Training dog to ignore birds?

[aboynamedjim]

Hello all,

I have a 1 year old dog who has a brilliant nose and has worked very well blood tracking so far. I walk her often in a deer park and she is pretty steady. I've trained her in simulated stalks in local woodland and she performed very well. I was thinking she was ready to come stalking and this week took her out on my permission which is also a commercial pheasant/partridge shoot.
As soon as we entered the woodlands, she got over excited by the gambirds and everything went out the window.
How do I train her to ignore the wretched things and concentrate on working for deer?!?

With many thanks, James

 

[.25-06]

Back on a lead and back to basics. Nearly right is not really right. Make sure your dog can sit no matter what is happening it also breaks the red mist that forms as they start to chase. We don't want a Fenton

 

[dersbum]

She needs exposure to the birds more often so that you can desensitize to them. may be worth considering a rabbit pen.
Personally i put my dogs into the full pheasant release pen a couple of times a season, on lead under full control praised for calmness. ignored for any excitment displayed.
They will still hunt and beat for pheasant when asked to do so.

 

[willowbank]

She needs exposure to the birds more often so that you can desensitize to them. may be worth considering a rabbit pen.
Personally i put my dogs into the full pheasant release pen a couple of times a season, on lead under full control praised for calmness. ignored for any excitment displayed.
They will still hunt and beat for pheasant when asked to do so.

Spot on using a release pen its the most efficient way, offer to help the keeper and have the dog with you as you go about the chores but don’t trust her too soon. She will very soon lose interest and settle down.

WB

 

[Bowland blades]

Hello all,

I have a 1 year old dog who has a brilliant nose and has worked very well blood tracking so far. I walk her often in a deer park and she is pretty steady. I've trained her in simulated stalks in local woodland and she performed very well. I was thinking she was ready to come stalking and this week took her out on my permission which is also a commercial pheasant/partridge shoot.
As soon as we entered the woodlands, she got over excited by the gambirds and everything went out the window.
How do I train her to ignore the wretched things and concentrate on working for deer?!?

With many thanks, James

Its lead on no fuss , dog looks or lunges correct and make a sharp turn and if required a sharp no. I have turned a pheasant killer into a good deer dog that blinks pheasants ( which are always about in our gardens here and can break cover at very "danger close" distances ) .
1 year old? You can correct anything with repetition and consistency

 

[willowbank]

Its lead on no fuss , dog looks or lunges correct and make a sharp turn and if required a sharp no. I have turned a pheasant killer into a good deer dog that blinks pheasants ( which are always about in our gardens here and can break cover at very "danger close" distances ) .
1 year old? You can correct anything with repetition and consistency

Excellent way forward... consistent repetition with a dollop of understanding that at 1yr old she equates to a 7 yr old child, just wait until she becomes a teenager

Willowbank.

 

[Jelen]

Spot on using a release pen its the most efficient way, offer to help the keeper and have the dog with you as you go about the chores but don’t trust her too soon. She will very soon lose interest and settle down.

WB

Yes. release pens and a supportive Keeper are the way to go - but not easy to find the two together. I'm lucky to have both and from when she was 6 months old I took her in for every poult release, and still do at 6 years old. Now she just lies down while we open the crates around her. I only wish I had that opportunity with my previous dogs.

 

[Bowland blades]

Excellent way forward... consistent repetition with a dollop of understanding that at 1yr old she equates to a 7 yr old child, just wait until she becomes a teenager

Willowbank.

Really i dont get your angle on this a 7 year old human child is also not that hard to control but i think putting them on a lead might well constitute child cruelty !

 

[south-nofolk-stalker]

Hello all,

I have a 1 year old dog who has a brilliant nose and has worked very well blood tracking so far. I walk her often in a deer park and she is pretty steady. I've trained her in simulated stalks in local woodland and she performed very well. I was thinking she was ready to come stalking and this week took her out on my permission which is also a commercial pheasant/partridge shoot.
As soon as we entered the woodlands, she got over excited by the gambirds and everything went out the window.
How do I train her to ignore the wretched things and concentrate on working for deer?!?

With many thanks, James

Simple back on a lead and deliberately walk where birds are and if she gets excited. Short sharp snap on the lead and a very firm NO!

Have treats in your pockets and when the dog ignores them reward the dog simples.

Basically bore the living daylights out of the dog With birds, won’t take too long, month 6 weeks should do it.

 

[Cranhill]

I had a friendly chicken / turkey farmer and took my young dogs there.

 

[south-nofolk-stalker]

I had a friendly chicken / turkey farmer and took my young dogs there.

That mower days is a big no no, but years ago before AI, I knew many dogs that were trained that way

 

[dunwater]

Hello all,

I have a 1 year old dog who has a brilliant nose and has worked very well blood tracking so far. I walk her often in a deer park and she is pretty steady. I've trained her in simulated stalks in local woodland and she performed very well. I was thinking she was ready to come stalking and this week took her out on my permission which is also a commercial pheasant/partridge shoot.
As soon as we entered the woodlands, she got over excited by the gambirds and everything went out the window.
How do I train her to ignore the wretched things and concentrate on working for deer?!?

With many thanks, James

The problem is not that she’s interested in birds, she should be, that’s what she’s bred to do.
You haven’t trained her to walk at heel properly.
You’ll have to take her back a step or two.
She’s only a baby, put her back on the lead and heel her up in a area with no distractions, when that goes perfectly, take the leash off and go again until that too is perfect.
Then put the leash back on and walk her around the pens, she shouldn’t ignore the birds but she shouldn’t hunt them or leave the heel position until you say different.
Its no harm to get her to sit when a bird wanders out in front of her, it helps with steadiness.