New to the forum...need any and all opinions.

K

keepinthetradition

New member
Hello everyone,

I'm new to this forum (my intro is under the Introductions section), and for the record, I think it is an awesome source of info. I lurked for awhile, but I have way to many questions and I'm as big a rookie as they come, so I thought I would start scraping your brains as soon as possible.

I have a dog question. I have an ES who I am beginning to train and although the basic commands are there, heel, sit, stay and come (still working on this when he gets interested in something), We are not at all ready for the "let him loose and hunt"! There are going to be lots of questions coming to y'all in that regard.

To get to the main question. Have any of you ever taken your dogs with you and used the check cord (where the fields allow), to get the dog some experience, yet keep things under control?? We live in the middle of Surburbia central so we have NO access to birds, and limited spaces to get him out there. I've been working on quartering and he is almost to the point of hand commands for directions (again when he's not being an ADHD dog).

If I am going hunting with just our group and they all agree of course, do you think it is worthwhile or just plain stupid? Have at it with the opinions because I need them.

Thanks so much and good luck with your hunting!
 
More info....realized I was about to sound really stupid

A couple of side notes on my post:

He is not gun shy. Have shot around him and he never flinches Yay!

I will not be carrying a gun if I have him on the check cord. I drive my husband crazy with safety....it's part of being a wife and bringing up two children to be responsible hunters.

Okay, now not soooooo stupid!
 
Welcome to the site. I am wondering about ES? English Setter or English Springer? Either way I am sure someone here can guide you. I've used check cords in the field, I didn't like the results of letting them run with them. I have attached them to a dog on point to steady them, about the all they are good for in my opinion. But I have no experience with spaniels, only pointing dogs. Again, welcome.
 
I live in suburbia as well yet have found a couple weeded areas for training. I have 6 month old wirehair that is still learning the basics but I jump at the chance to get her out and hunt. I believe that the most valuable training, is real field time with the opportunity to find birds and make mistakes. Really the only thing to worry about, in my opinion, is taking your young dog hunting with people who may not be tolerant of a pup that runs through a field or doesn't immedietly obey you. GET THAT DOG OUT!!!
As for check cords, they're good for all sorts of training, including that which you describe. Welcome to the site.
 
I'm no means a dog trainer, but pheasant season is short. Too many weekends go by and its already New Years day and we're wondering where the season went. My vote? Get some real rooster doo doo, blood, and feathers under his nose to the point of making him crazy. Mess with that come and stay stuff during the week in the backyard.
 
I agree with deadframer. Season is two short to be worring about all of the backyard stuff. My best dogs are the ones we had out during season when they were really young. They are gonna make mistakes and they will be adhd but thats just the joy of a puppy. Good luck and get out and hunt.
 
Welcome. I have done a lot of dog training and using a check cord in the field will work if the weeds are not so high it is hard to control things. If your dog has got most of the basics down well you might consider an e-collar with very low stimulation in the field possibly to try to stop the ADHD episodes. E-collars can be useful if properly used. As the others have said getting real out in the field action is the key in building a great bird dog. Good luck!
 
I think it depends on what your goals are for the dog. If you want a highly polished pointer, you're probably better off working over pigeons with traps or released quail/chukars first. It's difficult to train in the field with a group that is more interested in shooting pheasants than dog training. For example, if your setter decides to flush rather than point after making game or crowds birds, and your group shoots the bird, you just reinforced the flushing behavior. It's difficult to make your dog unlearn behavior that you've rewarded in the past. Ideally, you'd be better off starting with training birds, then advancing to wild birds once your dog has good bird manners. The wild birds will provide the rest of the training.

Now, if you don't plan to invest that kind of time and money into training a polished bird dog, aren't really concerned with whether your dog flushes or points, and are fine with a dog that works only in gun range but knows where the birds live (nothing wrong with any of that), go ahead and get your setter into the field. Dogs can only learn by hunting and throwing them into the ocean is better than nothing. A couple words of caution though: 1) make sure your dog is responsive when you call it, no exceptions, and 2) if you need an e-collar to get a response, make sure you introduce your dog to the e-collar before its first time hunting. More than anything, you want your dog's first wild bird hunt to be FUN for the dog. If you spend the entire hunt yelling at and shocking your dog, your dog will dread going hunting. Lack of enthusiasm for hunting is the worst quality in a dog. Good luck.
 
dead pheasants forever said:
I think it depends on what your goals are for the dog. If you want a highly polished pointer, you're probably better off working over pigeons with traps or released quail/chukars first. It's difficult to train in the field with a group that is more interested in shooting pheasants than dog training. For example, if your setter decides to flush rather than point after making game or crowds birds, and your group shoots the bird, you just reinforced the flushing behavior. It's difficult to make your dog unlearn behavior that you've rewarded in the past. Ideally, you'd be better off starting with training birds, then advancing to wild birds once your dog has good bird manners. The wild birds will provide the rest of the training.

Now, if you don't plan to invest that kind of time and money into training a polished bird dog, aren't really concerned with whether your dog flushes or points, and are fine with a dog that works only in gun range but knows where the birds live (nothing wrong with any of that), go ahead and get your setter into the field. Dogs can only learn by hunting and throwing them into the ocean is better than nothing. A couple words of caution though: 1) make sure your dog is responsive when you call it, no exceptions, and 2) if you need an e-collar to get a response, make sure you introduce your dog to the e-collar before its first time hunting. More than anything, you want your dog's first wild bird hunt to be FUN for the dog. If you spend the entire hunt yelling at and shocking your dog, your dog will dread going hunting. Lack of enthusiasm for hunting is the worst quality in a dog. Good luck.
Click to expand...


WELL SAID! :10sign:
 
I am by no means a professional dog trainer, and agree with all of what was said. If I might add one thing. If your like me and don't have the time to invest in a well tooned oiled machine and are just looking for a good gundog to hunt over take him out. I would how ever make sure the basic commands are down and your dog will come back to you. My 10yr old daughter trained her first britt that is now 18 months old. Unfortunately when we she needed to be doing some rod and wing to help hold point, well to make a long story short it didn't happen and never seen one point out of her all last season. We tried all summer to get her to hold point, rod wing,couple pen raised birds no luck. Figured she just might not point. Took her to A youth pheasant hunt my daughter drew out for and to make another long story short my daught shot her first pheasant over her dog (pooch) while on point. (with her .410 have to brag a little) She pointed three other birds that day. Sometimes you just have give those natural insticts time to come out and sometimes they have to be out in the field doing what they were bread to do. Seems to me it takes a good snort of fresh bird sent to flip that switch.
 
My philosophy starts w/ basic obedience training, then I hunt them, hunt them, and hunt them some more. Basic obedience, then hunt em', hunt em', and hunt em' some more.....repeat until you got yourself a bird dog. I just want dogs that can find birds and will retrieve them for me. I like for them to point (and they all do), but I want them to be free-spirited enough to chase a running rooster (3 of 4 will), so I don't spend much time in the "backyard" or using pigeons....only when they're pups. I have one dog that will just hold point until I break him so the running roosters tend to get away from him unless scenting conditions are ideal.
 
I apologize for not getting back to you all sooner, but THANK YOU for all of your advice.

We decided to take him out, and he had a blast. Came when called, sniffed out some pheasant piles (didn't dine on any of it, yuck!), and worked pretty good in front of three hunters, but yet again, we didn't see or sniff out a thing. I felt worse for the dog then I did for myself.

Learned that a good comb and tweezers are a must in the field. Holy c$@p, there were some nasty patches of cacti and some other burr ridden weed that he ended up running through. I had to carry him out of one patch. Boots will be another investment and nice big roll of duct tape. Will also purchase a chest protector vest, and last but not least (do you see the $$$'s adding up), I need a good e-collar (the one I have stinks - petsmart buy for backyard work)!

Hopefully Santa will send that gift certificate for Strasburg Game Birds so I can get Griffin on some birds and get some more field time with someone who's trained before.

Thanks again everyone!
 
I had the same experience with the pup and the pickers and had to use a flea comb and some leather gloves to get 'em out. He's a 3 y/o golden with long hair- blends in with the switchgrass but sure collects them noxious pickers!
I got him a set of the leather boots to protect his pads and have been putting them on every night this week to get him used to them. Sure was a sight the first time he walked with them. Also if he loses one I can just make another cheap and easy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top