Gun Dog Forum

birddogger2

I have tracking units for my dogs. Have had them for quite a while. I do not have a combo unit, as they are not allowed for field trials. I understand that they may not be as convenient to use as a straight up e-collar units such as TriTronics because you have to look at the unit. Most e-collar tran...

birddogger2

Yeah, I'd have something to say to a guy if I witnessed some of the old school techniques referred to, which borders on animal abuse, if not exactly that. I was just looking for acceptable techniques that wouldn't break the bond of love between me and my dog. Guys - The bird dogs of fifty years ago...

birddogger2

In my mind many more dogs were ruined before we had the collars than with them Care to elaborate? Thinblue - I suggest, if you want to get into that sort of thing, that you talk to some old retired professional bird dog trainers. I am not the sort of person who aspires to be politically correct, bu...

birddogger2

maniac01 - What program are you following? If you are not following a program...you should be. What manner of obedience training are you doing with the dog? Can the dog heel at your knee without a lead in the yard? If not, that should be a priority. I am a firm believer in installing the brakes and ...

birddogger2

They aren't a problem until they are a problem. Then you have a problem that could have been easily avoided. Not so easily avoided if you get the pup at 7-12 weeks of age and it has the dewclaws still on. From my perspective, there are things about a prospective puppy that are much more important t...

birddogger2

just checking to see if my post will actually post, for a month and a half nothing has posted \ mrelite -- I think the reason why no one has posted is because there isn't much to say. You have a pointer and a young one at that. This breed is almost totally focused on HUNTING. It is what it was born...

birddogger2

They aren't a problem until they are a problem. Then you have a problem that could have been easily avoided. Not so easily avoided if you get the pup at 7-12 weeks of age and it has the dewclaws still on. From my perspective, there are things about a prospective puppy that are much more important t...

birddogger2

I started out with a pointer and stayed with them. Been over 50 years now and while I have seen some awesome dogs of other pointing breeds... I have never had the urge to change breeds. My dog related activities revolve around upland birds almost exclusively, no waterfowl. The most dogs I ever had w...

birddogger2

I've had dogs with and without dew claws. Never had a problem with them and never had a problem with a dog without them. I do check them periodically and trim them, just as I trim the rest of the dog's nails. I try to keep them trimmed off about as close as I can and round off the nail with a Dremel...

birddogger2

I like what has been offered already by Ray/Steve et al. I have to admit, my greatest shortcomings in my dogs are obedience based. My dogs are exceptional wild bird hunters - I have a high expectation there-in so my definition of obedience is....unique. The concern I have with obedience or specific...

birddogger2

With all of that being said here's my plan and I would greatly appreciate y'alls input, the less sugar coating the better. I plan to train the two seperately for the time being until they're atleast on the same page across the board(obedient in home and field,whoa trained, collar conditioned, stead...

birddogger2

I think both dogs would benefit greatly from a couple months of heel/whoa drills(after the manner of Paul Long). I do those drills but use a waxed cotton pigging string. You could also use a Smith Wonder Lead which is very similar. The drill takes about 5 minutes per dog. I do them morning and eveni...

birddogger2

Ezzy, does it hurt to be so stupid? I was talking to a trainer/trialer the other day and he was telling me how he hates Setters because they're so "bleep" soft. If you want more of these soft dogs you can find a number of them on any rescue website because the owner handled them too hard with the c...

birddogger2

Thanks for posting the link. I enjoyed watching it. I was over helping out with the pointing dogs, so I did not get to see any of the water or spaniel work in person. I think WBOC did a nice job covering the event. They definitely captured the flavor of the event. I sincerely hope they will follow u...

birddogger2

cjhills wrote:It seems to be very difficult for some people to see farther than what they know. That fact is the biggest inhibiter of progress..........Cj

Yes. It is apparently a surprisingly common affliction. Those who thinkit does not apply to them...are probably afflicted the most.

RayG

birddogger2

I think, considering it is an imaginary, RayG You see' , sometimes You just have to look further than what You know :wink: Alway's a pleasure to help :mrgreen: I sometimes find it difficult to see that far. As I said, I prefer the color of the raspberry. But, would you know what shade of Hubris you...

birddogger2

I can send you one if you wish :wink: That's what us good Dog folk do . I demonstrated all 3 colors earlier on a video/clip . Take your pick . lol That would be most appreciated. I do apologize, most profoundly, but I could not see the three colors. Perhaps it was more invisible to me than it was t...

birddogger2

Polmaise -

As you wish.

I must admit that I am intrigued by the concept of an "invisible wonder lead". Perhaps the next time you are stateside or the next time I do a rough shoot in your neck of the woods, you could bring one of those with you.

As always, be well.

RayG

birddogger2

Ray, you and I competed in the past. You ran GSPs. It may have been in Baldwinsville. ??? Featherfinder - I am afraid you may be thinking of someone else. I have never owned or handled shorthairs. Only longtails of the pointer persuasion. I have been to Baldwinsville a few times though. If I were t...

birddogger2

Is it still working ?. and how is the back ? I'm sure Ray don't need his string back. I retired quite a few years ago so I'm not still working. My back is just fine for an old geezer but thank you for asking. And no I don't need the string back. I have another spare and it is already in the dog box...

birddogger2

Featherfinder - I cannot speak for others on this...only myself. I suck as a wingshot and need all the help I can get. Shooting a well pointed bird that I can get set for and flush when I choose, is far easier for me than the typical shot presentation over a flushing type dog. But I still miss. :lol...

birddogger2

To all - Wanted to post an update. This past weekend I participated in a Field day at a nearby WMA that was hosted by the Maryland Sporting Dog Assn. The Idea was to have training areas a for the different disciplines, retrievers, flushers and pointing dogs. I was there to help out with the pointing...

birddogger2

Timewise, I run FTs when I attend them, and have seen four handlers training with the Wonder Lead in the last month, three of those at the advice of their pros. These were all-age field trial dogs, not hunt test or derby dogs. Even saw one handler ahead of me lead his dog into the holding blind on ...

birddogger2

cj, you are dead on. A huge number of pointing dog owners are shooters first. For many, a dog is just a tool for putting up birds. A tell-tale sign is when you hear, "That dog is working too far!" Translation: "That dog won't hold point anyway so he better be within gun range!" That is why there ar...

birddogger2

Another endorsement. :) Has worked great for me over the years too. At Jack Russell roping rodeos? :mrgreen: More retriever folk have got the buzz about the piggin' stick, over the heeling stick - prong collar - slip lead. MG MG - We WERE talking about training bird dogs. I freely admit that I know...

birddogger2

Hi - I'd like to address some of your concerns, if I may. I own pointers, always have, always will, so consider the source. First there is the concern about the breeding on your pup. The owner of the sire and dam thought enough of their dogs to get OFA certifications before breeding. That, by itself...

birddogger2

*Since your a furriner, pardner, a piggin string is used to tie calves' feet in roping competitions or ranch work. :lol: :lol: Thanks pard .....that's the first time in my life I've ever had a chance to use those words ! :lol: Must admit I didn't have a clue what "piggin string" was .....I thought ...

birddogger2

Two things have already been mentioned, the wonder lead and the pinch collar. I personally prefer the poor man's version of the wonder lead, which is a pigging string. I also will use a Prong collar in some circumstances. More aggressive than wonder lead or pinch collar, but still relatively mild. O...

birddogger2

I am thinking of building a single dog box. I like aluminum ones but they are not cheap. I could easily use wood but I was concerned about the weight since I have to take it in and out of the truck when I am not using it. What are the problems with building one out of thin metal? The main problem I...

birddogger2

While I have been successful hunting with this gun, it gets caught mounting and slows me down which equals missed birds. So I think what I take out of this thread is to keep working on your shooting. And Since the gun is a beauty, and has some adjustability, I'm going to look for a gun fitter to ma...

birddogger2

\ Change the environment and you change the dog in that environment. The environmental change may not be acceptable for the keeper,so that's where often the issue is un resolved . Sharon - Seems to me that changing the environment is not always possible or even desirable...especially if there are o...

birddogger2

Seeing lots of very helpful advice here, thanks to everyone! The idea behind the 75' rope was to let him run in a field, as we have no fenced in areas handy and he has disappeared on us several times now. We keep him exercised, though the running off is becoming an issue. I work away 3 nights a wee...

birddogger2

I guess I do not see how my question was not "being nice" Sorry. I thought it was a good question. I could not use one that long. In fact The only reason I have a collar on my 4 month old puppy is for him to carry his rabies tag and my phone number. But then I am not the Expert........................

birddogger2

I guess I do not see how my question was not "being nice" Sorry. I thought it was a good question. I could not use one that long. In fact The only reason I have a collar on my 4 month old puppy is for him to carry his rabies tag and my phone number. But then I am not the Expert........................

birddogger2

My biggest question is how the heck do you use a 75 foot checkcord and why would you need that?..........................Cj C'mon Cj. Be nice. The OP has already admitted they don't know what they should do. They asked for help. That is the main reason I am on here. I know that it is the same for o...

birddogger2

Nathan - You folks have already started. Unfortunately, you have allowed the dog to think that the rules he learned in the yard do not apply in the field. What you need to do is to, in essence...start over. I would do an obedience drill in the yard consisting of heel, stay or whoa and come...at a mi...

birddogger2

[ I didn't notice the 16 week part. All I want him to know at 16 weeks is the world is a great exciting place, I am God, his kennel is a great place to sleep when there is nothing else to do. I would not sell a 16 week old pup as started....................Cj[/quote] ...................................

birddogger2

I note, Ray, that you did not mention anything about retrieving. Why is that? Steve007 - I work with pointers. The retrieve, for me, is far less important of a consideration. With my own dogs, it comes last, pretty much. Part of that is the fact that I trial my dogs and, honestly, I don't ask for o...

birddogger2

Jonov - There are puppies, "started" dogs and "finished" dogs. You sometimes hear the expression "green broke". To me a "started " or "green broke" dog is the same. To me, a "started" bird dog has had the following training. 1) Basic obedience...heel, come, kennel. It should be VERY responsive to th...

birddogger2

Sharon -

Awesome!! I have never seen anything like that...EVER.

Thanks for sharing.

RayG

birddogger2

About the only whistle command I use in the field is a "come in" whistle. I do two blasts and I expect to see the dog heading in to me on the double. If not, the dog is standing somewhere. Otherwise I try to hunt silently. I hunt over field trial trained dogs and ...the more noise you make, the fart...

birddogger2

The most I spent was a 800 on a Weimaraner. Then a bought a gsp for 600 great hunting dog. Went back to the breed for another gsp and his price went up to 900. That was out of my buget but had a friend breeding his pointer. I paid 400 for her best hunting dog I've owned. I just sold this litter for...

birddogger2

A well bred pointer comes out of the birth canal with more natural ability to find birds than most folks could ever need. The exact same thing can be said about well bred English Setters, GSP's or Brittanies. All of the above breeds are bred to point birds. Getting a dog to reliably point birds is m...

birddogger2

The most I spent was a 800 on a Weimaraner. Then a bought a gsp for 600 great hunting dog. Went back to the breed for another gsp and his price went up to 900. That was out of my buget but had a friend breeding his pointer. I paid 400 for her best hunting dog I've owned. I just sold this litter for...

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