Goals to have for a 16 week old pup

TbachGSP · Post by **TbachGSP** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 10:02 am

Hey ya'll! i have a 11 week old GSP. he is a very smart dog and already knows sit, whoa, lay down, and here. he does these commands from verbal commands as well as hand signals. This is my first time training a dog to hunt, so i was just wondering if you guys have any advice or goals or where i should have gunner at 16 weeks.

Post by **kninebirddog** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 2:11 pm

Wow You have a baby
Slow down because just like a kid that thinks it is fun to help mom do dishes today isn't going to think doing dishes as a teenager or an adult is as fun

Personally I do not teach my pointing dogs to sit until after we get done with bird dog traning

As for what I do with puppies sure I help them have manners but I let them mature before I commence training or really expect anything from them out in the field

DonF · Post by **DonF** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 4:34 pm

I don't really start a dog till it's about a year old. Doesn't mean it's not being taught. First year is guiding the pup in the right direction and then the training start's.

RayGubernat · Post by **RayGubernat** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 9:09 pm

At 16 weeks the pup should really be starting to like you.

It should come joyfully to you when you get down on one knee and clap and call it to you.

It should be full of p!ss and vinegar and want to play with you all the time because you are fun to be around and do all sorts of neat things like throw stuff for it to chase and gnaw on, turn it upside down and rub on its belly, chase it down and then turn around and run away, so it can chase you right back...stuff like that.

Maybe it should start knowing its name.

This is your first bird dog?? SLOW DOWN and enjoy it. This is NOT a race to see how fast you can get your pup to do stuff. This is the foundation of a ten to twelve year intimate relationship.

You want the pup to WANT to be around you. Right now that will be because being around you is fun. Later on it will be because being around you is how it gets to wrap its gums around a bird, which is even more fun...for both of you.

Make friends with that youngster. BEST friends. This is THE best time to do that. Get that pup to think the sun rises and sets on you and even shines out of your butt on occasion. If a dog likes you and wants to be with you, you can get it to do a whole lot more...a whole lot easier....

RayG

mtlhdr · Post by **mtlhdr** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 9:22 pm

I really enjoyed our romps in the fields and woods when my pup was young. Mouth shut and eyes open. Watching the pup learn about the world around him/her: the sights, sounds, and scents. Watching their confidence grow with each outing as they venture a little farther away. Chasing tweeties and butterflies, trying to catch mice. Splashing in creeks, digging holes. Then they hit 5-6 months, start flipping you the paw and all of that innocent puppy time is a distant memory...

Erikcooper · Post by **Erikcooper** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 10:11 pm

I would recommend you read a book by Richard Wolters. I have Water Dog but he also has Gun Dog and Game Dog. You can learn alot from his books, I know I have. In short he says until 12 weeks the puppy should be bonding and playing with you. From 12 to 16 weeks formal training should start. At this stage your puppy will learn to love learning. He doesn't think dogs have to be started this early to be good dogs, just that they can reach more of their potential if they are. Personally I was planning to start training early on. These dogs instincts are to do the things we are wanting. Try enjoy it to the core and they enjoy the training. The dog will let you know when it's done for the day.

gonehuntin' · Post by **gonehuntin'** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 8:18 am

I'm on the same page as K-9, Don and Ray. He's a baby. Establish boldness, independence, birds, NO, and have fun.

aulrich · Post by **aulrich** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:29 am

X2 on don’t rush, the process is an endurance run not a sprint. And it does not work on the same time frame like specialist retriever folks (6 months , formal OB and FF).

There are numbers good books and videos out there describing the Versatile dog’s first year my favourite for that is How to Help Gun Dogs Train Themselves

http://www.swanvalleypress.com/pages/gu ... _dogs.html

The basic concept is that the first year , it’s all about exposure, you want to get the dog using it’s genetic tool kit . To put some general goals up, NAVHDA one of the V dog testing clubs has a test for dogs up to 16 months,

1. Field search - must hunt a field, moving with you but showing independent search, point a bird for 3 seconds.
2. Swimming - enter the water egarly and swill to get a bumper (an actual retrieve is not required)
3. Tracking – track a wing clipped pheasant for about 30-40 yards.

At 12 weeks

Intro to birds
Intro to field, Happy time in field and forest
Intro to water, happy time in shallow ponds that have ducks
Intro to gun

Don’t forget regular pet dog socialization stuff too.

Intro to Obedience

Things you will need for later

Save up a number of game birds for training next year. (there have been posting on how to do that and save the meat for eating)
At least 6 ducks a, couple of geese and a few of your other game birds (rabbits or fox if you plan on hunting fur).
Start a pigeon koop or find a ready source, now is a good time to start since racers typically sell off unwanted birds in the fall ( young un flown are your best bet).

If there is one close join your local NAVHDA, training partner connections , mentors, connections to get live birds, plenty of upsides.

Ruffshooter · Post by **Ruffshooter** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 10:24 am

Keep em from peeing and pooping on the inside of the house.
Have fun.
Build trust.
Build boldness.
Introduce to all kinds of new things.
Learn to read their body language.

Post by **kninebirddog** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 10:48 am

There is a very nice book called Training with Mo written by Martha Greenlee. It is a book that is more like a field manual.

Another thing which I find far better then any book you can buy is to find a training group near you as there is not a book out there that can teach you how to read your dog.

Post by **Sharon** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 11:58 am

gonehuntin' wrote:I'm on the same page as K-9, Don and Ray. He's a baby. Establish boldness, independence, birds, NO, and have fun.

Exactly for the field,
but I assume the dog is living in the house. I teach much more from 12-20 weeks- "off, down, leave it, no, come, wait, stay, out, hurry up ( peeing outside), ...get off the cat..." and I've found the pups I've had can handle all this easily.

TbachGSP · Post by **TbachGSP** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 3:03 pm

okay thanks guys everything that has been said makes sense. i am doing the things the all of you have mentioned. im glad that i am not behind in anything lol. one other question though, and that would be, what is the most effective way(s) to introduce him to birds. I take him a park everyday where there are trails through the woods as well as a pond with atleast 20 ducks or more at a time. At first when i started to take him the ducks flushed and he got scared and ran away with his tail between his legs

. after this i began to read up on the fact that a dog could be bird shy...but as a of yesterday he decided he was no longer scared of the ducks and in fact wanted to chase them. it was cool to see a little 11 week old pup run after a bunch as ducks that were about the same size him. anyways, is it simple things like that, that help or should i be doing other things as well?

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