Newbie looking for advice

[GSPVIZ]

Hello All- I have been on the forum for a couple of months now and have found a lot of great info here.

But I thought I would throw this out there:

I have a 2.5 yo GSP and a 1.5 year old Vizsla. We live in town. I have never hunted nor shot a gun. They go to the baseball fields to get their run in about 4x a week. I just applied to the English Setter Club in Medford, NJ (300 acres fenced, quail, host trials etc). Gar-Dog introduced me to the club and I went with him and his girl Ginger one morning for a little training session ( I loved it!). My Viz is very interested in all animals, birds, rabbits, squirrels etc. GSP is more into rabbits than birds.

My plans: I want to take the dogs out 1 at a time to the club to introduce them to the grounds. I plan to go pretty early when no one is there so we are not distracted. Should I get an e collar for my first time and let them roam or should I keep them on a check cord? My GSP normally stays pretty close to me but my Vizsla will roam on her own but will normally always come back to me when I call her (numerous times).


I have a feeling that I am going to want to start hunting since I love dogs, outdoors, camping, etc.

I guess my question is what is the best way for me to start getting into training/hunting? I know it is a pretty broad ? but any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks!!!!!!

[natetnc]

will there be others shooting close by on the grounds? if so i would into them to gunfire before taking them to the club.

are there numerous liberated birds or are they all wild? if using liberated keep dogs on a cc otherwise there is a good chance they will catch them. wild, well chances are they wont be catching them.

i would really work on the yard work and before letting them loose, that is how bad things happen. dogs will make you a liar in a second, it is good to have the e-collar to back up your commands. you know your dogs best, e-collar/beeper, you know what you are comfortable with and without. personally i don't like my dog running in unfamiliar territory without an e-collar and beeper, but that is just me.

[GSPVIZ]

I dont think there is shooting there until hunting season. There will be some ppl shooting clays, but the place is normally pretty empty. I believe the club stocks the quail.

[Greg Jennings]

If the dog will come to you when you call, put it on a check cord and let it run. Teach the dog with the check cord and only later over-lay the e-collar. If you just put the e-collar on the dog and zap it, there is no telling what will happen.

Go when there is no one there shooting.

Greg J.

[GSPVIZ]

Where do you all recommend to get a good check cord?

[The Zephyr]

GSPVIZ,

Good luck with your new prospect. Try Lion Country for your checkcord.

http://www.lcsupply.com/

John L.

[gar-dog]

GSPVIZ:
You can make a check-cord or buy one online. Check out http://www.huntsmith.com ; Lion Country Supply, etc. You saw me introduce Ginger to gunfire for the first time, so that shouldn't be a problem. When I bought a TriTronics e-collar it came with a good DVD about how to introduction to the collar. I can let you watch that.

Sounds like the dogs already have some basic obedience, so layering in the collar shouldn't be difficult.

I would do things in this order:
1) start putting on a check-cord and lead them around with it and let them run with it
2) introduce the collar
3) introduce them to gunfire with a blank pistol
All the while, let them roam the club and if they find birds, great.

Then you can start working on them with holding their point, etc. That is about where I am in the stage of things. Just do things one step at a time.
G

PS. The club also has a couple of pigeon houses so you can just grab them when you need them

[Greg Jennings]

Training grounds, stray birds, homing pigeons, a training partner...GSPVIZ, you're all set, dude.

In no time you'll be doing a little fun test, then an ice-cream hunt test habit, vector over to a walking field trial and then, before you realize it, you'll be raiding the life's savings buying 3/4 ton pickups, horses and spending whole week's vacation on horseback at a national championship...

I like Mendota check cord. Buy a 25' one, cut it in half and buy another brass snap at Home Depot and you're in good shape for both dogs. You can buy a 209 blank pistol later. Right now, you could just use a cap gun from Wally World.

There are some gun dog suppliers advertising in the header of the page. It'd be nice if people would use them when their prices are competitive. Sometimes the give discounts to GDF members.

Greg J.

[bullseyebill]

I would give anything to have available training grounds with pigeons and stocked quail, especially the pigeons. I have no pigeon supplier around and I don't want to have a pigeon house in my very small yard.

Cindy

[Greg Jennings]

Cindy,

Are there overpasses where you see pigeons that you might catch feral pigeons? In truth, they're the best flyers.

Greg J.

[ezzy333]

I would give anything to have available training grounds with pigeons and stocked quail, especially the pigeons. I have no pigeon supplier around and I don't want to have a pigeon house in my very small yard.

Cindy

I have pigeons and are not too far from you. Doesn't take much room for 6 to 10 pigeons.

Ezzy

[3Britts]

I would give anything to have available training grounds with pigeons and stocked quail, especially the pigeons. I have no pigeon supplier around and I don't want to have a pigeon house in my very small yard.

Cindy

I have pigeons and are not too far from you. Doesn't take much room for 6 to 10 pigeons.

Ezzy

Ezzy is right. I only keep about 10 pigeons at a time. My coop is w3 x d2.5 x h4. I keep four breeders and up to 6 ferrel pigeons. The ferrel pigeons are only around about a week as I shoot them in retreiving practice with my dogs.