Bird advice before I ruin my pup

F

FredB

New member
Hey all. Question for you. Hoping some of you have experienced this so I can get a little advice from you. I've planted some quail for the last couple of weeks for my 14 week old pup. He's catching the scent and getting real birdy around them. He rarely misses their location. Now the problem...
I have stopped using planted birds and now have a great area to get him on pheasant. Problem is is that he isn't the slightest bit interested in them. I end up flushing them and he's really not getting birdy at all around them. Is this just a puppy phase? Should I go pick up some pheasant and plant them to give him the idea that these are birds we'll hunt as well? I'm just scared of planting to many birds with him so that he will depend on me to get him birds...
Thanks in advance from a rookie.
 
Too young. I would not expect him to get out front and start quartering for you until he's about twice his current age, even if that early. It will come. Be patient. Forum members in here repeatedly report how light bulbs suddenly seem to go off in their young dogs' minds and they suddenly start hunting per expectations. Make sure the dog ENJOYS getting out in the field whether you're hunting or just taking a walk, something that you control.
 
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Thanks BritChaser. Its easy to get excited and after reading so many books, it always seems like he needs to be at a certain spot by a certain time. I'll slow my roll a bit and let everything come in due time. Thanks!
 
It won't be a problem. He's a kid. :)

If you want to play...just play...get a pheasant wing and every now and then take it out and play fetch with him. Then take it away for the next "special treat" time.

You're in a fun time with the pup.
 
He is a yellow lab with a strong lineage of pointers. Would this effect how I work him? I've read Julie's book and have been working off of that. He's been on quail and doing well with them.
 
Too young . . . let him be a puppy for a few months. Work on play retrieve & obedience stuff, car rides, & plenty of socialization. A puppy can't possibly be exposed to too many people, places, other dogs, & things.
 
OK so you own a flusher as a breed choice. You now have to decide if you want a pointer from that flushing breed. Personally, this has been hashed out on here many times and it's simply up to you. My self I would have a flushing lab, because thats what the breed was bred and intended for. But there now is the fact that people have decided to turn them in to a pointing breed. You can't have both, so the time for decision as to which direction you want to go would be now. But either way, don't panic and slow down. As said, work on retrieve, sit, stay, come, and so on. If your headed in the pointer direction, you can start some of that stuff in the yard as well. Get your self a couple good books quick and then you have a nice read to go back to for reassurance, or a couple videos.
 
I am planning on working him as a pointer. I did read some books on the subject, however I really haven't found much on how I would train him differently. From what I though his natural instinct to point would somehow just magically come out, or for that matter wouldn't. Any thoughts on the subject of course would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the great responses guys! Always love hearing from those who know a hell of a lot more than me, though admittedly not hard to do. :)
 
I intro dogs to tethered pigeons at 16-weeks (I flush/release & let the pup chase. This builds the prey drive & they naturally learn to "point"/lock on the bird in fairly short time.), then I get serious about working on pointing & shooting pigeons over the pup at 6-months. Since I worked on retrieving from early-on (starting with "play retrieving"), bringing a shot bird back to me was a natural transition.
 
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