Is there really an off season?
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- Rank: Junior Hunter
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Sun Sep 08, 2013 6:56 am
- Location: Northern California in the Wine Country
Is there really an off season?
As a detective working narcotics, I handled 4 K9's over my career. Needless to say, once I finished my basic training, I was kept busy year round with search warrants, probation searches, drug interdiction operations, and my continual in-house training. There really was never an off season.
Now handling my first pointing dog, I understand the break between hunting season and the Summer months. My question is.....does there come a time during hunting season that you should not engage your dog with new challenges during training, cut way back on training, or let things ride out with what you've worked on during Summer?
Thanks for any input...
10sam29
Now handling my first pointing dog, I understand the break between hunting season and the Summer months. My question is.....does there come a time during hunting season that you should not engage your dog with new challenges during training, cut way back on training, or let things ride out with what you've worked on during Summer?
Thanks for any input...
10sam29
Re: Is there really an off season?
No. The seasons may change as does what you work on, but I don't see there being an off season.
- Brazosvalleyvizslas
- Rank: 5X Champion
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- Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2012 9:20 am
- Location: Soon2be, Texas
Re: Is there really an off season?
I have found that if you compete with the dogs then yes, there should be some down time to avoid burn out. If your talking about simply hunting, then no, I cant see an off season.
Re: Is there really an off season?
My dogs get 6 weeks off, June-July, as vacation, no lessons, very little discipline, just fun time. No conditioning other than a little free running and swimming. Lot of hugs and petting, and just goofing off.
Re: Is there really an off season?
This sounds like everyday of my Max's life when it's time to hunt he put's his little head in gear and as soon as the hunting session ( not season ) is over he's back to being a goofy fun loving (kid)Neil wrote:My dogs get 6 weeks off, June-July, as vacation, no lessons, very little discipline, just fun time. No conditioning other than a little free running and swimming. Lot of hugs and petting, and just goofing off.
Re: Is there really an off season?
Our adult dogs hunt 5 months a year with "tune-up" training every day.
They run in hunt tests 7 months a year with "significant" training two or three days a week and tune up training the other days. On days that we don't hunt, they are 'free roaded'.
During Hunt Test season, they are 'free roaded' every day.
With young dogs, it really depends on where we are in training.
They really get "down in the dumps" if we don't do training or roading on a daily basis.
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They run in hunt tests 7 months a year with "significant" training two or three days a week and tune up training the other days. On days that we don't hunt, they are 'free roaded'.
During Hunt Test season, they are 'free roaded' every day.
With young dogs, it really depends on where we are in training.
They really get "down in the dumps" if we don't do training or roading on a daily basis.
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- Double Shot Banks
- Rank: 2X Champion
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- Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2012 11:45 pm
- Location: Iowa
Re: Is there really an off season?
After the first hunting season i let my Dog just be a dog for most of the summer. every few weeks id freshen him up on a few things but hardly any. Just about a month ago i got him back into it and he didn't forget a thing. With pointing dogs it might be different. But during the winter/summer his only job is being my best bud.
Isaac and Banks
Isaac and Banks
Re: Is there really an off season?
IMO for what it worth. You start with a good foundation and they never forget. The most important thing is the research we do before purchasing our new friend. I think more often then not we don't give them the credit they deserve. To the O/P you already have a dog background so you are knowledgeable already on dog behavior. You are going to enjoy this
- gonehuntin'
- GDF Junkie
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- Location: NE WI.
Re: Is there really an off season?
For a young dog no, but once he is trained, there is nothing more to really be gained by working them. From the end of season I just free run them and let them be couch potatoes, then in July, I start conditioning. I always reinforce basic training and give them all a brush up right before season. Work a trained dog too much and they'll get bored and sloppy.
- CDN_Cocker
- Rank: 5X Champion
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- Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2013 5:59 pm
- Location: ON, Canada
Re: Is there really an off season?
Spring through summer is training time. Fall is for hunting. There are 2-3 months in the winter (after all seasons have closed ie. jan - mar) where training is pretty sparse - mainly due to all the snow and ice.
Re: Is there really an off season?
My off season is when it is just too cold and dark every hour I'm home to do any serious training. Ya drive to work in the dark and drive home in the dark. I just reinforce basic obedience in the house in those months with one or two hunting specific training sessions outside on the weekend. Spring and summer are plenty long to get the dog fully back in the groove before bird season kicks off again.
- ultracarry
- GDF Junkie
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Re: Is there really an off season?
When they get older... if you do a good job while they are young you can have as much time off as you want. I haven't worked mine more then a handful of times since march. I don't see there being a problem in the coming trial season. Just conditioning.
- LarryLowell
- Rank: Junior Hunter
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- Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2004 6:10 pm
- Location: Phelan, California
Re: Is there really an off season?
Sam
Training is training, and hunting is hunting. When out hunting that is the results if the training put in. Out in the field hunting you reinforce/correct what's been learned in training, but for me anyway all training is done in the training field.
You can still continue training year round even during hunting season but i keep the two seperated. With training it's control work, hunting is reward and bring the training all together. So if your training for something and you cant consistently correct for that behavior while hunting because they haven't fully learned it yet, then it could create inconsistent yoyo learned habits that creates inconsistency in the field while hunting.
Training is training, and hunting is hunting. When out hunting that is the results if the training put in. Out in the field hunting you reinforce/correct what's been learned in training, but for me anyway all training is done in the training field.
You can still continue training year round even during hunting season but i keep the two seperated. With training it's control work, hunting is reward and bring the training all together. So if your training for something and you cant consistently correct for that behavior while hunting because they haven't fully learned it yet, then it could create inconsistent yoyo learned habits that creates inconsistency in the field while hunting.
- UglyD
- Rank: Senior Hunter
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- Joined: Thu May 17, 2012 2:29 pm
- Location: Paradise------------- Utah
Re: Is there really an off season?
Depends on what one might consider an off season.
From Sept 1 until Dec something my dogs are hunters period. Sometime in Dec until mid Feb they are hunters and cross country ski dogs.
From mid Feb until the snow is gone they are strictly cross country ski dogs.
April they are back in training.
Come June they still work out but become back packing/goat packing/fly fishing dogs.
Come Sept 1st the routine starts over again.
From Sept 1 until Dec something my dogs are hunters period. Sometime in Dec until mid Feb they are hunters and cross country ski dogs.
From mid Feb until the snow is gone they are strictly cross country ski dogs.
April they are back in training.
Come June they still work out but become back packing/goat packing/fly fishing dogs.
Come Sept 1st the routine starts over again.