New 11 Month Old Bracco Home

J

Jhuff8181

New member
Brought Annie (Bracco Italiano) home a few days ago. She had been with an older couple that I think left her outside most of the time using an electric fence. We keep her inside and plan on her to be a family dog as well as a field dog.

She is settling in and getting accustomed to our routine. I've done a lot of research and am trying to decide on a training program to adopt. I figure I have until next fall to get her ready to hunt but I'm anxious to get started.

I’m trying to decide if I should use a book like Wing & Shot, a trainer or maybe both. I spoke to a local trainer and the cost is $30 per session plus the cost of birds. But I have to say I was puzzled when he said not to teach Annie the sit command. Is that normal? I want her to be a well mannered house dog as well as a good field dog, will this be possible.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

John
 
Could you post a pic ???? Not sure if I have ever laid eyes on one!!! Thanks!
 
I've had trainers tell me not to teach a pointing dog to sit. The last couple I haven't and they've been well mannered dogs without it. the current pup was taught to sit by my kids in short order. He sits while at whoa, but not while on birds. He's pointing and holding well. No problems with him sitting down on point. So no problems where I'm concerned. However, if you are going to go to someone for help and they tell you not to teach him that, then I would advise to follow the trainers advice on everything, not to pick and choose what you think is best.
 
Here's a pic.

annie.jpg
 
Excellent photo. :10sign: The Bracco is a fairly rare dog in the states, not a lot of breeders. Keep us posted on how she does. I've always been interested in some of the more rare breeds.
 
I bought a bunch of dog training DVDs and books when I got my lab. I read and watched them all. Some I read a couple times.

And I'll be honest, I don't know if I just got second rate books or what, but I was honestly surprised at what the authors suggest for training a dog. There were lots of things I didn't agree with doing to my dog. One of the tricks that stick out is to have a dog sit and your pinch his ear and tell him to go retrieve, then when he goes stop pinching. The theory is that he will associate the pinch with NOT retrieving, and therefor what to retrieve.

I didn't agree with that kind of thing. And it wasn't hard to teach my dog to retrieve at all. He would do it all day long if you let him. They also used a similar method just reversed, with training to keep him steady. Also they suggested a tire and a piece of wood for him to sit on. I didn't use the wood, but I used a piece of cloth on the ground, and he's steady when I give him the steady command until I give him the go command.

Now, granted, this is my first hunting dog, and by last week's performance he still has a long way to go, and I've made a TON of mistakes by just trying to figure it out on my own, however for being a year old he didn't do as bad as I thought he would.

I really wish I had the time (and money) to hire a professional trainer.
 
I don't teach my dogs to sit, never have, never will.
It amuses me when friends come over and they talk to the dogs and try to get them to sit.
They don't sit.

I have a dog that I was fostering that I went ahead and kept.

He had sit hammered into him and that is his "go to place" when any sort of pressure is applied to him. It is very frustrating.

I would advise following the trainer's advice
 
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