and has ...

Timewise65

In that price range, I would say be very careful. Some lower cost Auto loaders can be problematic in the vigor's associated with duck hunting. When I started waterfowl hunting, many years ago, I purchased a Remington 870 (pump). Learning to 'pump' between shots, actually made me a better shot as it ...

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