teach and old dog new tricks.

A

Acemechanic

New member
Hello

I am new to bird hunting and I would like some advice. I have a three year old black lab that has been collar conditioned and obediance trained. My question is I would love to have her hunt with me but I am not sure if she is too old to learn how to hunt or not? She is pretty much a spoiled family pet at this point. When we got her as a puppy I never had the intentions of hunting with her but my interests have since changed and would like to hunt with her now if its possible. Where do I start?

Thanks
Gordon.
 
Welcome

Hey Gordon, If she aint gun shy, take her to the field. Usually after a few birds, the light bulb will come on. I'm sure there is better advice, but that will get you started! How old is she? Welcome to a fantastic world of hunting and fun! Rod:cheers:
 
An older dog not learning new tricks is a myth. The older the dog the more attention span they have, so the more they can learn. Never have had any problems with training an older dog.......get that dog out to the feild..:thumbsup: His instinct will kick in after a while..good luck..
 
Older dog new tricks.

I would have to say that she may be gun shy. I say this because she is afraid of fireworks such as firecrackers. Last summer I lit a pack of firecrackers off and she started jumping up on me and scratching me up pretty good. I don't really have any friends who have hunting dogs for her to learn from. Unfortuatly its just me and my dog. Would be open to meeting new people and hunting spots.

Gordon
 
Gun shy is something that can be fixed. It can be hard or easy depending on the severity. Go back and do a search on gun shy and read up, pick the method that you will be able to follow and give it a try...good luck
 
I had a GSP that hated fireworks but when he got to the field, there was no problem. Good luck, Rod
 
Acemechanic said:
I would have to say that she may be gun shy. I say this because she is afraid of fireworks such as firecrackers. Last summer I lit a pack of firecrackers off and she started jumping up on me and scratching me up pretty good. I don't really have any friends who have hunting dogs for her to learn from. Unfortuatly its just me and my dog. Would be open to meeting new people and hunting spots.

Gordon
Click to expand...

Gordon, I'm not a dog expert but I think fireworks make most dogs uneasy. But if your lab wasn't exposed to fireworks at close range while still a pup, my guess is she'll adjust to gunfire just fine. On the other hand, my cousin had a yellow lab that his brother exposed to fireworks at close range while it was a pup. That dog never did hunt. The first gunshot in the field would send it scurrying back to his Suburban every time out.

Likewise, I've seen dogs cower and run for cover when their owners expose them to close range gunfire while shooting clay pigeons. I'm probably more cautious than some guys but I keep my dog crated and at a distance in my vehicle in both situations. All dogs are different and you never know how one is going to react vs. another but as much as we invest in our dogs and in hunting, I figure why tempt fate and run the risk of ruining a good field companion and bird dog by exposing it to either.
 
Teach and old dog new tricks.

Well I have been doing alot of research and asking questions on the internet. I have even talked to the trainer who collar conditioned and obediance trained my lab when she was a pup. He recommended that I bring her back to him and he would get her over being gun shy and start flushing birds. He said that he would bring her out with some of his hunting dogs and get her excited about flushing birds and start with clapping two pieces of two by fours together just to test her reaction to the noise. If she does well with this tactic then he would move up to a starters pistol and so on until she is no longer gun shy. He recommended a three month intense training schedule January - March where my dog would stay with him for the entire time. Now comes the hard part of getting my wifes OK to spend the money and being without our friend for three months. She had a hard time leaving her for the obedience training. I am not looking forward to this.

Gordon
 
nc bird man

Ace,

There is hope on the issue of gun shy. I have a setter that is so scared of any noise, weedeaters, lawnmowers, gunfire, any noise basically she cowers down and heads for her box. Man you ought to see her on birds. I believe you could blow a bomb up in her face and she would never even notice it. Most dogs when on game tolerate noise much better than in the yard. Start out slow--bang some food pans around etc and eventually introduce her to small caliber gunfire. If she's interested in birds and that gets her excited give her the opportunity to chase and shoot some while she is chasing. She may not be gunshy after all. Good luck !
 
I let my brittany pups roam the basement while I was finishing it. The sounds of saw, framing nailers and compressors helped make them easy with loud noises. They would not even look up to see what I was doing after awhile. They would just sit around and pick up and carry off every 2x4 scrap they could find!!! ~~MATT
 
Go and get your self a couple pigeons if you can first. Then electrical tape one wing so it can't fly. Sit the dog by you and throw some retrievs. If they will pick it up do that for a couple days, short sessions, always quit on a positive and leaving the dog wanting more.If that is going well start throwing it fairly far and have someone off to the side thirty yards or so with a small cal. round like 22 blank or something, when the dog is almost to the bird fire. See if she still picks it up. If not, stop and take her to some one that can read the dog better, a pro, he will tell you if it's worth persueing.If she picks it up keep doing it for a few more times and put her away. Do this for a day or two then move the gun closer and begin shooting when the dog is only 1/2 way there. After that progress to the shot gun at a distance and move closer if it goes OK. This works well to break in a dog to the gun.They are concentrateing on the bird and not the scary noises. I don't recomend banging boards and other stuff, that can cause a dog to be scared of the handler.Some people get away with that for a while and there are allot of dogs that won't be bothered by that stuff. But they can easily be as well. After you have determined that the dog loves birds and the shot doesn't scare her plant the tapewings and a flyer or two and move her in to them. Shoot a few for her with light loads,and Ounce she has figured out that I find what I love out here she will be on her way. Then go out on wild birds. Takeing a pigeon or two with you in case the action is poor you have the instant ability to make it fun for the dog.If the dog keeps haveing fun she wont lose interest. Once she has had a few wild birds under her belt you wont have to worry about her loseing interest. This is just what we do allot of at our field trial club, with several 30 year pro's.Remember, if she reacts to the gun at all stop and seek a professional opinion. Good luck.
 
Put the Dog in the Field

Put the dog in the field, shoot a bird, present the bird to her if she doesn't go after it. She'll get interested.
 
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