Spring and summer is the peak season for puppy buyers. I'm not sure of the exact figures, but this time of year, the papers and magazines seem full of adds for bird hunting dogs. While most of the hunters are golfing, fishing or boating, guys like me are working young dogs on birds in preparation for next season. We've been releasing quail for our summer training season. We try to establish at least two coveys on the grounds that revert quickly to the wild with a little supplemental feeding. When training, we release birds specifically for the dog we are shooting over. If the young dog does not hold point sufficiently, the bird is not shot and it has the opportunity to join up with the covey. All of the quail come from the same flock and we do not shoot birds out of the coveys.
The birds that have reverted back to the wild are an excellent source for bird contact for the dogs. By helping birds survive on the grounds, we can insure the dogs opportunities to encounter birds in as wild and natural situations as possible. This also helps to draw some of the attention off of rabbits and deer. The wild coveys will move around as they are pressured and may even move off of the farm if bothered too much. Once these birds know their habitat and become predator-wise, they will last all summer.
Pups need bird contact to blossom into hunting dogs. Even pups that are twelve weeks old will show instinctive interest and pointing responses to birds. Although we do not start working our pups until they are about six months old, we will start running them at ten to twelve weeks. When I say ‘working,' I mean training and shooting over them, and when I say ‘running,' I mean off-lead in a natural area that is low enough for the young pup to run in.
It is our experience that the average new puppy owner is in too big of a rush to introduce their new pup to formal training programs. A pup of four or five months has the attention span of a three-year-old child. Small doses of positive reinforcement training is all that can be expected from these youngsters. I cringe when I hear people talk of the rare ten or twelve-month-old pup that has passed a Senior or even Master Hunt test.
Although I believe if you do have one of the rare precocious pups that can focus early, you might as well proceed with the training. The problem is that these pups are a rarity and many young dogs suffer at the hands of overzealous owners pushing their pups towards a title they are not ready for. In the majority of circumstances, the pursuit of titles is driven by the owner's ego.
The basics of hunting a dog is to be able to control them off-lead in the field. Also, bird dogs need to understand that they are hunting for you and should periodically check in. The best way and time to teach this is when they are very young. The method is very simple. Take them for runs in open areas. Sorry, there are no hidden secrets or unique new ways of training them. The basics have remained the same for many decades. The big challenge is to tailor your program to your dog's needs. Start running them at ten to twelve weeks of again, and start training them to ‘whoa' at sixteen to twenty weeks. Whoa is just a ‘standing stay' command, and young pups shouldn't be expected to stay at a whoa when other pups are present or for long periods of time. Remember the short attention span.
Even from the same litter, different pups will develop at different rates. By running your pup in the field and releasing birds occasionally, your pup will focus on birds and learn to hunt for you at a very young age. Of course, later during the teenage stages, you will need to do more, but for the young pups that are younger than five months, keep it simple and fun.
Charlie Linblade
Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club
Michigan Pheasant Hunting
Michigan Bird Dog Training
