Advice on Training a Bird Dog

40s-and-wfan · May 13, 2010, 01:43 AM

My Girlfriend and I just picked up our first dog, a German Shorthaired Pointer that we're looking to train for bird hunting.
This is my first dive into the Bird Dog Training world and would love to have any advice anyone would be able or willing to offer. I'm nervous and don't want to make a mistake in this. He's an excellent pup and I want to do right by him, to allow him to reach his full potential!!

Thanks!

troy_mclure · May 13, 2010, 05:53 AM

theres some good dvd's out there.

we used to raise and train britney's, we raised(and ate) pigeons to train them.

it was a good way to teach the dog to hold the point, and not to leap for the bird as it flushed.

we had a gshp once, stupidest dog ever. it was obsessed with rocks. hunting it would carry a rock around, and we stopped to rest on a large boulders, it would chew the boulders and we would have to drag it away from the boulder. its pups(like 6 gen's now) were amazingly smart however, and one(and its pup) could climb just about any tree.

oneounceload · May 13, 2010, 08:31 AM

You might also ask the folks over on uplandjournal.com - lots of knowledge about dealing with all breeds of bird dogs

Good luck!

ZeroJunk · May 13, 2010, 08:52 AM

The main thing for me was to train the dog to stop and hold until I told him he could go. You can do this in your yard.

The big reason for this is that training them on tame birds they get in the habit of getting a lot closer than wild birds will allow.

Most dogs will point instinctively. Making them hold when they get "birdy" and they haven't seen the birds yet and you want to get up to them, or you want them to back another dog is a big deal.

Scorch · May 13, 2010, 11:30 AM

Read up on dog training, watch videos, and get involved with a local club. That's the best way to get the results you want. I have trained two Brittanys, an English Setter, and a Weimaraner. I highly recommend the books by Ken Wolters.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...tType=category

40s-and-wfan · May 13, 2010, 11:57 AM

I've got a Ken Wolter's DVD and a few other ones put out by Gun Dog magazine. They're excellent, I just can't help but think that I might need more information to do the best job I can. I'm a little intimidated by the task ahead of me.

Gunplummer · May 13, 2010, 02:28 PM

It depends on the breed I guess. My hat is off to anybody that can train a Weimaraner. My friend has two and she can't seem to do anything with them. I knew a guy that used a German Shepard mix to hunt pheasants, and it pointed as good as any bird dog. Takes a lot of patience I guess.

markj · May 13, 2010, 04:29 PM

GSPCA in your area? http://www.montanagspc.org/

Join up and meet with the guys that field trial their dogs they may help you.

NAVHDA is another for versatle hunting dogs and training them.

I know a trainer in Iowa that trained and handled last years national champ, he has worked with one of my dogs and is great.

I get them to first learn "come" I treat them when they do it, go in the house and use a hallway. The hallway will also help you tain fetch with a small ball and a leash, my son trained our last GSP in this way.

Get them into birds, lots of birds, quail can be got for a buck each here, pigions can be used and if they home it is better as they will fly back to the coop when released.

Dont shoot around him till he is a little older. I get them interested in birds, teach the hold on point, then flush the bird when pup runs after I shoot once to see how pup handles the sound.

I have 4 now, my female is hopefully pregnant, her last litter yielded some field trial champs. She is Dixieland Rusty line bred out of 2000 national amture champ/ My male is out of a dog name of ruger

weltmweister dog of the year last year and one heck of a producer.

I plan on being in Billings in July around the middle of the month. Good luck

Scorch · May 13, 2010, 04:36 PM

Quote:

I'm a little intimidated by the task ahead of me.

Don't be. Just follow the instructions in Wolter's training system, and pay attention to the dog's cues. If your dog has good instincts, it will teach you a lot of what you need to know. Just work with the dog every day, no more than 5 minutes to start, then work up to 10, and keep in mind that a 15 min training session is very long. Make it fun, and the dog will look forward to it. My oldest Brittany is 12 this year, and she still gets all wiggly when I get down the retrieving dummy.

Quote:

My hat is off to anybody that can train a Weimaraner. My friend has two and she can't seem to do anything with them. . . . Takes a lot of patience I guess.

That, and a small dose of 3 oz ballpeen hammer, properly applied . . .

There are reasons my hair is graying, and it's not all age. But seriously, once she took to the training, she never forgot.

James R. Burke · May 15, 2010, 08:41 PM

You got some great advice. I had a G.S.P. for twelve years. They do take some work, but they are a great hunting dog, and house dog. They do need alot of exerzise but dont over do it when there real young. I got lucky mine was pretty easy to train, just seemed to come natural to him. I did have a collor for him, but do not believe in over using them. They still need to be trained without relying on the collor, but they do help. If they are used correct you will very seldom need to use it. I think you have a great dog for hunting, but I would only reccommend that bred for the serious hunter. Some folks get them because there cute. That is the wrong reason. They do take alot of work, but are worth it if your really into hunting.

williamd · May 15, 2010, 10:25 PM

Several Brits, three EnglishPointers, Welsh Spaniel, GSHP, several labs of various colors ... work patiently, let them have fun, love them, let them be family members!
I have a 10 month old Brit that finds, points, holds, retrieves ... and takes them right past me and 'buries' them in grass or brush. Then I can have them! She will get there in another season. Sleeps on the foot of the bed. Has a seat in the truck cab not in the back, gets home cooked liver and chicken occasionally. Below at 8.5 weeks on her way home from Denver and at 9 months on a pheasant. Notice NO electronic collar.

40s-and-wfan · May 15, 2010, 10:54 PM

I'm a little iffy on the whole training collar idea. I've never used one. I've always thought that if done right, the dog shouldn't need one, but then again I refer you to the previous sentence... I've never used one.
I don't know the benefits and the shortcomings of using them so I can't speak from experience. If anyone has any advice on this subject as well, I'm all ears... er, I meant eyes!

williamd · May 16, 2010, 09:21 PM

Hunt with a guy that swears by them. Personally, I try understanding, rewards and love. The pup is gonna be a pup for awhile. Let it and live with it.

James R. Burke · May 25, 2010, 07:28 PM

Like I said they do help, but you do need to train without relying on a collor. They do come in handy, but should not be over used. Again if your dog is trained correct you should very seldom need to use it. I did have one, and would use it maybe once a year. Most the time it was on him with a dead batterie. Just myself for hunting grouse I like a dog to work close with in shotgun range. We call them partridge were I live. They wont hold still when the dog points. Most of the time there going to run or flush and you need to be there. When I had my dog woodcock would stay, and that dog would stay on point all day long. But did not like the smell of them. He would find them but would not pick them up.

May 13, 2010, 01:43 AM	#1
40s-and-wfan Member Join Date: March 14, 2009 Location: North-Western Montana Posts: 58	Advice on Training a Bird Dog My Girlfriend and I just picked up our first dog, a German Shorthaired Pointer that we're looking to train for bird hunting. This is my first dive into the Bird Dog Training world and would love to have any advice anyone would be able or willing to offer. I'm nervous and don't want to make a mistake in this. He's an excellent pup and I want to do right by him, to allow him to reach his full potential!! Thanks! __________________ In a crisis you don't rise to the occasion but rather default to your level of training. Forgiveness is between them and god, it's my job to arrange the meeting! -John W. Creasy (Man on Fire)

May 13, 2010, 05:53 AM	#2
troy_mclure Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2008 Location: gulf of mexico Posts: 2,716	theres some good dvd's out there. we used to raise and train britney's, we raised(and ate) pigeons to train them. it was a good way to teach the dog to hold the point, and not to leap for the bird as it flushed. we had a gshp once, stupidest dog ever. it was obsessed with rocks. hunting it would carry a rock around, and we stopped to rest on a large boulders, it would chew the boulders and we would have to drag it away from the boulder. its pups(like 6 gen's now) were amazingly smart however, and one(and its pup) could climb just about any tree. __________________ There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is to use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wound, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time."

May 13, 2010, 11:30 AM	#5
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	Read up on dog training, watch videos, and get involved with a local club. That's the best way to get the results you want. I have trained two Brittanys, an English Setter, and a Weimaraner. I highly recommend the books by Ken Wolters. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...tType=category __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

May 13, 2010, 11:57 AM	#6
40s-and-wfan Member Join Date: March 14, 2009 Location: North-Western Montana Posts: 58	I've got a Ken Wolter's DVD and a few other ones put out by Gun Dog magazine. They're excellent, I just can't help but think that I might need more information to do the best job I can. I'm a little intimidated by the task ahead of me. __________________ In a crisis you don't rise to the occasion but rather default to your level of training. Forgiveness is between them and god, it's my job to arrange the meeting! -John W. Creasy (Man on Fire)

May 15, 2010, 10:54 PM	#12
40s-and-wfan Member Join Date: March 14, 2009 Location: North-Western Montana Posts: 58	I'm a little iffy on the whole training collar idea. I've never used one. I've always thought that if done right, the dog shouldn't need one, but then again I refer you to the previous sentence... I've never used one. I don't know the benefits and the shortcomings of using them so I can't speak from experience. If anyone has any advice on this subject as well, I'm all ears... er, I meant eyes! __________________ In a crisis you don't rise to the occasion but rather default to your level of training. Forgiveness is between them and god, it's my job to arrange the meeting! -John W. Creasy (Man on Fire)

May 13, 2010, 08:31 AM	#3
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	You might also ask the folks over on uplandjournal.com - lots of knowledge about dealing with all breeds of bird dogs Good luck!

May 13, 2010, 08:52 AM	#4
ZeroJunk Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2006 Location: Browns Summit NC Posts: 2,589	The main thing for me was to train the dog to stop and hold until I told him he could go. You can do this in your yard. The big reason for this is that training them on tame birds they get in the habit of getting a lot closer than wild birds will allow. Most dogs will point instinctively. Making them hold when they get "birdy" and they haven't seen the birds yet and you want to get up to them, or you want them to back another dog is a big deal.

May 13, 2010, 02:28 PM	#7
Gunplummer Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: South East Pa. Posts: 3,364	It depends on the breed I guess. My hat is off to anybody that can train a Weimaraner. My friend has two and she can't seem to do anything with them. I knew a guy that used a German Shepard mix to hunt pheasants, and it pointed as good as any bird dog. Takes a lot of patience I guess.

May 13, 2010, 04:29 PM	#8
markj Senior Member Join Date: October 27, 2005 Location: Crescent Iowa Posts: 2,971	GSPCA in your area? http://www.montanagspc.org/ Join up and meet with the guys that field trial their dogs they may help you. NAVHDA is another for versatle hunting dogs and training them. I know a trainer in Iowa that trained and handled last years national champ, he has worked with one of my dogs and is great. I get them to first learn "come" I treat them when they do it, go in the house and use a hallway. The hallway will also help you tain fetch with a small ball and a leash, my son trained our last GSP in this way. Get them into birds, lots of birds, quail can be got for a buck each here, pigions can be used and if they home it is better as they will fly back to the coop when released. Dont shoot around him till he is a little older. I get them interested in birds, teach the hold on point, then flush the bird when pup runs after I shoot once to see how pup handles the sound. I have 4 now, my female is hopefully pregnant, her last litter yielded some field trial champs. She is Dixieland Rusty line bred out of 2000 national amture champ/ My male is out of a dog name of ruger weltmweister dog of the year last year and one heck of a producer. I plan on being in Billings in July around the middle of the month. Good luck

May 15, 2010, 08:41 PM	#10
James R. Burke Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2009 Location: U.P. of Mich/Quinnesec Posts: 1,897	You got some great advice. I had a G.S.P. for twelve years. They do take some work, but they are a great hunting dog, and house dog. They do need alot of exerzise but dont over do it when there real young. I got lucky mine was pretty easy to train, just seemed to come natural to him. I did have a collor for him, but do not believe in over using them. They still need to be trained without relying on the collor, but they do help. If they are used correct you will very seldom need to use it. I think you have a great dog for hunting, but I would only reccommend that bred for the serious hunter. Some folks get them because there cute. That is the wrong reason. They do take alot of work, but are worth it if your really into hunting.

May 16, 2010, 09:21 PM	#13
williamd Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2007 Location: SoCal Posts: 801	Hunt with a guy that swears by them. Personally, I try understanding, rewards and love. The pup is gonna be a pup for awhile. Let it and live with it. __________________ "Outlaw guns and only outlaws will have guns!" Unfortunately, we may be moving in that direction. NRA Benefactor, Conservative!, VN '64-'65. Never sell a gun or a car ... and retire rich!

May 25, 2010, 07:28 PM	#14
James R. Burke Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2009 Location: U.P. of Mich/Quinnesec Posts: 1,897	Like I said they do help, but you do need to train without relying on a collor. They do come in handy, but should not be over used. Again if your dog is trained correct you should very seldom need to use it. I did have one, and would use it maybe once a year. Most the time it was on him with a dead batterie. Just myself for hunting grouse I like a dog to work close with in shotgun range. We call them partridge were I live. They wont hold still when the dog points. Most of the time there going to run or flush and you need to be there. When I had my dog woodcock would stay, and that dog would stay on point all day long. But did not like the smell of them. He would find them but would not pick them up.