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Now that the weather finally changed, Dutch and I can get out again, at least for a little while. We walked these old logging roads for almost 2 hours this morning, and found nothing. There at the end, I thought he was on something, but nothing turned up. It's Sunday, so it's not like I was hunting or anything, but the ongoing lack of critters is a little weird. No turkeys, dove, deer, fox, coons, rabbits, not even songbirds.

But we still have a good time. He's coming along, but I find me having to remind myself that he's 7 months, not two years. Patience.

Cool video. Your hands are as steady as a surgeons

Been my experience that if I don't want my pups to fall into the habit of following roads or paths, instead of hunting to their sides, I need to get off them myself until the pups learn the woods/weeds are where the birds are.

Redbeard wrote:Cool video. Your hands are as steady as a surgeons

Yeah, my hands aren't that steady when I'm sitting still.

Rick wrote:Been my experience that if I don't want my pups to fall into the habit of following roads or paths, instead of hunting to their sides, I need to get off them myself until the pups learn the woods/weeds are where the birds are.

I'll do that, but not yet. I'm not 100% confident in his recall at this point, and if he takes off, I'd rather it be on a trail, where he can at least see me and I can move, and where he has an "idea" of where he's supposed to be, instead of in the woods where I'd be stuck in greenbriars in a hot second. And truthfully, around here the only birds in these thick ass replanted pine woods are turkeys. No hunting for grouse or anything.

Gonna have to trust him. Let him know it's ok and to be comfortable being away from you. I use a whistle for recall, sound reaches farther and is easier for dog to follow back.

We have a shit ton of deer here, and I suspect it would take all of a half second for him to be gone, hot on their ass. That's what worries me at this point. I suspect cranking the collar up to 130 and physically knocking him on his ass would stop that should it happen, but I'd just as soon avoid that whole situation if possible. If it takes a little longer, I'm ok with that.

If you're not going to hunt anything he needs to move out for, you probably are better doing what you're doing until you see how he feels about deer. Only thing I ever used my e-collar for was breaking the pointing dogs off fur and rolling in rotten stuff, because (unlike the flushers) I wasn't always going to be close enough to "no" them when they encountered such. Well, that, and turning their beepers on and off.

That's my intention, Rick, but I'm stuck in a sort of minor conundrum. I don't want to beat down his natural instincts, since I will be using him for rail and snipe. Also, I want him to do well on his natural ability test for the breeder as promised, so he can continue doing what he's doing, which is getting all the data and feedback he can through normalized NAVHDA testing for his (and the breed's) breeding program. After that, he will be retriever 85%, pointer 15%, or something along those lines. The last two times we've been out walking, we've seen nothing, which gives me a little more confidence off leash. Prior to that, we encountered a deer about 40 yards away, looking at us, but Dutch was on leash. Granted, he showed no inclination to chase, but I honestly have no idea how much that was because he knew he was on leash, and how much was because he was "whoa-ed". Probably almost exclusively the former, I think, although I don't really know.

A big fear of mine (and most likely completely irrational) is that he will search for a cripple, find it, and then stand there and point it, across a 50 yard gut in the marsh. I need to step up my game eventually, but don't want to confuse him (or me) at this point, by trying to do too much.

Rick wrote:Been my experience that if I don't want my pups to fall into the habit of following roads or paths, instead of hunting to their sides, I need to get off them myself until the pups learn the woods/weeds are where the birds are.

I teach my dog to do this the same way. Its hell on an old guy but that's how it's done.

assateague wrote:We have a shit ton of deer here, and I suspect it would take all of a half second for him to be gone, hot on their ass. That's what worries me at this point. I suspect cranking the collar up to 130 and physically knocking him on his ass would stop that should it happen, but I'd just as soon avoid that whole situation if possible. If it takes a little longer, I'm ok with that.

I did that with the collar when encountering deer and fur. I said no and gave him the option to listen and stop, when he didn't listen he was corrected harshly. I can see your fears though, hunting aroubd here I can normally see Taz for a long ways.

Nice video and looks like a great place to take a stroll. I can't tell is he a DD or GWP. Good looking pup and you can tell he has built in natural ability.......wish I had a dog.

Thanks. He's a WPG. Both he and I still have a long road ahead of us, but he's only 7 months right now.