Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

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Meskousing
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Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by Meskousing » Sun Feb 19, 2017 8:07 pm

I am a neophyte that is attempting to achieve my first well-trained hunting dog. He's a 20-month AWS. Prior to hunting season, which started in September, we worked on being steady to flush, shot, and fall. We made great progress with pigeons, which included moving from the field to the woods. He seemed to understand the rules of the game. He was steady with pigeons, unless they were a low flusher. However, grouse season hit and you'd never know that we did any steady training. At one point during the season, I caught a few pigeons and planted them in the woods. He was steady! It is apparent that my dawg can control himself with pigeons, but Mr. Ruff is too much. When he flushes one, it's like pure adrenaline has been dumped into his arteries.

In recognition that everything is a process and has intermediate steps, I feel like I'm missing a step. I'm considering buying a bird launcher because the pigeons' flying ability varies. Sometimes I dizzy them too much/not enough; too heavy cover/too light cover; low flush; poor flyer, etc. Will a bird launcher help with some of these issues? I'm also going to try and acquire a few chukars, too, because I've been thinking that their game bird smell will be one of those missing intermediate steps.

I tried to get him to steady on wild birds, but it didn't work out. I used my e-collar for this once he flushed birds, but it was apparent that there was no training occurring. Ultimately, the ecollar was used to get him to stop chasing the birds. It never diminished his drive, but it was clear that he wasn't learning any steadiness, so I kinda gave up and just hunted with him. I realize that some may say that is where I went wrong, but I wanted to hunt my little fella.

Hunting season is over and if this unseasonably warmer weather continues in WI, we'll have bare ground for training pretty soon. Am I on the right track getting a launcher and chukars? Does anyone have any other suggestions? What am I missing?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by gundogguy » Mon Feb 20, 2017 4:16 am

The state you live in Wisconsin, is a hot bed of spaniel training activity. There are many folks there that can help you really learn how to train a flushing dog.
I will not attempt to "internet train" a dog especially seeing you have so many resources at hand in your home state.
Personally IMHO you have waited a little to long to really get serious about steadying to wing and shot, but you just had to hunt your new spaniel.
There must be 5 spaniel clubs in your state find one or two and join up.
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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by polmaise » Mon Feb 20, 2017 4:21 am

Meskousing wrote: What am I missing?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.
An Acme 210 1/2 :D

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by crackerd » Mon Feb 20, 2017 7:24 am

gundogguy wrote:The state you live in Wisconsin, is a hot bed of spaniel training activity. There are many folks there that can help you really learn how to train a flushing dog.
I will not attempt to "internet train" a dog especially seeing you have so many resources at hand in your home state.
Personally IMHO you have waited a little to long to really get serious about steadying to wing and shot, but you just had to hunt your new spaniel.
There must be 5 spaniel clubs in your state find one or two and join up.
Lotta temptation there, gundogguy - first gundog, ruffed grouse in the equation, and Wisconsin's state dog, the AWS, to work them. Know I'd have had a hard time saying let's wait a while under those circumstances. But the new gundog guy for sure needs to heed advice from the distinguished gundogguy on spaniel training.

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by Timewise65 » Mon Feb 20, 2017 9:13 am

I only work with Retrievers, but I can tell you the first time I take my fully trained retriever to hunt ducks over decoys, you can bet they will break and ignore you when a bird is dropped! That is why I never hunt on our first hunt. I stay with the dog, usually with a slip lead threaded through the collar. Then when a bird is shot, I remind him/her not to break. Usually, one hunt is enough, although my current pup, needed my direct support for her first three hunts.....and she had a SH and WCX title at the time of her first real hunt! Something about shooting wild birds in real hunting situations that just blows their mind....! I think they pick up on the excitement of the hunters around them. Stop hunting continue training, using the real hunt as the last training ground....

Good Luck

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by Meskousing » Mon Feb 20, 2017 9:51 am

Polmaise, I already have a Acme 210.5 and will acquire a tweed jacket before next hunting season.

I started on the steadiness a year ago. I thought I was doing well until hunting season. Without boring you regarding my life, I work odd hours and schedules so I often hunt by myself. Therefore, I seldom have the opportunity of a dedicated gun and myself handling the dog.

Crackerd, yes the temptation was too great. The first season I had my dog I did little hunting and my little fella did none. This year I was too excited to hold out for another year as my AWS is my only pony in the stable. Next dog (don't tell the Misses my plan :) ) I'll have one in the hopper before this guy is fully retired.

Aside from suggestion of getting with a club, what else am I missing?

Thanks, again.

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by crackerd » Mon Feb 20, 2017 10:18 am

Not so much spaniel clubs, but spaniel expertise in Wisconsin. Gundogguy's in the game (FTs) and a trainer himself, so while he wisely won't train a dog over the internet, he could always share some of the resources you might catch up to out there. Again, it's the resources for training, not the clubs taking you under wing - I belonged to a spaniel club once of some repute, and memory is that it put on a single training clinic in about 10 years. What's more, like yourself, I didn't have a spaniel breed that was eligible to run trials, so that was a further deterrent in gaining ground early on in my training. But persistence in finding training resources willing to help (even at a price, i.e., professional help) - and being grateful and gracious for their help - was key. You should have an easier go of it in Wisconsin and certainly it wouldn't hurt if gundogguy could PM you some possible contacts.

MG

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by DonF » Mon Feb 20, 2017 10:58 am

Meskousing wrote:I am a neophyte that is attempting to achieve my first well-trained hunting dog. He's a 20-month AWS. Prior to hunting season, which started in September, we worked on being steady to flush, shot, and fall. We made great progress with pigeons, which included moving from the field to the woods. He seemed to understand the rules of the game. He was steady with pigeons, unless they were a low flusher. However, grouse season hit and you'd never know that we did any steady training. At one point during the season, I caught a few pigeons and planted them in the woods. He was steady! It is apparent that my dawg can control himself with pigeons, but Mr. Ruff is too much. When he flushes one, it's like pure adrenaline has been dumped into his arteries.

In recognition that everything is a process and has intermediate steps, I feel like I'm missing a step. I'm considering buying a bird launcher because the pigeons' flying ability varies. Sometimes I dizzy them too much/not enough; too heavy cover/too light cover; low flush; poor flyer, etc. Will a bird launcher help with some of these issues? I'm also going to try and acquire a few chukars, too, because I've been thinking that their game bird smell will be one of those missing intermediate steps.

I tried to get him to steady on wild birds, but it didn't work out. I used my e-collar for this once he flushed birds, but it was apparent that there was no training occurring. Ultimately, the ecollar was used to get him to stop chasing the birds. It never diminished his drive, but it was clear that he wasn't learning any steadiness, so I kinda gave up and just hunted with him. I realize that some may say that is where I went wrong, but I wanted to hunt my little fella.

Hunting season is over and if this unseasonably warmer weather continues in WI, we'll have bare ground for training pretty soon. Am I on the right track getting a launcher and chukars? Does anyone have any other suggestions? What am I missing?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.
I would not get a launcher with a spaniel. You could teach your dog easily to blink the birds. That is expecting the launcher to pop, the dog hesitates or in bad case's simply leaves the bird. Spaniel plant the birds, that is dizzy them only and throw them in cover. You will have some not dizzied enough and they will get up on you and go back to the loft, you do have a loft don't you? Of the one's that stay down, your dog will probably catch some, no big deal. It will convince your dog it can catch the birds and it will flush harder. Ideally what you want it for the bird to stay on the ground for ten minutes or so but, be up and walking around when your dog get's there. if the flush get's soft, you risk having the bird run on the dog and out of your gun range. You want the bird in the air right now. Catching a few birds on the ground is far superior to trying a launcher. And I am a launcher freek!

Getting the dog to stop to flush can be done the same way I teach stop to flush. I use the word whoa. Spaniel people usually use the word hup. Hup means to sit and don't move. I get a dog coming toward me and give it the whoa command, hup for a spaniel. The spaniel sit's! Let it sit a few sec then toss a bird. Watch your dog, if it come's off the ground, hup it again right way. You work the voice command and the bird flying toward each other, that is shorten the time between the voice command and the flying bird. You will reach a pint where you elminate the voice command and tossing the bird stops the dog. Take the dog back to the field but shorter run for the dog. Your working on hup, that's all. Have the birds down and be close to your dog and soon as the bird come's up give the hup command, timing is everything! Soon enough when the bird come up the dog goes down. Ignore the birds he catch's, they are good for getting him to push wild birds off the ground. Pay close attention to what you are doing.
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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by IsThisHeaven? » Mon Feb 20, 2017 12:01 pm

Be careful with the clubs. Not all are created equal. The advise to seek out knowledgeable people with the right resources is good advise. There are many pros and successful spaniel folks in WI and MN. Maybe look into that.

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by mountaindogs » Mon Feb 20, 2017 12:58 pm

The basic gist is:
Teach whistle sit or HUP in the yard until reliable. plant the birds and mark them so you know where they are. Have a gunner friend whose job is to shoot the birds AND MARK THE BIRDS. your job is your dog. Walk the dog into the scent cone on a check cord and let the dog flush then hit the whistle sit or HUP and hold that line. The dog will break and and then hit the line and hopefully sit. Probably after a spin or giving you a rotator cuff injury :oops: (don't let the line get too long) Let the gunner retrieve the bird because the dog was not steady. Repeat again. and again. After several times the dogs will start to sit on the whistle as they know they don't have access to run and chase. When the dog responds to the whistle and sits the dog gets to go get the bird and retrieve. When this is reliable and the rotator cuff is healed and the risk of losing an arm is gone, switch jobs with your gunner friend. You keep the whistle but let them hold the line wile you whistle sit, and shoot.
Clean the game and give it to you gunner friend along with worthy drink as thanks for their work. Especially early on you gunner is working hard - make sure to treat them well.
There are all kinds of ways to make it fancier and use pigeons and start with stop to pigeon flush etc... but above will get you there if you are consistent.

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by DonF » Mon Feb 20, 2017 1:16 pm

Good post. I'd change one thing though. Don't stop the dog until the bird is well on the way and the flush itself is complete. You stop the dog before the bird is flushed and you will teach it to blink. If the dog catch's the bird on the ground, so be it. Good boy and go on, don't plant the birds to hard!
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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by Trekmoor » Mon Feb 20, 2017 1:58 pm

Here is my rather "British" take on this subject. You appear to have missed out two of the training stages.
Those two stages are .... Stop to flush with NO gun present and Stop to shot with NO bird present. I.M.O. both of those things are commands to Stop in their own right.
When finally put together (bird flies and gun bangs) the dog has had two commands to stop and should do so .....or else ! When this is done, to begin with the bang from the gun should only salute the departing bird ........you aim to deliberately miss. This gives you every chance to ensure the dog stopped at once when either the bird was flushed or to the sound of the shot......even if it was fired into the air when a bird the dog did not actually flush flew off nearby.

When the dog is steady to both the rising bird and to the shots saluting rising birds, then the dog can be finally shot over. The dog has had two commands to stop and these overcome the two "cues" for it to chase or run in.

Just my opinion.

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by mountaindogs » Mon Feb 20, 2017 2:17 pm

DonF wrote:Good post. I'd change one thing though. Don't stop the dog until the bird is well on the way and the flush itself is complete. You stop the dog before the bird is flushed and you will teach it to blink. If the dog catch's the bird on the ground, so be it. Good boy and go on, don't plant the birds to hard!
All true :)

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by polmaise » Mon Feb 20, 2017 2:31 pm

Meskousing wrote:Polmaise, I already have a Acme 210.5 and will acquire a tweed jacket before next hunting season.

I started on the steadiness a year ago. I thought I was doing well until hunting season. Without boring you regarding my life, I work odd hours and schedules so I often hunt by myself. Therefore, I seldom have the opportunity of a dedicated gun and myself handling the dog.


Aside from suggestion of getting with a club, what else am I missing?

Thanks, again.
The Tweed Jacket will only keep you warm on a windy day. You may Look good in it ,but it ain't gonna make the dog any better. :wink:
Everyone thinks they have well trained dog until they take them out shooting :roll:
As for 'odd hours' ?...there is none (imo) neither is there for the dog ?...Available light for some folks is a 'cop out' . I often flush rabbits with a flashlight and a hunting springer ..works too! (But that may be a bridge too far) .
Best advice so far from previous posts ...Go spend some money with a 'Goodguy' . You sound like you may get confused on here with Free advice .
atb
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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by Meskousing » Mon Feb 20, 2017 9:23 pm

All, Thank you for the input.

I have done a lot, or similar, of the suggestions provided with pigeons. My dog just knows the difference between training with roof rats and the real-deal. I'm looking for suggestions on how to make him understand that the same behaviors are expected. More reps with pigeons?

I work with an amateur spaniel FT trainer when possible. However, last fall when I needed his help, he didn't call me back. I will get ahold of him this spring, again. I also work with a pro retriever trainer, but he thinks I'm crazy for worrying about steadying my dog. He plays upland hunting tournaments, so he wants his dogs to catch the falling bird, if possible. With that being said, I'll try and contact some spaniel clubs to see about assistance. Is it likely or possible that members would meet me outside of a designated training day?

DonF, In light of the advice regarding avoiding a launcher, I was inquiring because of the unreliability (or lack of my skill) in planting pigeons. I don't have any worries about my dog's flushing drive. If a grouse gets up in front of him he lets out little 'yips' and starts chasing it. It's the same sound as when he's in hot pursuit of a bunny. My thought was to ensure that we could get repetitions on solid flushes. As you mentioned, I don't like to stop him until the bird is up and sometimes it takes a while for the bird to get full lift-off. In the meantime he's chasing the bird, which reinforces the behavior I'm trying to correct. I will heed your advice, though. I have a pigeon coop. A pigeon fancier would be ashamed of my twigs and nails being called a loft, so I call it a coop. I have ready access to standard barn pigeons and don't have any interest in homers. There are a few local farmers that let me climb around their barns and silos. There's also a local kid that likes cash and is willing to climb silos when I want volume and am in a pinch.

Trekmoor, I have been teaching him that shot=whistle=sit. I'm trying to get flush=whistle=sit. However, based upon your comment, I will need to back up a bit and I'm OK with that.

Polmaise, if the dog doesn't turn out, I still need to LOOK good whilst hunting. I have experienced the well-trained dog not performing to the same standard while hunting. And we're working on that.

Thanks for the advice and insights.

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by gundogguy » Tue Feb 21, 2017 4:30 am

For starters, Wisconsin resources on advanced Spaniel training, Jason Givens, Jeff Schartz, Dean Rienke, I'm probable leaving out 4-5 others. If someone could not google these guys and find them they have no business bird hunting in the first place.
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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by MJB64 » Tue Feb 21, 2017 9:07 am

gundogguy wrote:For starters, Wisconsin resources on advanced Spaniel training, Jason Givens, Jeff Schartz, Dean Rienke, I'm probable leaving out 4-5 others. If someone could not google these guys and find them they have no business bird hunting in the first place.
t

It's always good to know what the new Wisconsin bird hunting regulations are. I had not read that one.
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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by gundogguy » Wed Feb 22, 2017 4:25 am

MJB64 wrote:
gundogguy wrote:For starters, Wisconsin resources on advanced Spaniel training, Jason Givens, Jeff Schartz, Dean Rienke, I'm probable leaving out 4-5 others. If someone could not google these guys and find them they have no business bird hunting in the first place.
t

It's always good to know what the new Wisconsin bird hunting regulations are. I had not read that one.
Steadying to wing shot probably not covered bird hunting regs either, cause if that was the rule there would be very few going hunting!
I think and maybe Polmaise or Trekmoor could help but I believe in Germany you and your dog are tested before you can acquire a hunting license???
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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by polmaise » Fri Mar 10, 2017 5:17 pm

Just a License to be asked out or be in the company of 'Gundogguy' is good enough :wink:
..
This little one was taken through all the right steps before this 'fisrt day' on the real deal . ....Doesn't get much better with ,hunt/flush/shot/stop/..............steady to drop /send/find/retrieve ..for a 'pup' . But like you say ..different rules . This little one I'll have any day in the shooting field . I was the one with the gun btw ..
But, the training/conditioning was already done/completed before we went in the field and the 'real deal' .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePZL85wKe0M
...
"Polmaise, I already have a Acme 210.5 and will acquire a tweed jacket before next hunting season.
I started on the steadiness a year ago. I thought I was doing well until hunting season. Without boring you regarding my life, I work odd hours and schedules so I often hunt by myself. Therefore, I seldom have the opportunity of a dedicated gun and myself handling the dog."

I seldom have clients that have all day everyday ..If I did ..they wouldn't be clients :wink:

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by Trekmoor » Sat Mar 11, 2017 5:01 am

I can only repeat ....break up the training into smaller segments. ----- Stop to whistle, stop to thrown dummies while the dummy is still in the air. Stop to shot as the dog is hunting, stop to flush with no shot fired, stop to flush and shot without shooting the bird! Stop to flush, shot and fall of bird.
If a dog has been trained in this way it has had three consecutive commands to stop every time it flushes a bird that you manage to hit. Each command reinforces the preceding one.
Most trainers are far too keen to shoot the birds their dog flushes and if the dog then runs-in and gets the bird it is self-rewarding to the dog. ......... Think more about the dog for a while and less about shooting the birds produced by the dog .

........... That sounds awful "preachery" ......sorry.

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by CDN_Cocker » Sun Mar 12, 2017 7:50 am

I'm with Wullie on this one. Back up and break up the steps. You'll probably find that a grouse is actually easier to steady the dog too as they fly harder than a pigeon and are up and gone before the dog has a chance to chase. It sounds as though you skimmed through the lessons too quickly.
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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by polmaise » Sun Mar 12, 2017 4:57 pm

CDN_Cocker wrote: You'll probably find that a grouse is actually easier to steady the dog too as they fly harder than a pigeon and are up and gone before the dog has a chance to chase.
the harder the bird fly's is no measure of the steadiness of the dog !!
Try a Rabbit ?..If you want to measure a chase :lol:

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by Trekmoor » Mon Mar 13, 2017 7:23 am

Dogs are programmed in the womb to react to "ill looking" prey that does not move as it should. If a pigeon was ejected from a "trap" and did not "look right" my dogs would at least attempt to bring it down. It is what I want from them in the real world of shooting. I have often watched my dogs pursue lightly pricked pheasants that could still fly if approached. My old cocker "Charlie" has pursued that sort of bird for well over 500 yards over moorland.

When he was young I had him in Davey Lissets big rabbit pen. He was completely steady to every rabbit he saw but he caught and brought back to me all 3 of the wing clipped partridge and pheasant that were also in the pen. Davey asked me why I had let him do that and I replied that the birds had not flown properly.

From a British spaniel trialing point of view Charlie would have been eliminated for pegging unshot game .....which is why those birds were in the pen. I have a different viewpoint on that kind of steadiness to flush. If a bird cannot fly properly it is unhealthy or injured and it should be collected by the dog.

I would use only strong flying birds when using a release trap.......or I would not blame the dog if it got the wrong idea of what you might want.

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by polmaise » Mon Mar 13, 2017 8:49 am

I wonder why using Quail in training is so popular . They don't fly very well and not too high and not far at all :P

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by crackerd » Mon Mar 13, 2017 9:07 am

polmaise wrote:I wonder why using Quail in training is so popular . They don't fly very well and not too high and not far at all :P
Absolutely right, Robt. - alas, it's "popularity from necessity" for many, who can't get pigeons, chukkar (or rabbits!) to train with, especially newcomers to spanieling.

On the positive side, "johnny house" quail - ask Wullie - are great birds for steadying up a spaniel because while they don't "fly far at all" they do fly well when they get up.

MG

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by polmaise » Mon Mar 13, 2017 12:27 pm

Our OP already has access to Pigeons .
It's the application that is not achieving the desired result .
Meskousing wrote: He was steady with pigeons, unless they were a low flusher.
In recognition that everything is a process and has intermediate steps, I feel like I'm missing a step.
Personally , 'dizzying' is an art in it'self :wink: ...
So his original question of using a launcher to benefit is 'Yes' . ....It takes out the 'slow flyers' (that in it'self ,by using the launcher has other connotations,of which the warriors of the forum will pounce :roll: ) ,
All said and done , if the process required is to include 'Steady to flush,shot and fall with a spaniel' ..then it doesn't matter what is flushed or how fast or how low or how high .....the dog must 'stop' on every part of that process .End of. :D

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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by gundogguy » Mon Mar 13, 2017 1:44 pm

polmaise wrote:I wonder why using Quail in training is so popular . They don't fly very well and not too high and not far at all :P
Quail are really a pointing dog thing here in the states. 100's of spaniels after 40yrs never ever used quail. Really did not care for chukars all that much. Pigeons,Pheasants, Guineas, were my go to training birds.
Bill and Robert are right on bolting rabbit true test of steadiness.
IMO wild birds are a poor choice for the young dog just being newly steadied or during the process. Bird launchers are something else I never bothered with when training flushing breeds.
The OP has an American Water spaniel AWS this not a slam on the breed however I would be amazed if this pup came from Steady to wing and shot parentage ( Sire and Dam). Not a lot of Steady to wing and shot AWS dogs even exist here in the States or Canada.
Find a good spaniel trainer and get the job done pronto do not put it off
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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by CDN_Cocker » Mon Mar 13, 2017 2:34 pm

polmaise wrote:
CDN_Cocker wrote: You'll probably find that a grouse is actually easier to steady the dog too as they fly harder than a pigeon and are up and gone before the dog has a chance to chase.
the harder the bird fly's is no measure of the steadiness of the dog !!
Try a Rabbit ?..If you want to measure a chase :lol:
Agreed but what I mean is a ruffed grouse gets up in the air and gone faster than any other bird so is less tempting for a dog to chase. A poor flying pigeon/quail/chukar is a whole other story. You see this conundrum quite often in spring spaniel trials where they use pen raised chukars.
Cass
"If you train a young dog for momentum, precision will arrive. If you train for precision, demanding perfection, momentum will depart." - Rex Carr

polmaise
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Location: Scotland

Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by polmaise » Mon Mar 13, 2017 3:13 pm

CDN_Cocker wrote: Agreed but what I mean is a ruffed grouse gets up in the air and gone faster than any other bird so is less tempting for a dog to chase. A poor flying pigeon/quail/chukar is a whole other story. You see this conundrum quite often in spring spaniel trials where they use pen raised chukars.
We have lot's of rain ... :lol: ..A wet bird will not get up in the air as fast as a dry bird ? ..no matter the type . lol..
Oh' ...and I can get the same pigeon fly 10 times faster when released when It has a chance to see what's coming than when I take it straight out the bag ;) ....
:lol:
Like I said ...Is it steady to shot and fall with a spaniel one seeks ..or just fast flying birds ?

Meskousing
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Location: Neva, WI

Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by Meskousing » Wed Mar 15, 2017 7:29 am

Thanks everyone for the responses. Everyone has provided me with something to think on. I am in the process of trying to locate some affordable game birds and capturing some pigeons.

I'm also reminded of what am obedience trainer told me:. If you put three dog trainers in a room, the only thing two of them will agree on is that the other trainer is wrong.

polmaise
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Re: Steady to flush, shot, and fall with a spaniel

Post by polmaise » Wed Mar 15, 2017 8:29 am

Meskousing wrote:Thanks everyone for the responses. Everyone has provided me with something to think on. I am in the process of trying to locate some affordable game birds and capturing some pigeons.

I'm also reminded of what am obedience trainer told me:. If you put three dog trainers in a room, the only thing two of them will agree on is that the other trainer is wrong.
Perhaps You should get more advise from that Obedience Trainer :lol:
The best advice You got on here was the first reply :wink: But it would appear from your conclusion, the way forward is to do what you have already done :roll:
gundogguy wrote:The state you live in Wisconsin, is a hot bed of spaniel training activity. There are many folks there that can help you really learn how to train a flushing dog.
I will not attempt to "internet train" a dog especially seeing you have so many resources at hand in your home state.
Personally IMHO you have waited a little to long to really get serious about steadying to wing and shot, but you just had to hunt your new spaniel.
There must be 5 spaniel clubs in your state find one or two and join up.

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