What I learned today...

c_d

c_d

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I wanted to post this last week after our training session, and while things went a bit differently this week, they weren't all that different. I thought we were doing pretty. but the last two weeks practice on live birds left me a bit frustrated. it's more my fault that hers, but oh well.

1) don't cut corners when planting birds. Fillmore made a 90 degree turn right when she hit my foot scent, even tho the bird was downwind. nailed that sucker and flushed the bird while I was out of position. couldn't shoot anyways as it was a looooow flyer. she got it once it hit the barn. I thkn it was still dizzy. :D

2) knock that bird down when she does it right. Serves me right for missing the shot and her chasing a good couple hundred yards before she finally came back.

3) see #2. work on getting her STOPPED before she gets out 300 yds. :mad: Maybe she was out of range, but I turned that collar up a notch. nothing. turned it up another notch. nothing. finally ran out of notches to go up. our yard work is fairly solid and MILD stimulation is all it takes. distracted recall seems to be fine when working around here. out in the field, a whole different story. I know there's a difference, but it shouldn't be that much. Maybe stim was too low before she got out of range?

4) hunting with a steady dog will be much more fun than not. Season is coming up soon here, so not sure if I'll get her steadied in time, but getting her to a dead stop to the whistle no matter what will sure make life easier, and huntin more fun.:cheers:

what about you guys? any new lessons learned from your recent training?
 
I learned this weekend that eventhough you are just going out for a friendly romp around to burn off energy and play a little you always need the collar becouse their is always a dozen birds scattered in the field and the dogs go nutsand forget the no chasing rule
 
I learn so much every time I'm out with the dogs but the biggest thing lately is to just let the dogs work. This is especially true with my older dog. In the past I've tried to control where he is working way too much. Have any of you guys had this problem? I need to remember he is the one with the nose and not me. In the past I know I've tried to call him over to where I was headed and then a couple of minutes later he puts up a bird... Sometimes the dog just knows better... Actually most of the time!
 
:D Yea you need to let the dog work, he is the one gifted at finding birds. As long as he is working a bird and not blowing you off. You should be able to tell if he is birdy. If he is just sticking it to you you just need to make a firm correction on come when I tell you to. I see many times even in trials when people call there dog off a bird because they don't pay attention to their body language. I am even guilty, so the key is watch your dog and if he is working a bird go with him. But he should at some age be where you can call him off of a bird because of fast movement, punching, or even a danger to the dog.
 
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Yeah reading the dog is the best part about working with a Springer! When that switch gets flipped and they are on a bird it is absolutely amazing!
 
No kidding, and what you describe is a common thing with a good bird finding ESS. I have been with friends in ND at their farm and we would walk in these big groups, which I can't stand, and the dogs would 1/4 and go trailing back behind guys and other dogs. "no offense to any one" and put up birds right where they just walked with their dogs. I spent half the day behind every one. And produced more birds. I think they are one of the most thorough breeds around.
 
Gove County Britts said:
I learned this weekend that eventhough you are just going out for a friendly romp around to burn off energy and play a little you always need the collar becouse their is always a dozen birds scattered in the field and the dogs go nutsand forget the no chasing rule
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some may not agree, but each time I'm going to let the pup out to romp I put her collar on. I carry the whistle too. figure it's a opportunity for a bit of 'training' without her knowing we're 'training' for exactly that reason you stated.
 
FCSpringer said:
Sounds about right on track to me, chasing before steady is what you want:thumbsup:
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Now if I can just get her to call off before getting to the next state over :rolleyes:

Question for you guys. How long is the process to get her steady? Granted I know it's up to each dog, and will take longer if I'm working on it vs a pro. But is it something I should postpone our first day of hunting for? One trainer I talked to said if she's recalling and retrieving well, hunt her, then work on the next steps come spring. A buddy getting his pointer ready seems to be told a bit the opposite. he's trying to get his dog further along so she doesn't develop any bad habits when we go out. trainers differences? or pointers vs flushers differences? now i'm a bit confused :confused:
 
Cd hunt her and let her do her thing and have fun. The first season is all about honing bird finding abilities. Many springers ( like mine) may never be steady, but as long as he hunts within range, finds birds, and retrieves I'm ok with that. Don't get me wrong it is beautiful to watch a highly trained springer that is steady to wing, but for the guy who just hunts and doesn't run trails it is not absolutely necessary. After just a few real hunts my dog learned that chasing doesn't produce that retrieve and atta boy he so desperately wants. So in so many words hunt her and let her learn, and you can start steadying in the spring.
 
If you want to compete some day in Hunt tests or trials you must steady the dog to flush, wing, shot, and fall. Other wise who cares. It is easy to do. But if you want to get her recalling off birds just keep rolling in birds and let her flush them and chase, shoot in the air but miss. she will start to figure it out. Be saying no, and if it begins to drag out hit the collar. If you want to steady the dog skip this and go right to yard steadying. You could wait until spring and go hunting. But don't try it and go hunting because a young dog this close to season will be difficult to keep steady any way, + you will miss out on a month or so of hunting. You could start right after season is over. Then maintain it and reinforce it all winter, spring and summer. By fall she will have it pretty solid for her next season.
 
FCSpringer said:
If you want to compete some day in Hunt tests or trials you must steady the dog to flush, wing, shot, and fall. Other wise who cares. It is easy to do. But if you want to get her recalling off birds just keep rolling in birds and let her flush them and chase, shoot in the air but miss. she will start to figure it out. Be saying no, and if it begins to drag out hit the collar. If you want to steady the dog skip this and go right to yard steadying. You could wait until spring and go hunting. But don't try it and go hunting because a young dog this close to season will be difficult to keep steady any way, + you will miss out on a month or so of hunting. You could start right after season is over. Then maintain it and reinforce it all winter, spring and summer. By fall she will have it pretty solid for her next season.
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thanks for the note. makes me feel a bit better. My buddy is choosing to wait another 2 months or so before getting his pointer out. I've been working more with my pup regularly anyhow than he has and it seems less detrimental. We'll be hunting the club mostly this year on pen raised birds, so the 'season' is fairly long (our wild pheasant season is pretty short in CA). But you're right. too close I think, and I can't want to wait to get her out until December!

Each day we go out now is focused on stopping/sitting to the whistle and instant recall. I'm hoping that'll be enough to get us through this first go around.
 
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