BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[minnlegacy]

I have a 2 year old yellow lab with beyond excellent bloodlines. I originally bought him for bird hunting but have not trained him yet. Is it to late? Or can he still be a good bird dog? I have somewhat introduced him to grouse scent and seems to respond well. I am worried about him running off( not nutered). He seems to only want a little lady. Is he still trainable?

[bigbucks8]

Personaly i do not think so. I started training my black lab just before he turned one.But i was lazy and only trained during hunting season, but now 3 years old for the past 6 months i have been training like crazy. He has come along great. flushing two roosters the first day out hunting. Make it a game, try to get some live birds and let him play with them and get to know there scent. You dont want the dog to fear the birds.And if possible let him hunt with an expienced bird dog Probably male or else he might not pay atention.It worked for my dog and he is three. Good luck.
I also would like to hear different oppinions from people on this subject. And correct me if i am doing somthing wrong. I mean i am Not a dog trainer. I am just a guy with a gun, a dog, and an obsession. :thumbsup1:

[barnold]

This message was really interesting to me. I have a golden retreiver he's almost 2 and when he was a pup I worked with him a little but then got lazy and of course had other things to do so trianing got pushed to the back burner.

Anyway, I was wondering the same thing, is he to old to start working with agian? Well the other day we were out shooting skeet when a starling flew by and my brother shot it. The dog went out on his own without cammand and retrieved it, to my amazment brought it back unharmed(not chewed up). So I'm thinking he can still be trained.

[Don Fischer]

This is pretty old but things are kinda slow here. I don't usually start any training on a dog befor 12mos to 18mos. I want the pup crap over and a adult to work with. People that start to soon have the second year problems. They have become accepted only because people start dogs to soon.

[barnold]

Does anybody kknow anyone who trains dogs around MO?

[tailcrackin]

Nah, disagree, man the stuff you can teach correctly as a pup, if you do it right, they don't even know they are being taught. Patience is a virtue, It all goes to foundation and exposure, now also understand, the clients don't like paying for it at that young, but when they see the progess, awful lot of big smiles. If I can get a pup at 12 weeks, 2mo, be retrieving to hand, and working slowly into ob, gun exposures done water assoc. done, and they have never fallin apart, honestly. I am not gonna argue, but usually any dog can be taught, or be fixed, takes time, but it can be done. Thanks Jonesy

[Don Fischer]

And if possible let him hunt with an expienced bird dog {thats a quote}

I've been reading thru this again and there's a few more things worth mention. Number on is the statement above. Don't put your untrained dog down with a trained one. Several things might happen here. How good is that trained one? Will it teach your dog what YOU want it to know or what fun really is? If it's a well trained dog thats maybe a bit soft, your untrained dog just may untrain the trained dog. Train your dog alone and demand it's complete and undevided attention. Train it what YOU want it to know.

Cutting his nuts off will stop him from reproducing but not necessarily running off. He'll run off because he really want's to hunt and you can't control him. Then too if he's complete in his manhood{has his nut's}, he'll likely seekout a girl in heat if one's around.
Make it a game, try to get some live birds and let him play with them and get to know there. Another no-no! Birds are not a play toy. You start making a game out of business and the dog may well never take business serious. Doing a flusher, set out lot's of wing clipped pigeons and let your dog catch every one, not as a game but as what he's after. Do it only after he's WELL schooled in retrieving and have him retrieve them all. What you'll find is that your flushing dog thinks he can catch ALL birds on the ground so tries. He'll blast a wild bird right out. If your at a point where you can shoot for him, put several down wing pulled and a few more WITH full flight feathers. Spaniel plant those and if he doesn't catch them, shoot them for him.

Spaniel planting: hold the bird by the body upside down and spin them in a circle with your wrist. You'll know when the bird is dizzy because you look at it's eye's and it will be blinking and won't hold it's head up well. Now throw the bird hard onto the ground into light cover, that'll knock the wind out of it. That bird will be there for up 15 min when done right.

Pointer planting: Pretty much the same way except don't throw the bird down. When it's dizzy, gently tuck it's head under a wing, fold the wing over the head and gently lay the bird on the ground on the wing the head is under. It'll be there a good long time!

One last thing, don't waste your money on training sents. When you really need to work with your dog on sents, drag a fresh killed bird. The best bird for any training is a pigeon. Teach everything with a non-game bird and start over with game birds when your done. The transitttion form pigeons to game birds is unbelieveably fast. That's because you taught it all it need to know on a bird it'll likely never work in the wild and then you introduce the real thing WHEN THE DOG IS TRAINED!!!

[tailcrackin]

Spaniel planting ......Pointer planting.... Put the bird down to hard for any dog, it will end up a "bird turd", exspecially a young dog. :yes: Man you watch to much tournament hunting on t.v. Clip every birds wings, so a springer can catch, if you went to the store and could have every toy, would you take it?? Get kinda boring, makes the desire when they can't catch them, why do you think pointing bird dogs point, how you teaching that??? Lets go to the wing and the fishing pole..........you flop and flop and flop the wing until dog gives up on catching, and ta da, puppy is pointing, I guess it takes alot longer to wear out a 2 yr old though. ::-k UMMMM.....ok? If you say so, Thanks Dave Jones

[Don Fischer]

If anyone would like an answer to the above post, please ask. I have just sent Mr Jones a P.M. and hopefully we can get back to giving our opinion's and quit this distracting garbage. There are about as many different ways of training a dog as there are trainer's. There's not enough time for this non-productive stuff that clouds the water. I hope each of you can make up your own mind.

[tailcrackin]

Yes, sorry guys, I am sure that everyone trains there own way, and with there own procedures, some of the stuff I do not agree with, but we have all got our own styles and what has worked before with our selves. Don or myself will try and help all of you to understand what and why, ok?? We might pick a little but testing each other is a good thing. I am sure Don will agree, this is how we better ourselves for the public help. I will always, and have always given my most honest opinion! Don, will be a pleasure working with you, through out all of this. Thanks Dave Jones.... Jonesy's Gun Dogs, Thanks again Jonesy :)

[mite]

A quote from another dog trainer, "About the only thing that two trainers will agree to is what a third trainer is doing wrong." :yes:

[Don Fischer]

:thumbsup1:

[newhunter77]

Brought home a 7 week old chocolate lab. Dog has been great, I have had him for one week and he pretty much has the house training down already. I have been playing fetch with him lately and he is already retrieving sticks to hand. When shall I start on birds? Or if anyone knows a professional trainer in Michigan, or a way to somehow find one please let me know. I am excited to get him going just to see what he is capable at such a young age.

I haven't shot around the pup yet, but it seems he is surprised by loud noises, for example a vacuum cleaner. Is there any way I can get him used to loud noises so as not to frighten him when i take him out using a shot gun?

Can't wait to get him out there!

[hunter777]

I gave my son a cap gun (he spends all day with the dog) and about 5000 caps. Dog doesnt even flinch.

[Widux]

I start pups at 49 days like old timer I am. BUT see no reason why,if dog has OB training, you can't start at beginning and go from there. might never be a FT champ but for ducks and upland I'd give it a try esp since you are already attached to the dog.Heck- maybe it's been waiting 2yrs for you to start. get some birds and see it's reaction and go from there.
I like to get a pup in Dec so I can get all the house/ob/ bonding issues out of way before spring- then when weather turns- we're out de door- I use Wolter's plan old but good- mix in some Tri tronics/Dobbs-Astrong dose Of Mike Stewart/Milner/Barlow and then in late May Intro to water and in June or so I take them out to GF for bird intro- They go fishing with me all the time and we work on boat /dekes/etc when fishing is slow.I have a small farm and near by ponds- being retired gives me lots of time to work them- last night we were working on one of our Duck Boats and they wanted in- heck it's theirs as much as mine.Plan works well and pup can hunt ducks/ upland at 9mos in fall-
As for play toys--only one my dogs ever have is a KONG-it's theirs and i never try to get them to give it to me nor take it from them BUT no throwing sticks- no frizbies- no play crapola- affection yes- and oh yea- I would never subject any Hunting dog of mine to wearing a BANDANA! NEVER!