Dog's First Hunt

[westksbowhunter]

My concern would be gun introduction

I would let him find and flush and chase birds before I shot over him

Get him bird crazy with lots of encouragement and atta boys so he’s actively seeking pheasants

Then when he’s fired up chasing one he flushed shoot it for him so he sees it fall just one shot no boom boom boom

If you miss let it fly off and just do the attaboys and go find another bird

Once he connects the boom with a bird falling you will be on your way

Also forget trying to teach quartering just follow him
Around and catch up to him when he gets birdy

Well I wouldn't shoot over him until I did a proper gun introduction. And yes teach him to quarter. That goes hand in hand with bird introduction and gun introduction, if you know what you are doing. I do bird intro at 8 weeks and it continues through running marks and teaching quartering once gun dog training starts. Then when teaching quartering you have your helpers toss a bird and fire a gun. Pretty soon you have a hard quartering, birdy dog, who is used to the gun. It is all broken down into phases when you follow a solid program. Each phase flows into the next and when hunting season approaches you have a trained dog ready to hit the field. The dog is very birdy, has basic obedience down, is collar conditioned, force fetched, and quarters like an olympic skier. Trial and error is not training, it is teaching bad habits.

 

[bobman]

It’s one newbee on a first hunt I doubt he has several helpers I would worry about not screwing him up

You can teach quartering and any other handling for blind retrieves anytime.

I’ve trained many many labs back in the 70s 80s and early nineties if Their owner wanted a upland dog I always waited until they were good at that before doing a lot of handling drills. This dog is already clingy per his description, I would try and build independence at this point.

My advice is get the dog birdy and confident you can reel them in very easily , pushing them out can be very difficult.

What I’m recommending can be done while on his first hunts.

 

[westksbowhunter]

It’s one newbee on a first hunt I doubt he has several helpers I would worry about not screwing him up

You can teach quartering and any other handling for blind retrieves anytime.

I’ve trained many many labs back in the 70s 80s and early nineties if Their owner wanted a upland dog I always waited until they were good at that before doing a lot of handling drills. This dog is already clingy per his description, I would try and build independence at this point.

My advice is get the dog birdy and confident you can reel them in very easily , pushing them out can be very difficult.

What I’m recommending can be done while on his first hunts.

Now listen and understand what I am saying. I am suggesting some training before hunting. Why in the world would you try to teaching a dog to quarter on its first hunt? You do this before the dog goes hunting. That is what training is. The only way to "screw" the dog is up is to to put in a situation where it can't succeed. And that would be hunting a dog and shooting over it before it has had any gun introduction or bird introduction.

 

[bobman]

you can take a untrained young dog hunting if you go about carefully introing the gun while you do it.
I’ve done it hundreds of times.
You just have to be careful reading the dogs reaction to the shot which is why I said make sure the dog is wound up chasing a bird when he shoots.

And We agree that hunting is not the time to do specific training, but it’s hunting season so I would get it into birds and worry about training later.

He’s already said he’s taking it hunting, if that’s the case about all he can accomplish while hunting is bird drive and gun intro which are both the basis for the rest anyway.

 

[westksbowhunter]

you can take a untrained young dog hunting if you go about carefully introing the gun while you do it.
I’ve done it hundreds of times.
You just have to be careful reading the dogs reaction to the shot which is why I said make sure the dog is wound up chasing a bird when he shoots.

And We agree that hunting is not the time to do specific training, but it’s hunting season so I would get it into birds and worry about training later.

He’s already said he’s taking it hunting, if that’s the case about all he can accomplish while hunting is bird drive and gun intro which are both the basis for the rest anyway.

Yep you sure can. But I would not advise it. I would sacrifice a few weeks of hunting to make sure I had the next 10 or 12 years to enjoy my dog. Put the dog first, not yourself.

 

[IRISHWHISTLER]

Yep you sure can. But I would not advise it. I would sacrifice a few weeks of hunting to make sure I had the next 10 or 12 years to enjoy my dog. Put the dog first, not yourself.

I fully echo what wetksbowhunter has so aptly stated. Once again, there are folks giving ye some misinformation that will be less than positive / productive for your pup. Do what is right for your retriever in the long game, not what you might see as a "shortcut". There are no valid shortcuts in forging a competent gun dog. As the saying goes, "make haste slowly".

Get yeself a good program on retriever training and stick to it without deviation. You are a self admitted first time trainer (every trainer was at some point). Take your time and do it right. FOCUS ON TRAINING THE DOG - NOT ON PREMATURELY HUNTING THE DOG.

Are ye planning ensuing this retriever solely as an upland bird hunting retriever, or additionally for waterfowl hunting too?

Mikey

 

[IRISHWHISTLER]

Well I wouldn't shoot over him until I did a proper gun introduction. And yes teach him to quarter. That goes hand in hand with bird introduction and gun introduction, if you know what you are doing. I do bird intro at 8 weeks and it continues through running marks and teaching quartering once gun dog training starts. Then when teaching quartering you have your helpers toss a bird and fire a gun. Pretty soon you have a hard quartering, birdy dog, who is used to the gun. It is all broken down into phases when you follow a solid program. Each phase flows into the next and when hunting season approaches you have a trained dog ready to hit the field. The dog is very birdy, has basic obedience down, is collar conditioned, force fetched, and quarters like an olympic skier. Trial and error is not training, it is teaching bad habits.

X2 on this. Westksbowhunter is spot on.

Cheers,
THE DOG WHISTLER