Gun Dog Forum

So I am sitting here waiting in anticipation for the time where I can pick up my Lab puppy. Crazy scenario's go thru my head about training and such(hoping I wont MESS it up). I want to make sure that I have all of my bases covered. We are spending quite a bit in one chunk to get the dog and ALL the supplies needed, since we do not currently have any. And I am always wanting to have a back up plan in case I need help training. That is where blood money comes in. Donating plasma to save up to send the dog to gun dog school. heck why not? Save lives, get paid, get better training from people far smarter than me for my dog. I hear that you can make almost $400 in a month around here. So whats the craziest thing you ever did to make sure your dog was trained right?

I got off my computer and got outside and spent time with my dog. IT WAS CRAZY!!!

my wife was between jobs when we got Chaz. SHE did a lot of work with him and her training has stuck with him over the years. Involve your wife

I joined a club. Thirty-five dollars a year to spend my Saturday's around good people who know and love dogs.

Tanner, you can't afford a dog... JMO

Truth of the matter, if this is your first dog, YOU ARE GOING TO MESS IT UP, without a strong club to help or great people in the gun dog world. I know i messed up my first dog because I tried to train all by myself and didn't interact with anyone who had experience.

asc wrote:Tanner, you can't afford a dog... JMO

Thanks for looking over my financials asc. Unfortunately we already have a financial planner that we use. That is interesting that you believe if someone doesn't chose to throw $750 a month at a professional trainer that they can't afford a dog. There are probably a lot of people on here that chose not to do that even tho they may have the money. The intent of the post was more of a light hearted one. More to get at the odd things we may have done in the past. I got a buddy that swears by taking a leak outside with his dog when beginning to housebreak. Its funny, don't think I will be using that one since I live in town. I saw a post about catching pigeons under a overpass to use. I would have never thought of that, I couldn't imagine myself trying to do that around here...but a good idea none the less.

Im on my first gundog. Spend time with it. Mess up together. Succeed together. Have fun. Looking back i should have done some things different but i had fun training and i am happy with my dog now. Hes about to be 2. We had two good seasons together and i enjoy being out with him. Good luck. I got a lot of good info from this site by asking and reading old posts.

Enjoy your dog, do as much to build the bond with them as you can and pay for what you can/want for professional assistance. Part of the enjoyment of the journey is learning together and aside from not really doing harm, there is no screwing that up. As someone who has received blood before, I think paying for it is well worth the investment.

I enrolled my pup in classes. Puppy class, Control Off-leash, and Obedience 1. Makes me spend the needed time with the dog. Otherwise, you look foolish at class. Besides, it gives you something to do in the winter, and bleeds off some of the puppy energy.

I work on the theory that a dog spends most of its life as a pet, so manners are important. Most of the skills needed are bred in, with some polishing needed.

Not sure if it really furthered training....but after my dog came home from one of his early sessions he was absolutely bird crazy. The robins in the yard were driving him nuts.

One morning the wife let him out and when he didn't come back when she called she went out to find him pointing a robin who was screaming at him. They were literally about 5 feet apart in a stare down. My wife asked "what do we do". I said " well, we make the robin fly and I shoot it!". I ran in the house and grabbed my daughters pink bb gun and approached the bird. When it took off flying I started yelling "bang bang".

I don't know who thought I was crazier...my wife, the neighbor, or the dog.

I told the wife she had to do that every time he pointed a bird lol!

luvthemud wrote:Not sure if it really furthered training....but after my dog came home from one of his early sessions he was absolutely bird crazy. The robins in the yard were driving him nuts.

One morning the wife let him out and when he didn't come back when she called she went out to find him pointing a robin who was screaming at him. They were literally about 5 feet apart in a stare down. My wife asked "what do we do". I said " well, we make the robin fly and I shoot it!". I ran in the house and grabbed my daughters pink bb gun and approached the bird. When it took off flying I started yelling "bang bang".

I don't know who thought I was crazier...my wife, the neighbor, or the dog.

I told the wife she had to do that every time he pointed a bird lol!

Thats GREAT!! Funny thing is I was thinking about that the other day. My neighbors have a bunch of bird feeders right over the fence and I always am seeing doves and such on the feeders. If my dog goes on point and I do that....well, my neighbors probably wouldn't be surprised .

Just relax and watch the dog, he will know more about the hunting part than you do, so watch him and learn. I was told that when I got my first shorthair over 40 years ago. That dog learned me a lot about hunting, the main thing on a dog is getting him to stop when he needs to and to come when called. The other stuff should be all instinct. Just relax and have a good time.

Craziest thing I ever did was stop on the highway to pick up a dead pheasant, well it stunk so bad I stopped a mile further and tossed it out.

markj wrote:Just relax and watch the dog, he will know more about the hunting part than you do, so watch him and learn. I was told that when I got my first shorthair over 40 years ago. That dog learned me a lot about hunting, the main thing on a dog is getting him to stop when he needs to and to come when called. The other stuff should be all instinct. Just relax and have a good time.

Craziest thing I ever did was stop on the highway to pick up a dead pheasant, well it stunk so bad I stopped a mile further and tossed it out.

Lol! Passerbys were probably wondering what the heck you were doing!

markj wrote: Craziest thing I ever did was stop on the highway to pick up a dead pheasant, well it stunk so bad I stopped a mile further and tossed it out.

LOL I picked up a freshly killed rabbit off the road when my guy was a pup. Lucked out though - no stink yet hahaha