GSP puppy

[Quailman]

I have been expecting a female GSP puppy from my kennel for a long while now, latest news I have gotten is a May 10 breeding. If my calculations are correct that would bring the puppy pick up date around last week of August or first week of Sept. The concern I have is the timing of bird season, day to day training, trying to train with snow on the ground and so on.

My questions are regarding the timing of the pups arrival and its training schedule.

Does anyone have an opinion on field exposure on wild birds at such a young age. I'm thinking of tall grass and all that goes along with the average hunt, possible scares for an impressionable puppy.

On the other hand, maybe this is the perfect way to start a puppy off, I just don't know. My other dogs have been picked up in the spring and I have had the entire summer/fall to work with them, this has worked out very well.

Does anyone have any experience with a late summer situation like I am describing or any advice on how best handle the puppies training.. I know I am in the right spot for excellent advice, thanks in advance.

 

[SetterNut]

My dog Indy was born at the end of May, and I hunted him for the first time after Thanksgiving. He could have hunted before that if I had gotten his gun exposure done sooner.

Basically, you need to expose your pup to the field and birds when you think it is ready. Then do gun exposure correctly before taking the pup hunting.

 

[birdshooter]

I'm guessing the pup will be close to 8 weeks old by Sept. 1st.? She's a baby and she's Waaaay to young to be worrying about Pheasants. You need to reign back a bit here. Bonding with this puppy will be your biggest goal for the next several months. Teach here her name, potty training and some very basic commands would be plenty at this stage. I highly doubt she will be ready for any kind of bird work until spring at the earliest. Sure I guess you could put a couple planted quail or a harnessed pigeon in front of her, but I wouldn't force the issue if she doesn't seem interested at that age. No need to get in a hurry. You can't send a pup to college before she's been thru kindergarten.