Book on HPR training
- Thread starter Long drag
- Start date
Training it to do what?
Hann: Perfect Start / Perfect Finish DVD Set
Hann: Perfect Start / Perfect Finish DVD Set. "Covers pretty much everything you are going to need in getting a pointing dog going." -- Steve Snell $149.98.Approx. 8 hours, 55 minutes total runtime These videos feature Jon and Cindy Hann, owners and operators of one of the most successful...
Long drag
Well-Known Member
All round bird dog for rough shooting.
Loler UK
Well-Known Member
In which case Michael Brander's book Training the Pointer-Retriever Gundog is still worth a read. There are some old-school methods talked about but as a grounding it's good. Total Recall by Pippa Mattinson is good for any breed/type.
There are loads out there but those were the ones I found most useful
Harder to find and fiendishly expensive. I have some good mates and have a copy to read - next on the list
Siggy
Well-Known Member
Dunwaters
Well-Known Member
Available in soft copy from Apple.
I joined a local HPR club. I was sceptical having not done the club thing before but it's been great for socialising the dog and the basics of dummy work. There have also been a few like minded individuals who have opened up other opportunities.
Much depends on the dog. Mine is bat**** crazy and will be very slow to mature, but click him into game rather than boring dummies and he will outrun and find more birds than any of the others. A good mate at the club has exactly the opposite. At 2 years old he won the working test and got made up to open but we took him to the moor and he was very average. Takes instruction and direction very well, very calm and laid back, but not a great hunting dog. I'm hoping that by the time mine is 3 or 4 he will be a great allrounder. Bat**** crazy as mine might be he will still hunt, point, hold point until you're ready, flush and sit to flush and then retrieve (or call you a **** if you miss).
To get mine working I joined a few others from the club and we went north to the grouse moors. 9 days of pointing training, a couple of grouse counts and then finally a walked up day. He's just 2 and is a great dog to shoot over already - but it's about putting in the hours and giving him the experience. The great thing about grouse in February/March when they're paired up and in August when the broods are young is they they will hold. Perfect for training. From that experience he's now doing the same for pheasant and partridge down here.
The basics are the basics. Get him to sit and stay. Teach him to walk to heel. Make him stop and get recall 100%. Teach him left, right and back. And don't let him chase anything, especially sheep. Crack those and then you can get him out in the field and let his natural instincts find you some birds. It's then about you putting the dog in the right place for the wind to have a chance of finding them before they disappear.
I've tried the books, but getting help from others in the club more experienced with HPR's and demonstrating, answering your questions as they go has been much more valuable.
jimmy milnes
Well-Known Member
Teach basic manners initially then move to normal any old dog training stuff, then move to normal gundog stuff, initially a dogs a dog and nothing special to Start.
If your asking about teaching hunting an hpr, you don't, buy right and give them opportunity and it's just genetically there.
Reference to books they're all very similar in my opinion and written with the sole intent of making the author some cash..
Beware of dogs with hard mouth as there's plenty about, and nothing worse than putting in a rake of effort to find out it's a cruncher
Jimmy.
If your asking about teaching hunting an hpr, you don't, buy right and give them opportunity and it's just genetically there.
Reference to books they're all very similar in my opinion and written with the sole intent of making the author some cash..
Beware of dogs with hard mouth as there's plenty about, and nothing worse than putting in a rake of effort to find out it's a cruncher
Jimmy.
All though there are lots of great books , dogs cant read ! I am btw a big book collector / reader . I think i have all the deer dog books , though there is nothing so importance as basic obedience and getting the dog out when it comes to deer work . A dog used on driven days / rough shooting etc should be practically a finished item bar experience but a deer dog needs getting out as soon as its matured to not end up Gun-shy ( ie before the ear membrane is formed and hardened up). 6-8months and start slow with little blanks at a distance . deerskins , Heads, Slots to chew on raw with the skin etc do a lot for a young dog in my own experience . You can soon get a pup sorted as regards the right place to grab hold of etc ,etc !
Long drag
Well-Known Member
Dont suppose anyone has this book there not using, or going at a reasonable price.
