Training Advice with live Quail
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 10:01 pm
Hello all, I am new to the group and I am really excited about talking to you guys and getting some knowledge. I searched and I wasn't able to find a post about this specifically.
I have about a 4-month-old GSP, this is my first pointer and I am new to hunting, however, I did train my lab for waterfowl (She has hip dysplasia at three years old, and now so I can and never was able to hunt her). So I am new to the upland scene, however, I love training my dog and I can wait to get out this season.
With that being said if you can share anything you think I am doing wrong or need to do be blunt as possible, if you think I am over my head then please share.
I've done a lot of reading and research, I've read How to Help Gun Dogs Train Themselves by Joan Bailey and I really like the book. Spoke with several different people and I have not really been able to get a solid answer to my question.
I've been working on basic obedience with my dog Diesel and he's getting the hang of it well, I do have issues with recall sometimes when he is out in the field, it's usually when he way out and has his nose to the ground on trailing something interesting (is that puppy brain?). He is not e-collar conditioned yet. He has had some exposure to water, he has not fully committed to swimming but does enjoy running through the water. I have not got heavy on fetching, just two to four retrieves with a frozen quail, dog toys, or even a bumper a day. I take him out to a field by my house and let him do "field runs". I have not started to do anything more than loud noises or bangs around the house while he is eating or retrieving. He has down some points on wild Robins that were in the field as well as some other game.
Now with how it currently is with fuel prices, lower wild bird numbers (I'm in Oklahoma and the numbers are way down), and not having anywhere close I figured I would raise some quail in our backyard for training (my wife was totally on board so I'm not in dog house lol). So with that being said, can anyone give me advice on how I need to plant them in the field? Do I need to worry about Diesel being in the backyard with them, would that create a relaxed association with them? I know I need to get him on birds but like I said it's really hard for me to go and try to find wild birds. Now in the Book, he simply states to not plant birds unless you know what you're doing and I'm lost on where to go to learn. Is it as simple as dizzying/tying the birds, having him on check chord, and working the field? I know human scent can be a problem so would it be better to do a recall box? I plan on planting the frozen quail and allowing him to do some scent work initially then slowly work to using the live birds. Is that a good plan?
When would it be a good time to do e-collar conditioning? Force fetching? Any advice to successfully carry these out? Am I missing anything and need to do other things before I start going down the route of live birds?
My biggest worry is "ruining" my dog by not being prepared, ignorant, or even just plain stupid. Any advice is greatly appreciated and if needed I can give more detail about things to make it more clear.
Thank you for your time.
I have about a 4-month-old GSP, this is my first pointer and I am new to hunting, however, I did train my lab for waterfowl (She has hip dysplasia at three years old, and now so I can and never was able to hunt her). So I am new to the upland scene, however, I love training my dog and I can wait to get out this season.
With that being said if you can share anything you think I am doing wrong or need to do be blunt as possible, if you think I am over my head then please share.
I've done a lot of reading and research, I've read How to Help Gun Dogs Train Themselves by Joan Bailey and I really like the book. Spoke with several different people and I have not really been able to get a solid answer to my question.
I've been working on basic obedience with my dog Diesel and he's getting the hang of it well, I do have issues with recall sometimes when he is out in the field, it's usually when he way out and has his nose to the ground on trailing something interesting (is that puppy brain?). He is not e-collar conditioned yet. He has had some exposure to water, he has not fully committed to swimming but does enjoy running through the water. I have not got heavy on fetching, just two to four retrieves with a frozen quail, dog toys, or even a bumper a day. I take him out to a field by my house and let him do "field runs". I have not started to do anything more than loud noises or bangs around the house while he is eating or retrieving. He has down some points on wild Robins that were in the field as well as some other game.
Now with how it currently is with fuel prices, lower wild bird numbers (I'm in Oklahoma and the numbers are way down), and not having anywhere close I figured I would raise some quail in our backyard for training (my wife was totally on board so I'm not in dog house lol). So with that being said, can anyone give me advice on how I need to plant them in the field? Do I need to worry about Diesel being in the backyard with them, would that create a relaxed association with them? I know I need to get him on birds but like I said it's really hard for me to go and try to find wild birds. Now in the Book, he simply states to not plant birds unless you know what you're doing and I'm lost on where to go to learn. Is it as simple as dizzying/tying the birds, having him on check chord, and working the field? I know human scent can be a problem so would it be better to do a recall box? I plan on planting the frozen quail and allowing him to do some scent work initially then slowly work to using the live birds. Is that a good plan?
When would it be a good time to do e-collar conditioning? Force fetching? Any advice to successfully carry these out? Am I missing anything and need to do other things before I start going down the route of live birds?
My biggest worry is "ruining" my dog by not being prepared, ignorant, or even just plain stupid. Any advice is greatly appreciated and if needed I can give more detail about things to make it more clear.
Thank you for your time.