By what age should you have the basics in place ?

[Francois P vd Walt]

I am curious to know at what age should the basics be in place with the different gundog breeds ?

Recall - 6 months
Pointing - 4-6 months
Retrieving - 6–8 months
Stay & sit & whoa - 6 months

[birddog1968]

I let pups be pups for a year, allow them time in the field to gain independence....no collars no check cords just fun in the fields without me hacking on them. Like Delmar said "the day you snap that checkcord on a pup you take away that carefree freedom forever". or something along those lines. Let em roll, i want an independent lil fireball that has the wherewithal to think for himself.

recall is pup stuff that is worked on gently thru the first 12 months.....

at about 10-12 months we whoa break and stop to flush them.....

20-24 months retrieve training if needed....

after that its final breaking, if desired steady to wing shot.....

[Hattrick]

Well as for me I think the pup should show pointing instincts right out of the gate and i just pro long it from the day i get them on pigeons. If they show no pointing instinct i don't want the pup. Retrieving isn't a big deal they will after FF but my 3 GSP's were natural retrieves from the start. My 2 pups are now 6months old and have been retrieving pigeons,chuckers and ducks to hand for months. (but not always the case with some lines) As for whoa i start them on the table at 9-10wks keeping it fun and gradualy increase the length of the sesions till they got it which is usally at about 6months of age give or take.Realy they start understanding it in a couple sesions. Recall is preped with praise and check cord early till 5months old then becomes money thanks to the ecollar. Now i do move faster than most and i'm sure i'll hear about. I use little to no pressure just lots of praise. Pressure comes later actually here real soon once i'm sure they completely understand things. I STRONGLY believe in laying a good foundation young kinda like raising a kid you can't start to mold ur kid at 13yrs old its to late. Gundogs take alot of work pending how far you want to go. You get out what you put in to it. Have fun good luck and welcome to the addiction:)

[ezzy333]

I think you are asking for trouble and a lot of disappointment if you try to put a schedule or time on a pup. No two are the same and many not even close.

Ezzy

[Francois P vd Walt]

I think you are asking for trouble and a lot of disappointment if you try to put a schedule or time on a pup. No two are the same and many not even close.

Ezzy

I agreed and disagree basics dicipline should at least be in place by 7 months IMO.
Also I know EP take longer to mature than GSP's. Now all the other brands spaniels, visla etc do the fit into u der 12months or 24months. Some GSP's are ready to go hunt and 90% trained at 7months ....

[Waterdogs1]

It is interesting coming from the retriever world and looking at how with new methods you can advance a dog a a much younger age than what you use to. Knowing that each dog is different I am sure alot depends on the individual dog and methods used. I deal with folks that try to put a timeline on their dogs training well it doesn't work that way for retrievers.

[DonF]

It is interesting coming from the retriever world and looking at how with new methods you can advance a dog a a much younger age than what you use to. Knowing that each dog is different I am sure alot depends on the individual dog and methods used. I deal with folks that try to put a timeline on their dogs training well it doesn't work that way for retrievers.

+1!

[RayGubernat]

I think you are asking for trouble and a lot of disappointment if you try to put a schedule or time on a pup. No two are the same and many not even close.

Ezzy

I agreed and disagree basics dicipline should at least be in place by 7 months IMO.
Also I know EP take longer to mature than GSP's. Now all the other brands spaniels, visla etc do the fit into u der 12months or 24months. Some GSP's are ready to go hunt and 90% trained at 7months ....

I don't know about maturity per se, but in my experience with the dogs we have locally, most FDSB Pointers are ready to be steadied well before most shorthairs. It is not at all uncommon to have a 10 month old pointer steady to wing and shot and RELIABLY steady by 14-16 months of age. With GSP's...not so much.

RayG

[Chukar12]

I don't put the "basics" in place before the dog is giving me the behaviors. I have the benefit of five fenced acres and a whole lottta desert not too far away, and I dont even teach recall until I have a dog consistently going with me through repititions with a checkcord and free running from an ATV or horse sometimes up to 6 and 7 months old. My pups first learn restrictions from the chain gang, my hands on a training table, and the checkcord/pinch collar...and few if any words. Simultaneously they learn to "perform" a few behaviors in my presence with a clicker and rewards, standing still on a place board and a barrel and coming to me when I stop or whistle with my mouth, and kenneling when the door is opened are examples.

When i begin to transition from suggestions and influence to commands and discipline I want to make darned sure that the trust is in place and that the dog has been able to establish who he is before I make him what i want. This has been my perception of the wisdom passed along from Delmar Smith and others about giving pup "the first year." I want dogs conditioned to hunting country and I find it far more important to me and their development than I do the conditioning of discipline in Petsmart or the dog park. Those places require restrictions if you are a polite human being' that I don't want to deal with until I am ready to uphold the restriction every time.

I believe breeds and individuals are different, but as Ray mentioned above most dogs I work with are reasonably reliable between 18 mos and two years old though they may not yet be complete in application due to experience and confidence. Their training comes together rapidly once you apply discipline and consistency to dogs that are already conditioned to behaviors. In my opinion, many of the dogs I see in the field are well conditioned to the owners lifestyle...and in many cases their hunting needs, but they aren't all the dog they could be if they had different exposure and handling. Metrics in dog training should never be referred to in time; but in behaviors relayed by the dog in the process.

[Francois P vd Walt]

If a dog takes 24 months and still not responding to recall ? Could this be a training error or handler error ?

Some dogs take a long time to develop, how long is to long ?

[Chukar12]

No one I am reading suggested it would take 24 months for recall If a six month old dog won't recall reliably in a couple of weeks by any reasonably competent trainer...then they need to get help because the other pieces of gun dog training will get way too complex for their skill set.

[ultracarry]

If a dog takes 24 months and still not responding to recall ? Could this be a training error or handler error ?

Some dogs take a long time to develop, how long is to long ?

Sell it.

[Trekmoor]

I just train the pup that is right in front of me. I don't train to a timetable or to some sort of breed standard. The pup itself will show you when you can do a bit more with it.

If I saw a dog that would not recall by 24 months old I'd look at the trainer before I looked at the dog ! Only if the trainer was O.K. would I blame the dog and advise moving it on to another address.

Bill T.

[Francois P vd Walt]

If a dog takes 24 months and still not responding to recall ? Could this be a training error or handler error ?

Some dogs take a long time to develop, how long is to long ?

Sell it.

Ultra I have to say tnat some of the late bloomers when they do come around are awesome !