what age to start training

Louilou · what age to start training

I was thinking about having my SRHP do some gun dog training at some point and wondered at what age this should start. He's 14 weeks now.

He'll be doing the KCGC programme soon.

Would any gun dog training come after this or concurrently?

Also, are there any recommends for my area? I live in Margate, Kent.

Thanks

Louise

Joram

Depending on the character and temperament of your dog, start gundog training between 6 months and 1 year.
You can start tomorrow introducing your dog to all the things he'll meet in the rest of his (hunting) life incl. game, water and later also fences and other obstacles etc. Most important now is to work on you being and remaining the most important "dog" in his life.
See also my post from yesterday with videolinks. I do not train retrieves or use commands, but let the dog teach herself in using her nose<>wind and bringing the prey to me.

DesO'Neile

"Never put off to tomorrow what you can do today."

Effectively training can start the minute the pup falls out of the bitch and into your hand. In the first twenty weeks, probably because the pup is a blank canvas, tasks can be taught more easily and in addition evolutions perfected by say twenty six weeks at the latest can easily be revised if the pup regresses.

tashap

we've started ours and the pups are 3 months old. They had an introduction to game in the whelping crate at 2 weeks, deer, pheasant, partridge, woodcock, rabbit, hare, duck and snipe were amongst the tidbits put into the crate.

Pitbull

Personally, training like retrieves not until after the 1 yr mark, jumping obstacles, as before. But for things like sitting and heel work, the moment they have there 1st meal in the house. The 1st yr is spent on learning confidence, social skills and behaviour. As these are the things that your dog needs for it to be in the field even before the 1st shot is fired. I may encourage it to find items, but not retrievals

countrygirl

Have to say im with Des here.

AS soon as mine has had her jabs she will be going to ringcraft for both training and socilation(spe)

She will also be introduced to water and play retriving and start her basic obidence that every dog needs.

If she is not ready she will not compete in wt next season but will be entitlled to enter her first when she is 9 months old.

Caz

DesO'Neile

The most important thing you need to train your dog to be, if in fact train is the correct word, is to be comfortable in your company. It is nearly, no that is rubbish, it is by miles the most important thing for a dog to realise. Everything else is that much simpler if the dog is happy to be with you.

tashap

I know I'm starting water training much earlier with mine as this was a huge problem for me with bonnie. I had them in the bath tub when they were tiny and have just started little trips to the beach and to manmade water places like Bewl in Kent.

What other things would you do??? today we have a training class in the woods just a little socialising and bit of heel and sit work nothing too much with a bit of general exploring of the woods, should be fun. Tomorrow we are off to sit in a police car with its sirens blaring hehe!

josie

I took mine to puppy and "indoor" pet dog training classes asap and through to Gold KCGC test. In class I'd use the recall whistle and sit whistle when others are using the sit word and recall words. (Although I also teach the word.)

I start the clicker retrieve indoors very early on. Outdoors I just generalise everything we've learnt in class to the higher distractions (sits, downs, recalls) and use tastier rewards because the distractions are higher.

That's what I would term "training" proper, then there's a bunch of stuff which is borderline training and socialisation: I would let Slate hunt a field and then I'd hunt a bit of it with the pup, so the pup wouldn't find anything it wouldn't be steady to, but would get to run and grow in confidence away from me. I'd use quail with pup on a long line to get the pup pointing and using its nose - didn't ask for any steadiness and just gently restrained pup on the long line at the flush. I'd get the pup swimming and not worry about obedience or steadiness etc. (I like to use a hydro pool at the start.) Use cold game to get pup used to picking up game. I'd only use the quails and cold game for socialisation, then I'd put it away till dog is ready to be steadied to flush (many months later). I'd say this is almost socialisation because I'm not asking pup to do anything or giving it any commands (or clicking/treating), it's just exposure.

tashap

which hydropool did you use Jo that sounds like a good idea...

josie

I used Silverden: http://www.silverden.co.uk/

They are really nice and take pups after 2nd jab.

Louilou

I can't believe I missed the replies to my original post. Possibly an email malfunction on my part, or perhaps being so occuppied with Grey as a tiny pup. He's now 5 months old and I think we have a great bond. We met his brother yesterday for the first time. Was amazing to see them together. His brother will be starting Grade 1 gun dog training in Oct. It spurred me on to wonder if I should look for a course too. The one nearest to me is full though.

Thanks all for the advice that went unanswered. Where does one get quail from with feathers? Sounds like I should look for a hydrotherapy pool. Grey is very unsure of water beyond a paddle.

Lou