Got out for the first time in a couple weeks. My (almost) 2 year old dog has made huge progress. He’s had zero chill, ripping bird etc. Today he held steady on 5 coveys (huns and chukar). Pointing way out on wild running birds and creeping in to relocate them etc. It takes a lot of patience...
My little Belle has hunted quail, pheasant and Hungarian partridge with equal success. Patience in training with repetition has payed dividends. She was started with pheasant wings as a puppy. Moved on to quail, wild quail, the following season. Ironically she has been hunted with pointers and...
Losing dogs is tough. My condolences to you and your wife.
As for designer breeds we’ve got a first generation Labradoodle. He’s a great companion dog, he’s always by someone in the house. Probably would have been an ok retriever, I kinda wasn’t that mad at em when I should have been...
I don't remember where I read the adage. I've never had a hunting dog, though I have been interested in a squirrel dog at some point. Somewhere along the way, though, I came across the saying: "When you're training a squirrel dog, you have to decide whether you want to train the dog or hunt...
Took mine in for his retest a few weeks ago. It was simply a repeat of the last test from his initial training - instructor held the dog while I went ~50 ft away with a rattler between us in a container. I called him to me and about 6 ft from the snake he jumps up and does an airborne 180 and...
I'd love to hear more about this! Was your dog enthusiastic about searching for non-game animals? I shy away from a drahthaar because of what people have been describing as always being on, but I feel that I'd need that to do as much work as I intend on doing. How is it with your family, and was...
You seem to be well stuck on your opinion, which is fine. You know, we all have an opinion, just like something else we all have, right? I know that there are some thick headed dogs that will put up with the "hit", other dogs that only have to catch it once and that beep will stop em in their...
Not looking for much of a protection dog, but when your WPG is tracking, does he keep his head high and air scent a lot or is he nose to the ground after going through training?
worked with the local dogwatch guy 6 years ago e-collar training my dog so although i think spoton has a lot of potential but like you said dogwatch is a solid choice so the price is right. just need to get the guy to work on the company to get me the ecollar built that I want
I don't know what you want, but we bought Rusty while still in the womb. Brought him home at around a year and taught him to ride, smile, paint pictures, stand pretty while draped with bloody mule deer, and get along with cats. Never did take him hunting out west, but I don't think that would...
Buy from a specific cross that has a proven record of producing what you want. Breed is less important. Also, get a handshake agreement that if you keep him posted throughout the training process, that he will take a cull back. Bird dog breeders are especially bad about shoveling horse apples so...
@Wild Bill per your request...
Charli got a lot of exposure last fall. She hunted both with Finn, and solo. She quickly demonstrated a very, very fine nose. She would point coveys Finn had missed. Her caution and manners behind game were impeccable, even for a pup.
After hunting...
I wouldn't say you'd need to be the best in the world, but I'd say I'm a pretty decent trainer. Also spent some time training a mink. Completely different than training for all of these things, but the way I see it is, I want a pointer for cottontails because I'd much rather point and hold one...
I've called you on this more than once. Just because it is your experience, does not mean it's everyone's.
If a pointing dog is honest on its birds, the range it hunts is not that important. One person might want them inside a couple hundred yards, and I might want them well outside of that...
Join NAHVDA for dog training. They’ll have sessions to meet and train. They’ll help you.
You’ll be surprised how natural bird hunting is to well bred dogs. A little reinforcement of a good trait goes a long ways in training.
Would only targeting commercial training operations be a better option then?
Or would the increased burden of proof make something like that unenforceable?