grouse, pheasant and ducks
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rooster014
- Rank: Just A Pup
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2013 4:46 am
- Location: SW Michigan
grouse, pheasant and ducks
im training my 13 week old gsp pup to be a bird hunter. mostly grouse but he will pheasant hunt a few times a year too. but i want to train him to retrive ducks in the water to so that in the earlt season i can hunt him be for the water is to cold for him. at what age should i start training him to "duck hunt"????? i wasent sure if it would be to much to try to train him to hunt the fields and woods and to point birfs and to train him to stay on a place board and mark birds all at the same time. what are your thoughts????
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Ruffshooter
- GDF Junkie
- Posts: 2946
- Joined: Sun May 21, 2006 7:28 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: grouse, pheasant and ducks
You can train all at the same time. Many of the duties are the same, other than hunting for the duck and Pointing the duck.
For the duck deal. You need to have pup be comfortable and like water/swimming.
Simple intro to water.
go to the lake with a shallow sloped entrance, you go in water, do not say anything to pup, let him explore, let himfigure out howto swim.
go stand or sit ont he other side of a stream and wait for him to come to you.
Put a live quail in the water.
Play with the pups favorite toy or bumper in the water.
Put floating treats on the water. etc.
Make it a no pressure deal. The pup will eventually swim, just keep going.
Do not start any formal training till the pup has adult teeth.
but you can do fun retrieves in a hallway or while pup is on a CC.
You can make the pup sit or whoa at the door or at the food bowl and wait for their food or exit.
You can lay foundation work for the formal training in low pressure fun ways for the pup.
When the time comes the pup needs to be able to handle close and repetitive gun shots. You need to do this slowly and per a program. You can very easily create a gun shy dog by just going out and "lets see what happens" etc.
For the duck deal. You need to have pup be comfortable and like water/swimming.
Simple intro to water.
go to the lake with a shallow sloped entrance, you go in water, do not say anything to pup, let him explore, let himfigure out howto swim.
go stand or sit ont he other side of a stream and wait for him to come to you.
Put a live quail in the water.
Play with the pups favorite toy or bumper in the water.
Put floating treats on the water. etc.
Make it a no pressure deal. The pup will eventually swim, just keep going.
Do not start any formal training till the pup has adult teeth.
but you can do fun retrieves in a hallway or while pup is on a CC.
You can make the pup sit or whoa at the door or at the food bowl and wait for their food or exit.
You can lay foundation work for the formal training in low pressure fun ways for the pup.
When the time comes the pup needs to be able to handle close and repetitive gun shots. You need to do this slowly and per a program. You can very easily create a gun shy dog by just going out and "lets see what happens" etc.
The best part of training is seeing the light come on in your little prot'eg'e.
Rick
Rick
Re: grouse, pheasant and ducks
Other than having your pup familiar with water as fun/play ,I would concentrate on getting all the basics 100% with his training on land first.rooster014 wrote:im training my 13 week old gsp pup to be a bird hunter.
but i want to train him to retrive ducks in the water to so that in the earlt season i can hunt him be for the water is to cold for him. at what age should i start training him to "duck hunt"?
As for the cold?,It's the hanging around after it's been in the water that's the issue of the coat.
Training him to 'Duck hunt'? I'm not sure how you guys go about that?...It's just a personal thing with me ,but I don't shoot 'flushed ducks'.So retrieving them is the same procedure as any?
This GSP has the drive and desire so the temperature of the water is just not an issue!....ps, when I do start training for water retrieving I NEVER throw anything 'IN' the water,it's always over the other side.
It doesn't matter the breed by the way! they can all do it!
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Thornapple
- Rank: Senior Hunter
- Posts: 115
- Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2012 6:56 am
- Location: Maryland
Re: grouse, pheasant and ducks
roostero14,
I am on my second versatile dog. I only had setters/pointers before and they eschewed anything that made their dainty feet wet as if it were Bubonic plague! So the Spinoni presented new challenges. I made a lot of mistakes on the first dog as we all do. I am a force fetch adherent, but the technique is not as important as what Ruffshooter and Polmaise recommend. I would re-read what they wrote over and over again until it sinks in as well! The reason I say that as we bird dog owners have a tendency to be ad hoc and creative in our training. After all we are smart and know more, right? I am and I know what I write about!
One of the toughest trainers I ever met, that would make a Paris Island Gunny Sargent a sissy by comparison, said (i am cleaning it up for this forum!); "You need to decide where your training starts and ends. First shut your GD mouth, praise, praise, praise, be consistent, be patient[/b], and finish the D__d job! Basic training is done in the yard and it needs to be complete. Most dog owners short circuit this process, and searching and or sending off in the water is where your arrogance (remember, I am cleaning this up!) for results first shows. Finish the job before starting to go to the next step. If you are not sure, go to a good trainer (not one that relies on an e-collar) and get that dog to understand you are its master."
Whether a hard dog or a soft dog like my Spinone it requires discipline, training, consistency, lots of praise, and thoroughness in the yard; never ever in field. If you do not believe us just Google George Hickcox and hear what he says about this subject. Once completed then your water work or anything else requiring adherence to your commands just like Ruffshooter and Polmaise very properly state will be much easier.
Thornapple
I am on my second versatile dog. I only had setters/pointers before and they eschewed anything that made their dainty feet wet as if it were Bubonic plague! So the Spinoni presented new challenges. I made a lot of mistakes on the first dog as we all do. I am a force fetch adherent, but the technique is not as important as what Ruffshooter and Polmaise recommend. I would re-read what they wrote over and over again until it sinks in as well! The reason I say that as we bird dog owners have a tendency to be ad hoc and creative in our training. After all we are smart and know more, right? I am and I know what I write about!
One of the toughest trainers I ever met, that would make a Paris Island Gunny Sargent a sissy by comparison, said (i am cleaning it up for this forum!); "You need to decide where your training starts and ends. First shut your GD mouth, praise, praise, praise, be consistent, be patient[/b], and finish the D__d job! Basic training is done in the yard and it needs to be complete. Most dog owners short circuit this process, and searching and or sending off in the water is where your arrogance (remember, I am cleaning this up!) for results first shows. Finish the job before starting to go to the next step. If you are not sure, go to a good trainer (not one that relies on an e-collar) and get that dog to understand you are its master."
Whether a hard dog or a soft dog like my Spinone it requires discipline, training, consistency, lots of praise, and thoroughness in the yard; never ever in field. If you do not believe us just Google George Hickcox and hear what he says about this subject. Once completed then your water work or anything else requiring adherence to your commands just like Ruffshooter and Polmaise very properly state will be much easier.
Thornapple