Hey guys I'm going to apologize ahead of time for my first post being long.
I got a GSP pup about a year ago when she was almost a year old. The guy I got her from was going to put her down because he couldnt sell her so I saved her (I was pissed when I found it out). She is my second bird dog, I had an English Pointer before her that died during a hunting trip (long story).
Back to my GSP; she has had little training for hunting and I am by no means a professional, but I am trying very hard. She is very obedient in the house and around other people, but when it comes time to goto the field she wants to do nothing but run. She is trained on commands: Whoa, come, sit, bring it, drop, lay down, etc.
I took her out last year just to get some experience for her and she actually did pretty well for having very little training. I have been working with her this summer and into fall in the backyard trying to hammer home the basics of pheasant hunting. When I am in a controlled environment (like the backyard) she is very respondent. She uses her nose well on planted dummies and retrieves very well. When I take her out to the field to use dummies, she wants nothing to do with them. All she wants to do is run. I have read a couple of books including one about the Delmar Smith method. I dont have access to using live birds, so I am kind of confused as to what to do to convince her that using the dummies in the field is fun and like what we do at home. I know that at this age (2 years old) a lot of trainers say that dogs are pretty much stuck in their ways. Is there anything I can do to work with her and get her going? She is very instinctful and intelligent, but I need to do something to turn her onto it in the field. Am I confusing her? Any help would be great.
Thanks.
I got a GSP pup about a year ago when she was almost a year old. The guy I got her from was going to put her down because he couldnt sell her so I saved her (I was pissed when I found it out). She is my second bird dog, I had an English Pointer before her that died during a hunting trip (long story).
Back to my GSP; she has had little training for hunting and I am by no means a professional, but I am trying very hard. She is very obedient in the house and around other people, but when it comes time to goto the field she wants to do nothing but run. She is trained on commands: Whoa, come, sit, bring it, drop, lay down, etc.
I took her out last year just to get some experience for her and she actually did pretty well for having very little training. I have been working with her this summer and into fall in the backyard trying to hammer home the basics of pheasant hunting. When I am in a controlled environment (like the backyard) she is very respondent. She uses her nose well on planted dummies and retrieves very well. When I take her out to the field to use dummies, she wants nothing to do with them. All she wants to do is run. I have read a couple of books including one about the Delmar Smith method. I dont have access to using live birds, so I am kind of confused as to what to do to convince her that using the dummies in the field is fun and like what we do at home. I know that at this age (2 years old) a lot of trainers say that dogs are pretty much stuck in their ways. Is there anything I can do to work with her and get her going? She is very instinctful and intelligent, but I need to do something to turn her onto it in the field. Am I confusing her? Any help would be great.
Thanks.