Gun Dog Forum

RayGubernat

Jonov- Thank you for a thought provoking response post. I enjoy an alternative point of view. Just a couple of things... You might be surprised with how often some of those diehard field trailers hit the fields with some of their dogs. Ask them. I applaud your willingness to put it out there at a tr...

RayGubernat

That is not the way I do it...but... I did a quick search and I came across a video by Buck Daniels of Daniels Creek Kennels that explains the process. The trainer starts with a checkcord and a flank hitch. So should you. Do it silently as much as possible. If you issue a verbal command, issue it ON...

RayGubernat

Most pet insurance doesn't pay the vet, you do. You then file a claim and the insurance reimburses the stated percentage of the bill(s). I believe there are other plans where the much of your premium goes to discount routine items like vaccines, wellness visits, and tick control. My policy has a $2...

RayGubernat

Purina Pro Plan Performance is THE choice for virtually every single American Field trial pro. Part of that choice is their support for the field trial sport...but a far bigger part is the uniformity and reliability of the food. It is a 30/20 feed, 30 % protein, 20% fat which is the optimal diet for...

RayGubernat

PMW - Most folks use an Ivermectin based heartworm preventative. It has been used for years and is available as a monthly oral dose. There is another compound called Milbemycin oxime, which is also used. A trade name is Sentinel. Milbemycin, in addition to being a heartworm preventative, will kill b...

RayGubernat

I take out my cheapo "wonder lead" and start doing heel/whoa drills with the dog at about 4 months. Very short duration drills, about five minutes morning and evening. I do them after the manner of Paul Long. I will also do come drills with my wife as helper. We use two checkcords and sit opposite e...

RayGubernat

There is no real timetable. At least not one you can mark off on a calendar. The time it takes for a pup or dog to demonstrate proficiency on a particular skill depends on two HUGE variables. The first variable, as you might expect is the aptitude of the trainee. some dogs are just quicker on the up...

RayGubernat

Rayg ' we on this dark side of the pond may have an advantage ? Whilst the grey bearded forefathers hunted and shot the wild birds for their dogs , we stupidly replenished the stock and conserved the areas so that we can do the same . The commercial pen bred shoot's also helped when they missed tho...

RayGubernat

To those who would engage in crossbreeding, just to save a few bucks, I pose the following question for your consideration: If EVERYONE else also crossbred their dogs, just how long do you think it would take for the sporting dog breeds that we know today to disappear? I suspect if there were no re...

RayGubernat

To those who would engage in crossbreeding, just to save a few bucks, I pose the following question for your consideration: If EVERYONE else also crossbred their dogs, just how long do you think it would take for the sporting dog breeds that we know today to disappear? I suspect if there were no reg...

RayGubernat

My uncle was the custodian of a German Shorthaired pointer that came straight from German stock...sire and dam were imports. His owner was sent to Saudi Arabia to help build oil refineries in the sixties. Butch was one He!! of a bird dog, was a housedog in a home with 3 small children and he had a f...

RayGubernat

We’d have to agree to disagree. In most cases an expensive puppy is just an expensive puppy. IMO a dog with placements or a broke dog ready to campaign is worth that $2500 price tag because of the work put in and it’s a proven commodity. But to pay that much for a pup that could turn out to be a du...

RayGubernat

As I see it, there are lots of folk that have a budget that won't support a well-bred blue-blooded whatever. In-other-words, there is a market for those "mutts". I get it. We all have a budget. Just look at those that hunt upland with a Purdey SxS versus those with a ____ pump. If you ask the guy w...

RayGubernat

You will probably end up with solid bird dogs as long as the parents are both solid hunters. I'd advise against it just because they wont be worth much compared to the rest of the market but if youve got four or five guys thatll give you deposits go for it. I agree with all of the above. My biggest...

RayGubernat

Or You might get really beautiful smart Children...........Cj Yes you might get beautiful, smart children...OR NOT. You do not know and cannot tell. Same with crossbreeds. You do not know and cannot tell. It simply amazes me that someone who purports to be a breeder does not get such a rudimentary ...

RayGubernat

Too funny - The previous poster is making the case that over 100 years of selective breeding by dedicated supporters of their respective breeds is not sufficient to produce sporting dogs, in that breed, with uniform and high level talents, abilities and dispositions. I call BS. No breeding is 100% g...

RayGubernat

Guys - folks are free to breed what they choose. BUT If you breed one breed to another it is a litter of dogs that CANNOT be registered. If a dog cannot be registered it cannot compete in any form of trial or test. Therefore it will never be possible to objectively and independently determine if tha...

RayGubernat

Ray G How would your staunch dogs react to running birds React to backing situations Blanked - If the birds were running, I would expect(read HOPE!!) that the dog would not commit to a point until the bird was cut off and stopped. Pheasants can be a real SOB in that regard, but I have witnessd, and...

RayGubernat

Folks - There will ALWAYS someone with a really nice dog(in their opinion) that they feel is worthy of reproducing. Many times folks want another just like the one they have and other times folks may want to combine the best features of two dogs. T If the two dogs are both registered purebreds of th...

RayGubernat

Most of the videos I see show dogs chasing birds after the flush, followed by the shooter pulling the trigger (killing the bird) over the running dog. Seems to me this would be rewarding the dog for chasing and being unsteady. Wouldn't a dog rock steady on flush be preferred. Your thoughts? Brad Hi...

RayGubernat

first and foremost... NOTHING really works in freezing rain. Even if you are in a Helly Hansen (or similar) rubber suit which is totally waterproof...you will sweat inside it when you walk and...you will then be wet. If there is freezing rain in the forecast...pack a full set of spare clothes, inclu...

RayGubernat

Is the dog steady flush, shot, and fall? I think if he was my dog, I'd consult or hire a professional trainer before he becomes full gun shy. YMMV The OP could do as you suggest...however, I strongly suspect that any pro worth paying will have the exact same solution" as Don T. And gonehuntin' is a...

RayGubernat

I wouldn't worry too much about the physical size of the locator collar. The DC 40 has been a very reliable collar for folks. I know a couple of pros who use that model and like it. The new t5 mini is also a good choice, but you will probably not be able to match the price point you will get on a us...

RayGubernat

As for training, since Trapper just turned one year old and it is open season right now I am taking this season as on the job training time, nothing matters except for training and learning what I want and where he is at mentally in a real world hunting scenario, training is 24/7 right now regardle...

RayGubernat

All very well. I admitted a flaw in my traiining and am asking for specific training steps that may be effective in keeping the dog within an acceptable range. I would greatly appreciate if knowledgeable persons would elaborate on their training methods,as specific as possible. Overall my grif does...

RayGubernat

Bill T told you right. A good dog has an "elastic" range. It will stretch out when the cover opens up and close down when the cover thickens. But that does not happen all by itself. Anybody who tells you that , especially with pointers...is lying through their teeth. It takes training for the dog to...

RayGubernat

Thanks for the advice, appreciate it. Might get some hay and give that a try. I don't care much for straw. It tends to break down fairly quickly and get very dusty. A long leaf hay is, I think better. I have no doubt that your dog will eat some of it, but I strongly suspect it will quickly grow tir...

RayGubernat

If the dog eats hay, it will just poop it out, like any other roughage. I personally would not worry about it, but that is just me. I actually prefer a soft, long leaf hay, like second cutting Reed Canary grass, to most any other kind of bedding. First things first, I would make sure that the dog's ...

RayGubernat

My dogs have always been in outside kennels. They are, and always have been, horseback field trial bred pointers. Dogs don't get much more high energy that that. I have never had significant problems with the dogs in kennels. My runs are 5X12 X6' high and the floors are poured concrete. Intact femal...

RayGubernat

EricB - I see you are from NJ. I escaped about 15 years ago. There are a couple of Brittany clubs in and around NJ. There are a couple of GSP clubs in the area and a couple of Vizsla clubs as well. Most of them have dual focus, show and field. The field focus is mainly toward hunt tests and field tr...

RayGubernat

There is another level of complexity(or SHOULD be) to the judgement of dogs at trials. In AKC there are two classes of field trial, Gun Dog and All Age. These two classes have different criteria for judging the dog's performance. The Gun dog criteria that is in print hews much more closely to what a...

RayGubernat

I would very seriously mold is the culprit. No one is less fussy about taking care of birds than me. I just buy the cheapest stuff Tractor Supply has and feed that. I have never had a bird die from moldy food. I make them clean it up off the ground before I refill the feeders. They may eat wet food...

RayGubernat

When I get feral pigeons I feed them chicken layer pellets, same as what I feed my quail. I get it from Tractor Supply. I have had ferals for several months, re-using them by hobbling them to a 20'or so cord with a 12 oz. bank sinker(or an old horseshoe) on the end. They do fine on the chicken layer...

RayGubernat

Hi All. I'm new to Gun Dog training, and have a few questions on training our 4 month old WPG. We are working on the standard obedience right now (sit, down, come, heel etc.). A few questions have come up regarding how to start him with bird training: 1) We don't have access to birds, but have some...

RayGubernat

Do you let a 7 mo old pup get 20" from the launcher before releasing the bird? Do you believe that a wild game bird will let the pup get that close? I don't think so. Quit thinking like a handler/trainer and think like a bird! Pup get's within 20' of the trap in any direction, pop the bird. It does...

RayGubernat

Wow that is a huge help thank you all! I have the wonder lead already because the pups a pulled on walks and it straightened him out so I will definitely get those books. I have the perfect start dvd set, just need to watch it. Would you guys recommend the Garnin Astro for the most part? I found a ...

RayGubernat

I do not know how to stop him really. That is an easy fix. You need to get a Delmar Smith wonder lead. And you need to get two books. The first book is Training Pointing Dogs by Paul Long and the second is Training with MO by Martha Greenlee. The wonder lead is about 20 bucks and the books are unde...

RayGubernat

I have a puppy sized crate I use. It is great for a half dozen quail. it has a handle which makes it easy to transport and a solid floor to contain most of the mess. I cut the center section out of the metal door and put two overlapping strips of bicycle innertube over the hole in the door. I stretc...

RayGubernat

Shags is telling it to you straight. I would take the pup into a grown up field...waist high grass. I'm talking forty or fifty acres, obviously with no roads other than the one you drove in on and are now walking in the opposite direction. No need for such a long lead...20" is fine if it is a stiff ...

RayGubernat

ISO - Here's my take on the puppy thing. If your current dog is physically able to interact with a puppy and, as it grows, a young dog, there are things your dog can help the youngster to learn. Not perhaps so much about hunting, but more about being a good canine citizen and family member. The inte...

RayGubernat

ISO - I have to come down with Gonehuntin' on this one. These dogs are born and bred to hunt and find birds. It is much more than a "job" for them...it is what they live and breathe for. They live for the moment and IN the moment. They would be perfectly OK with hunting until their heart burst. WE a...

RayGubernat

As a follow up, I would encourage you to explore several training options to correct the problem. No one method is absolutely the right one for YOUR dog and YOUR situation. The fact that your dog is staying with you is a huge positive, so don't lose that. There are lines between pushing a dog, encou...

RayGubernat

I would suggest that you continue to hunt the dog this season, but without shooting. Carry the shotgun but carry it empty. Bird contacts will help your dog to overcome its fear. The dog was born and bred to hunt. Eventually the genetics will overcome the fear...if you have the patience and persisten...

RayGubernat

I know I'm coming to this discussion a bit late, but I have a heeling suggestion for you. First, get a copy of Paul long's book "Training Pointing dogs" . It explains the process far, far better than I ever could. Then, get a Delmar Smith wonder lead, or if you are a cheapskate like me, a 6-7 ft. pi...

RayGubernat

Sharon -

Good for you. Red just might be your color.

Those in authority only lose their friends if they let that authority change who they are.

I'm pretty sure you have that one well covered.

Good choice by the board admin and glad you signed on to the task.

RayG

RayGubernat

PMW - I strongly suggest that you find a step by step training program for pointing dogs that makes sense to you ...and follow it. There are several very good programs and some that are not so great...but it really does not matter so much. The key is to do things in an incremental, step by step fash...

RayGubernat

PMW - You are WAAAAY out front of your pup. You need to put a hold on your expectations and let the puppy be a puppy. As far as bird work is concerned, you are several MONTHS away from anything more than a walk in the field with your pup and watching it chase meadowlarks and such. I do understand yo...

RayGubernat

JJT- The stereotype of pointers is much less true today than it was forty years ago. The pointers I have had in the last fifteen to twenty years have been, for the most part, very good family pets, when given the chance. Please understand that I select my dogs from top level shooting dog/all age bre...

RayGubernat

Mumpy - I don't do hunt tests, but if I did and my junior hunter went on point and then rousted the bird out...I'd fire a blank and then call the dog back in to me ... no matter how far away it was. I personally do not usually whoa a dog around birds, even in training. The scent of the bird should b...

RayGubernat

I don't think you should take the blame fort this. Your breeder sold you a POS that has no place in a home environment. You know what needs to be done. I am sorry, and it sucks...but...it is what it is. Euthanize the dog before he hurts someone other than yourself...and find yourself another breeder...

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