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Small Cabin Forum / General Forum / Hunting Dog Question
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yankeesouth
Member
# Posted: 16 Feb 2014 14:38
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Sorry.....I don't know where to put this topic.

I know this is off topic.....but I have a hunting dog question. In short..... I have a 1.4 year old lab mix. I had her in the field last year and she naturally took to finding and flushing pheasants. The problem is she wants to take off and run them down. How do I retrain her to slow down and sit or stop when she come on a bird? I do not have the money to buy time at a preserve. All I have are pheasant feathers. Thanks.

turkeyhunter
Member
# Posted: 16 Feb 2014 17:50 - Edited by: turkeyhunter
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I have owned labs for over 25 years...the best pet and companion you could have....have one that lived to be 17 years.....
I own a chocolate female 3 years old ...she is a family PET;)
when I was duck hunting /dove hunting ~~~the book I relied on was WATER DOG...that was back in the day...before internet and Youtube...
join one of the many hunting forums ( upland hunting ) ...on the web...I bet you will get some good info there...

just a quick search ..looks like this one has some traffic on it http://gundogforum.com/forum/

hattie
Member
# Posted: 16 Feb 2014 21:35 - Edited by: hattie
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We have a chocolate lab and she has been retrieving grouse since before she was one year old. My husband bought a training dummy like this: http://www.everythinggundog.com/ruffed-grouse-dog-training-dummy-by-dokkens-dead-fowl -trainer-gr100.html and started training her with it.

When we take her hunting, we keep her in the back of our rhino (quad) while Bob shoots. As soon as he shoots she shrieks like a banshee because she wants to go after it. I make her sit while I open the back of the rhino and then release her to retrieve.

I also work with her all the time retrieving things and helping around the house. Every day after I feed the birds outside, I get her to carry the bird food bucket for me to the shed. She then has to drop it to my hand. If I am doing something and drop it on the floor, I will ask her to pick it up for me and drop it in my hand. She also carries the garbage bag for me and retrieves potatoes from our cold room. I get her to carry packaged meat from the back room to Bob in the kitchen. I have her retrieve at every opportunity I can. Just every day things, but the skill transfers over to hunting. It gives her the idea that she has to just carry the item (whatever it is) and drop it on command.
Molly with a grouse
Molly with a grouse


yankeesouth
Member
# Posted: 17 Feb 2014 12:33
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Thanks....I know I have a natural hunter....I guess I just need to work with her. I need to get her to slow down and sit/halt when she comes on a bird. Right now she just wants to "get that bird." I have to keep remembering....she's still just a kid!

old243
Member
# Posted: 17 Feb 2014 16:41
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would it help to keep her on a leash, or one of the reel type leashes . until you give her the go ahead. Correct with a sharp command if she disobeys. She will want to please you, so don't let her get bad habits. A treat when she does well won't hurt .As hattie says work with retrieving other things as well. It is in their breeding , to retrieve and please you. Just start her right old243

lawnjocky
Member
# Posted: 23 Feb 2014 23:30
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There are lots of books on dog training. Also do a web search on pointing labs.

E-collars are good for training and in the field. I use one on a very low setting pushing the nick button to remind my Brittany to pay attention to what I am saying and what we are doing. Don't over use an e-collar and be very careful about setting it too high.

A check cord will also slow your dog down. It is simply a long rope, maybe 25' feet long that clips on the dog's collar.

A good source for dog training and handling gear is Lion Country Supply.

tcmatt
Member
# Posted: 24 Feb 2014 18:30
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my lab is 12now and too old to hunt. trained him to stay close by keeping a 30' nylon rope/lead with a few knots tied into it For about the first 12 months of his life. anytime I had him afield (which was everyday) that 30' lead was on him. He was always out front of me and when the lead was getting to the end, i would call out his name and gently step on the lead once. SLow at first, then I would say his name again and step on it hard. It got so that he would stop on a dime whenever I called his name. Worked like a charm. Soon after - no lead and he still stops whenever I call his name.

leonk
Member
# Posted: 24 Feb 2014 21:31
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yep, you'd have better luck at GDF or bunch of other sites
I could tell you that you need to train the dog to stop (sit) to a whistle and gradually increase degree of difficulty, but there's more to it, obviously

Bevis
Member
# Posted: 28 Feb 2014 17:21
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Ashock collar on the lowest setting works. If not and they are like my two, then turn it up a bit to get her attention. My 6.5 month old Cur/pit mix are already catching the hogs.

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