Puppy with Potential?

PointBlank

Well-Known Member
As our GSP puppy has turned 6 months old this weekend I thought I would take some very flaky mobile phone footage of how she is performing with regards to retrieving.

I think she has some potential apart from delivery, what are your thoughts?



Scent training is next on the list...
 
Personaly I feel you are doing to much to quickly and not concentrating on some very important factors
On which the delivery is a very important part and you hav just bypassed that fault by throwing more dummies instead of sorting it and it is quite easy to sort
You do need to be carefull that you don't put the " I can retrieve but drop at your feet syndrome " as a given
As that may never be rectified
the fact she is only 6 months old and the bone structure is not really upto the punishment you are putting the dog through due to the exerted pressure of the amount of retrieves at one go and the fence
Not really that suitable to jump for a young dog
Part from that i feel you need to do less retrieves but more concentrated ones
And you should of started the tracking atleast 3 months ago, but I don't feel it will matter to much
As your dog looks like it has the mentality to cope
But on the whole a very nice pup
 
Personaly I feel you are doing to much to quickly and not concentrating on some very important factors
On which the delivery is a very important part and you hav just bypassed that fault by throwing more dummies instead of sorting it and it is quite easy to sort
You do need to be carefull that you don't put the " I can retrieve but drop at your feet syndrome " as a given
As that may never be rectified
the fact she is only 6 months old and the bone structure is not really upto the punishment you are putting the dog through due to the exerted pressure of the amount of retrieves at one go and the fence
Not really that suitable to jump for a young dog
Part from that i feel you need to do less retrieves but more concentrated ones
And you should of started the tracking atleast 3 months ago, but I don't feel it will matter to much
As your dog looks like it has the mentality to cope
But on the whole a very nice pup

Thanks for your honest reply.

I only do the retrieving training every third day and I know what you mean about the fence but the bugger jumps it herself 20 times every day! :)

I have to seriously concentrate on the delivery but this will be the first dog I've trained so it all may take some time to come together. The scent training is something that I have neglected unfortunately but it is my next priority, I'm sure she has the nose for it because she finds that dummy in the long grass with a blind throw.
 
Very fair comments
Can I ask what will you be doing with the dog
Is it going to be a picking up dog or for rough shooting
Of course there is the stalking side
But as you hav concentrated on controll and dummies from the off as a first dog
I feel the bird shooting will be a bigger influence
 
Very fair comments
Can I ask what will you be doing with the dog
Is it going to be a picking up dog or for rough shooting
Of course there is the stalking side
But as you hav concentrated on controll and dummies from the off as a first dog
I feel the bird shooting will be a bigger influence

Yes, my primary concern will be to get her usable on a shoot day both as a walked up and as a picking up dog. I do hope to try and give her enough control to have as a deer dog with hopefully some tracking ability but we shall see.
 
I'll be honest
You can train your dog for deer whilst still putting in the traing for bird work
As for deer work your discipline will be the same
Sit , stay , heel , steadiness to game and rabbits, shooting over them
Only thing difference maybe is you will take your dog out stalking into live situ's atleast 6 months before you would for game
But if you can do a season on deer first and perfect that
The transition to game should be quick and simple as your dog will be of a mature nature already and most of the same basic training already in place
 
Don't profess to be an expert but, if you want to use your GSP on deer do the deer work first, they will then pick up
the game side easily.


As stone says be careful of doing too much to soon its a GSP not a lab slow to mature 18 months before you get much sense out of them.

I don't do anything other than the basics walking to heel sitting etc until at least a year old.

Pointing is their strong point, some are better retrievers than others, will work well enough on walked up days

big driven days are not really their thing but they do adapt well with experience.

Not the easiest breed to train for a first timer.

Make haste slowly you will get there, good luck.
 
Thanks for the advice, I was following the Rory Major line of trying to enforce a strong retrieving instinct first before moving onto anything else.

walking to heel is a bit of a challenge I must admit.
 
Hi,

I own GSPs and have worked them for the past few years. I would advise not making your very nice young GSP to focused on retrieving. I used to do a lot of walked up Grouse and the difference of my dogs that were Hunters that would hold steady on point and then only Retrieve if other retrieving dogs were not to hand was that they stayed focused on Coveys that would flush in 2 and 3s but would quickly come back onto point and not look for the retrieve.

Dalkur.
 
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looks as if you could have a decent dog . you will probably do exactly the same as every one does with ther first dog but dont worry because you will learn
plenty . some sound advice from stone and bogtrotter. some other things you might try stop teaching her jump over wooden fences whatever her age you need to have her jumping over wire otherwise she will rely on her back legs to carry her over deadly when shes in the real word of barbed wire also make sure she does not get every retrieve stick to four casts but only give her two make her sit while you retrieve them use a game bag to keep your dummys and keep them after each retrieve this will stop her antisipating a retrieve which could stop her running in. little but often . good luck and enjoy.
i have had a ne experiance with my 5year old lab buzz iwill start my own thread
 
Crackin looking pup, when she returns to you, try walking away before she 'spits the dummy', this will encourage her to hold the dummy and can also help with walking to heel, as she will want to get it back to you for the praise/another retrieve.

You can also crouch down, but holds your hands a bit higher/cliuck fingers to get her attention up for the delivery rather than wanting to spit the dummy before getting another retrieve.


Good luck....
 
Personaly I feel you are doing to much to quickly and not concentrating on some very important factors
On which the delivery is a very important part and you hav just bypassed that fault by throwing more dummies instead of sorting it and it is quite easy to sort
You do need to be carefull that you don't put the " I can retrieve but drop at your feet syndrome " as a given
As that may never be rectified
the fact she is only 6 months old and the bone structure is not really upto the punishment you are putting the dog through due to the exerted pressure of the amount of retrieves at one go and the fence
Not really that suitable to jump for a young dog
Part from that i feel you need to do less retrieves but more concentrated ones
And you should of started the tracking atleast 3 months ago, but I don't feel it will matter to much
As your dog looks like it has the mentality to cope
But on the whole a very nice pup

All good points.

Just another couple of suggestions. For every retrieve the dog gets, she should be watching you throwing the dummy several times and picking it yourself whilst she sits and stays. If she gets to retrieve every one she will assume it is her right to pick everything and you will end up with a dog that is likely to try and run in whenever a bird drops.

second point is, when you throw 2 dummies for her, step towards the one you want her to retrieve and extend your hand towards it when you send her. It is the beginnings of getting her to work to hand signals. However, you should not send her for the last one thrown. She will instinctively want to go for that one as it is freshest in her mind. catch her out by sending her for the first one thrown. It will stop her from second guessing what instruction is about to come.
 
Thanks for all your advice, like I said this is my first time training so I welcome any comments or corrections.

I think I now have a good idea where to go next with her.

Cheers

Kevin
 
Hi Kevin,

All the advice given is sound in my opinion, my advice is to take your time, let your dog mature and gain strenth, develope the bond between you and the dog, work on her weaknesses and your own, which will become apparent as time elapses and don't expect to much to soon. There will be setbacks, be assured. When they occur address them in a calm and collected manor, this should help to produce a calm and pleasing dog to work with for many years, good luck mate.
 
Looks like you have a nice dog there. My advice would be to let her be a puppy and join a gundog club near you who will be running training classes throughout the summer. She will then get used to behaving with other dogs around. Also stop giving her retrieves before she gets so excited and gives voice. That's not a good trait for a bird dog. At 6 months old a single retrieve with a good delivery is enough if not too much. I know it's hard to stop yourself from training her as it's your first dog but it will be well worth the wait. Just try to enjoy her and getting her walking to heal, sitting, staying and recalling would be enough for the next 6 months if she were mine. And even then only 5 minute lessons. Good luck.
 
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