Gun Dog Forum

birddogger2

Polmaise - This is troubling news indeed, but it was kind and thoughtful of you to let us know. I thank you for thinking of us. Good friends are a treasure. Know that there are folks on this side of the pond who count you both as such. Please know that you both will be in my prayers this holiday sea...

birddogger2

That is a big YUP and another big YUP on each of the first two posts.

Git 'er done...do not wait.

RayG

birddogger2

Stock- Where are you located? There might be a good pro field trial trainer in your area or a veterinarian that routinely sees performance dogs, or both. Sounds to me like you need an experienced set of eyes to look at your dog. FWIW there are not all that many vets who have a lot of experience with...

birddogger2

Joe - I typically only use a training table to style up, steady up and eventually proof a dog on point. I do not want the dog to move at all. It is about standing still and not moving so much as a toenail. As such, I don't typically tether the dog. I will have a lead or a pigging string(cheapo versi...

birddogger2

Joe - One of the quickest ways I know to instill a solid recall is what I do with a 10-12 week old puppy. My wife and I sit opposite each other with a bag of tiny puppy treats. Pup is in between us. Each of us has a long, thin checkcord attached to the pup's collar. It helps if the pup is hungry. I ...

birddogger2

An elevated training table does three things: First it gets the dog off the ground, which tends to make them a little uncomfortable and more disposed to pay attention to you. Second it eliminates the need for you to constantly bend down to work with the dog. Third it puts you at eye level with the d...

birddogger2

+1 on getting the old unit checked out and repaired. Collar Clinic might be able to help you there. FWIW i have a Tritronics Flyway Special that predates the G3 by about 10 years or more. It is still my go to unit. I did pick up a Dogtra (I think??) model 1825. Anyway it has vibrate and beep funcion...

birddogger2

As others have said, there are various interpretations. In general, the more movement at the flush, the more likely it will be considered negatively. You are absolutely correct that a dog that is anticipating a retrieve will want to mark the fall. If it means turning its head or swapping ends, it is...

birddogger2

As far as dispositions are concerned, I would say that "AS A BREED", field bred setters tend to be a little more mellow with people than field bred Brittanys. Most of the Brittanys I have known came toward me with the following attitude: "OK, I'm here...so where's the party??" The older setters I ha...

birddogger2

So out of curiosity is it common to see this type of behavior out of dogs who have lived all of their lives in a kennel? I know they are around other dogs but if the only socialization they get is with wire between the two, then to me they really cannot socialize. The most dogs I have had at one ti...

birddogger2

If it was my dog, I'd keep him on anti-inflammatories for a while and a couple times a day GENTLY do some stroking up and GENTLY manipulating to guide the tail in the right direction. Might not do much good, but based on the fact that there has been some improvement, I would give it a try, if it was...

birddogger2

Steve - Bill T gives an interesting scenario which may well answer your question about honesty in a definitive manner. If the dog is on top of a caged bird in open cover...you know what happened. I strongly suspect your dog is taking liberties, but I respect your desire to proceed with caution and b...

birddogger2

What's wrong with self relocation if the bird is moving? Absolutely nothing...as long as the dog does not bump the bird. A skillful relocation which results in a pinned bird is a thing of beauty and the hallmark of a first rate gundog. What the OP seems to be saying is that the self relocation may ...

birddogger2

You need to find out if the dog is being "honest" when it is out there. That is the big question. There are lots of dogs that are dead honest when they are close in, but are blackhearted devils when out away from sight, that will bust and chase...because they can. The easiest way to find out is to p...

birddogger2

GnM - If you have an aggressive dog...you have to do what you have to do to eliminate, not suppress, not control...but eliminate that aggression, especially if it can occur where there are people who may get injured. Whatever it takes to have the dog submit to you as the pack leader...is what you ha...

birddogger2

GnM - I assume you want to keep both dogs in the house. If so, YOU need to be the undisputed, unquestioned pack leader. You need to knock the snot out of the aggressive dog and keep knocking the snot out of the dog, every single time the dog starts something, until it understands that aggressive beh...

birddogger2

In a training scenario, I can see the value of doing whoa work on the flank. It is accomplished with much lower stim levels and, I believe the dog does not have the same negative reaction to flank stim as it can have with neck stim around birds. I honestly do not know why that is so, but it sure see...

birddogger2

There is a saying... We are free...because of the brave. The freedoms and prosperity enjoyed in both Canada and the USA were, and continue to be paid for by the blood and sacrifice of the very best of us. Many over the decades have put it all out there so I might not have to. To all who have served ...

birddogger2

The photo is absolutely cute to the max... BUT I would never deliberately expose incompletely vaccinated puppies to any fowl for fear of exposure to any of the myriad diseases or parasites that birds often carry. Mama's antibodies in her milk can only protect them from so much. Stuff happens, but I ...

birddogger2

Outdoor - I agree with what has already been written, especially with what Shags had to say. I also think you pushed a little too hard and the dog shut down. OK... it is done and time to move forward. What to do? I have a couple suggestions. Shag's method with the checkcord is what I would have done...

birddogger2

averageguy- Not to send this thread sideways, but I have a suggestion for a travelling hunting dog. When I was hunting virtually every other day...all day with one dog, he would get so tired that he simply would not eat. At home, I mixed his kibble with a bit of water and a quarter to a half pound o...

birddogger2

My dogs are in outside kennels and on self feeders. We do not do inside dogs. Never have...never will. My dogs have been eating the same brand and formula for several years now. It is good quality and satisfies all their needs. If they don't want to eat it...they don't, but that is their choice. If ...

birddogger2

I have had a similar thing happen when running in sandy soil. It is like running on sandpaper, so the pads and the nails get "sanded" down to the quick and then will bleed. The good news is that when this happens, the quick retreats and the nail will have to be worn down even more for it to bleed. S...

birddogger2

On my kennels, which frames are made from round pipe, I paint the cut bottoms with zinc spray or Rustoleum and put female/female schedule 40 PVC fittings on the legs that contact the concrete. No continuous contact with urine and other moisture, no exposed raw metal...no rust. The tubes have tops to...

birddogger2

My 2 cents, FWIW - If your dog is "huntable" according to your personal standards...it is hunting season and I would say...hunt the dog and don't sweat the retrieves. If one happens...great. Praise the dog. It is a bird dog and not a retriever. Birds first, at least for me. If not... whoa the dog, g...

birddogger2

You(or should I say your dog...) is in trouble. You should have put the dog on anti-inflammatory meds immediately upon the onset of limber tail and kept the dog warm and quiet. It is a soft tissue injury and rest is indicated. Might be too late, but I'd start the youngster on anti-inflammatories ASA...

birddogger2

Thanks for the replies. "Sugar" got me to due a little research and I found that honey actually works better then sugar! Both displace moisture cutting down on bacteria. Because, of the granules , sugar is slighly abrasive therefore honey works better. True - But honey does not usually come in pack...

birddogger2

Thanks Featherfinder - I neglected to mention that, very important aspect of the training. Mostly silent, but proceed with confidence and self assurance. The dog will pick up on that and behave accordingly. Our dogs look to us when they are uncertain or uneasy. Almost always, the best way to deal wi...

birddogger2

If you are going to let the pup chase pigeons, the answer is simple Wait 'till the youngster is in full flat out chase of the flying bird and is a good distance away(greater than 30 yards, the farther the better ) and fire the gun...ONCE. The youngster should have already chased a good number of bir...

birddogger2

Feedjake- Welcome to the world of bird dogs. Couple of things: First...There are MANY ways to get from here to there with a bird dog. Most of them work well for the dog. The real key is finding a way that works and makes sense to you, the trainer. Second, most decently bred bird dogs come out of the...

birddogger2

Yeah it shouldn’t be too much of a problem to run them mostly separate this season. The only thing I’m worried about is leaving a dog in a crate or in the box while I’m running the other dog and someone taking one of them. But I figured since he worked so well with the other dog that weekend that m...

birddogger2

When hunting for stocked pheasants the day after the stock, I had my best success when running a particular pair of dogs. One tended to range out and the other tended to stay in a little closer. An awful lot of those birds would run at the first sign of danger. The longer dog tended to work fast and...

birddogger2

I cannot comment on the units you mentioned as I do not have them. I will suggest that you get a training collar that you can use without even looking at it and which has an instantaneous response. Training is all about timing. If you get the timing of a cue or a correction perfect, the dog progress...

birddogger2

I cannot comment on the units you mentioned as I do not have them. I will suggest that you get a training collar that you can use without even looking at it and which has an instantaneous response. Training is all about timing. If you get the timing of a cue or a correction perfect, the dog progress...

birddogger2

shags might want to look at past winners at the NC at Ames . On a slightly different topic, how do you suppose breeds other than pointers and setters magically became competitive in horse back trials? And you might want to look at the history of the Grand National Grouse Championship as an alternat...

birddogger2

As a lifelong pointer owner, I certainly have my preference for breeds clearly demonstrated. I have competed in all age stakes, but honestly, I prefer shooting dog type performances. I absolutely have a personal preference for longtail dogs because I really like how they look when on point, but hope...

birddogger2

PEIhunter - You might want to check out the Coverdog site. A fair number of setters for sale on that site. One that I saw: Posted by Carl Bergen on August 5, 2019, 11:20 am 5 year old Northwoods Nirvana daughter for sale. Chestnut Tri Color broke to wind and shot!! Had in a couple of spring trials. ...

birddogger2

Golden- I am a pointer person, so I cannot make meaningful comments on the relative virtues of individual GSP's that I have not seen. However, in general, there are several reasons why folks may pursue a specific sire or dam line. The most obvious and probably the most common reason would be that th...

birddogger2

I do think that amateur field trials are some of the competitions where "you gotta win it" to win it and everyone else is a loser. It is all too common today to get awards for "participation". I agree that it is vital to the sport to encourage participation by younger folks, and that mentoring is th...

birddogger2

Not sure, but I do not think so. Dogs can and do drink some nasty water sometimes, but I think their immune systems are, more often than not, up to the challenge. Heck they bury a bone, dig it up a week later, eat it... maggots and all, with no problem. My guys LOVE horse apples. I am pretty sure th...

birddogger2

I cut my field trial teeth in central NJ. The competition hereabouts is absolutely brutal. Great dogs and highly skilled handlers. It still is. You can get whipped by a pointer a setter(of ANY description, Red English, Red and white and Gordon), a wirehair a shorthair, a Britt, a Vizsla or a Weim. T...

birddogger2

Thee are plenty of good suggestions on correcting the problem. You need to find the one that works best for your dog. A short story to illustrate... My first dog, back about 60 years ago, was a dropper. He was tough as pig iron and just about as hard headed. He absolutely lived and breathed to hunt....

birddogger2

Spoke at length with the trainer. He said he was surprised of my concern and called me right back after I texted him because he has been very happy with the dogs progress. He only takes dogs that he evaluates and says mine was good to start with and I am going to be very happy with the finished pro...

birddogger2

Barefooter - I concur with Shags on this. Based on what you have said, your trainer is apparently focusing on the retrieving part of the equation. In my opinion, unless you are planning on doing Navhda or a whole lot of waterfowling, that is the wrong thing to focus on first. I get that the trainer ...

birddogger2

Duckin - I don't know where you are, but I suggest you look into either a Navhda chapter nearby or a Retriever club chapter nearby to get your youngster some experience on the real thing, in a controlled environment. I know Navhda does duck search drills and retrieves. perhaps a local chapter might ...

birddogger2

One of the most important things to me is to have the pup..."pick ME". I tend to pick the boldest, baddest pup in he litter because I am looking for the one most likely to be competitive in field trials. But that is just me. If that is not what you are looking for, then the boldest, most independent...

birddogger2

How much of the PPP Sport are you feeding growing puppies? I have a 11 week old and I am trying to make sure he gets what he needs. The weight chart on the bag- does it take into account that the puppy is growing or are the weights for the final, adult weight? Hawkeye- I pay no attention whatever t...

birddogger2

Bird digger2: I agree with your assessment. However, I feed by the cup and would want the food that provides the most energy per cup. I would assume the 30/20 is a smaller, denser kibble, and therefore has more energy per each 8 oz cup. In this case, though, the two are so close in terms of kcal pe...

birddogger2

I believe you are trying to equate two different types of measurement that may not be exactly equal. One measure is by volume (kcal/cup) and one is by weight(kcal/kg). If both feeds had the same density then you could compare...but obviously, they do not. Think of it this way... How much does a cup ...

birddogger2

Start spreading that standard around evenly to all and things will likely improve. I have been buying pointer puppies for over fifty years. I have NEVER purchased a puppy without a complete and unabridged set of registration papers, signed and dated at the time the money changed hands. I actually d...

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