Did a thing today.

Skadergen

Skadergen

Active member
Never had a bird dog, and been dogless for nearly 1.5 years since we had to put our last one down. Just made claim and submitting a deposit for a Brittany that is to be born in March. The Mrs has been bugging me about getting another dog since last September (which was 1 year after we had to put the last one down). She wanted something bigger than the lap dogs we’ve had in the past, my condition was it could hunt.

Actually pretty jacked up, just ordered the Smith book on bird dogs.
 
Last edited:
birddude said:
I've found that a puppy helps with the grief of losing one. Not a replacement just happiness.
Click to expand...
Honestly, think it will help with work related stress too! Not that I think of it the past 1.5 years have been bit hectic, wonder if there’s any correlation. I do travel a bit for work and having a dog in the house will make the Mrs feel not as lonely

Actually Looks like perhaps just over a year left of this career then perhaps I can just get a part time job for something to do!
 
Skadergen said:
Honestly, think it will help with work related stress too! Not that I think of it the past 1.5 years have been bit hectic, wonder if there’s any correlation. I do travel a bit for work and having a dog in the house will make the Mrs feel not as lonely

Actually Looks like perhaps just over a year left of this career then perhaps I can just get a part time job for something to do!
Click to expand...
Oh ho, be careful or it won't be OUR dog. When I met my wife, she said she didn't really like dogs. Now, I have to pry the dogs out of her arms to go hunting
 
Good luck w it. Ive had dogs all my life. 14 at one time the most but 10-12 is normal. As I’ve gotten older I scaled down to 4-5. Last year I decided I was done after putting down what at that time was my last bird dog than bought another GSP pup. First time in 40 plus years without one or two of em. One of my beagles died a month or do ago. I’ve already got another young dog to help the older dogs. Can’t let it go it seems. Gets in your blood and you’re lost without training yet another young dog.
 
Bowguy said:
Good luck w it. Ive had dogs all my life. 14 at one time the most but 10-12 is normal. As I’ve gotten older I scaled down to 4-5. Last year I decided I was done after putting down what at that time was my last bird dog than bought another GSP pup. First time in 40 plus years without one or two of em. One of my beagles died a month or do ago. I’ve already got another young dog to help the older dogs. Can’t let it go it seems. Gets in your blood and you’re lost without training yet another young dog.
Click to expand...
That’s how you can wait to hunt a dog until 2 years old. Thats a lot of kibble
 
Quailnerd said:
That’s how you can wait to hunt a dog until 2 years old. Thats a lot of kibble
Click to expand...
Maybe but to me its actually more about the dog than a dead animal. I find it enjoyable to start dogs especially. To bring them along than beat your buddy’s butt w them! Just kidding kinda but I’ll run beagles for hours even during season when I can carry a gun. Never load it. They run multiple times a week. Bird dogs get trained a few times a week too and in season i usually let others shoot. Surely if there are kids around. As a young man we’d run coon dogs. Tree a coon, leash the dogs and walk off.
I worked 2 bear camps. They ran big hounds. Man if I was free I was going. Nothing like a bayed up bear yards away in a jack fir thicket fighting w the dogs to raise your hackles. . Who honestly cares bout a dead animal, its about the accomplishment in getting it thats my game. Rabbits gotta run at least a circle or two and birds gotta be pointed steady. No dogs I aint going
 
Bowguy said:
Maybe but to me its actually more about the dog than a dead animal. I find it enjoyable to start dogs especially. To bring them along than beat your buddy’s butt w them! Just kidding kinda but I’ll run beagles for hours even during season when I can carry a gun. Never load it. They run multiple times a week. Bird dogs get trained a few times a week too and in season i usually let others shoot. Surely if there are kids around. As a young man we’d run coon dogs. Tree a coon, leash the dogs and walk off.
I worked 2 bear camps. They ran big hounds. Man if I was free I was going. Nothing like a bayed up bear yards away in a jack fir thicket fighting w the dogs to raise your hackles. . Who honestly cares bout a dead animal, its about the accomplishment in getting it thats my game. Rabbits gotta run at least a circle or two and birds gotta be pointed steady. No dogs I aint going
Click to expand...
Interesting
 
Brittanys are as tough a hunting breed as any. Their drive can be unmatched ...

But they are very sensitive to force and aggressive training methods ... a strong voice is all that is needed and that can be a bit much sometimes.

I would say most of my "command" training and "listen to me" training is in the yard or on long walks or even in the house. The field is where you have fun. Patience, patience and more patience (easier said than done by the way)

I have shared a bunch on this site on my training strategies for Brittanys. By no means an expert ... but my Britts excel and I do not use e-collars nor have I used a professional trainer (except dog 1 - which is a story in itself ... )

If your dog comes from a strong breeding program ... you have started the right way ...

All of my Britts naturally point ... most all on first time scent of a live bird ... whoa just steadies them to work in conjunction with you.

I have three in the house right now ... 10 and 2 (will turn 3 this summer) and my 16 year old :oops: (retired).
 
Last edited:
Bowguy said:
Maybe but to me its actually more about the dog than a dead animal. I find it enjoyable to start dogs especially. To bring them along than beat your buddy’s butt w them! Just kidding kinda but I’ll run beagles for hours even during season when I can carry a gun. Never load it. They run multiple times a week. Bird dogs get trained a few times a week too and in season i usually let others shoot. Surely if there are kids around. As a young man we’d run coon dogs. Tree a coon, leash the dogs and walk off.
I worked 2 bear camps. They ran big hounds. Man if I was free I was going. Nothing like a bayed up bear yards away in a jack fir thicket fighting w the dogs to raise your hackles. . Who honestly cares bout a dead animal, its about the accomplishment in getting it thats my game. Rabbits gotta run at least a circle or two and birds gotta be pointed steady. No dogs I aint going
Click to expand...
Yeah this past year and a half without one I’ve honestly been a bit more irritable at work, I’ve kinda chalked it up to the “old guy get off my lawn thing” but the more I think about it it may be due to not having one when I get home. (First bird dog for me though)

BRITTMAN said:
Brittanys are as tough a hunting breed as any. Their drive can be unmatched ...

But they are very sensitive to force and aggressive training methods ... a strong voice is all that is needed and that can be a bit much sometimes.

I would say most of my "command" training and "listen to me" training is in the yard or on long walks or even in the house. The field is where you have fun. Patience, patience and more patience (easier said than done by the way)

I have shared a bunch on this site on my training strategies for Brittanys. By no means an expert ... but my Britts excel and I do not use e-collars nor have I used a professional trainer (except dog 1 - which is a story in itself ... )

If your dog comes from a strong breeding program ... you have started the right way ...

All of my Britts naturally point ... most all on first time scent of a live bird ... whoa just steadies them to work in conjunction with you.

I have three in the house right now ... 10 and 2 (will turn 3 this summer) and my 16 year old :oops: (retired).
Click to expand...
Thanks, for the boost of confidence on selecting what I thought would be the best breed at least for us. I’ve taken great interest in the Smith method which makes me tentatively to think my physical actions and reaction to what they do should educate the dog more than “yelling”…… I’ll snoop and creep on some of your post for more knowledge, I appreciate it sir.
 
Bowguy said:
If I may? This is mainly to give insight to others. Some dogs are more biddable than others but it can be as much strain of the breed as anything. Getting a dog if someone wants “easy” is as much as getting them from the right breeder as it is picking a breed
Click to expand...
Not that your implying, but For the record I didn’t choose a Brittany because they were easy, one of the reasons was my understanding they are inherently a good bird dog, and good in the home, yeah ours will be a house pet as well.

FWIW I agree on the breeder. The breeder I'm getting mine from is a 35 year Brittany breeder and Pheasant dog trainer, and he offered to finisher her I chose to do it myself. He seems to do it with little or no social media( His social media is dated) and seems to have repeat buyers to this day. Can’t and won’t try to boast his lines are superior to others, but by what I understand pretty solid, and these pups should have an inherent hunting ability.
 
Skadergen said:
Yeah this past year and a half without one I’ve honestly been a bit more irritable at work, I’ve kinda chalked it up to the “old guy get off my lawn thing” but the more I think about it it may be due to not having one when I get home. (First bird dog for me though)


Thanks, for the boost of confidence on selecting what I thought would be the best breed at least for us. I’ve taken great interest in the Smith method which makes me tentatively to think my physical actions and reaction to what they do should educate the dog more than “yelling”…… I’ll snoop and creep on some of your post for more knowledge, I appreciate it sir.
Click to expand...

If you don't mind me asking, what state to you reside in ?

Ronnie Smith runs training seminars throughout the country. I have not attended one ... heard they are very good.
https://smithkennels.com/events

The two DVDs are educational I would have sent them to you, but I just dusted them off and returned them to the breeder who gave them to me even though I am not sure he wanted them back.
 
My last two Brittanys I whoa trained on our walks. Fortunate enough to have an older dog walking with them. "Whoa" and they both stop ... eventually I can circle them and they stay put until released. I still do this on our walks at times and they all just stop. A little refresher I suppose.

I love the wing on fishing line training technique (not sure if that is now frowned upon) from the second day I get them to maybe 6 months old. I do not do it often ... It is fun to see them lock up naturally ... The second photo shows the dog in the first photo not wanting to be left out.

1772893119749.png
1772893509661.png

1772893223877.png

1772893904330.png

We have had Britts that had to stay home alone during the work/school day ... often in one room for 8 hours or sometimes in a larger kennel for 4 hours at a time. So it can be done ... but when you get home make time for them to release their energy.

Most Brittanys were pretty wild from about 10 weeks to about 16-20 weeks old. They will want to play with you like they played with the litter mates. My current youngest Brittany we called "fangs" but as quick as that phase started it ended.

Brittanys love to walk and RUN. I walk my Britts one to two miles (about 40 mins or so) every day that weather allows. In the heat of summer, we are walking before work or after dark when the sun does not beat down on their coats.
 
Last edited:
Skadergen said:
Not that your implying, but For the record I didn’t choose a Brittany because they were easy, one of the reasons was my understanding they are inherently a good bird dog, and good in the home, yeah ours will be a house pet as well.

FWIW I agree on the breeder. The breeder I'm getting mine from is a 35 year Brittany breeder and Pheasant dog trainer, and he offered to finisher her I chose to do it myself. He seems to do it with little or no social media( His social media is dated) and seems to have repeat buyers to this day. Can’t and won’t try to boast his lines are superior to others, but by what I understand pretty solid, and these pups should have an inherent hunting ability.
Click to expand...
Looking fwd to hearing about your progress. On the subject of “best lines”. Thats sorta subjective. I run a “hot” big running, fast bird dog. They might be almost uncontollable to some. That’s def not the “best” for a new bird dog guy. An easier dog might be their “best” and mine might seem a runaway. My buddy was hell bent on a Pointer of same horseback field trial stock. We went to watch the parents run. You shoulda seen his eyes when it was released to run and went almost out of sight. I asked Mark if he was ok with that? He said yea but we will see when it runs to the sun. About to introduce him to birds next week or so but realize you can train a big running dog in but only so much you can push em out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top