Introducing game to dog

Savage 110 Carbon Tactical - Unmatched Precision - Viking Arms
I used the rabbit skins over old plastic bottles, you can vary the weight of the bottles using sand inside as the pup gets older, and when the skins are used and smelly just bin them and start again, same with dried wings. The bottles also float for water retrieves. And are cheaper than lots of proper dummies.
 
A full grown rabbit might be a bit big, try a half grown one left to cool down and stiffen up, I prefer to use a partridge or ( best of all ) a waterhen if you can get one legally.
A racing pigeon is pretty good but if you use a woody put it into a sock to keep the feathers from flying. Don’t start with crows, they seem to taste bad.
 
Don’t overthink it or stress about it. The dog will work it out when it decides it is fun. We (well I do) want an enthusiastic thinking dog not a ‘trained’ robot.

My first lab had only ever seen a dummy. Took him on a partridge shoot. Plenty down but he didn’t retrieve. I went and got a partridge threw it 10 yards for him and that was it, he knew where there were plenty of them. Basic training was solid so became a very good shooting dog.

Had a springer that had been overtrained as he was the one nobody wanted. Wouldn’t touch game. I tied him to a fence post behind the line and threw a dead pheasant for him after the drive. Different dog !

Not what to do allegedly but it worked for them.
 
Brittany boy said:
I used the rabbit skins over old plastic bottles, you can vary the weight of the bottles using sand inside as the pup gets older, and when the skins are used and smelly just bin them and start again, same with dried wings. The bottles also float for water retrieves. And are cheaper than lots of proper dummies.
Click to expand...

I've threw many things for a dog/pup to retrieve but never a plastic bottle.

Look if it works for u great, carry on.


I'd be worried about the texture and feel and incase dogs started squashing them .


But I don't see the point, dummies are not expensive and should last a long time.
Plus nowadays their is a multitude of different dummies designed for different things.

Possibly some are like fishing tackle designed to catch the fisherman rather than a fish.

But the theory behind them makes sense.
Been a while since I've bought 1 but I did buy a few working gundog dummies and liked them.
Like little rugby balls, idea being dog gets used to gripping the dummy in centre rather than by an end..
 
Paint rollers are also a great way to introduce a pup to dummies. When sat down watching tv or reading, do 2 or 3 in the house, the dog won’t even realise it’s retrieving.
 
For feathered game, steal a pair of ladies tights and put the bird inside and tie a knot. When I was training my hound I had a couple of hen phaesants in the freezer. Take them out, use for a session and then pop them back in.

A teal and woodcock wing and rabbit skin on a dummy also good. Many dogs won’t pick up teal or woodcock.

Key with any retrieve training is getting them to bring the bird straight back to you.

I failed on this. My hound is very good at finding shot birds and getting them out of the marsh, or deep cover. She then has a tendency to make sure all the rest of the guns are watching, and then go and drop the bird deep under a gorse bush or on the far side of a creek, with an expression of “on you go and get it yourself- I have done the hardwork”.

She is however somewhat forgiven. She is superb at finding birds and pushing them up, especially birds that have avoided all the spaniels. And also very good at spotting, pointing and then finding shot deer.
 
Thanks for all advice guys as ever. I've ordered two extra dummy, one furry & one I'll put a skin on to.

@countrryboy I have been looking at a local club, it's on my list after lambing.
 
I would leave it a bit longer maybe until after 12 months. The way I introduce my pups to game whether it be fur or feather is to put it in a ladies pop sock, like a stocking but a lot shorter. The pup gets the smell of the game but without the feel of fur or feather in their mouths. Once retrieving ok slowly roll back the sock to reveal more of the game until the sock can be fully dispensed with.
 
Scotty99 said:
I would leave it a bit longer maybe until after 12 months. The way I introduce my pups to game whether it be fur or feather is to put it in a ladies pop sock, like a stocking but a lot shorter. The pup gets the smell of the game but without the feel of fur or feather in their mouths. Once retrieving ok slowly roll back the sock to reveal more of the game until the sock can be fully dispensed with.
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Quite, as they have so much to take in, also their development in the lines also comes naturally with their best tool which is the nose.
The more dogs you have the better we become as it is more often the person who is the weak link with it being their first dog.
I made loads of mistakes with my first spaniel but took note and improved with the others, one was not to rush and cram in the training.
It is like an apprenticeship it takes time...
 
Ben

I take it ur puppy comes straight back to u with a retrieve?
Quite a common problem with young dogs is to run in circles round u or I had 1 that would play and lick rhe fur/feathered dummies.
A really frustrating problem.

Simple things like standing in the corner of a field so dog physically can't run behind u works well.
Or if out on a walk stand where path is narrowest.
U can make a retriever lane for young pups just fence a narrow corridor/race.
I've seen folk start very young pups in their hallway for that reason.

At my old shoot I had a short fenced lane plus a great big long lane strimmed in rashes with left/rights for directional work
 
I did what some have slready suggested, eg @countrryboy , and it has worked well:
- Once they are retrieve a canvas dummy, keep them revved up for doing that
- have a dummy with some dried pheasant wings (or rabbit skin if that's what you want them to pick) tied on quite closely
- throw the dummy (plain), then when they are in the zone, throw the winged one. They pick it up without thinking about it, and that then gets them used to feeling feather or fur in their mouth
- rinse & repeat, gradually increasing frequency of dressed dummy in the mix
 
Bo Diddley said:
Skin a couple, cure/dry the pelt on a pin board with lashings of salt, then wrap it around a dummy.
Pheasant wings fixed to a small dummy also.
Avoid soft-feathered birds like woodpigeons, the feathers come out easily, and they end up trying to spit out loose feathers.
I'm still on canvas dummies with Nell, quartering, and directional signals, stop whistle stuff at the minute. She is a habitual jumper and loves jumping over anything to please you, the box hedging is a favourite.
Click to expand...
If you want to use Pigeons put the whole carcass in a pop sock and tie it off this willl stop the feathers filling the pups mouth, which can be off putting, also when tied off can be thrown some distance.

And don’t be too quick taking the bird out of the dogs mouth, let it sit for a little while… not too long… until you are ready to accept the retrieve, if you take it too quickly it can lead to the dog dropping or spitting it out at your feet, could lead to runners.

WB
 
willowbank said:
If you want to use Pigeons put the whole carcass in a pop sock and tie it off this willl stop the feathers filling the pups mouth, which can be off putting, also when tied off can be thrown some distance.

WB
Click to expand...
Yes, good advice. Heym mentioned "stealing a pair of ladies' tights." I tried this when I was 17, training my first Lab, and got a right old slap across the face....
 
merlin said:
I did what some have slready suggested, eg @countrryboy , and it has worked well:
- Once they are retrieve a canvas dummy, keep them revved up for doing that
- have a dummy with some dried pheasant wings (or rabbit skin if that's what you want them to pick) tied on quite closely
- throw the dummy (plain), then when they are in the zone, throw the winged one. They pick it up without thinking about it, and that then gets them used to feeling feather or fur in their mouth
- rinse & repeat, gradually increasing frequency of dressed dummy in the mix
Click to expand...
No fish net stockings were harmed in this retrieve (cold pigeon)

Hot pigeon

First teal first time out on the mud...


If the dog has it in them "just get on with it"

 
Bowland blades said:
when starting a gundog with cold game , its a good idea to put the game inside an old sock for the first few . Going strait to warm game is risky and your dog is likely to view it as something to eat . I have had dogs that had to go onto frozen hard game inside the house to correct that . If you aint getting balls and dummies back well - go back ,no cold game the dog is not ready for cold dead game.
It would be great if all dogs would follow the exact same path , but they don't , train the dog in-front of you not the one in the book
Click to expand...
Great advice, I found using my wife's old tights or buying packs for little money at the supermarket good for this. Cheap and disposable.
 
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