Breaking in Dog Blind

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covrec1
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Breaking in Dog Blind

Post by covrec1 » Mon Nov 09, 2015 10:23 am

I took my lab out for the first time duck hunting and had him lay in his blind. All the training we have done he never released until I told him, and that is even shooting next to him. In the field we had ducks landing and a few times he got excited and released when we started shooting. I would say twice out of 6-8 times but still did great at marking and bringing the bird back to me. It was cool knowing he has never been out duck hunting and watching him look at ducks when they were in the air. The next day when he did break I hit the ecollar and he came right back in the blind. Any suggestions on how to handle this?? Or is it a first time duck hunting excited dog...

The first time he released a drake mallard landed and he broke to chase him and I ended up shooting it and it was still pretty cool.

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Re: Breaking in Dog Blind

Post by Neil » Mon Nov 09, 2015 10:37 am

He did great, and it was clearly excitement.

All my blinds have a loop to tether the dog, and a carry a stake out when in the field. I am not a fan of nagging a young dog with the e-collar. He will learn.

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gonehuntin'
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Re: Breaking in Dog Blind

Post by gonehuntin' » Mon Nov 09, 2015 1:32 pm

Sounds like there was more than one of you. You probably never trained for multiple shooters. Lot different steadying a dog to one shot than to 3-4 guys yelling "Take Em!", jumping up and shooting. Sounds like he did pretty well to me.

The way to fix it is for YOU to not shoot. Let your buds and at the slightest movement of the dog command " NO! Down!" or sit, or whatever. Timing is everything.

covrec1
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Re: Breaking in Dog Blind

Post by covrec1 » Mon Nov 09, 2015 2:06 pm

Exactly what happened. 4 guys yell kill them and 12 shots later and blinds opening up...

It didn't help one of the days 2 dogs from another guy whining and once they heard shots they were gone my dog didn't have a chance as he was still in his blind.
Last edited by covrec1 on Mon Nov 09, 2015 2:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Neil
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Re: Breaking in Dog Blind

Post by Neil » Mon Nov 09, 2015 2:18 pm

Good catch Gonehuntin, I thought the "we" meant him and the dog.

I have seen dogs nearly ruined after being introduced to single gunfire, then having 3 or 4 guys whooping and hollering, emptying their guns. Adding two strange dogs equals a lot of stress, unneeded stress.

I would still use the tether the first year, but I sure wouldn't even think of exposing a young dog to all that.

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crackerd
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Re: Breaking in Dog Blind

Post by crackerd » Mon Nov 09, 2015 2:35 pm

Neil wrote:All my blinds have a loop to tether the dog, and a carry a stake out when in the field. I am not a fan of nagging a young dog with the e-collar.
Or of frying a young dog with the e-collar, either.

Work the dog on obedience with formal retriever training (as in a group setting) and expose it to waterfowling in moderation, not a shootout at the OK Corral. Neil and GH have advised on what to do next time out.

MG

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Re: Breaking in Dog Blind

Post by polmaise » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:13 pm

For some ,it's not about getting the duck. It's how you get the duck.
First time for anything is the way it's done. Next time will be the same? :wink:

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RoostersMom
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Re: Breaking in Dog Blind

Post by RoostersMom » Mon Nov 09, 2015 9:26 pm

If you let him break, he will continue to do so. The first couple of hunts (o.k., for me, the first year of a dog in the field) is spent with me not shooting. Sounds like you have plenty of buddies to shoot. If you want your dog steady and their dogs aren't, you dog won't get many retrieves. Just a fact of life. I run into the same thing with my pointers. Maybe you could do a rotation, bring just one dog at a time?

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Re: Breaking in Dog Blind

Post by USMC » Tue Nov 10, 2015 4:12 am

As others have said, if the dog continues to be break now he will do it for the rest of his life. I always bring a stake and tie my first year dogs for the entire season. Its good training aid and safer for the dog.

Enjoy your pup,

petrey10
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Re: Breaking in Dog Blind

Post by petrey10 » Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:28 am

Where are you guys positioning your dogs in the layout spread?? Behind ? Directly to side?

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gonehuntin'
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Re: Breaking in Dog Blind

Post by gonehuntin' » Sun Jan 03, 2016 2:43 pm

I don''t put the dog in the spread, I lay him ALONGSIDE my blind so he is always under my control. I don't understand why you'd ever want to lay a dog IN the spread where he is beyond your control.

polmaise
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Re: Breaking in Dog Blind

Post by polmaise » Sun Jan 03, 2016 3:14 pm

It shouldn't matter where the dog was?.....confused .com
Sit and stay and don't move an inch are all in my camp .

duckn66
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Re: Breaking in Dog Blind

Post by duckn66 » Sun Jan 03, 2016 7:20 pm

gonehuntin' wrote:I don''t put the dog in the spread, I lay him ALONGSIDE my blind so he is always under my control. I don't understand why you'd ever want to lay a dog IN the spread where he is beyond your control.
Always enjoy reading your responses to retriever questions. You pick up on detail and offer up great advice.

I'll add that I don't think you really need a blind for the dog. If your worried cover him in camo. I teach mine "off" which means to lay down with my dogs. And I put them right next to my layout. If it's just me I can run a leash into the blind and tie the dog so it can't break.

Sounds to me he did great. Hard for any dog not to get excited with a bunch of commotion. Heck it makes me wanna break!

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Re: Breaking in Dog Blind

Post by Neil » Sun Jan 03, 2016 8:17 pm

duckn66 wrote:
gonehuntin' wrote:I don''t put the dog in the spread, I lay him ALONGSIDE my blind so he is always under my control. I don't understand why you'd ever want to lay a dog IN the spread where he is beyond your control.
Always enjoy reading your responses to retriever questions. You pick up on detail and offer up great advice.

I'll add that I don't think you really need a blind for the dog. If your worried cover him in camo. I teach mine "off" which means to lay down with my dogs. And I put them right next to my layout. If it's just me I can run a leash into the blind and tie the dog so it can't break.

Sounds to me he did great. Hard for any dog not to get excited with a bunch of commotion. Heck it makes me wanna break!
Love the last sentence! Thanks.

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