Anyone have advice on starting my pup who is nearing 7mos old on birds? I just picked up a dozen quail to train with.....thought about planting one in the yard every morning for her to seek and find....and hopefully point steady. My question is what do I do once she points at it.....I can't shoot in my yard....or should I just take her to a place where I can hunt and plant the birds where I can shoot 'em? She's not gun shy and retrieves like a champ in the water(but not to hand....too damned strong willed yet). Thanks gents.

I would suggest getting Wolters book Gun Dog. I don't have pointers and have only worked with one ( a Brittney ) his books will help take you through the process. All my springer pups and others that I have worked with hunted and retrieved fairly well by 6 months. he suggests taking a wing on a fishing pole and playing with the pup. Throw the wing but don't let the pup catch it soon the pup will start to point at it. it works quite well. after the pup is pointing at the wing take him to the field with the quail I use pigeons but quail will work fine. take the live bird tuck it's head under it's wing and shake the hell out of it this will disorient the bird for a while plant the bird and let the pup find it. Ideally the pup will point the bird will flush you will shoot the bird and the pup will retrieve. sounds easier than it is but don't get discouraged. Like I said I haven't worked with many pointers and I am sure someone out there has much more experience with pointers than me. training dogs is like raising children everyone has their own opinion. good luck

Check out Gundog Supreme at your local library.

quote:

Originally posted by wetdog2084:
I would suggest getting Wolters book Gun Dog.

+1 This is the best reference I found when I was training retrievers.

What worked best for me is to get a fiberglass cane pole ( Walmart ) and tie about 10 feet of 8 lb test to it. Tie a quail wing to the other end and use this when working your dog in the yard. Cast the wing out in front of the dog and you can then use the dogs leash to check her if she starts to creep. Worked well for my GSP. I was able to break him from taking off when the bird flushed.

Norton,
To go along with your new book you need a Quail recall box.
You plant a couple birds, work the dog and the released birds will be back in the box by morning. You get a lot more use out of the birds that way.
A 50' check cord is a mandatory tool to keep him from busting birds, a habit you dont want him to develope.
I always take my pups to our local trap club to introduce them to gun fire rather than chancing having a gun shy dog.
This is how i've done it for a lot of years and had a few brag dogs along the way.

Stepchild

Those quail recall pens don't work so well here in the south. Hawks, cats, and foxes were all lined up at mine waiting for the returning birds.

The only ones I lost were to copper plated 6's
Lucky I guess.

Stepchild

I think I should have used some # 6's to get rid of the welcoming committee.

That would be my plan of attack, pun intended.
I loaned my recall box to some jerk about 15 years ago and never saw either one again.

Stepchild