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Is there really such a thing? Now that the shooting is winding down whats everyone do in the off season with their dogs around here? I'm fairly new here so trying to get to know all the dog guys a little better... Whats everyone's goals for your hunting buddies this off season?

Here we're in full swing training daily and getting ready for hunt test season. Today was obedience, walking singles and FTP for the young dog and lots of blind work and drills (walking baseball, 2 tier wagon wheels and disciplined casting) for my female.

BTW I'm in central Indiana and anyone (for the most part) is always welcome to come out and train.

Have had issues sending my pup on a bird he doesn't have a lock on. He will hesitate when I line him up and look back at me when I release him. Feel like I need to work on some good lining drills to keep him going until he finds the bird or I whistle stop him. First bird dog for me as well so I'm open to any help

Flightstopper wrote:Have had issues sending my pup on a bird he doesn't have a lock on. He will hesitate when I line him up and look back at me when I release him. Feel like I need to work on some good lining drills to keep him going until he finds the bird or I whistle stop him. First bird dog for me as well so I'm open to any help

I take it you are talking about blinds.. What all training has he had so far?

He's just over a year and I have worked him up to simple cast. His lining on all of it can get sloppy at times really need to break it back down for him

Are you following a program? If you have him FF'd and have been through collar fetch and walking fetch I would start Force to Pile and start a structured yard program. Fowl Dawgs is nice for the first timer as it's very easy to follow and is a really fair approach. Sounds like he doesn't understand what you are asking of him. Usually when you get a no-go you go to the ear pinch but it's hard for me to say not knowing what his foundation is like. Every step builds on the last.

This summer I plan on continuing my my training of making me look like a fool. So far, it's working out great.

sent from a phancy fone

Matt Duncan wrote:Are you following a program? If you have him FF'd and have been through collar fetch and walking fetch I would start Force to Pile and start a structured yard program. Fowl Dawgs is nice for the first timer as it's very easy to follow and is a really fair approach. Sounds like he doesn't understand what you are asking of him. Usually when you get a no-go you go to the ear pinch but it's hard for me to say not knowing what his foundation is like. Every step builds on the last.

Be ready to curse me but I watched Lardy and fowl dawgs and use both I guess.... He is collar conditioned although the collar gives him hot spots every time he wears it hunting so I'd like to get away from it. No FF, when he was ready for it we were too close to season and I wanted to hunt him to gain experience. How much good that did him is yet to be determined...

Sounds like FF is next if you are following either of those programs. I like Lardy but can be confusing to many guys when starting out.
What collar are you using? I say this because you should always use the long contacts if you use a TT

Matt Duncan wrote:Sounds like FF is next if you are following either of those programs. I like Lardy but can be confusing to many guys when starting out.
What collar are you using? I say this because you should always use the long contacts if you use a TT

I have a sportdog, used the long contacts at first with the same results. Always get a nasty oozing hot spot after the hunt right under the receiver. FF sounds key at this point I agree.

Flightstopper wrote:

Matt Duncan wrote:Sounds like FF is next if you are following either of those programs. I like Lardy but can be confusing to many guys when starting out.
What collar are you using? I say this because you should always use the long contacts if you use a TT

I have a sportdog, used the long contacts at first with the same results. Always get a nasty oozing hot spot after the hunt right under the receiver. FF sounds key at this point I agree.

To avoid the spots from the collar I use the long contacts (sounds backwards but they dig in better and help hold the collar in the same place) then I put the collar on tight and up high on the neck (right behind the ears where you feel the notches on the dogs neck) I then hold the collar in one hand and pull the scruff of their neck back to get all that loose skin behind the collar, this kinda locks it in place as long as the collar is tight enough. I also alternate where the contacts go every time I put the collar on. I started doing it this way after dealing with the same issue as you and I no longer have any issues and I always have a collar on when hunting or training.

Hmm might have to try the longs again but they did have the same effect. I also pull all the scruff through and up as well. I chalked it up to sensitive skin but could be wrong. Even on short hunts it happened, at an hour sometimes.

At a year old he may still have some of that sissy puppy skin. Moving the collar around to different sites may be your only hope as well. I would keep an eye on it while training and even move it in the middle of a session if need be. I know the sport dog collar straps are really slick and thin so you may also try to roughen up the inside of the strap to keep it from moving around. Thats all the idea's I have without putting it around his flanks

Need to pass NAVHDA UT test, pretty solid on everything but sready to wing and shot, that is focus #1 this spring. Aftet that I will get into a retriever program. Any recommendation for a WPG that is 2 years with a lit of birds shot over him? Solid OB, and everything out to 75 yards or so. Looking to extend control and handling after NAVHDA test.

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jarbo03 wrote:Need to pass NAVHDA UT test, pretty solid on everything but sready to wing and shot, that is focus #1 this spring. Aftet that I will get into a retriever program. Any recommendation for a WPG that is 2 years with a lit of birds shot over him? Solid OB, and everything out to 75 yards or so. Looking to extend control and handling after NAVHDA test.

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Have you ever considered HRC? All kinds of options there. Once you get steady to wing and shot you should breeze through to a UH title which you can do in 2 weekends and can started title right now most likely. Check out Chris Akins webfooted kennel's facebook. Last fall he had a female WPG named Gretta on his truck that was doing very well in HRC. Sounds like you have a pretty good foundation to possibly move into a yard program and basic handling which is where you will end up instilling the control and handling skills you are looking for. I have seen a GWP run finished and it was a very very nice dog and a lot of fun to watch!

Might look at HRC in the future. He is a NAVHDA registered dog, shooting for a Versatile Champion pass, he is a capable dog, the trainer is iffy. I like the upland work involved, that is still the most important thing to me. With the poor upland hunting, he has definitely improved with waterfowl at a higher rate. Whether it was right or wrobg, I took the advice of anither NAVHDA trainer, it was to limit control until after the UT test is passed. I have to send him for a search on a bird that is not there, he has to show the ability to search independently while I can not assist in any way. Once he has shown the search, a clipped duck is released. Would liked to of already had these things done.

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Well as ya know I've got a new pup to start. Looking forward to that.

As far as Charlie goes, gonna work on extending his range on both marks and blinds. He also started occasionally breaking midway through the season. My fault for not addressing the problem when it began. Other than that just refresher.

Also been working with my buddy, helping him with his 2 year mutt.

I got 2 more months of chasing geese and then it will be time to go back to training, working on polishing the dogs up and spending a lot of time walking in the conservation areas with the dogs in the spring and summer.

I will be working on my boat. New lights, painting the trailer, a stove, a coffee maker, trolling motor, batteries.

That should keep me busy!

goodkarmarising wrote:I got 2 more months of chasing geese and then it will be time to go back to training, working on polishing the dogs up and spending a lot of time walking in the conservation areas with the dogs in the spring and summer.

Tomkat wrote:I will be working on my boat. New lights, painting the trailer, a stove, a coffee maker, trolling motor, batteries.

That should keep me busy!

We will also be training dogs together, they will all hunt together and like it!

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We will also be training dogs together, they will all hunt together and like it!

Yes, Drill Sarge....

I've got a few more months to wait for the pup, hopefully. Still waiting on the breeding.

assateague wrote:I've got a few more months to wait for the pup, hopefully. Still waiting on the breeding.

What did the doc have to say bout the dam? You ever get registered names for her and sire?

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Apparently, she checked out ok. The semen was supposed to be there this week, I think he said. He's emailing me the info when the breeding has been shown to be good. Even if something goes wrong, he's assured me he has plenty of leads on a pup so I don't have to wait until next year. I'm comfortable with it.

He puts out good pups, my breeder said he was a stand up dude.

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Yep, I'm very impressed with him, just from the communication. He knows I'm chomping at the bit, but he knows that things can always go wrong, so he's managing my expectations a bit, which I can appreciate.

Bring it!

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goodkarmarising wrote:

We will also be training dogs together, they will all hunt together and like it!

Yes, Drill Sarge....

Jarbo,

I would defiently take any help you have to offer on training. Brandy is about to turn 3 (tomorrow)

And she has done well, but I want her to do better. I plan on getting her very used to the boat this spring/summer. She will know where the ladder is, and how to use it. She will also know where she is expected to be during the hunt.

Brandy will be easy to work with, shes smart and eager to please, same as Karma and Cooper. Alone they all seem to do very well. Taz & Brandy had some competition issues, its unacceptable. Taz, Karma, and Cooper are all good loving dogs. Not sure why they didn't get along, have some ideas in how to get it straightened out. It sucks having someone leave their dogs at gine for these reasons that can be fixed.

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Starting from the ground up. First time ever training a dog... I'll be posting here with lots of questions.


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assateague wrote:I've got a few more months to wait for the pup, hopefully. Still waiting on the breeding.

do you're doing it then? And getting it this year?