T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
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196.1 | e | BPOV06::J_AMBERSON | | Thu Aug 18 1988 13:52 | 12 |
| Hi Jim,
The first thing I try to do before introducing a dog to the gun
is make sure that they are bird crazy. Clipped wings are great
for this. Once they are nuts for the bird, I do pretty much what
you are already doing. Throw the bird out and while they are on
there way out, fire the gun. I start with a .22 blank pistol.
If they show no reaction, I work my way gradually up to a 12ga. there
is a conditioning tape on the market which is supposed to work in
preventing gun shyness. Im not sure who puts it out but it is supposed
to work. Mayby someone else in this file know a source????
Jeff
|
196.2 | Everone, Please don't RUSH. | VELVET::GATH | | Thu Aug 18 1988 14:35 | 60 |
| There are gun shy dogs and gun sensitive dogs. Gun shy dogs
will not hunt at the sight or smell of a gun. Or gun shy dogs
will head for the car at the first shot and not be useable for the
rest of the day.
a gun sensitive dog is one that shows a reaction something
to like flinching. It won't be able to sit still or will
leave your side when it thinks you will shoot....
It will purhaps go make the retrieve and then get in the back of
the truck. Only to come out and do it again...
They don't like the gun but the desire to make the retrieve
is stronger than the fear of the noise.
Don't rush into this....In my opinion.... it is allright
to start condition a 4 month old pup to guns with the
dinner plates and clapping but I don't think your dog
should be introduced to gun just yet.
If you are trying to get her intro for this years hunting season
you have your priorities wrong.....
I make the mistake of moving the training sessions too fast...
What you want to do is develope the upmost from your dog
to use for many seasons to come not take short cuts to get
her ready only to find out you may have developed a bad habbit
that you will have to live with the rest of her life.
You already invested 4 months in the dog..
She will be 6 or 7 come hunting season and she may be useable
but you may also take shortcuts along the way that will not show
up imeadately..
The intro to gun should be done gradually. She should be on clipp
wings for at least a month and maybe two.. Then shots should be
firesd at a distance over "WEEKS" and gradually brought closer...
Then a 20 ga... and then a 12 ga...
In my opinion it should take you almost to the end of hunting season
to get her introduced to birds first and then the gun and do it
properly. This is why I say if you wish to hunt with her this year
you will be rushing.
Now you can do it quicker but sometimes what you end up with is
a dog sensitive to guns.
I have taken short cuts. I have seen gun sensitivity in varring
degrees. I admitt I have made mistakes.
I hope you don't make the same mistakes.
Bear
Ah you may rush her and see no signs of sensitivety and say
"What does he know?" I'm not saying it can't be done what I
am saying is "Do you want to take the chance?"
|
196.3 | Make bird crazy | CLUSTA::STORM | | Thu Aug 18 1988 15:07 | 17 |
| I started with a blank pistol at feeding time and as the dog and
I were walking through the woods. I think the later worked best.
Pups love running in the woods/fields and have so much to see and
smell that they quickly ignore the noise. I moved fairly quickly
from there to a 12 gauge. I think Jeff's advice was key - get the
dog bird crazy first. My pup was 6 months old at the start of
hunting season last year. Once we started finding birds, she
quickly associated the gun with the birds and as a result, loved
the sound of the shotgun.
As Bear suggests, I probably caused some problems by rushing my
pup. Fortunately, this wasn't one of them. As all training
advice emphasizes, you must know your dog and slow down the training
at the first sign of fear.
Mark,
|
196.4 | Go slow. | DECWET::HELSEL | Well....isn't that special? | Thu Aug 18 1988 18:04 | 32 |
| I too am going to have to agree with bear. You're wasting your
time if you think the dog is going to hunt right at 6 months.
It will not have endurance and I doubt if it will have the
attention span to do what you want in the field for much more
than 10 minutes.
I am working my 11 week old very slowly. I was doing the
retrieves in the hall with her with all the doors closed
(no where else to go but back to me). (works great Bear)
We do the thing with the .22 blanks at supper. I don't even
think she hears the gun now. It took her two shots to not
"notice" the noise.
She is working on "Hup" now. She is doing well with this, but she
won't hup when she is overly excited. We have just started working
seriously on this on Sunday.
In my opinion, the two most important things you want to teach a
young pup is to HUP anywhere at any distance from you immediately.
Second, the COME command is essential.
We are about to start working on COME.
I have a 3 year old which is a hunting Springer that was not a
"high octane" FT dog. He was relatively easy to teach because he
was very patient. The pup I have now is HYPER. I mean she is a
ball of fire. She has been jumping off 5 foot ledges without being
hurt since she was 7.5 weeks. The dog has no fear, never gets tired,
and is smarter than me. Tough job ahead.
Brett.
|
196.5 | Retriev-r-trainer | VELVET::GATH | | Thu Aug 18 1988 18:49 | 60 |
| Jim
I want to appologise . There is nothing your base note that
even hints that you might be rushing your dog and I suspose
all my fears were from my experiences..
I am the one who has at one time or another may have rushed a dog
in his/her development. Somtimes I was not aware I rushing the dog
but in retrospect it was my over eagerness that may or maynot
creates these quirks.
So please don't take any of this personal and try and look at
it objectively..
Use what you want,, and discard what you regard as B#ll sh#t.
The Retreve-R-Trainer is also a good tool to intro a dog
to gunshot.
First we take the dummy and use it for about two - three week
throwing it and teasing the dog.. This getts the dog acustomed to
this dummy and he learns this is a great game...
Before this I use mostly tennis balls. or anything that
is sorta dry and can be picked up and carried easily by a pup.
At any rate after I buy the Retrive-R-Tranier and using the dummy
for sometime I am about to use the 22 cal blanks to trust the
dummy.
In the begining I will use only the weakest charge. Now I take
some vasoline and slop up the post. Now slide dummy on about half
way .. Get the dogs attention and tease him/her and then pull the
firing leaver....
When the dummy is not put on all the way the sound is muffled
very low....This is because there isn't very much pressure built
up.. You can make it sound as low a 22 or even lower...
of course the retrieve isn't very long... The dog doesn't care
because the he gets the dummy and it wasn't much anyway..
Now continue very slowly giving 3 or 4 a lesson and over periods
of weeks slowly pushing the dummy down further down the post creating
longer retrieves and louder repore.
If done correctly this is an excellent tool for retrieving and
introduction to gun fire....
Also you may want to try this first when the dog isn't around.
You purhaps could try it on a older dog first..
I like to see a dog extreemly entusastic about retrieving
and able to make all thrown retrieves before I do this..
First we start in open cover and move to thicker cover as
the dogs ability and joy of retrieve dictates This will change the
dog over from a sight dog to one who uses his nose to find
thrown objects and later shot birds.
Bear
|
196.6 | Great Info | PCCAD1::RICHARDJ | Bluegrass,Music Aged to Perfection | Mon Aug 22 1988 17:23 | 19 |
| re:all
Nope, I wasn't looking for this season to be a good one, in fact
I don't know if I'll take her out opening day. If I do, I plan to
stay away from the management areas. My brother has a fully trained
dog and I know she'll follow him around. The last dog I had, I trained
with my brothers. What a mistake. She was so used to following my
brothers dog, that come open season, thats all she wanted to do.
I finally broke her by hunting her alone for the rest of the year.
Another question I have. I never trained my dogs to hup when they
reach the dummy, because of the advice from my brother that because
we wern't going into field trials, it was a waste of time. Also,being
that a cock pheasant will run, the dog will hup and not put it up.
How do you feel about this ? Is it to late to start now that I've been
having her just pick up the dummy and return it ? And whats the
best method ? A check cord ?
Thanks
Jim
|
196.7 | | BPOV06::J_AMBERSON | | Mon Aug 22 1988 18:17 | 15 |
| First I wouldn't teach a dog to "Hup" at the dummy. This would
be a great way to teach a dog to blink birds. What you want to
do is teach him to hup to the flush. When the bird flushes the
dog sits. A sitting dog is alot better marking dog then one that
is running. He will be a better retriever, and will get you more
second shots should you (heaven forbid) miss. A dog that continues
the chase after the flush won't give you the opurtunity for a second
flush as he will chase that bird clear out of the county. Another
point is that it is alot safer for the dog if he sits after the
flush. If the bird is a low flyer and the dog is chasing you may
not be able to get the shot off without endangering the dog. Try
to take the effort to train your dog to be steady to wing and shot.
It will make better hunters out of both of you.
Jeff
|
196.8 | Okay what is HUP? | BTO::REMILLARD_K | | Mon Aug 22 1988 18:31 | 29 |
|
Having trained my own dog, not knowing really what I was doing (I
have learned a lot since then), I trained her to heel, come, stop,
sit, hold, drop...but HUP eludes me...what does it mean?
To stay with the base note a little. I used basically what everyone
else has suggested, .22 up to 12 ga., to get her use to the sound.
My dog was never affected by the sound, at 3-4 months I was shooting
the 12 ga. with her at my side. It is the trainer's duty to know
his/her dog, being able to read the signs of noise related problems.
The bitch to the litter of my dog is extremely gun (noise) shy,
a boom of thunder and she's off whimpering. I was extremely cautious
because of that fact, I would shoot the gun, lay it on the ground
and let her smell it...she really gets pumped up by the smell of
spent powder...guess she takes after me in that sense. :^)
You want to know what really can ruin a good dog...the 4th of July.
Everyone throwing firecrackers, of course if your lab is like mine,
she sees someone throw something she has to be right in the thick
of things. Nothing like a firecracker going off 1" from a dogs
nose to make them gun shy...I've seen it happen. Mine had one go
off very close to her nose last year, and shook it off, I (she)
was lucky. I almost fed the remaining pack to the idiot that threw
it close to the dog. She goes in the camp on the 4th from now on.
Good luck,
Kevin
|
196.9 | question answered... | BTO::REMILLARD_K | | Mon Aug 22 1988 18:39 | 6 |
|
re .7
Jeff, you answered my question...and beat me to the reply.
Kevin
|
196.10 | Hup | PCCAD1::RICHARDJ | Bluegrass,Music Aged to Perfection | Mon Aug 22 1988 21:11 | 10 |
| re:7
Jeff, thanks. I understand that you want the dog to hup after the
bird is flushed. The thing is, the only way to train the dog for that
is with live birds(pigeons) right ? Maybe my brother is right then.
Whenever our dogs have flushed a bird, they usually watch the bird
and wait for the shot, but we never had them hup. The hup command
will make the dog sit, at least thats the way I learned it. Correct
me if I'm wrong.
Jim
|
196.11 | | BPOV02::J_AMBERSON | | Tue Aug 23 1988 12:14 | 11 |
| Hi Jim,
Im not an expert by any means on springers, I've always had Labs.
I think your correct however in saying that the best (only?) way to
teach a dog to Hup on the flush is with live birds. A dog that
is sitting can't break on the shot. A dog that s standing is only
a step away from breaking. If your dogs are already stopping on
the flush, it shouldn't take much more work to get them to sit.
Mayby some of the springer owners in this file could help, Pat or
Bear??
Jeff
|
196.12 | Might Be The Best Thing | PCCAD1::RICHARDJ | Bluegrass,Music Aged to Perfection | Tue Aug 23 1988 14:40 | 15 |
| I talked with my brother last night on this, he mentioned that
sometimes teaching the dog to hup on a flush will lead the dog into
a point, in which case for pheasant hunting isn't good. I don't know
if I buy his theory, however our dogs have sometimes brought back
the birds alive in which case hupping, they would have lost them.
When they do fly and I've missed the shot because
of sun in my eyes and other bullsh*t, the birds go about seventy
five yards away and the dogs have never broken after them. I guess
if I were interested in Field Trials it would be imperative to train
them to hup. I'm gonna have to think on this some more. My concern
right now is that I want a dog that is good on grouse hunting and
pheasant hunting. I don't think you can train a dog to point on one type of
bird and flush on another. I don't know. Are there any experts out there.
Jim
|
196.13 | ??? | BPOV02::J_AMBERSON | | Tue Aug 23 1988 15:08 | 19 |
| Im confused as to why you ask if "you can train a dog to point on
one bird and flush on another". You shouldn't be training a springer
to point ANY bird. Your brothers fears about the dog "pointing"
a bird are mis-labeled. What he really is worried about is what is
called a "soft flush". This when a dog hesitates just as the bird
flushes or right before the bird flushes. A properly trained dog
should not do this. The dog should be hard charging right up to
and including the moment the dog makes contact with the bird. Watch
a well trained springer work pheasants. A good one will leap into
the air and often take a mouthfull of tail feathers from the bird
as it flushes, but at the same time will sit when his feet touch
ground. Truly and impressive sight! Why would your dogs have lost
the birds they brought back alive if they had hupped on the flush?
The dog should not sit _untill_ the bird is in the air, ie they
should be hot on the trail of all runners. Keep asking questions
as its nice to talk dogs. You springer owners out there correct
me if I'm wrong.
jeff
|
196.14 | | LIONEL::SAISI | | Tue Aug 23 1988 15:22 | 9 |
| It sounds like this dog is holding steady. Some spaniels are
trained to stand rather than hup, although intuitively it seems
that they would be more tempted to break. The main point is
that they hold still until you send them. But as Jeff said,
they should get the bird in the air first. Someone was telling
me that during the training, the dog may get confused about
when it is supposed to "hup", but I don't think it would be
difficult to work this out.
Linda
|
196.15 | Why hup at the flush?? | DECWET::HELSEL | Well....isn't that special? | Tue Aug 23 1988 16:44 | 11 |
| Well, I'll play devil's advocate here.
A dog that hups at the flush will lose many more birds than a Springer
that charges after the bird. Why give a pheasant a head start into
the next country? The thing you want to watch is a springer
that "catches" birds.
"Steady to the flush" is only for esoteric Field Trial judges.
Brett.
|
196.16 | Why not? | BPOV02::J_AMBERSON | | Tue Aug 23 1988 16:59 | 25 |
| "A dog that hups at the flush will lose many more birds than a Springer
that charges after the bird."
I disagree.
* A dog that is moving is a lot poorer marking dog then
one that is standing still.
* A dog that breaks is ALOT more likely to get shot then one that
is steady.
* A dog that breaks is abt to interfere with othe working dogs.
ie: try and steal the retrieve,
* If your worried that your dog will have trouble with a lightly
hit bird that hits the ground running then considure this:
Your dog found the bird in the first place. Your dog now is trailing
a bird which is bleeding and emitting more scent. Your dog knows
_exactly_ where to start trailing the cripple, ie where the bird landed.
My thoughts are that if the dog could find a healthy bird in the
first place then he ought to be able to find a cripple he saw hit
the brush.
Jeff (Let the discussion begin 8*)
|
196.17 | Hup Sounds Right | PCCAD1::RICHARDJ | Bluegrass,Music Aged to Perfection | Tue Aug 23 1988 17:16 | 9 |
|
Jeff, I agree. A springer isn't a dog you want if you want a dog
to point. I guess its more laziness on my part that I never trained
them to hup on the flush. My dogs have never broke on me, but being
I'm training a new pup I want it done right, and hup to flush sounds
like the dirrection I'll head. I don't care if we'er off the topic,
cause I like sharing information on gun dogs.
Jim
|
196.18 | Pls. Train your dog; completely | CUERVO::GATH | | Tue Aug 23 1988 18:21 | 78 |
| Brett,
I'm sure glad you like playing devels advocate.
The pheasant are on the ground and if he knows what he is doing will
run until there is no other way out, then and only then he will
take to the air.
You take aim and because some ( insert your favorite excuse ) reason
you wound the bird.
Now a unsteady dog is a third of the way there and a steady dog
is wishing you would release him to get it. You give the release
command ( Willie ) . It is true that the unsteady dog will get
there first.... and everything being equal there will be a time
when getting there quicker will mean purhaps a bird that will be
recovered that for some reason wasn't recovered by the steady dog.
But it shouldn't be that many. We are splitting straws...
If we do our work and give the dog lots of runners in training it
will even be less... A well seasoned dog will find the track of
the recent shot bird and there will be no hiding place....
We can take Mallard ducks and tape the wings and give the duck a
head start... Great tracking work.. Your dog should be trained to
come up with these cripples.
Now lets see what happens when we are in an area like Iowa,south
Dakoda, nebraska, colorado, washington , or orgon. You are in an
area with lots of native phesants.( insert your favorite state)
It's cocks only and it is opening day you are out about 15 minutes
and your dog is acting crazy. I know he is acting a little unusuall.
The reason is every where he goes the cover is filled with scent.
He going crazy its getting hot... boy there he goes.... Its a hen.
The steady dog is waiting for your next move. We watch the bird fly
off. Now we will regain work in a different direction than in which the
bird flew. we put up two more hens. We are now coming to the end
of the field and two cocks take to the air.. I drop one you drop
one. both are nice clean shots.. I take another step an another
one goes up. I drop this one but it is a cripple.
I send my dog after the cripple first.. I either pick up the other
birds while the dog is hunting or I wait until the cripple is brought
to hand and send the dog on two blind retrievs... ( the dog has
lost his marking and may need handled two the other two birds.)
What do you think happened to the unsteady dog.
On the very first hen he went beserk. He was chasing and and chasing
and he didn't remember hearing a shot but what the heck. Then he
pus up another and another. Then you see the three cocks go up out
of gun range and you partners mumbles something...
What was that Brett? And he quickly changes his thoughts and says,
Boy Bear, what noise on that dog too bad we couldn't harnes that
energy, that desire. It is really a shame bear to let that good dog
go to waist...
Good dog My foot. He is being polite...
If you don't train the dog it not the dogs fault, ITS YOUR FAULT...
Bear
If you think my example is bazar. It may be . But how do you want
your dog to react when you get in this situation ? Think about it.
I think the only reasons not to steady a dog to wing and shot are
lack of training time, lack of training ability, lazyness or just
plain ignorance...
Buy the way the names have been changed to protect the inocent.
I am not signaling any one out... A well trained dog is always
better than the same dog not trained and in the raw.
|
196.19 | Some breeds can handle multiple marks 8*) | BPOV02::J_AMBERSON | | Tue Aug 23 1988 18:50 | 6 |
| Bear,
Of course if you were hunting with a Lab you wouldn't need to
send the dog on "two blind retrieves because he lost his mark".
jeff 8*) 8*) 8*)
|
196.20 | | BTO::RIVERS_D | | Tue Aug 23 1988 19:06 | 1 |
| I love it! Good answer Jeff.
|
196.21 | Shooting A Little Early Are We ? | PCCAD1::RICHARDJ | Bluegrass,Music Aged to Perfection | Tue Aug 23 1988 19:32 | 11 |
|
re:19
Right.
Because lab's are only good for flushing one bird per day anyway.
I do have to stand up for my springers.
Jim
|
196.22 | Great Topic!!! | DELNI::G_FISHER | | Tue Aug 23 1988 20:21 | 28 |
| Timely topic for me as I am in the process of steadying my springer.
Couple of thoughts...
re: .12
I don't believe it is mandatory for a flushing dog to hup to the
flush in a field trial (at least springers) to be considered steady.
They must whoa. As Jeff said earlier, whoa is closer to a break than
hup. But if your dog is whoaing, I believe it is considered steady.
Hup gives the handler greater control. So by all means steady your
dog. Whether you choose to have the dog hup (flushing breeds only)
isn't as important.
I think every hunting dog should be steady to wing and shot for
lots of good reasons already covered, safety, etiquette, etc. I
experienced a hunt last season with my new (4 1/2 year old)
springer similar to the one described by Bear (you weren't watching
and laughing in the bushes Bear, were you?)
I started with Pat 2 weeks ago and have made (with Dave Nelson's
help) alot of progress. My dog is now 5 and isn't having much trouble
picking up on the idea. At his present rate, he'll be fine this
fall.
What is more fun is trying to steady (whoa) Dave's Sherman Tank
er...ah Shorthair. 8^) I've got to get a video...
Guy
|
196.23 | Ha! | DECWET::HELSEL | Well....isn't that special? | Tue Aug 23 1988 21:21 | 14 |
| Not singling anybody out?
Willie?
Brett?
Good thing I didn't tell you Saighton Sheba's name!
:-)
Anyway, when was the last time you saw two Pheasants in one day?
(week?)
(Addieville doesn't count)
|
196.24 | 8*) | BPOV02::J_AMBERSON | | Wed Aug 24 1988 12:06 | 7 |
| Re. Brett
"Anyway when was the last time you saw two pheasants....."
People who hunt with Labs get multiple flushes all the time. Must
be the excellent breeding and the superior noses.
Jeff - who is having fun busting ba$$s
|
196.25 | I think Labs are great,but I own springers. | VELVET::GATH | | Wed Aug 24 1988 12:19 | 21 |
| Jeff I was trying to be realistic. I think a great many hunters
would pick up the birds themselves.
Only a "dog man" would stand there and obtain great joy at
watching his dog make multible retrieves...
Most people are more worried about two birds in the hand
is worth more than ( anything else ) They just want to make sure
they get the bird.. And there is nothing wrong with that.
Brett when I started writing I had no idea where I was going.
I should have been more consistant....
And oh by the way the last time I hunte N.H. We jumped 7 Pheasants.
I didn't get any but the sun was in my eyes? or it flew behind
a tree... or a bug got in my eye... something like that .
bear
|
196.26 | Keep Labs At Home | PCCAD1::RICHARDJ | Bluegrass,Music Aged to Perfection | Wed Aug 24 1988 13:36 | 10 |
| One thing I learned over the years hunting with springers is that,
when you come to a field that is being hunted by springers, pass
it by becasue they will get any birds that are in there.
On the other hand if it being hunted by any other breed, go ahead
and get the ones they miss. Besides, if you read any books they
write on pheasant hunting, springers are the feature breed.
Jim (who also likes busting em)
|
196.27 | | KAYBEE::SAMIAM | Set ME hidden | Wed Aug 24 1988 14:30 | 9 |
|
Boy, I realize now how much I'm in the minority.... never
thought pointing breeds were so rare ;-)
I think I'll take "Sherman" and meander off into the sunset.
dave
|
196.28 | He Won't Point If... | PCCAD1::RICHARDJ | Bluegrass,Music Aged to Perfection | Wed Aug 24 1988 16:14 | 4 |
| Last time I had a dog that just stood there and pointed I kicked it
in the butt. He stopped doing it.
Jim
|
196.29 | It's not polite to point. | BPOV02::J_AMBERSON | | Wed Aug 24 1988 16:52 | 8 |
| I always thought pointers were for hunters that shoot like Stevie
Wonder.
"O.k. the dog is pointing to that little clump of grass,
If I hold the gun right here, and then kick the grass, the bird
just MIGHT fly through my pattern."
Jeff - who got permission to hunt a cornfield yesterday.
|
196.30 | Pointing dogs for the handicapped | KAYBEE::SAMIAM | Set ME hidden | Wed Aug 24 1988 17:29 | 9 |
| RE: .28 and .29
LOW BLOWS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've gotta be careful cuz I'm out numbered here.
Jeff knows of my shooting skills, I need all the help
I can get.
dave
|
196.31 | Labs....hrumph | DECWET::HELSEL | Well....isn't that special? | Wed Aug 24 1988 18:11 | 9 |
| re: .24
Labs?
Labs????
Jeff, we're talking about pheasants.....not ducks.
Bret.
|
196.32 | This is fun!! | BPOV02::J_AMBERSON | | Wed Aug 24 1988 18:43 | 10 |
| Geez, don't you guys know anything? Labs are the all around hunting
dog. They can flush like a springer, have a nose like a pointer,
and retrieve, well, like a Lab. You don't have to worry about them
ending up in the next county thirty seconds after they jump out
of the truck. They won't turn into a "pup-sicle" if you ask them
to make a water retrieve in January. They don't require an hour
of "de-burring" after you hunt them in hard cover.
Jeff - who once thought of getting a springer but decided to get
a HUNTING dog instead.
|
196.33 | No kicking, biting or scratching 8^) | DELNI::G_FISHER | | Wed Aug 24 1988 19:04 | 17 |
| re: 30
That's ok Dave...Sam knows how well you shoot too. Why do you think
he picks up so many birds...
8^) 8^)
re: 32
I don't know Jeff...I understand some of Pat's springers have done
ok at those "retriever" trials. Some of those lab owners were ...ah
shaking their heads...
Guy
|
196.34 | Love The Sport | PCCAD1::RICHARDJ | Bluegrass,Music Aged to Perfection | Thu Aug 25 1988 12:11 | 19 |
| It must be the cooler weather. Everyone's trigger happy.
But, lets face it, the best part of hunting is watching
that dog work. I hardly dear hunt anymore since I started
hunting birds with a dog. The beauty of seeing your best
friend put up that cock pheasant, and then returning it to
you all full of pride, can't be matched by any other type
of hunting. I don't think people who own a dog just as a
pet can really appreciate the experience of having a working
dog. I've seen gun dog's of all breeds, do things for the
owners that is nothing short of being heroic. Going out for
a bird in ice cold water, or retrieving a bird from a brier
patch, is all done because of the loyalty the gun dog has
for its owner. We all have our favorite breeds, mine happens
to be springers. I no springers have a personality that only
springer lovers can understand, and I'm sure other breed owners
can have the same understanding for there breeds. I definitely
got the fever, I can't wait for opening day.
Jim
|
196.35 | Right!! | VELVET::GATH | | Thu Aug 25 1988 13:49 | 16 |
| I don't want to hang out any dirty landry but it seems I remember
hunting with one of these Labs once that really wanted to ignore
his handler at least for the first 10 or 15 mins, anyway.
We needed to get him under control,
we did.
The point being maybe some else wouldn't. I think a lab
who loves to hunt might be prone to start with out you
on occassion, just like a springer..
Its called enthusaism ( sp )
Bear
|
196.36 | I love' em all! | BPOV04::J_AMBERSON | | Thu Aug 25 1988 17:51 | 18 |
| Yea, I agree with Jim. There is NOTHING compared to watching a
good dog work a pheasant on a crisp autumn morning when the leaves
are at there peak of color. The dog quartering back and forth
untangling the thread of scent until just when you are beggining
to doubt there sincerity, a cock bird explodes from underneath the
dogs nose in all its beauty. Is there a prettier sight then a mature
cock bird in a springers mouth? Or how about sitting in a goose blind
trying not to peak as a flock of honkers looks over your decoys,
your dog sitting beside quivering with excitement as the birds circle,
circle, circle..... finally they commit and you dump a pair out
of the flock. One hits the ground running and it's race time for
the dog. God, this is like torture. In truth, there are very few
hunting dogs that I don't enjoy gunnin over. Hunting with out a
dog isn't hunting to me, its shooting. A good bird dog will make
your bad days memorable, and your good days unforgettable.
Jeff
|
196.37 | In the EYES of the BEHOLDER | WFOV11::DRUMM | | Fri Aug 26 1988 17:29 | 14 |
|
RE: .36
>>> Is there a prittier sight than a mature cock bird in a springer's
mouth?
YES !!!!
A mature cock bird in a Brittany's mouth!!
That's my dog.
Steve ;^) ;^)
|
196.38 | Puppy swimming lessons | DECWET::HELSEL | Well....isn't that special? | Mon Aug 29 1988 17:02 | 13 |
| We taught our 13 week old springer to swim yesterday. What a thrill!
My wife and I jumped off our boat into Lake Washington, leaving
the dog on the boat alone. We called a few times and she worked
up the nerve to jump off the transom. Of course, she required very
little instruction once she hit the water :-)
I boosted her up on the boat and she jumped right back in again.
10 minutes later, she passed out for about 2 hours. Lots of excitment
for even the fiesty-est of puppies.
Brett.
|
196.39 | exit | HPSRAD::MELVIN | | Wed Sep 28 1988 17:02 | 18 |
| I thought I wanted to teach my springers how to take me bird hunting
before, but now I am SURE that I want to !!!
I have two 2 year old female springer spaniels. One who thinks
she is a lap dog (leave her home with my wife) and the other that
will chase a tennis ball all day long. I effectionately call it
enthusiasm, others call it hyper.
But seriously though, if I want to do this the correct way is this
something I can teach the dog myself (i.e. read a book and then
teach), or does anyone know of someone who could teach me to train
the dog ?
Thanks for the info.
Jim
|
196.40 | More info... | HPSRAD::MELVIN | | Wed Sep 28 1988 17:13 | 9 |
| In reading that note there is probably more info that I should
add. Although very energetic, both dogs have been well trained
for Sit, stay, down, heel, and come. They have really worked out
quite well. We did the obedience training through a class but put
a lot of time on ourselves. based on that, I am really looking
forward to training her for hunting.
Jim
|
196.41 | try Hedgerow Kennel | VELVET::GATH | | Wed Sep 28 1988 17:30 | 13 |
|
Jim ,
Pat Perry of Hedgerow Kennels has a program where he teaches
dog owner to hanndle there own dogs. I highly reccomend this program
and it seems like it is exactly what you are looking for providing
you live in the New England area since he is located in Mass.
At any rate conntact Pat for more information.
he can be reached Bpov09::perry.
Bear
|
196.42 | Hedgerow Kennel | 3737::LECLAIR | | Wed Nov 03 1993 15:34 | 9 |
|
re:-1
Does anyone have updated info on this, Bpov09::perry no longer
exists.
or any other training program.
Dick
|
196.43 | | 18583::AMBERSON | | Wed Nov 03 1993 16:14 | 5 |
| Pat Perry left DEC several years ago to train dogs full time.
He opened Hedgerow Kennels. His number is 508-249-7115. Give him
a call.
Jeff
|