Too easy?!?!?

goldenboy

goldenboy

Well-known member
I have a problem and I am wondering what some of you guys do if you have this issue. I hunt game farms between my times chasing wild birds. I do it to guide and make some money to support my upland habit and also to get experience for my dogs. The problem I have is that I have an older dog, (9 1/2) who is so full of energy and so experienced that the game farm experience is "too easy' for her. What I mean is that she knows where the birds are, she always heads for the cover. She knows how to use her nose and run downwind quickly of potential patches. She then is so amped up I have to constantly be on her to slow her down and hold her back or she ruins the hunting experience by her drive/hate for pheasants! When I guide it is easier because I just run my dogs and I am not trying to run collars, retrieves, group dynamics etc. along with my own gun. But if I go out to the farm for my own shooting I tend to want to leave her behind and bring her daughter who is slower and more methodical. They are flushers but the younger one slows down and points which is nice at the game farm. Any suggestions on ways to slow the old dog down? I hate to leave her at home because she has been such a loyal and faithful hunting partner. Yes I do run e-collars on both of them. Interesting but the last time I was out last week I just took the younger dog. I realized at the end of the day that I never once had to use the e-collar buttons! She totally responded to my voice and whistle. Both have been sent out to training and are great at obedience, deliver to hand, understand my commands and signals. But the one just has so much drive even at her old age. Can you still teach the old dog some new tricks?!
 
goldenboy said:
I have a problem and I am wondering what some of you guys do if you have this issue. I hunt game farms between my times chasing wild birds. I do it to guide and make some money to support my upland habit and also to get experience for my dogs. The problem I have is that I have an older dog, (9 1/2) who is so full of energy and so experienced that the game farm experience is "too easy' for her. What I mean is that she knows where the birds are, she always heads for the cover. She knows how to use her nose and run downwind quickly of potential patches. She then is so amped up I have to constantly be on her to slow her down and hold her back or she ruins the hunting experience by her drive/hate for pheasants! When I guide it is easier because I just run my dogs and I am not trying to run collars, retrieves, group dynamics etc. along with my own gun. But if I go out to the farm for my own shooting I tend to want to leave her behind and bring her daughter who is slower and more methodical. They are flushers but the younger one slows down and points which is nice at the game farm. Any suggestions on ways to slow the old dog down? I hate to leave her at home because she has been such a loyal and faithful hunting partner. Yes I do run e-collars on both of them. Interesting but the last time I was out last week I just took the younger dog. I realized at the end of the day that I never once had to use the e-collar buttons! She totally responded to my voice and whistle. Both have been sent out to training and are great at obedience, deliver to hand, understand my commands and signals. But the one just has so much drive even at her old age. Can you still teach the old dog some new tricks?!
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Hey Joel, Understand the problem...Max can follow the "bird truck" and knows where the birds are placed! With snow on the ground, the birds tend to hold and the dog invariably grabs a few, before they fly, although this is sometimes a problem with wild birds as well.

One alternative is a long lead on your senior dog...attempting to hold her back from busting the bird.

Max will point also, but is very aggressive and wide ranging...
 
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Joel,
My old female that addy replaced had the same issue. I found that hunting her with the wind helped. If we hunted with the wind in our face she would run on the cut paths until she smelled birds and than would get in the cover. So by hunting with the wind she would have to pass the bird smell it than hunt back at me thus putting the bird between us. I am not saying it was perfect by any means but better. I often have a frustrating problem at game farms when you knock bird down which puts them in an area of another planted which they than want to hunt which puts it out of range of the guns. Those game farm birds just stink and I think it really is to easy for them.
 
I know you are a seasoned bird hunter, so there's not a lot that any of us can probably offer for advice. All I'd add is someway to tire the dog out quite a bit before the hunt to get her to slow down a bit. You've got a good problem to have I guess, Quality dog that can still get off season exposure.
 
Joel—

Have the same issue with one of mine that just turned 12–
Slowing down in most all aspects of her life EXCEPT FOR her insane desire to get birds up-
We can drive 500 miles and never hear a peep from her-
Load her up at the Lodge she starts wimpering—drive gravel she whines—
Turn in to a field she starts to get louder and louder-
Open the tailgate she’s insane to get out-
The only time she gives in to her age is on a long marked fall —if my younger much faster dog passes her up she will let the other dog take the retrieve-if she does get the fall on her own she goes just as fast as she can out—but will take her own sweet time coming in-

I have to hold her back much more in the field than the younger dog—SHE IS NERVER OUT OF CONTROL-JUST NEEDS REMINDING WITH VIBRATION OR LIGHT TAP-

I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT SHE IS STILL HUNTING WITH ME AT HER AGE AND DOING A GREAT JOB ALL SEASON LONG
FEEL LUCKY—BOTH AT THEIR AGES STILL LOVE IT AS MUCH AS WE DO THEM:cheers:



I JUST
 
david0311 said:
Joel—

Have the same issue with one of mine that just turned 12–
Slowing down in most all aspects of her life EXCEPT FOR her insane desire to get birds up-
We can drive 500 miles and never hear a peep from her-
Load her up at the Lodge she starts wimpering—drive gravel she whines—
Turn in to a field she starts to get louder and louder-
Open the tailgate she’s insane to get out-
The only time she gives in to her age is on a long marked fall —if my younger much faster dog passes her up she will let the other dog take the retrieve-if she does get the fall on her own she goes just as fast as she can out—but will take her own sweet time coming in-

I have to hold her back much more in the field than the younger dog—SHE IS NERVER OUT OF CONTROL-JUST NEEDS REMINDING WITH VIBRATION OR LIGHT TAP-

I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT SHE IS STILL HUNTING WITH ME AT HER AGE AND DOING A GREAT JOB ALL SEASON LONG
FEEL LUCKY—BOTH AT THEIR AGES STILL LOVE IT AS MUCH AS WE DO THEM:cheers:



I JUST
Click to expand...

David,

What breed of dog is it that you are talking about? At 12 that is pretty old to still have that much drive and determination! Gotta love those kind of dogs. They are special and don't come around that often.
 
Joel—

She’s a lab—the same one I got open and a mature points one in her younger years—
Come from heavy back round of field trial—like 6 or 7 deep on male side
One non champ on female side with grandfather -national open winner-
 
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