Gun Dog Forum

marysburg

Has she been getting less exercise lately? With a young dog, they will get rid of pent up energy through over-excitement and roughness at play. A tired pup is a happy pup.

marysburg

Aw Sharon, I just saw this thread. You are surrounded by sympathy from every one of us. We all get a turn at this, and we all dread the day, and it just gets harder each time, doesn't it? I know how special she was for you and send heartfelt condolences.

marysburg

Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on having such a great pup to work with. It sounds like you and the pup might advance through your training if you got a dvd or book which would give you a timeline or plan to work from. A book which you might like would be Training with Mo, by Martha Greenl...

marysburg

Our vet suggested Nizoral shampoo. Wash the dog on Day 1, Day 3, Day 5, then once a week for a total of 6 treatments. Let the suds stay on the dog for about 5 minutes, and scrub the entire dog down to the skin. Worked really well on our stinky Golden Retriever.

marysburg

Further to the comment which I posted before; we had a full load of 4 dogs in the vehicle on the weekend, and our young dog (the persistently carsick one) had to ride at the back of the vehicle, facing backwards. She was ok on the smooth highway, but vomited when the road got curvy and bumpy. This w...

marysburg

Our very persistently carsick pup was about 1 1/2 yrs old before she finally quit being sick. We tried everything we could think of and fasting worked somewhat, but she still looked miserable and queasy (no vomiting, though). Finally someone said that we should turn her crate sideways in the vehicle...

marysburg

Yup, the previous two posts describe how I try to shape the best behaviour at the release. With a pathway or road, most pups would blast straight away from the handler. Away from a path or trail, I heel pups on leash for a few short zig-zag turns before letting them go, and I think it mentally gets ...

marysburg

Google meanseeds.com and follow the recommendations there. I printed the information for my local vet who had not seen anything about this topic, and her comment was "I have never diagnosed this before, but that does not mean I have not seen it. I just didn't know enough about it to know what I was ...

marysburg

Glad to hear your pup is doing well on birds. That will give you an opportunity to link the sound of the gun with something very exciting (the flying bird). Let your pup range out well away from you, and if you get a point and flush or even just a wild flush, let her get committed to the chase, then...

marysburg

Way to go! Moments of brilliance, followed by 'old habits' are sent to keep us scratching our heads, I guess. At least you know that the brilliant moments are possible. Congratulations to you and Missy.

marysburg

Happy, happy dog; happy, happy you! Have a great time hunting with your dog this fall. That's what we all are striving for.

marysburg

We don't always hunt where there is a lot of wire, but the areas where we train are rife with it. We taught the dogs to go through above the bottom wire, and below the middle one. It pays off eventually; our dogs run straight at the fence and still at top speed, dive between the wires like they are ...

marysburg

I'm on my third season in Under Armour Speed Freeks, and they're the best boots I've ever worn. They aren't completely waterproof, but I can wade through shallow creeks and still have dry feet. Good in all temperatures, and they aren't showing wear. Very light weight and comfortable right out of the...

marysburg

Yup, cordless Dremel works great. I've never tried the tapered tip stone; have to give it a try. I just use the drum. Much easier than clipping the nails, especially hard, black ones where you can't see the quick.

marysburg

Thanks Craig, those pics are inspiring. Froze last night in eastern Sask.; fall is on the way and I can hardly wait.

marysburg

Before you nick the dog, you need to find out how to properly use the collar. The collar is only used to cue a behaviour which has already been taught without the collar, then the collar is blended into the training. Each dog has a different level of stimulation which is meaningful to that dog, and ...

marysburg

Some very helpful food for thought there from forum members. Great advice.

marysburg

Way to go, you really worked at fixing this issue before it got dangerous. Congratulations.

marysburg

My old Border Collie worked for a living and had both her bottom canines broken off. Hoof to the mouth, I expect. They never abcessed and didn't ever bother her in any way. If you are wanting a real doctor's opinion, I would see a canine dentist and find out what he thinks you should do. Broken teet...

marysburg

I've got the same one, and I love it. The orange grips are there so that when I miss putting in the holster, and drop it on the ground, I can still find it 10 minutes later when I realize that it is GONE......

marysburg

Nice to know I'm not alone! Thanks for my smile for the day (or week).

marysburg

How about Grace Under Fire?

marysburg

The Versatile Hunting Dog Federation offers a hunting test (not trial) system for the evaluation of pointing dogs. I believe that there are no restrictions on breed, but the dog is expected to search, point, retrieve and demonstrate steadiness on land and water. Would you be trying to use the Boxer ...

marysburg

Great idea, George Hickox has articles which explain it well. Treat her just like a young dog and go one step at a time. I bet she'll be fine.

marysburg

Our youngest Brittany is 18.5 inches tall and has a weight range of 32 lb. hunting and about 35 lb. or so in the off season. She is our smallest dog, but she is a heck of a dog and unless you need yours to fetch big Canada geese by the dozen, you won't need yours any bigger. Our other two are 45 lb....

marysburg

Ahhh! Nothing like puppy breath to brighten one's day. They'd be lucky to get him back if he ever came to play at my house. Have a great summer.

marysburg

Good advice from Ms. Cage. Your local NAVHDA chapter will have access to training ducks and water on which to train. Watching another dog work will give you a mental picture of where you are headed with your pup. Remember, it's all fun. In dire straights (no training ducks available.....dead or aliv...

marysburg

Yup. Ducks too, if you start the pups young. The 'yard' livestock and birds are not the same as 'field birds'. If it doesn't work, you can always kennel or tie out your dog. Keeping the peace is somewhat important in the long run.

marysburg

Well said, the UPT is a great idea for the first time handler, and gives a good opportunity for a dress rehearsal for the UT. I have done it with and without UPT for different dogs, but was glad to have done it 'with' for my first one. It mattered more to me than to the dog (because I needed the han...

marysburg

It's hard when one of our dogs passes in old age, but when it's a young dog it is so much tougher. Condolences to you on your great loss. Marysburg

marysburg

Nice pics, I have been wondering how the new litter was coming along. Love that Tug. Speck is bug-eyed over all our geese and ducks coming back. Search for duck is not going to be a problem for her, the drive and interest is certainly all there. She is the smartest and easiest pup we have ever had. ...

marysburg

Looks like you two are going to have a lot of fun this summer. Nice pup.

marysburg

Yup, especially if you gradually raise the food and water up to an elevation of 4 to 5 feet off the ground. It lets them practice flushing straight up.

marysburg

Very nice. Those pics sure put a big cheesy grin on my face; yours too, I bet.

marysburg

The tastiest snack bars are found in the cat litter pan.

marysburg

Yup. X2

marysburg

Could this just be simple frostbite? Our GSP wears a coat outdoors when it is very cold or there's a big windchill, and sometimes she seems itchy where the coat doesn't cover her. I know my ears and face feel like that if they get nipped by frost, sometimes even a little swollen. Just a thought.....

marysburg

Very good advice there. We have used 3 Britts on waterfowl and we live in a cold area. They don't have the haircoat to support a waterfowl hunt in very cold weather, but they can do an upland hunt in cold conditions because they are not wet. We use ours on early season teal, but once there is ice on...

marysburg

Birds of prey will burst through 1" poultry netting (learned that one the hard way). We changed to 1/2" hardware cloth for the sides and top as well as the floor. Our pen is large enough to be a proper flight pen (15' X 30'), but if your pen is small you could raise the food and water up high enough...

marysburg

Montana, do a search on this forum 'big lump on her side'. It is about a Brittany who suffered the consequences of a grass awn infection. You could also google 'mean seeds' and print it to show your vet. It made a big impression on our vet when we were worried about a nocardia infection on one of ou...

marysburg

Ezzy, I want to be a pigeon at your house. No wonder they race so well. The ration you feed is a banquet for those birds, and it makes sense that they pick out the corn during cold spells when they need a little more carbs for warmth. The single grain, corn only ration, doesn't work. It has shocked ...

marysburg

If you are feeding captive birds who only have a single food source, then whole corn is very low in protein and in calcium. It is not a balanced ration like the pellets you were feeding. If they are flying everyday, then they may be able to pick up some other grains, but they are pretty scarce if th...

marysburg

+1. It's a smooth way to be able to influence what the young pup is doing, and you never have to chase down a loose pup that you may have trouble catching.

marysburg

I have never used light to bring on earlier spring breeding for pigeons, but I have had them lay eggs if we get a warm spell of a week or two in the winter. The problems begin when the squab begin to get bigger, and the parent can no longer cover both of them on the nest. Then one dies from exposure...

marysburg

Like Rinker, I use manual traps for multiple flushes. Great for developing steadiness and keeping the dog guessing about what will happen next. I use auto launchers with the younger dogs, then work in a combination of auto and manual launchers as the dog progresses.

marysburg

Nice work. Sure beats the heck out of Boston this week.

marysburg

Yup, Cabela's bird bag is the best. If you have to order by mail, get two...you will end up using them both,and can save on postage.

marysburg

Very nice Craig, we sure look forward to your next book!

marysburg

Brilliant idea about cutting the hole in the side of the apple box lid. I will look for a couple of those to keep around. For large numbers of birds, I use the big orange plastic chicken crates. If you take an empty paper feed bag and slit it down one side and across the bottom edge, it will unfold ...

marysburg

If you only need to transport them one time, a few cardboard boxes with side air holes cut in will work. Birds can build up a lot of heat in a hurry if they are enclosed, so lots of air is needed, and no crowding. A little shredded paper in the box will soak up any poop. Wide, flat boxes will hold b...

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