Chasing Birds

Recon

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When do they realize they cant catch the birds and stop chasing or should I be training him not to chase? Oh yeah I have a 10 month old GSP
Thanks Rich
 
Ok so I lied my buddy is 8 months my wife just acted like I forgot one of the kids birthdays or something :eek: same question just a younger dog :)
 
i had a gwp once that did that untill about 10-12 months old never trained him to stop chasing birds he finally figured out that i wasn't shooting at them and there was nothing for him to retrieve and also i think he figured out there was no way he was going to catch them.
 
If he has been chasing for some time now, like 10-20 birds or so, and doing so with great desire. It is time to start breaking him of the habit and steadying him up. Or at least get him to be able to be called off birds.:thumbsup: Reward him with a dead bird tossed in the air for him to retrieve on his way back for starters, which should be done from the beginning. Then line steady him.
 
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Rich, has Chief shortened up the distance of the chase at all? Or is he still gung -ho?????
 
GUNG HO!!!! like crazy he has great drive but I believe its time to start some training on not chasing
 
Whoa is the Key Command Here

When do they realize they cant catch the birds and stop chasing or should I be training him not to chase? Oh yeah I have a 10 month old GSP
Thanks Rich

Work on your "Whoa" command and use it to check bird (or other critter) chasing.
 
Gunne is 6 months and I have been at trainers training him on birds. When the pigeons flush he chases them just a few steps and then stops and watches them fly away. He had 2 birds shot over him today, so we will see what happens next time..........Bob
 
My shorthair used to also chase the dickens out of pheasants. There was a few times out in Western Kansas that he'd chase the things darn near out of sight and I'd just take a knee and he'd come back around a few minutes later. I figured he'd grow out of it himself, but it took one day of him chasing a hen across the road and getting hit by the mail lady's truck for me to realize that I had a serious problem on my hands. I was trying to let him hunt without a e-collar his first year and it dang near cost me a dog. I ended up buying one and used it to stop him chasing. When he'd start to chase I'd say "no bird" and hit him with the collar. It took a few weeks but he learned that when I say "no bird" it means to leave it alone.
 
When do they realize they cant catch the birds and stop chasing or should I be training him not to chase? Oh yeah I have a 10 month old GSP
Thanks Rich

Off the birds for now and turn your attention to the yard work, make sure the yard work is predictable before reintroducing birds. There needs to be an understanding of "Whoa" before you go back into the field with birds. If the dog is non-compliant with that command in the field, then a correction can be made for not obeying the command, not for chasing the bird.

If your are bound and determined to "break" the chase, e-collar condition the dog first, then let it chase for 40-50 yards and then correct, this way it'll associate the correction with the chase and not the bird.

if it was me, I'd be off birds and doing yard work
 
Off the birds for now and turn your attention to the yard work, make sure the yard work is predictable before reintroducing birds. There needs to be an understanding of "Whoa" before you go back into the field with birds. If the dog is non-compliant with that command in the field, then a correction can be made for not obeying the command, not for chasing the bird.

If your are bound and determined to "break" the chase, e-collar condition the dog first, then let it chase for 40-50 yards and then correct, this way it'll associate the correction with the chase and not the bird.

if it was me, I'd be off birds and doing yard work

Couldn't agree more.

My current shorthair turned two in April. Last year was his first hunting season. I let him chase the HE!! out of everything that was flushed, wild or otherwise. It really builds tramendous drive.

I have spent this summer realing him in and steadying him up. I like to start by using a belly band and overlaying it on the whoa command (he was already 85% whoa broke). Then start with stop to flush drills with the belly band, then progress to pointed birds. Once they've got the stop to flush down, breaking them to wing and shot becomes much easier.
 
8 months may be a little young to try to steady him up too much. I'd worry about hurting his drive. I'd keep running him on wild birds and he'll figure it out himself and at least start flash pointing. Then I'd remove the birds and do some yard work.
 
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