Introducing Your Puppy to Birds and Guns
I always start my puppies young with birds. Before I send any puppies home, I introduce them to feathers at 5 weeks old. You can get a puppy from great hunting lines, but if you don't show your little one what feathers are about they might be lost. I never use any type of bird or feathers that are to big for the puppy. I want them to be able to pick it up and retrieve it. If I use a bird that is too big for them to pick it up then they want to start chewing on it or pulling out feathers. By letting your puppy do this it creates bad habits .
When the puppy gets to be about 10 weeks old I like to introduce them to a live pigeon, chucker, or quail. Again I want to use something small. I will clip the feathers off one wing. If I clip the feathers off both wings then the bird can fly. I want the bird to jump and run around. I will also at this time put a 20 foot leash on my puppy. I make sure I hold my puppy and let them see the bird. I hold the bird so it can't hit the puppy in the face for the first time. Once the puppy shows some interest in it, I toss it a little ways out and encourage the puppy to get it. When your puppy grabs the bird tell them that they are a good dog and encourage them to come back to you. When your puppy picks up the bird give a tug on the leash and say here. You want to encourage your puppy to get the bird and bring it back to you. Not to run around for an hour or chew on it. If I form this habit now then I won't have a problem of them not coming back to me later.
At this time I still have not introduced the gun noise. I want to get my puppy so fired up on birds that noise will not be a problem. The first step I take to introduce my puppy to gun is to get a cap gun. The cheapest kids toy out there. Then I will ask someone to go out about 20 feet away and first throw the live bird again without shooting. I want the puppy to get fired up. Once the puppy brings the bird back to you, do it again. This time have someone throw the bird and shoot the cap gun. Watch your puppy at this time. If your puppy wants to go then let him go and get it. If your puppy crouches down and acts scared then stop. If that happens I go back to getting my puppy fired up on birds. I will spend the next few days just playing with the puppy and a live bird. Usually a few more days of this and then try to shoot again. Most of the time they get over the noise. If your puppy is doing good with the noise switch over to a shot gun. Make sure to have someone shoot about 30 feet away and throw a bird. I'm teaching the dog the gun means bird. Remember this can not be done in one day! Take your time. I usually take a few weeks before using the shot gun.
The worst thing you can do to your dog is to take it to a gun range. The constant noise bothers dogs and this is how you get a gun shy dog. No dog is ever born gun shy. Something happened during its life that scared him. I want my dog to learn that when they hear a gun shot that they need to look in the sky and look for a bird to fall. This is how your dog learns how to mark. It is important to have someone go out and throw birds for you. A dog needs to learn how to judge depth of field. A lot of dogs I get in for training start their hunt way too short and that is because a dog gets used to how far you can throw something and that's were they just start their hunt. It is nothing for us to teach our dogs to go for 100 yards. This does take time to teach your dog. Gradually increase the distance of the mark.
Remember this takes time. This does not happen in one training session. Take your time. Keep your training sessions to about 15 minutes. If you see your young dog getting tired stop. We want this to be fun and if they get tired then it becomes work and the dog gets board. I also don't throw more than 3 marks at a time. If I do more than that I usually get a dog that decides to go smell the roses. I always try to end my training session on a good note. I want the dog wanting more so that when I cone out the next day they are excited to go to work.
***Next week we are heading into the field!
If you have any questions, please let me know!
When the puppy gets to be about 10 weeks old I like to introduce them to a live pigeon, chucker, or quail. Again I want to use something small. I will clip the feathers off one wing. If I clip the feathers off both wings then the bird can fly. I want the bird to jump and run around. I will also at this time put a 20 foot leash on my puppy. I make sure I hold my puppy and let them see the bird. I hold the bird so it can't hit the puppy in the face for the first time. Once the puppy shows some interest in it, I toss it a little ways out and encourage the puppy to get it. When your puppy grabs the bird tell them that they are a good dog and encourage them to come back to you. When your puppy picks up the bird give a tug on the leash and say here. You want to encourage your puppy to get the bird and bring it back to you. Not to run around for an hour or chew on it. If I form this habit now then I won't have a problem of them not coming back to me later.
At this time I still have not introduced the gun noise. I want to get my puppy so fired up on birds that noise will not be a problem. The first step I take to introduce my puppy to gun is to get a cap gun. The cheapest kids toy out there. Then I will ask someone to go out about 20 feet away and first throw the live bird again without shooting. I want the puppy to get fired up. Once the puppy brings the bird back to you, do it again. This time have someone throw the bird and shoot the cap gun. Watch your puppy at this time. If your puppy wants to go then let him go and get it. If your puppy crouches down and acts scared then stop. If that happens I go back to getting my puppy fired up on birds. I will spend the next few days just playing with the puppy and a live bird. Usually a few more days of this and then try to shoot again. Most of the time they get over the noise. If your puppy is doing good with the noise switch over to a shot gun. Make sure to have someone shoot about 30 feet away and throw a bird. I'm teaching the dog the gun means bird. Remember this can not be done in one day! Take your time. I usually take a few weeks before using the shot gun.
The worst thing you can do to your dog is to take it to a gun range. The constant noise bothers dogs and this is how you get a gun shy dog. No dog is ever born gun shy. Something happened during its life that scared him. I want my dog to learn that when they hear a gun shot that they need to look in the sky and look for a bird to fall. This is how your dog learns how to mark. It is important to have someone go out and throw birds for you. A dog needs to learn how to judge depth of field. A lot of dogs I get in for training start their hunt way too short and that is because a dog gets used to how far you can throw something and that's were they just start their hunt. It is nothing for us to teach our dogs to go for 100 yards. This does take time to teach your dog. Gradually increase the distance of the mark.
Remember this takes time. This does not happen in one training session. Take your time. Keep your training sessions to about 15 minutes. If you see your young dog getting tired stop. We want this to be fun and if they get tired then it becomes work and the dog gets board. I also don't throw more than 3 marks at a time. If I do more than that I usually get a dog that decides to go smell the roses. I always try to end my training session on a good note. I want the dog wanting more so that when I cone out the next day they are excited to go to work.
***Next week we are heading into the field!
If you have any questions, please let me know!