Training a Gun Dog

[Gin 496]

My mate Dougie, is a shooter and beater. He uses a Labrador, trained by himself. Today on the shoot he took along one of his pups, 14 weeks old to see how the pup would react. The pup was great on the day, and even ran in to retrieve a bird. A chap on the shoot told Dougie, it was far too early to be training a pup. Some say 10 months or older to start training, but Dougie has already let the pup play and retrieving as part of the playing. Anyone any thoughts on this ?

This is the pup today at 14 weeks old, retrieving a pigeon to hand and "sitting up " to give up the bird. Outside my house today but is the same in the field.

By the way,- still 2 dog pups for sale.

Edited January 7, 2007 by Gin

[pointer28 1]

I would see no problem in letting the dog play a bit at his intended job ie letting him mooch about in cover or retrieving a few birds or dummies. But I wouldn't do anything serious with him, just let him be a puppy and grow up to love the game rather than rush him and ruin him.

[Gin 496]

I would see no problem in letting the dog play a bit at his intended job ie letting him mooch about in cover or retrieving a few birds or dummies. But I wouldn't do anything serious with him, just let him be a puppy and grow up to love the game rather than rush him and ruin him.

The pup is not doing anything serious,- its all light work, a few runs and thats it. Still just playing for the pup.

 

Edited,- i have just noticed i should have had this in the Training section.

Edited December 31, 2006 by Gin

[v-max 2]

Hello training start's from the day you pick it up ie at 8 week's & build's a bond & read the dog to make the desition when to start i normally start at 6 month's but i have them already sitting comming to name before that & (iiit) as no etc.Your [bANNED TEXT]'s dog is too young to be doing a lot of exersize as you should not exersize lab's much as pup's as you can do damage to joint's & bone's.He has had the dog out to try it & read it he should now put his plan together for training.Remember that basic training is the foundation of any training & even the best dog's ie FTCH etc is basic obedience at a high level & refined & polished off.Remember not to exersize a lot & a dog need's it's own place ie kennel to unwind & sleep & they need sleep to grow.

[lampinglurcher 36]

why the hell is your mate taking him to a shoot and running him at 14weeks? leave off till hes about 9/10 months before even training retrieval properly, i can sort of see it being a game, but no way at a shoot, or even with game at that age. JMO

[Gin 496]

why the hell is your mate taking him to a shoot and running him at 14weeks? leave off till hes about 9/10 months before even training retrieval properly, i can sort of see it being a game, but no way at a shoot, or even with game at that age. JMO

To get used to the sounds and different experiences. He is not running the pup at that age,- play training.

The pup was watching the other dogs and wanted to have a go. Its not a regular thing.

[kiwi 4]

me and your mate would get on great where in the dog book does it say start a pup at 10 months, start "your" pup when you think it's ready to be exposed to wots gonna be a big part of it's life, at 14 weeks is about when all my pups will be walking in the bush and getting shots put over them as part of passive training,and it's great fun for the owner to watch the little guy deal with things as they come up too i might add, part of forming a bond with your dog, teaching the basic's as well as a bit of game sniffing and water training is never gonna harm the pup. my pigdog pups are following the maindogs on short hunts at four months and all my gundogs are started as there little bodies grow. training should be all fun and games with a slow and steady progress, waiting for ten months is a hell of a long time in a dogs life.

[Gin 496]

me and your mate would get on great where in the dog book does it say start a pup at 10 months, start "your" pup when you think it's ready to be exposed to wots gonna be a big part of it's life, at 14 weeks is about when all my pups will be walking in the bush and getting shots put over them as part of passive training,and it's great fun for the owner to watch the little guy deal with things as they come up too i might add, part of forming a bond with your dog, teaching the basic's as well as a bit of game sniffing and water training is never gonna harm the pup. my pigdog pups are following the maindogs on short hunts at four months and all my gundogs are started as there little bodies grow. training should be all fun and games with a slow and steady progress, waiting for ten months is a hell of a long time in a dogs life.

Well said. He has the best trained dogs i have seen.

[bullmastiff 610]

Fair enough keeping it all fun and games and introducing the pup to lots of new and exciting sights, sounds and scents, easiest way of getting a nice steady dog and he seems to be going well with the basic commands but firing guns near a young pup can have disasterous effects, not just scaring the living sh*t out of the young'un but it's damaging it's hearing as well. Theirs no golden rules with a precise age to start dogs off, someone once won a few Field Trials then an open stakes championship with an eight month old pup!! making it the youngest FTCH in KC history. So it can be done but just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Most books, videos and "experts" state 8-12 months for gun training, their must be a reason they all say this? JMO.

 

As for the retrieving, most use a tennis ball then a weighted washing-up bottle with some wings or skin attached with elastic bands!! I think the main reason most don't use the whole bird is that it can turn into a chew toy whilst the pup retrieves it back to you, they are awkward to hold so they keep putting it down to get a better hold or worse start snatching at it to get a better grip, not a habit you want a dog to get into.

[Gin 496]

Fair enough keeping it all fun and games and introducing the pup to lots of new and exciting sights, sounds and scents, easiest way of getting a nice steady dog and he seems to be going well with the basic commands but firing guns near a young pup can have disasterous effects, not just scaring the living sh*t out of the young'un but it's damaging it's hearing as well. Theirs no golden rules with a precise age to start dogs off, someone once won a few Field Trials then an open stakes championship with an eight month old pup!! making it the youngest FTCH in KC history. So it can be done but just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Most books, videos and "experts" state 8-12 months for gun training, their must be a reason they all say this? JMO.

 

As for the retrieving, most use a tennis ball then a weighted washing-up bottle with some wings or skin attached with elastic bands!! I think the main reason most don't use the whole bird is that it can turn into a chew toy whilst the pup retrieves it back to you, they are awkward to hold so they keep putting it down to get a better hold or worse start snatching at it to get a better grip, not a habit you want a dog to get into.

No guns were fired near to the pup. Actually it is a tennis ball he uses to start off with, and his cap. The pup had not chewed the bird at all, and did not need to keep putting it down. !

[kiwi 4]

sorry bullmastiff, i don't make dvd's or right books, but loud noises and bangs are part of a pups life if he is gonna be a gundog, it's usallay started as they are weaned by making alot of noise when they are eating etc. by eight months i would expect a average pup to be 1/2 trained for wotever job he's been bred for but thats just me.

[lampinglurcher 36]

ah i see now. i thought he was running it at a shoot at 14 weeks i understand introducing it to shots and the experience before it gets too old. how old do you show yours live game? in my experience a young pup will want to mouth and chew a bird, so ive lways left it to abit later.

[kiwi 4]

mine see game as soon as they have had there shots. but they are limited to the amount of walking you should expect of them. all play is good.

[Gin 496]

ah i see now. i thought he was running it at a shoot at 14 weeks i understand introducing it to shots and the experience before it gets too old. how old do you show yours live game? in my experience a young pup will want to mouth and chew a bird, so ive lways left it to abit later.

Hi LampingLurcher

It was just a one off letting the pup have a go at the bird, on the shoot,- the pup was keen to have a go, so he let it. It was mainly held back to watch, and hear the different sounds. The pup could hear the guns but not too close.

[bullmastiff 610]

ah i see now. i thought he was running it at a shoot at 14 weeks

 

Exactly what I thought!! Fair play to him if it's not near the guns and the keepers willing to let him sniff about during drives!

 

Kiwi - maybe English pups are more sensitive than NZ/Aus pups (or maybe just more molly-coddled??) but a fair few people seem to ruin decent working dogs over here by introducing them to gun reports far too young and far to close, making them gun shy, you ever get gun shyness over there?

 

Anyway it's interesting to hear how people in other countries train their gundogs, in Europe they seem to leave dogs until their a lot older than ours until they start proper work and in America they seem to rely on electric collars for recall/send away training quite a bit.

Edited January 5, 2007 by bullmastiff