Steadying a 7yo gsp ?

[bmb3]

Just looking for opinions on what you guys would do. She has had a lot of birds shot over her pen raised and wild. Trainer (me) did not know what he was doing . Launchers and pigeons is what I was thinking.

Thanks Brennan

[Wildweeds]

Is she staunch enough for you to kill birds for her 80% of the time?

[bmb3]

She will hold til I go into flush.

[4dabirds]

I think after so many repetitions of the wrong thing it will be a little work but I do not think impossible. The dog has to have a motivation to stay in place. I would use multiple launchers or even birds in kick cages. or a combination of the two. Start out with the dog on a check-cord , have a friend hold the dog back as you go into flush then continue to launch multiple birds one at a time . As the dog gets used to expecting another bird and is staying start to vary the timing of the launches so she never knows when the drill is going to end. I do this with birds on tethers and shoot with a blank gun to save birds. If you do this three or four times in a training session with a half a dozen birds it can get expensive unless you have a good stock of homers. Never use the birds in the launchers as your scent birds and if you are going to tether them keep them back far enough so they cant land in the dogs mouth. THis is not a drill to teach your dog to hunt, it is a drill that will have your dog make the association that there may always be another bird. After some time the dog will leave it up to you to end the drill.

[bmb3]

Thanks for the replies. She is a good dog still acts a lot younger. I did not worry about anything but obedience and bagging birds. Going to try run her in nstra this fall if I can get her steady.

[donnie_19]

Define Steady? Doesn't have to be steady or broke to run in NSTRA. Only has to hold until you flush then can break. I prefer steady to shot for NSTRA, as the tame birds don't fly very strong and you won't have to worry about your dog catching them. Also you will know where your dog is when you shoot.

[Ms. Cage]

When we teach steadiness ( wing, shot, and fall) we teach stop to flush first and build off that.

[bmb3]

Donnie steady to me would be til flush, shot or fall. She will hold til I go to flush. Flushing the bird her self.
Ms cage thanks for tip.
I know I have a lot of work to do. Not expecting her to win anything just looking to the extra time in the field

Thanks Brennan