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lexmarco

This Saturday is our 14 month old male viszlas first day (with 3 other dogs) hunting and retrieving on live game.

I am interested to hear your thoughts on how to approach this, he is a very sensible "teenager" knows his stop and return whistle under most distractions. He is a keen hunter....unfortunately a bit random on his dummy retrieves, but overall is a pretty well mannered guy.

I have tested him with the gun and he loves it so this side is not the concern. I am most interested in how to start him off on the day...unhook the line and tell him to get into it....or let him watch...with occasional hunt or retrieve...what do you think?

BritAnnie · Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:52 am Post subject:

I think it depends on why you are there. I go to a small local shoot with only a few dogs and we are there to provide sport for the guns. So I have a long line that I have Allez on and whilst he knows it is on he does exactly as I ask, going into hedgerows, ditches etc. If it wasn't on he'd probably quarter the fields, although his turning to whistle is good normally. Since most of the birds on this estate stay in the corners and hedges we can get them up higher quicker if i keep him on a line. If your boy is under so much control you'd probably be fine but remember there is a lot of excitement on a shoot day and he will pick up on that..
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lexmarco · Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 12:14 pm Post subject:

The reason we have been asked to come along is to hunt and retrieve, there are only 10 shooters (eleven if I decide to shoot) and either two or three dogs, 1 very capable the other two long distance runners with hearing difficulties. The last thing I want is for my dog to join the latter group, so will be trying to keep him in good company. My concern is really how to start him off.... stay separate from the other dogs on long line, run him with the skilled dog or treat the whole thing as an experiment let him do his thing and see what happens....I am close friends with all those hunting, so i think it should not be too dramatic if he makes a hash of things

BritAnnie · Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 12:20 pm Post subject:

It would be very tempting to let him go with the experienced dog and see what he does. If he then gets too excited you can put him on the line.
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Aberdon HPR's. Good-looking AND Intelligent.

www.aberdon.org.uk
Develop sloping shoulders, you'll enjoy life more

countrygirl · Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 3:16 pm Post subject:

You say you have worked him on dummies have you done anywork with him on cold game? For me I find this the hardest thing to do to change a dog onto fresh shot warm game after dummies.

I would only want to let your youngster off with the well behaved dogs he is still very young and if he was mine I wouldent want him learning any bad habbits off other dogs.

You dont have formal shoots like us do you? Do you have drives that you pick up on at end or is it all walked up type shooting? If it was picking up at end of drive I would let him off then to have a hunt around, if it is walking up in line with alot of dogs running about I would keep him on a long line and out of trouble.

If given the chance I always pick a spot on the edge of the drive where im out of most of the trouble and I can concertrate on working my dog and also If I was you I wouldent carry a gun the first time so you can give your dogs your full attention.

Hope this helps

Caz
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lexmarco · Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 3:36 pm Post subject:

He was trained a fair bit with dummies/tennis balls/ back tracking with all sorts, and then one day lost all interest. I have seen this before. So didnt do any tracking retrieving for about a month. The next time we tried again was with a cold pigeon, started with couple of finds in long grass then a couple of retrieves, he had no problem adjusting: I think the break off the retrieves meant he would retrieve anything. So this is where we are at now, He retrieves, follows direction and apart form the distraction of another dog will stop on the whistle....hence my dilemma, now he is going to be exposed to a whole level of new distraction. How much "rope" should I give him is it a time to be patient or shall I let him have some fun, hes a dog after all bred for this purpose. What do you think?

By the way it works like this here (or at least with this group) dogs come in down wind on a block of land, normally hip high crop or bushes, those with guns are on side and corners (area is about 3 or so hectares). A bird shot is retrieved to those with dogs, shooters really don't move a great deal until the area is finished.

countrygirl · Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 4:00 pm Post subject:

We do a similar sort of shooting over here on small shoots. My experiance is on a larger shoot where I work as part of a picking up team working behind the line of guns.

Propley the question you need to ask youself is will there be anything happening on Saturday that is likely to teach your dog something you dont want him to learn.

If at the end of the day you are happy for your dog to perhaps get overexcited with the other dogs and start to ignore your commands then you arnt going to do any harm as you say its what you have him for.

It is my first day out this season on Saturday too I will be working my 4 year old wirehair bitch doing her second full season, hopefully after christmas I will take my 16month old out for a few half days.

Caz
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NOB'S do it in the field!!!!!!!!!

lexmarco · Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:42 pm Post subject:

I think you are right he will probably get over excited, thats surely not an entirely bad thing though.

What I am wondering is if you have a realitively well behaved dog, on his first day of real work is he better running with other dogs or tied to a human on a long time. Where will he learn the most (good and/or wrong).

Good luck with your two Caz

lexmarco · Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 9:27 am Post subject:

Just as an update. It all went pretty well. First field he spent his time springing around not really knowing what was going on. He was'nt interested in any of the other dogs and after finding his first running pheasant about half an hour into things was very proud of himself. He got better and better over the day working himself to exhaustion. He went on three very points, two of which i didn't believe him... handler error. The last was so solid we had a few minutes to prepare ourselves, the poor bird didn't stand a chance.

The only downside to the day was his resistance to retrieve. He would not run in on the birds he pointed, and the ones he found he would hold down, not mauling just keeping his paws on it. He retrieves cold game so I am just thinking he needs a bit of experience.

All in all a good day, and no harm in letting him do his thing, in fact there was one dog hunting with a handler who was so restrictive, not letting him go more than a few feet, whacking him on the side of the head if he whined, poor dog thought he was doing everything wrong the slightest chance he got he was well away from his owner, tail wagging and loving it, I had a chat with him about his training and he told me "you have to have complete control" (I felt like putting a choke collar on him).

I now think if your dog comes back reliably on the whistle then he is ready to hunt, all the rest is the combination of experience and a bit of guidance, if he is hunting for his handler then the mistakes he makes are irrelevant.

Any tips on the retrieving of shot game would be appreciated...

countrygirl · Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 11:38 am Post subject:

Hi Lex

Glad you had a good day with no big disastors.

MY bitch was ok, I got the first bird delivered back to hand and thought great we have cracked it then she was back to throwing then at me or putting then down a way in front Twisted Evil

We had a good drive with the birds falling in a rape field so it was hard work hunting it to find the birds at the end, she started off fine and then was a distance away from me working a line so I thought I would give her a bit of leaway to work it out and she buggered off Twisted Evil

Afternoon was a bit disapointing as they decided to do only one drive and the gun I was behind only shot one bird and picked it himself by hand, so I took the chance to work her through some cover just to hunt. She is also stikey on point so need to overcome that.

They are having a retriver trial next week so no work for us, so we wont be out till the following friday and then im taking the youngster aswell Shocked

must be mad

Caz

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NOB'S do it in the field!!!!!!!!!