Question: I have an eight month old English Setter puppy that I would like to start breaking to the gun and begin training. I have heard of many different methods and am not sure which to use. Can you give me any advice?
Kenny P., Madison Heights.
Answer: I advice my customers to let me introduce the gun while the dog is here for training. This first step in becoming a gun dog can be tricky with certain dogs. My experience has been that about one-third of the dogs being sold as potential gun dogs are noise-sensitive. Some were born that way and some were created by their environment. On the plus side, about one-third of the potential pups are not and never will be bothered by gunfire. The final third are dogs that, with proper introduction, will learn to take exposure to gunfire as part of a hunting dog's life.
Pups that we have in for training are run in groups of two to three for exercise and socialization. Once they are comfortable in their new surroundings, I'll do a noise test. I'll have my gunner follow behind me by about fifty to sixty yards with a .410 bore shotgun. While the eight to ten-month-old pups are running and playing, I will signal the gunner to fire a shot away from us. Towards us would have a louder muzzle blast. If there was no reaction, I repeat the exercise. This will give me some indications if one of the pups is noise sensitive.
Next, we will spend three to four days introducing quail. The birds will be released in a large field and each pup will be allowed to chase them, alone. Any reluctant pups will be encouraged to chase or run with another pup who is chasing. The point here is to build desire for game and to focus the pups on quail instead of rabbits, mice, or butterflies. If the pup points the bird, we say ‘whoa' in a soothing voice and tell them ‘good dog'. We also introduce the word “bird” at this time and only use it when there are birds present. I am not concerned if a pup is not pointing at this time.
What is important is that the pup is having fun. Birds must be fun and exhilarating, and the desire for birds must be strong in order to carry the pup's interest through training. This introduction time is short, around fifteen to twenty minutes for just three or four days. On day three, I have my gunner shoot away from us while the dog is chasing the bird. If there is no reaction to the first shot, he will shoot at the next bird and try to hit it in one shot. If he misses, he'll let it go. At this time, shoot only once at each bird and stop at three birds. Do the same on day four.
Now is the time to start training. Do not run the dog on birds again until you have the dog reasonably ‘whoa' broke. This means the dog will stop for you while you are out in the field off-leash with no birds present. This may take one week or it may take three. Once you have the dog ‘whoaing' in the field off-lead, you can go back to the bird work. Once again, set three birds, except this time, keep the dog on a long line. Lead the dog into the wind towards the bird. When you see the dog pick up the scent, tell him ‘easy'. If he points, tell him ‘whoa' and ‘good dog', then have your gunner flush and shoot the bird.
If the dog does not point, but flushes the bird, jerk him back with the long line while loudly saying “whoa!” I start with a choke collar and move up to a pinch collar if the dog is very strong or rambunctious. Do not ‘whoa' the dog before the flush. Allow him to make the mistake, then voice your command, ‘whoa!' And of course, tell your gunner not to shoot any birds that are not pointed. If a dog won't point after repeating this once a day for two days, you will need to go back to open-field ‘whoaing' with no birds present. When you are taking a young dog into birds tell him ‘birds here, find them. Easy now, easy.' Remember, at this time, we are training for bird handling, not hunting and searching for game. That will come later.
Charlie Linblade
Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club
Michigan Pheasant Hunting
Michigan Bird Dog Training
