Introducing game to dog

[BenBhoy]

Morning all,

My pup is 9 months old now & is really good at the basics, retrieve, wants to please & quick to learn. Wanted to introduce game retrieve so went out & shot rabbit last night.

Taken her out this morning to have a try.... eventually did get a couple of very scruffy, short retrieve with bunny but on the whole she wanted to lick it back to life! Lots of licking it, a little mouthing & just general dicking about (bowing down etc)

Any tips? Would i be better skinning & putting on dummy?

Thanks

 

[bullet chucker]

Do not rush things, a dog can be spoilt very quickly. Introduce game gradually their instinct will come to the fore, they are using all their faculties, sight, sound, smell, touch, a new' retrieve as you describe is nothing your charge has ever come across, how' does it now deal with picking it up let alone bringing it back to you? Your dog has not read the book, Good luck.

BC.

 

[Tim.243]

Morning all,

My pup is 9 months old now & is really good at the basics, retrieve, wants to please & quick to learn. Wanted to introduce game retrieve so went out & shot rabbit last night.

Taken her out this morning to have a try.... eventually did get a couple of very scruffy, short retrieve with bunny but on the whole she wanted to lick it back to life! Lots of licking it, a little mouthing & just general dicking about (bowing down etc)

Any tips? Would i be better skinning & putting on dummy?

Thanks

Far too early, Finn is now 2 and had a slow intro into retrieving as they have to develop bones muscles and a sense of direction

Like all things it takes time...

 

[BenBhoy]

Far too early, Finn is now 2 and had a slow intro into retrieving as they have to develop bones muscles and a sense of direction

Like all things it takes time...

Cheers Tim. It's all pretty new to me.

Not necessarily planning on taking her with me yet, but thought best to get her used to smell etc earlier on?

She just did nice couple of retrieve in garden with it.

 

[Camdig]

Skin the rabbit and wrap it round a dummy, she will get used to fur in her mouth.
A pheasant wing can be good for starting feather retrieve.

 

[Tim.243]

Cheers Tim. It's all pretty new to me.

Not necessarily planning on taking her with me yet, but thought best to get her used to smell etc earlier on?

She just did nice couple of retrieve in garden with it.

View attachment 468479

Hard to say but it is not about what you want but what she needs, anyway good luck

 

[Tony Morgan]

She's not too young.
When she puts the retrieve down/mouths it, walk away quickly and give her a whistle so that she wants to get to you. Squat/kneel, spread your arms.
A pheasant wing is too small and lightweight, she'll play with it. Use several and rubber-band them around a dummy.

 

[Bo Diddley]

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.

 

[Bowland blades]

Morning all,

My pup is 9 months old now & is really good at the basics, retrieve, wants to please & quick to learn. Wanted to introduce game retrieve so went out & shot rabbit last night.

Taken her out this morning to have a try.... eventually did get a couple of very scruffy, short retrieve with bunny but on the whole she wanted to lick it back to life! Lots of licking it, a little mouthing & just general dicking about (bowing down etc)

Any tips? Would i be better skinning & putting on dummy?

Thanks

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

 

[BenBhoy]

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.

What age is she again mate?

 

[BenBhoy]

She's not too young.
When she puts the retrieve down/mouths it, walk away quickly and give her a whistle so that she wants to get to you. Squat/kneel, spread your arms.
A pheasant wing is too small and lightweight, she'll play with it. Use several and rubber-band them around a dummy.

Cheers Tony. Tbh she doesn't feel too young, she's a good listener fast learner & just a "good girl" all round really. As expected, cold rabbit was pretty exciting so thought best to introduce sooner rather than later.

 

[BenBhoy]

If you aint getting balls and dummies back

Dummy retrieve is spot on.

 

[Bo Diddley]

What age is she again mate?

Similar to yours, Ben. She looks similar as well, even though she is a pure racing Cocker spaniel .
Most of her work will be in the beating line.

 

[BenBhoy]

Similar to yours, Ben. She looks similar as well, even though she is a pure racing Cocker spaniel .
Most of her work will be in the beating line.

She had a season yet? Mines on heat at the moment

 

[Bo Diddley]

She had a season yet? Mines on heat at the moment

No, not yet.

 

[hendrix's rifle]

Start as you mean to go on. Practise, repetition. They will pick it up

 

[foxinmad]

Every dog will be different, you just need to see how they react to what you want them to retrieve or track.
I start them early and try to get spaniels picking up fur, feather by 6 months old if they are ready.
My wire, I was laying small tracks with Roe jackets and hocks to get her get used to the scent at 4 months old.

 

[countrryboy]

As usual some pretty good advice already.
But like everything gundog, truly is hundreds of different ways to do it, many are just slight variations.

If u go down the rabbit skin on a dummy approach, which is a good way.
Wot I found the best way was to shoot a rabbit similar sized to wot dummies ur using.
Skin it without opening belly and then slide the wet skin over the dummy.
Then leave it out in the sun and protect it from flies.
It will dry onto the dummy nicely, if u get the size right will be nice and tight..
I've shot some quite small rabbits in the past for smaller dummies.

For feather try and find some road kill pheasant and dry the wings.
I just used to tie 2 wings on to a dummy.

I wouldn't worry too much .
But 1 trick that may work.
Have a bag with 3 or 4, normal dummies in it.
Throw some nice easy retrieves in quick succession so dog is bombing back to u.
Then just throw her fur/winged dummy, with any luck dog will just pick it up and bomb back, any hesitation u run the opposite way and give dog a shout.
It should be mad keen to follow u.

Another way, if u have a mate with a steady dog
So ur throwing dummies and swapping, just to introduce a bit of competition in dogs mind.
Be thinking so much about getting out and back to u won't bother about the funny texture.

Plus plenty praise as the dog is coming back with it ( which is a good thing anyway with a younger dog)

Even having the normal dummies next too the furred/feather dummies in a bag will put some scent onto them and may help and normalise the smell.

The other tip don't use pigeons, all the lose feathers can be a pain for a young dog.
I have heard of folk putting them in tights.

 

[countrryboy]

Another way which is a bit more complicated is teaching a hold command.
I wouldn't advice it unless u have too.
Quite often Hpr owners need to as the dogs may not be as natural retriever.

Many modern trainers are mixing that in with placeboard training too.
My next pup I might go down the placeboard route.
Think Openshaw started it, I think he brought it over from possibly the US?

 

[countrryboy]

Is their no local friendly gundog clubs locally??

Some do group training or even informal group training organised by a few mates.
When I was doing the tests a few off us would meet up once a week/fortnight and work on different things.
Good craic as well.

Can be handy for wee tips and getting ur dog steady in around other dogs, which is often the hardest thing with a young dog.
And even just throwing dummies for each other sometimes.