training

[digger]

posted questions before regarding my choc lab bitch pup and had excellent replies.

forgive me gents if i pick your brains again.

cass is now ten months old and i have no real concerns about how she is coming along.she will retrieve a dummy to hand,has been taken to a clay shoot and now i want to try her on cold game.i have pigeons,partridge,duck and rabbit in the freezer all in feather (and fur).

should i start small (partridge) and see how she gets on ?

i have been told some dogs baulk at pigeon due to the ease in which the breast feathers come out ?

the majority of my shooting is pigeons and i would hate to take a step backwards.

in all honesty she is making me look like a good trainer when it is the reverse,she is a good learner who wants to please and flatters me.

any and all advice gratefully received.

[MadSpringer]

Digger,

 

Have you tried her on dummies with fur and feather on them?

 

If not try this, it’s how I introduce my dogs to feather.

 

Start by using just a pheasant wing, throw her a couple of dummies out a short distance (do this in the garden) to get her keyed up a bit. Then throw the wing out and encourage her to pick it. Don’t worry if she doesn’t pick it at first just keep mixing it in with the dummies, give loads of praise when she does pick the wing. Don’t worry about her presenting it just let her get used to the feel of the feathers. When she’s keen to pick the wing, fix a pair of wings on a dummy using elastic bands, again throw her a few dummies and mix the winged dummy in with them. Remember take it slowly and give loads of praise! When she’s fully confident with the feathered dummy try adding a dummy with a rabbit skin on it.

 

As for introducing cold game, I start by using a few ferals I also place an elastic band around them to hold the wings tight, it almost appears like a feathered dummy to the dog at first! When their happy to retrieve it I take the bands off.

 

I always make sure the dog is fully confident retrieving covered dummies before introducing cold game. I don’t introduce cold game until around 12 months if things have gone to plan, some introduce it a little earlier (all depends on the dog) but this works for me and I don’t like to rush a dog.

 

Some dogs are not over keen on picking wood pigeon because of the loose feathers, if you introduce her carefully to them you will not have a problem. Again place an elastic band around the wings to start with, this will hold the feathers. The first few times I take a dog out pigeon shooting I don’t let it have any retrieves, just concentrate on letting it get used to being in the hide. The next few times I will give it a couple of retrieves at the end of the session, these are birds I have collected, placed an elastic band around the wings and thrown them back out. Once you have done this a few times you will find the dog is keen to retrieve without any problems!

Remember to take things slowly and give lots of praise!

 

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

[digger]

madspringer

thanks for the advice.i havent tried a dummy with fur or feather attached so will bring it in slowly during her next few sessions.the idea of a rubber band to stop the wings from putting her off is great,will certainly do that.

my only problem is tearing her away from my three year old daughters side to take her training ! both give me big puppy eyes.if i didnt know better would swear they are joined at the hip.

irrelevant i know but was worried about getting another dog as my previous one (a collie ) bit a child last year and i had him put down.

thanks for the tips