1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

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steelefx4
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1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by steelefx4 » Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:04 pm

My first puppy ever arrives this Friday. It's actually fitting the bill as my daughters Xmas gift, but I couldn't get a useless lap dog that she wanted, so decided to get me a hunting companion.

He turns 8 wks this Friday and being my first dog EVER, I don't know what I should be doing. Here is the plan I have thus far:
1. Crate training
2. Basic obediance (no sitting)
3. Train myself? (I was going to buy the Perfect Start/perfect finish DVD's but no one has them...)
4. Potentially send to trainer for 3 months when he turns 6 months (I like this idea, but it is 750/month)

Any input you have would be great including input on birds I should get to aid in training(pigeons)...

I'm in San Diego (Active Duty US Navy) and Plan on getting involved with the local NAVHDA here to hopefully get some information as well as actual field training for him
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Last edited by steelefx4 on Tue Dec 13, 2011 7:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Gertie
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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by Gertie » Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:24 pm

Congratulations! I just got my first pup a couple months ago. Someone on here said the most important necessities when getting a pup are a crate and patience :D Here's a link to the DVDs you're looking for: http://www.gundogsupply.com/pestpefisetd1.html Good luck and have fun!
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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by GUNDOGS » Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:28 pm

Sounds like youve got a good plan to start, concentrate mainly on socializing the pup and exposing it to everything you can when it comes home, safely of course..be sure to go threw a check list of necessities and have them home and ready to go..crate/potty training is the first thing and getting the pup to fit into your life, schedule and family then work on obedience ect..as far as the trainer goes i think most dont take them until close to a year old when they can handle the pressure of training but thats been my experience talking to and dealing with them, some may take them younger..do your homework on trainers really well before choosing one, its a big deal who you will trust your pup with for 3 months i would ONLY use a trainer that comes highly recommended and has proven his/her success with dogs already..have fun and post pics to share :D ruth
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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by Sharon » Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:44 pm

That's a very good plan but you left out 2 important things.

Independence/confidence opportunities . Thes the next couple months are crucial. Get pup out ( not deep, crusty snow) and let him do his thing . Don't keep calling him back in.

socialization: The next 3 months are crucuial. Get him out to meet all kinds of people , kids , cats, lound vehicles and ehatever else you can think of.

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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by MikeB » Mon Dec 12, 2011 3:25 pm

Not knowing how old your daughter is... here is a great puppy book & DVD combo to start with. You can get to all the gun dog stuff later. For now you need some solid puppy and these 2 trainers are the best there is.

"My Smart Puppy" Book and DVD combo. http://products.royalcanin.us/products/ ... Animal=Dog

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brad27
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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by brad27 » Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:57 pm

What was going to be done with a 6 month old puppy for $750 a month for three months?

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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by ultracarry » Mon Dec 12, 2011 5:35 pm

Come on out to temecula. I'm sure we can get you pointed in the right direction. Where is your dog coming from?

steelefx4
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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by steelefx4 » Mon Dec 12, 2011 8:35 pm

To answer some of the questions:
1. Dog is coming from Bona Kennels in Indiana.
2. I was told that the 3 months of training included everything to get him ready to hunt...but the more I think about it, that's $2,250 I could put towards A LOT of birds
3. My daughter is almost 6

I have the papers filled out fir the San Diego NAVHDA chapter, just need to mail them out.

Thanks for the advice so far!!!

Jake

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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by Cajun Casey » Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:41 pm

Six months would be way too young to send that dog off for training. Maybe a month of gun and bird intro, but a dog from the breeding you are looking at will be a slow maturing dog, and pressure at a young age would not be a good thing. I think you should go with NAVHDA and enjoy the first 18 months or so of a really big puppy. Those are some nice looking Continental types and I love what PJ Wildfire brings to a dog in natural ability and personality.
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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by helpful_cub » Tue Dec 13, 2011 12:38 am

Take your time on the hunt training in my opinion. Your pup won't be ready before the end of this season, so you don't have to rush it and risk messing the puppy up (to much pressure). Socialize him and get him use to your family. Play with him and work basic obedience. Let him play hunting games outside, but don't force or expect anything from him. Its all a fun game. Leash train while he's still small, they get a lot harder to correct when full grown (aka your getting dragged around). If you use a truck, don't let him jump off of the tail gate. A GSP should be at least one year old before taking a falling shock like that without potentially damaging something. They frames are built to be runners not big boned Shepherds.

Have fun with your puppy. I was in a similar place a year ago (only no family). We played a lot over the winter and started bird training in the spring with a trainer one day a week on the weekend. Come summer we did some more house work and worked on hiking socializing. He gets use to commands in the outdoors in a semi-controlled environment and gets a lot of petting in the process. Then when the season opened he was a hunting machine and wondering why I was slowing him down. :mrgreen:

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Hattrick
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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by Hattrick » Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:15 pm

Do it ur self man!! San Diego NAVHDA chapter has some really good trainers. I'm sure they will help you. You will not go wrong joining NAVHDA its best advice I can give ya

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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by Hattrick » Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:19 pm

one more thing -birds , birds and more birds start to build desire and indepence now

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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by ezzy333 » Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:39 pm

There is no way I would pay that price no matter how good they are. And I agree it is too early too. Hatrick said birds birds abd nore birds which is nice if they are available but I don't worry about a lot of birds till they are old enough for serious training. Introduce them and then get back to letting the pup grow up, learning to live in your world, and having lots of exposures to people and places.A year from now you will need to get into the birds but for now it is more important for the pup to learn how to hunt. After that it can learn how to handle birds.

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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by DonF » Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:15 am

steelefx4 wrote:My first puppy ever arrives this Friday. It's actually fitting the bill as my daughters Xmas gift, but I couldn't get a useless lap dog that she wanted, so decided to get me a hunting companion.

He turns 8 wks this Friday and being my first dog EVER, I don't know what I should be doing. Here is the plan I have thus far:
1. Crate training
2. Basic obediance (no sitting)
3. Train myself? (I was going to buy the Perfect Start/perfect finish DVD's but no one has them...)
4. Potentially send to trainer for 3 months when he turns 6 months (I like this idea, but it is 750/month)

Any input you have would be great including input on birds I should get to aid in training(pigeons)...

I'm in San Diego (Active Duty US Navy) and Plan on getting involved with the local NAVHDA here to hopefully get some information as well as actual field training for him
IMG_0166.JPG
Ya gotta love this guy. He couldn't get his daughter the "useless" lap dog she wanted for Christmas so he got himself a bird dog for her Christmas present! :D :D That is the making of a bird dog fenatic! :mrgreen:
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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by DonF » Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:20 am

DonF wrote:
steelefx4 wrote:My first puppy ever arrives this Friday. It's actually fitting the bill as my daughters Xmas gift, but I couldn't get a useless lap dog that she wanted, so decided to get me a hunting companion.

He turns 8 wks this Friday and being my first dog EVER, I don't know what I should be doing. Here is the plan I have thus far:
1. Crate training
2. Basic obediance (no sitting)
3. Train myself? (I was going to buy the Perfect Start/perfect finish DVD's but no one has them...)
4. Potentially send to trainer for 3 months when he turns 6 months (I like this idea, but it is 750/month)

Any input you have would be great including input on birds I should get to aid in training(pigeons)...

I'm in San Diego (Active Duty US Navy) and Plan on getting involved with the local NAVHDA here to hopefully get some information as well as actual field training for him
IMG_0166.JPG
Ya gotta love this guy. He couldn't get his daughter the "useless" lap dog she wanted for Christmas so he got himself a bird dog for her Christmas present! :D :D That is the making of a bird dog fenatic! :mrgreen:
Don't worry about birds. While your out letting him get used to cover and stuff, he'll probably find more birds than you can imagine. Doesn't matter what kind, he won't care!
I pity the man that has never been loved by a dog!

steelefx4
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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by steelefx4 » Thu Dec 15, 2011 6:09 pm

I got the same joke from my wife...that I was the one really getting the Xmas present...I couldn't totally disagree...haha...but I did have to be realistic about how long she was really going to be interested in a dog?...once they are past the puppy stage and the "new" has worn off of him, he would've been just like every other toy, all but forgotten about...

On a training note, I happen to know a spot where there are significant amounts of quail, although these tend to run on the ground or fly very low for about 50 yards before they land again (this is with me walking while hunting for deer in this area) and was wondering if quail are a good introduction species or should I stay away from them?

Thanks for the tips already,

Picking him up tomorrow!!!

Jake

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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by jforgey » Thu Dec 15, 2011 7:46 pm

Congratulations Don. If you have the time I would train the dog yourself. Nothing against professional trainers, but if you are willing and able to spend the time to do it yourself, you and your dog will develop a bond that you will never forget. My suggestions:
1. Crate train, obedience train and handle it...a lot!!! I mean physically, play with its feet, look in its ears......
2. Find a field preferrably with some cover and get your new pup out there as often as you can(after it has had its shots). Put it on a check cord and teach it how to quarter. Throw some bumpers every day. Make the field the best thing he knows.
3. No one plays fetch with my dog except me. At a year old he is an excellent retriever and retrieves to hand, only my hand. He has retrieved more than 50 birds this season.
4. This dog will have serious energy. Be prepared. Set its boundaries in the house and in the yard. Make your expectations clear and be consistent. He or she will figure it out.
5. Last but not least, love your dog the way he loves you. There will be many trials along the way, but you will get there with patience and hard work.
Just a thought on the love of a dog. Lock your wife and dog in the trunk of your car. Tell me which one will be happy to see you when you let them out. Or, ladies, lock your husband and dog in the trunk......
Good luck.

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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by brad27 » Thu Dec 15, 2011 9:28 pm

Put it on a check cord and teach it how to quarter.
Or, you could let the dog learn to hunt. quartering usually comes naturally.

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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by trueblu » Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:48 am

I would agree that getting the dog out to explore, to learn to range, to hunt. Stay quiet, don't hack the dog. Teach him KENNEL, his name, HERE or COME. If you have wild birds, lots and lots of time out in the field letting him learn where to hunt, how to use the wind, etc. I disagree about checkcords and I tend to say to not teach him to quarter. I have ZERO experience hunting anything in CA. But, I have friends in central and western CA, east of LA a hundred miles and I know it's some big country with vast open spaces. Assuming this is the type of country you will hunt, I would tell you to NOT teach the dog to quarter, and certainly not early in his training. In that type of country a dog needs to learn to stretch out. Most new owners get scared if the dog goes out of site for 10 seconds, much less 15 minutes. Where we hunt, we often find a dog on point 20 minutes after we last say him. A dog that quarters isn't going to find birds in that type of country. Might be a decent singles dog, but not a dog that will find coveys.

Get him out, often, and he will learn from the birds. This is NOT to say you ignore obedience, he needs it. However, far too many new owners focus on obedience and forget the dog is useless if he doesn't gain the obedience and range needed to find wild birds.

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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by Hattrick » Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:54 am

I like homing pigeons. You buy them cheap at a local stock yard sale 4-5 will go along way at young age. I have my last 2 females leaving this week end. I hope i didn't mess them up i had on pigeons since 5wks old:)

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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by Hattrick » Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:02 am

One more thing and most inportant indenpence

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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by ultracarry » Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:12 am

trueblu wrote:I would agree that getting the dog out to explore, to learn to range, to hunt. Stay quiet, don't hack the dog. Teach him KENNEL, his name, HERE or COME. If you have wild birds, lots and lots of time out in the field letting him learn where to hunt, how to use the wind, etc. I disagree about checkcords and I tend to say to not teach him to quarter. I have ZERO experience hunting anything in CA. But, I have friends in central and western CA, east of LA a hundred miles and I know it's some big country with vast open spaces. Assuming this is the type of country you will hunt, I would tell you to NOT teach the dog to quarter, and certainly not early in his training. In that type of country a dog needs to learn to stretch out. Most new owners get scared if the dog goes out of site for 10 seconds, much less 15 minutes. Where we hunt, we often find a dog on point 20 minutes after we last say him. A dog that quarters isn't going to find birds in that type of country. Might be a decent singles dog, but not a dog that will find coveys.

Get him out, often, and he will learn from the birds. This is NOT to say you ignore obedience, he needs it. However, far too many new owners focus on obedience and forget the dog is useless if he doesn't gain the obedience and range needed to find wild birds.
+1

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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by trueblu » Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:24 am

It was early, I didn't mean the obedience to find wild birds, I meant the INDEPENDENCE to find wild birds. I might want to proof my own babbling!!

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Re: 1st puppy ever...GSP...need advice!!!

Post by ultracarry » Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:27 am

You could follow the flow and see what you mean.. or ment to say.

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