Field Trial Questions

[northwoodshunter]

I have a English Setter pup that is almost 6 months old, and i would like to get him going good on hunting then i have a couple trainers that i am looking into to get himto retrieve good, and i have a different person that specifically helps owners like me get there hunting pup going on grouse and woodcock hunting. My pup is out of good lines, 2xch Keystone's Red Recession and RU CH Abigale. What do i need to do to get him to the field trial level for when he is around a year old(spring), so i can try running him in trials, and what field obedience should i be doing, and how do i get him in them? I feel that if i can get him to just have basic field obedience and retrieving/backing/steady to wing and shot, that i would have a good field trial prospect as i have alot of grouse and woodcock around me in northern Wisconsin. His mom and dad are both in the same trial coming up on the 23rd and i plan on checking it out, and next year i plan on running him in it, and others. What should i be working on with him right now to get him prepared? Im trying to get him listening to commands, Come/Here, Whoa, Fetch up, Hunt em up, Find the bird, Dead bird. He doesn't seem to be a natural retriever, doing pretty good on whoa actually, i need advice on ways to get him to listen to come/here more too? things to do to get him started on retrieving before training? the more i get done with him the less it cost, and the more birds the trainers can shoot over him.
Thanks

[slistoe]

If you want the best advice and the most help, hook yourself up with the owners of the mom and dad at the trial and talk to them about your interest. Local knowledge and vested interest in one place.

[shags]

X2 on first checking with the breeder.
You need to define "field trial" because there are several formats, for instance shoot-to-retrieve (NSTRA), UFTCA, coverdog, horseback.

[northwoodshunter]

The field trial i want to go to they both run in is cover dog region 19 walking shooting. The owner of mines dam said that its like hunting but with blank pistols. But i want him to retrieve anyway, because i wanna do more than one type of trial with him.

[rinker]

Because you are talking about retrieving, I assume you are asking about NSTRA trials? Based on where you live, however, you would also have opportunities to enter cover dog trials. These are two pretty different things. My only advice would be to take your time. Pushing to be 'field trial ready' at one year of age, may cause you problems in the long run.

[Meller]

Before worrying about the retrieve, check his teeth and make sure that he is not teething at this time, at 6 months he could be, and that would have an effect on retrieving or picking up anything.

[Vision]

Just go hunt your pup as much as you can, especially if your going to run in cover dog trials where they run on wild birds.

[Grange]

The field trial i want to go to they both run in is cover dog region 19 walking shooting. The owner of mines dam said that its like hunting but with blank pistols. But i want him to retrieve anyway, because i wanna do more than one type of trial with him.

The Region 19 grounds are great and often hold plenty of birds. Plus there is a lot of public land nearby to run and hunt. Unfortunately I may not make it up there this year. It may be as close to hunting as you can get for trialing. The biggest difference aside from not actually shooting the bird is that you follow a course rather than go wherever you want and you can't use electronics to track your dog, which is getting more and more common for bird hunters. I will not forget the first time I went to a cover dog trial. It was so different from the way I was used to hunt with mostly retrievers.

As far as what to do for training with your dog I will only speak about my experience with my setter. When my setter around 6 months old birds were nesting so I was mostly limited to pigeons and pen raised quail. I used remote releases and launched the bird once my setter moved after establishing point. This worked great. Once the nesting season (leash law) finished I was in the woods a lot. I didn't really worry too much about her bird manners as the wild birds continued what the pen raised birds started. After the first couple days in the grouse woods my setter (9 months old) was reliably steady to the flush. What I did work on was her handling. With the breeding of your pup I assume it will naturally want to be up front, but may need to teach it to stay in the "sweet spot" for trialing, which is generally 10 to 2 depending on habitat cover.

The way I worked on handling was I listened to my dog's bell and when It was getting too far to the side I would call or sing in the direction I want the dog to go rather than call in the dogs direction. If I was changing directions I would use a different call to tell her I am changing directions and call in the direction I want to go. For me this worked and I think her ability to handle is one of her better qualities.

[Sharon]

I have a English Setter pup that is almost 6 months old, and i would like to get him going good on hunting then i have a couple trainers that i am looking into to get himto retrieve good, and i have a different person that specifically helps owners like me get there hunting pup going on grouse and woodcock hunting. My pup is out of good lines, 2xch Keystone's Red Recession and RU CH Abigale. What do i need to do to get him to the field trial level for when he is around a year old(spring), so i can try running him in trials, and what field obedience should i be doing, and how do i get him in them? I feel that if i can get him to just have basic field obedience and retrieving/backing/steady to wing and shot, that i would have a good field trial prospect as i have alot of grouse and woodcock around me in northern Wisconsin. His mom and dad are both in the same trial coming up on the 23rd and i plan on checking it out, and next year i plan on running him in it, and others. What should i be working on with him right now to get him prepared? Im trying to get him listening to commands, Come/Here, Whoa, Fetch up, Hunt em up, Find the bird, Dead bird. He doesn't seem to be a natural retriever, doing pretty good on whoa actually, i need advice on ways to get him to listen to come/here more too? things to do to get him started on retrieving before training? the more i get done with him the less it cost, and the more birds the trainers can shoot over him.
Thanks

You're casting a very wide net there. Let's concentrate on preparing your dog for Cover Dog derby trials as you
indicated you want to do.

Pup needs lots of time in the field/woods becoming independent and learning about wild birds - you are lucky to have so many there. The birds will teach him that he can't catch them and had better hold his position. This Fall go to as many trials as you can to see what is expected. Talk to the old timers . Join the Cover Dog Forum. As there is no retrieving in the Cover Dog trials worry about that later. jmo

Google the program "Perfect Start. Perfect Finish".

some reading:

http://www.fosteraward.com/New%20Trialers.html

[RayGubernat]

Northwoods -

Sharon, as usual, is right on the mark with the field portion of your pup's education.

I would continue a steady diet of yardwork for the forseeable future. Ten to fifteen minutes every morning and ten to fifteen minutes every night. A reliable recall, a solid stop and stand and a dog that has learned to key off your movements and pay attention to you, where you are and where you are going.

Oh and don't forget to have fun with your youngster, both in the yard and in the field.

You need to focus on what you want the dog to do next. If you want the dog to hunt, great...focus on that. if you want the dog to compete in cover dog trials, initially as a puppy and then as a derby...focus on that. You can have it all and have a dog that will do it all...but not all at once and not right away.

A bird dog is not a finished product until it is about four years old and some not even then. It takes time and bird encounters to make a dog and it takes lots of grouse encounters to make a grouse dog.

RayG

RayG

[northwoodshunter]

I am not looking to run him in any trials for sure until he is at least a year, so then he is a little more calm, and put together better. The one thing that i need him to be better at right now and for later is his recall, like the other day, i have a check cord but the snap broke, so i just used a pretty long tie out and i didn't have a gun and just would be around where the cord end is, and it kept getting tangled as it isnt a real check cord, and i was in sunflowers and long grass,a and tree line, and he was listening pretty good, so i let him off of the cord, and he listened the first few times, then took off to the road down it then down our cabin driveway i was behind him trying to catch him, and he got to the cabin turned around and went toward me but ran to the side and tried to jump in the woods but got a hung up on a log and i caught him... what do you guys do to get them better at recall and whoaing?. He knows whoa and is pretty good and listens to it except when he was running away.

[northwoodshunter]

I am going to hunt with him first as i dont wanna start trials till at Least a year old, i can wait longer if i have to though. What are some ways to get his recall and whoaing better and work like everytime.