Your top three

[The Mad Fishicist]

First ever post in preparation for my first ever dog:

I'm in line for a male GSP to be whelped this winter, and I'd like to be as ready as I can be for the pup when he comes in early spring.

So my question for your consideration is this: What are your top three essential items to have on hand the first day home? There is obviously a LOT of gear to acquire eventually, but what would you not bring a puppy home without?

Also, I've been freezing some of the birds I kill this fall. How will I use them for training? How many should I have? Getting live birds (pigeons, quail...) is not really a consideration where I live, so I assume having frozen birds is next best?

Thanks for a great site. Looking forward to the next year of preparation. Got a lot more questions where those came from.

[slistoe]

If you are driving to pick up the pup do not forget to bring a small collar and lead to let the pup out once in a while on the trip home and a towel for the person holding the pup when you didn't stop soon enough to let the pup out.

[Ditch__Parrot]

Welcome to the forum

crate/kennel
camera
patience

The one thing I wish I would have had before I ever brought a pup home is a pigeon coop full of birds. Or at least a discount at a local bird farm.

Eat the birds. Hide away some of the grocery money you save, by eating them, for spending on live birds.

[twofeathers]

i wish i would have done the pigeon coop thing before I got mine.
Puppy proof your house if you intend on keeping it inside. (Trash cans with lids, cat litter boxes not accessable,kids favorite toys games, wifes favorite fluffy slippers, any taxidermy low to the floor,ect.
Start looking into e-collars or gps units.
Start pricing launchers. Or looking around for used.
Start looking for training grounds.
And oh yeah, beg your wife to be patient early.
By the way congrats and good luck!

[gonehuntin']

Before you get a dog, you have to know HOW to train a dog. First thing to dog is get either the Perfection DVD's or the George Hickox DVD and know how you're going to proceed. Once you watch the dvd's, you'll understand what you need. First is a kennel. Next is a small birdhouse. CC is number three. Launchers are number four. Ecollar number 5. Astro number six.

Now, there are quite a few other minor things you need but those are what I'd call the BIG SIX.

[Kmack]

Food and water bowls. Bed or Kennel. Lots of items approved for chewing. Collar and leash.

[slistoe]

Too many items approved for chewing only serves to confuse the dog. Enough items that you can find one quickly when you need one, but few enough that the dog can quickly learn which are for chewing and which aren't. I usually recommend 3 chewers - and not old shoes.

[Shadow]

understanding what you expect of the pup and what will be it's future
deciding on who is going to be responsible
not figuring on training right off
locating and visiting with your vet

3 most important items
dog crate, collar and leash
what food you are going to use
record of paperwork, shots, worming

[snips]

Do NOT hide frozen birds for him to find, only use for them might be doing a few retrieves when he is older...

[The Mad Fishicist]

Thanks for all the help! I had a feeling I came to the right place. Of course it leads me to more questions.

Ecollar number 5

Start looking into e-collars or gps units.

Really? I thought I'd have some time to pick one that would be the right size for a bigger dog. What's the appropriate age to start collar training?

gonehuntin', I know I'm being thick, but what's CC? And Astro?

It's clear to me that having live birds available for training is best, but what about those for whom that is not an option? I have the space, but I live on an island. It's not totally impossible, but it's a closed eco system that doesn't take kindly to outside species. If I can't somehow guatantee disease/parasite free birds, I'm afraid it would be an irresponsible treatment of this amazing place. So what's second best? If you couldn't have live trainers, what would you use?

Last thing: I'm ferrying and driving a LONG way to pick up my puppy. Any advice?

Thanks so much again. I'm sure you've answered a lot of these questions before. Someday I hope to be able to answer some new guy's questions.
TMF

[postoakshorthairs]

It's clear to me that having live birds available for training is best, but what about those for whom that is not an option?

You can do a lot of things with a puppy minus live birds, but there is no other option (in my opinion) when it comes to some parts of the training of a bird dog. You could consider sending the pup to a trainer when the time comes.

Really? I thought I'd have some time to pick one that would be the right size for a bigger dog. What's the appropriate age to start collar training?

Many of the ecollars have adjustable collars that will adjust from very small to adult. Many start having the pup wear the collar (not use) at a very young age.

I know I'm being thick, but what's CC? And Astro?

CC=Check Cord Astro-GPS collar

[birddogger]

understanding what you expect of the pup and what will be it's future
deciding on who is going to be responsible
not figuring on training right off
locating and visiting with your vet

3 most important items
dog crate, collar and leash
what food you are going to use
record of paperwork, shots, worming

This seems to me to be all you need to do in preparing for the new puppy.

You have gotten great advise but I believe alot of it can wait a little while.

I will just add, get a good training book and/or dvd and have a training plan. Also, the frozen birds, IMO, are not going to do you any good. When the time comes, you will have to figure out away to use live birds if you want a bird dog.

Good luck and welcome to the forum,
Charlie

[The Mad Fishicist]

Thanks again. I'm not sure what led me to believe that having some frozen birds on hand would be a good idea. Did I read that somewhere? My thought was to give the young pup a chance to sniff and mouth a real bird to generate some interest when having a fresh dead bird is not necessarily legal. I have read about trainers starting puppies with real wings to spark an early love of feathers.

Anyway, I am quickly reassessing the frozen bird option. I know at some time someone in town kept pigeons. There are two survivors that have managed to not be killed by eagles. I'll look into it further.

I made the mistake of telling our two and four year old girls that we're getting a puppy--a year in advance. What was I thinking?

[Dave C]

Food, Water and a quiet warm bed.

DAVE.

[gonehuntin']

Remember, you're building a BIRD DOG. Building a bird dog wihout birds is like building a car with no engine. BIRDS ARE EVERYTHING.

[BigShooter]

No one mentioned ear plugs. If the puppy is going to sleep in bed with someone it probably will not whine. I prefer my pups and older dogs to sleep in a crate at night. Getting through the first few days and especially the nights with the pup in a crate with no sleep due to the whining & howling all night will be as bad or worse than bringing a baby home.

[nitrex]

Top three (3) things to have BEFORE bringing home a puppy:

1. Birds
2. Birds
3. Birds

After those, you may want to have a checkcord, crate, food, many people for socialization, several fields to run in, anything you want the dog to be introduced to for later training, a great vet, and more birds!!!

Nitrex

[tommyboy72]

Why suggest buying a $600 Astro to someone who lives in Alaska and will most likely be hunting with a dog fairly close or waterfowl hunting? I don't recall from watching Ptarmigan or Grouse hunting on the Outdoor Channel any of those guys having a dog running a 1/2 mile out in front of them and being on horseback. They were hunting in willow patches and on the tundra with the dogs about 50-75 yards out. Quail can't survive in Alaskas cold environment in a pen I do not believe and I am sure keeping pigeons in a pen would be a pain in the arse trying to keep warm and from freezing. I run my dogs strictly on wild birds but I also live in Oklahoma where there are plenty of birds. You are in Alaka so you might try ptarmigan or grouse. I am not sure where you are in Alaska but those are the only wild upland birds I know of that live there.

Remember as well that a video no matter who made it, is a tool. It is not the be all and end all and the only "right" way to train a dog. Use it for what it is. Information to get you started in the right direction and if you happen to think you can change or modify something to fit what you want for your dog then by all means do that. Use the video to give you some ideas on how "you" want to train your dog and go from there.

1. How about a good collar

2. A check cord

3. I assume he is going to be a house dog so a good, soft, chew proof dog bed or a pop up kennel and a pad. I like the pop up kennel, it keeps them from getting on the furniture and you can zip them in at night and you can fold it down and store it when he isn't in it.

By the way a CC is a check cord which basicall is about a 30 foot leash you can use to train your dog for various things like come and whoa.

An Astro is the newest toy that everyone thinks everyone including themselves needs. It is a gps tracker for your dog and with the handheld unit you can see how far away your dog is from you as well as mark way points and points along the way such as the location of a covey, water holes, etc. You can also see how many miles you and your dog have walked in a day. It is made by Garmin.

If your dog is going to be a close to medium working dog you probably won't need one but if you want a "toy" then by all means feel free to buy one. I am sure they come in handy for field trialers who have big running dogs they rarely see when they are out.

[The Mad Fishicist]

You are in Alaka so you might try ptarmigan or grouse. I am not sure where you are in Alaska but those are the only wild upland birds I know of that live there.

Yep. Where I live it's ptarmigan in the alpine, spruce grouse in the woods, and ducks in the flats. There are plentiful blue and ruffed grouse nearby on the mainland, but not on our island. Prince of Wales Island is in the extreme southeast, so it's considered north temperate rain forest. Think giant spruce, hemlock, and cedar forests. Also more deer than a person could reasonably imagine.

Speaking of deer, I'd also like to train our dog for trailing wounded game, but that's a completely different thread that I'd like to get everyone's perspective on someday.

So if I'm reading the consensus right, it's very important to be ready for training before the pup arrives, but the essentials to have on hand from day one are puppy/mama comfort items. Most of the suggested materials are already on my Cabela's wishlist, but now I'm getting a better idea of how to prioritize my spending. Thanks a lot.

Cheers,
Isaac

[gonehuntin']

Why suggest buying a $600 Astro to someone who lives in Alaska and will most likely be hunting with a dog fairly close or waterfowl hunting? I don't recall from watching Ptarmigan or Grouse hunting on the Outdoor Channel any of those guys having a dog running a 1/2 mile out in front of them and being on horseback.

Because the Astro is the greatest safety tool ever invented (with the ecollar).

The dogs don't have to hunt 1/2 mile away to have trouble finding them. In the grouse woods, you can't see them at 50 yards. The Astro spooks less birds than the bell or beeper. I love the Astro for grouse. It's not how far away the dog is, it's how heavy the cover its.

[Shadow]

Last thing: I'm ferrying and driving a LONG way to pick up my puppy. Any advice?
TMF

yes- as soon as you have the puppy give it some good loving, let it on the ground some place safe, watch the pups reaction, be ready to pick it up, show that even thought it might be scared and stressed out- you are there for the pup- have another person with you instead of just putting it in the crate for the trip- stop quite a bit, ckeck on the pup, talk to it, hold it, assure the pup everything is ok- and then continue on- reasurance is critical- after all- this is going to be your companion and pal for quite a few years- yes