Gsp 10 Month Pup Training.

[mark williams 7,549]

Hi all,

I have posted in the past over my GSP and now he is at the stage of sitting 9/10 to the stop whistle, retrieves,etc ,etc when on a long lead.

I am unable to satisfy his wanting to excersise by street walking him on a short lead so i take him to the fields on a long lead.There is a very strong urge by him wanting to hunt and i try my best to keep away from game.

Again - in my garden he will train well off the lead (if exercised first helps). Out in the fields off lead he will run a long way out and about until he is tired and then come a lot closer in range. When kept on the long lead he is much easier to handle.

Over the weekend i took him to Formby beach in Merseyside to run him and play ball, or retrieves stop whistle, re call etc, etc he was doing well until he saw another dog hundreds of yards away,- he was off and any command was useless. He wants to play with any dog and wants to mount any bitch.Doctored or not !

I rang the breeder over getting him the snip but she was dead against the idea before he is at least 18 months minimum.

He goes to a well known trainer once a fortnight this last 6 weeks but he has not tried him off lead yet .

 

Any advice please guys.

[mackay 3,049]

He's ten months old.

He's a pup.

Chill out, it should be enjoyable.

He wants to ride everything, so do most teenagers, no need to knack them, never ceases to amaze me why everyone seems to think neutering solves every problem.

I'm not knocking you but it all sounds a bit regimental, let him have his fun time, run about, play with other dogs etc, you'll probably find as the time goes on and the novelty of everything surrounding him wears off he'll settle down to what's required of him.

[mark williams 7,549]

Thats what i was hoping mate - he`s a kid full stop !

Nothing regimental i promise you.

Edited March 16, 2015 by mark williams

[skycat 6,172]

The more you restrict and restrain a young dog, the more it will kick out and cause problems. Imagine trying to keep a teenager tied to you! Of course there must be rules, recall etc, but most of the issues we all experience with our young dogs, particularly males, is because they HAVE to explore their boundaries, and they have to explore, full stop.

 

Yes, it's bloody annoying at times, but young dogs are literally bursting with energy: what do you want? A few months of stress and trauma (to you I mean) or a lifetime with a dog that is resentful, under the thumb and one that has never been allowed to learn by its own mistakes? Of course we have to be careful not to let the dog get into situations where it can cause harm or get itself into real trouble, but there must be a middle road.

 

Try to let the dog socialize with other specifically chosen dogs, rather than keeping it away from all. Dogs are social creatures, and they NEED to learn how to interact with each other. If you are not a social sort of person then you have to make an extra effort for the dog's sake: I'm like this, and it pains me to have to interact with people and dogs I don't know, but I do it so that my young dogs learn how to behave correctly: it all takes time.

 

As far as neutering goes, don't even think about doing it now. Let him grow up. The mounting of other dogs and bitches is nothing more than young animal playing at finding his feet, amidst all those hormones raging. Let a bitch really tell him off. He'll learn what is and what is not acceptable behaviour.

 

Make yourself interesting to him: more than interesting, absolutely fascinating. Use a tug toy, play tug, play retrieving games, interact with him regularly, make him see you as the best place to be. See the tug training articles on the home page on this site. They won't make him hard mouthed in the slightest.

[Casso 1,256]

The pup needs a focus, sounds like a bit of a headless chicken,

When do you intend starting him ??

Channeling him on prey as his breed intended will bond you to him and will lose that wild wanderlust he expresses, the wanderlust is just the pup trying to find prey making niche

[mark williams 7,549]

Yes mate rough shooting with shot guns and some hide shooting with both shot gun and air rifles

My pup certainly ranges but he does not know a gun yet, i am hoping he will put 2 and 2 together when he is old enough to hunt and realise a gun is his avenue to a bird in his mouth.

My ground is hundreds of acres of open fields with good game numbers with plenty of wood pigeons about.

[mark williams 7,549]

Hi mate, i hear no younger than 18 months before running a GSP on game ? is that correct ?

[CraignTod 278]

Not sure on that specific breed but males take longer to mature.

No need to set sn age just wait till needs matured all dogs are different

[fabiomilitello 37]

You may have been better off with a spaniel or a labrador by the sounds of what you're wanting with your HPR. But, you have him now. As previously said: He's a puppy. He's going to want to sniff everything. Lick everything. Mount everything. Eat everything. Run everywhere. That's what ALL puppies do. Once he's older, and he's experienced everything in the area, then he'll be more attentive. He'll realise that what you want him to do is actually WAY more interesting and exciting then going to smell that bush over there. Just give him time. In regards to giving him the snip, that's your choice. Some people say as soon as they cock their leg, neuter them. I have a more laissez faire approach to it. If he's causing visible problems and there is no way of calming them down, it may be required. But if it's just mounting bitches, then that's nothing to be concerned about. Good luck with him, I love pointers, but for my sort of shooting, labs are more suited for me (i'm a wildfowler). Keep us all updated, and keep consistent with the dog. The most important thing about dog ownership is enjoying your time with him, as opposed to wanting him to be a hunting machine with no flaws.

[mark williams 7,549]

Took Kaiser out into the fields this morning for a three hour run around.He`s sleeping at my feet now

As said, he was into everything and running all over the place as happy as a pup could get, into the numerous ponds, bushes, embankments etc , etc.

I did get worried once or twice as he went ranging so far as to be nearly out of sight but he seems to realize after a while and comes running back. I put the re-call whistle in only when he is already running back.

I`ll take him out again this afternoon over the local wildlife park/ lake on a long lead to socialize with other dogs.

Just let him be his self and will do for a while now but i will carry on putting stop whistle, re-call in.

 

Thank You for any advice.

Edited March 20, 2015 by mark williams

[david901 162]

Hi mate, i hear no younger than 18 months before running a GSP on game ? is that correct ?

I allowed my Brittany to hunt from about 4 or 5 months old.

Nothing serious, just took him to a moor where I knew there were plenty of snipe and let him hunt and point them.

Sometimes he made "mistakes" and flushed them too early. He then chased them. I allowed this and let him.

It wasn't long before he realised he couldn't catch them. Getting a dog to point is also about the time of year it is.

Some birds will hold better for a point at certain times/weather conditions.

Have you got access to pigeons? A good training aid.

I would keep him away from ground game until he is steady.

I read Derry Argues book on Pointers and Setters. I found it a good way to train, though not to everyone's taste.

As for running to play with other dogs, mine will still do it occasionally, but only when out exercising and never when we're hunting.

All the best with him.

[mark williams 7,549]

 

 

Well lads, here he is at just turned 2yrs

 

atb

 

 

[VOON 1,313]

Cool, what way is his obedience now??

[mark williams 7,549]

Very good Voon.

All the commands are understood, he even brings my boots on command and his lead on command.

 

Made up with him.