If you could go back

[setterpoint]

i know better but still make the same mistake of trying to move the training to fast and i have to back track to much.. trying to rush the training will take more time than if you took the time to do it right the first time .

[birddown12]

thought i would get this one rolling again...a few things i would like to add over my years that i see hinders a good huntin dog.

1) Don't over command/correct (as others said, keep your mouth shut)
2) be very careful how you discipline and reward certain situations as to not give the wrong impression to the pup.
3) patience is worth more than words (these dogs we work with everyday are natural born hunters and your goal is to help improve and polish skills they already have...)
4) don't expect too much (every dog is different, some pick up things faster than others)
5) sometimes the dog gets "it" and they get bored, so you get upset thinking they are dumb, when in fact, you missed the point where he did what you asked several times and now he is on to something more fun!!)
6) Back to patience... during training, be sure to give your pup plenty of time to figure it out for himself. If you are playing hide and seek with an old pheasant hide, be sure to allow that pup ample time to find it. (review number 1 again)
7) most important - Don't you ever forget to praise your dog out in the field. Make sure they know you are proud of them.
you say a command only once and if they do not respond, you discipline. You will thank me for this some day while your friends are patting their hands and legs to get their dogs to come...
9) Take care of you pup, and be sure to give them structure, like having a place to come into the house on a bed and then make them lay there for the night, if they want to get up and run around, then they go back outside. Dogs need structure just like kids.
10) Last but not least... did i mention patience???

[NEhomer]

I read earlier in the thread about how much one moment of losing your cool can do to your efforts.

I have been VERY careful not to do that and my little guy is coming along nicely.

I have done that with previous dogs and I believe it to be a fundamental truth. If you're getting frustrated, call it a day. Now.

[birddown12]

I read earlier in the thread about how much one moment of losing your cool can do to your efforts.

I have been VERY careful not to do that and my little guy is coming along nicely.

I have done that with previous dogs and I believe it to be a fundamental truth. If you're getting frustrated, call it a day. Now.

BINGO!

[brady124]

this is so much good information it will help me to cut down on the mistakes I will be making when I get my pup. I have never trained a pointing dog before I will be learning the whole way. im getting a griffon wirehaired in 4 months. the down fall is I live in north Dakota so it will be really cold and lots of snow when I get him. so for the first few months I will be training what I can in my house and garage. any advice for me out there? also looking for some good books to read to help me with training.

[Sharon]

I would have followed a tried and true programme instead of thinking I knew what i was doing.

....................................................

book recommendation:"Training with Mo"

I'd still get him out in the snow if there is no icy crust on the top of the snow. Great conditioning for a young dog and why not a pigeon in a bush here and there?

[NEhomer]

this is so much good information it will help me to cut down on the mistakes I will be making when I get my pup. I have never trained a pointing dog before I will be learning the whole way. im getting a griffon wirehaired in 4 months. the down fall is I live in north Dakota so it will be really cold and lots of snow when I get him. so for the first few months I will be training what I can in my house and garage. any advice for me out there? also looking for some good books to read to help me with training.

I got my pup in January of 15 and it was a bitter and snowy winter which made housebreaking very difficult. When you're out playing in the yard the rest of the year, a number of voids naturally happen outdoors. In the dead of winter, all outings must be arranged.

Now the good news is that when you are out with him, everything's snow and ice. No sticks, rocks, bugs, and debris to eat; nothing to get into. Also no skunks, snakes or porkies. Best of all, he'll be the perfect age to have his first season in the fall.

[Timewise65]

I would have continued running hunt tests after my Golden Retriever earned her Senior Hunter title and WCX. She would have earned her Master Hunter with just a little more training on my part. Now 3 years later, she is a bit out of shape and lost her edge in training. She is a great Water Dog and upland dog, for a flusher....but I loved running her, she loved running, I should have stayed with it. I may yet get going on it....I will see after hunting season is over this year...

[DonF]

Boy forgot all about this thread. Great one everyone should read.

[gonehuntin']

I just stumbled on it too.I could give a boring list of all young dog problems I have had to correct but ALL had one very simple thing in common: The people FIRST, bought the pup, then wondered HOW to train it. Don't fall into that trap. BEFORE you buy a pup:

Buy and study several different training programs and only THEN, decide HOW you are going to train the dog and WRITE DOWN your orderly training program.

Have all of your training equipment purchased and learn how it works.

Have a training ground and source of birds.

Stick to the program; don't substitute parts from varied programs.

Understand at what age the dog should be completing the various pieces of the program.

Your best resource will be a trainer that will have you bring the pup every couple of months or even every month, watch you, and tell you what problems he sees developing and also the good things.

Don't accept advice from people who are not qualified to give it. There are a lot of those out there.

Get him in the field and hunt him on wild birds as soon as he knows three things and does them 100% of the time: HERE, NO, WHOA. By the time he's six months old, he should know these three things.

Don't worry about him making mistakes on wild birds. Each mistake will be a new chance for him and YOU to learn.

Finally, realize that owning a pointing dog is a huge commitment in time, money, and patience. A dog is trained through repetition and consistency. Not everyone is capable of doing it. A TEMPER has no place in dog training.