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At What Age
#5894510
08/25/15 03:24 AM
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 866
Catch Dog
OP
Tracker
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OP
Tracker
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 866 |
What is a good age to take a pup out for some wild bird training/hunting?
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Catch Dog]
#5894545
08/25/15 03:41 AM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 60,468
BOBO the Clown
kind of a big deal
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kind of a big deal
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 60,468 |
Depends on the dog breed and the handler.
Some after 6 months, seen others not take until after 18 months.
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Catch Dog]
#5894668
08/25/15 10:32 AM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 8,426
stinkbelly
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 8,426 |
Bobo is right. Smart dog breeds can go earlier. I had mine in Kansas chasing wild pheasant at 8 months old.
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Catch Dog]
#5894722
08/25/15 11:47 AM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416
bill oxner
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416 |
I've seen them hunt, point, and back as young as 3 to 4 months, but they cant keep up with the older dogs at that age.
Quail hunting is like walking into, and out of a beautiful painting all day long. Gene Hill
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Catch Dog]
#5894760
08/25/15 12:15 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 146
LABIRDDOG
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 146 |
At 6 months. Exceptional dogs.
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Catch Dog]
#5894780
08/25/15 12:37 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 6,287
scalebuster
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 6,287 |
As soon as they know what whoa and here mean. Just don't run him too long and let him have fun without much interference from you. Unless he's doing something that could hurt him.
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Catch Dog]
#5894810
08/25/15 12:55 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416
bill oxner
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416 |
You can take them out younger while hunting from a vehicle, and keep them in the dog box until you get into the action. Here's Yeats pointing wild birds at 4 months old. He backed the first dog he ever saw pointing. He never had any negative reaction to the gun.
Quail hunting is like walking into, and out of a beautiful painting all day long. Gene Hill
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Catch Dog]
#5895058
08/25/15 03:22 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,059
MS1454
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,059 |
I introduced mine to birds as soon as I get them. Then as soon as hunting season starts, I take them along. It just depends on the age and that determines how long and often I hunt them.
I'll take a Black Female every time.
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Re: At What Age
[Re: stinkbelly]
#5895191
08/25/15 04:27 PM
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,722
tigger
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,722 |
Bobo is right. Smart dog breeds can go earlier. I had mine in Kansas chasing wild pheasant at 8 months old. And still chasing
Tigger If it isn't white it is not a birddog.
KC Lying is lying. Don't bitch about one doing it and condone another. That's called hypocrisy. _________________
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Catch Dog]
#5895223
08/25/15 04:42 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,203
CCBIRDDOGMAN
Bird Herder
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Bird Herder
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,203 |
Jake and Daisy (far right & far left in my sig) had a few limits of blues shot over them by the time they were 5-6 months old. They were just pups and did pup things and made pup mistakes, but both turned out great. (10 yrs old this year). I introduce gun fire immediately upon getting a pup home. BB gun, Pellet gun, toy cap gun, then distant shotgun. I now have a nice starter pistol / blank gun, so that will get worked in on future pups. Fact is, if I have a pup and it's bird season, that pup is going hunting.
Haven't had it in years but never spit any out. I am a sucker for happy endings and strapped cowboys.
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Catch Dog]
#5895255
08/25/15 04:53 PM
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,068
NorthTXbirdhunter
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,068 |
Nothing about training pups is set in stone or should be dated i.e. gotta start them at this age or that. You have to be your own best judge as to the maturity level and willingness of the pup. Like has been stated on this forum many a time...Let a pup be a pup! You have plenty of time. The worst mistake we as hunters can make is introducing the report of a gun to a pup. All I can say is to start real light (22 crimps) and work up slowly and only shoot when a pup is in pursuit of a bird. 99% of gun shyness is man-made.
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Catch Dog]
#5895260
08/25/15 04:57 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416
bill oxner
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416 |
On the other hand a 20 gauge was shot at a distance for the red setter pup pictured above. There was no reaction so we took him hunting.
Quail hunting is like walking into, and out of a beautiful painting all day long. Gene Hill
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Catch Dog]
#5896142
08/26/15 12:33 AM
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 694
Windrider
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 694 |
My American Water Spaniel went hunting for the first time at 3.5 months. I shot so the birds would fall on land or really shallow water. He would sit in the crook of my arm.
He retrieved buffleheads and teal. Not to mention my empty hulls from my 20ga.
Shot a big Can. He couldn't move it so he sat down by it and barked for me to come get the bird.
This dog is my best hunting buddy ever. teal season marks his 4th birthday. He's still teaching me stuff.
Last edited by Windrider; 08/26/15 12:35 AM.
Thought for the day: Ducks were almost hunted to extinction long before camo was invented.
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Catch Dog]
#5896246
08/26/15 01:30 AM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 376
beatarmy
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 376 |
As soon as they can run...just be sensitive to their age...my setter was born in jan and went in November the year she was born. Mostly on a check cord. I introduced her to gunfire by walking up to a skeet range from 1/4 mile away. She has never been gun shy...she runs toward gunfire now because it means birds. Richard Walters said 6 months.
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Catch Dog]
#5896579
08/26/15 04:18 AM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 46
kgbill
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 46 |
We had our last 2 pups out dove hunting on sept. 1 at 9 weeks old. They ran around, acted goofy, and fetched a couple of crippled dove when we held the older dogs back. It was all over but the bragging then. They tried to play catch up with the older dogs most of quail season, but they watched and learned. We kept em booted, let em out when they wanted to go, and left em in the box when they didnt. By the end of the season we had 2 more good, hard driving dogs on our hands. Just use common sense, read the pup, and take em for a walk off the leash every day you're able to. It'll work out great.
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Catch Dog]
#5916617
09/07/15 04:38 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 6
Bird Bum
Green Horn
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Green Horn
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 6 |
What about taking a Vizsla to a trainer at 9 months old? Good idea or bad idea?
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Bird Bum]
#5916682
09/07/15 05:23 PM
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 4,367
kindall
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 4,367 |
What about taking a Vizsla to a trainer at 9 months old? Good idea or bad idea? Pick a good trainer, and its a good idea.
Shopping with your husband is like hunting with the game warden. Experience is what you get, when you didn't get what you wanted.
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Re: At What Age
[Re: kindall]
#5916693
09/07/15 05:28 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416
bill oxner
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416 |
What about taking a Vizsla to a trainer at 9 months old? Good idea or bad idea? Pick a good trainer, and its a good idea. Yep. You should have them back for most of quail season.
Quail hunting is like walking into, and out of a beautiful painting all day long. Gene Hill
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Bird Bum]
#5916777
09/07/15 06:40 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 6
Bird Bum
Green Horn
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Green Horn
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 6 |
Thanks. Any suggestions on a trainer? Know anything about Collier outside of Decatur?
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Catch Dog]
#5917868
09/08/15 12:45 PM
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 4,367
kindall
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 4,367 |
Send Kevin (CCBIRDDOGMAN)a pm. He knows Mr Collier.
There's a couple of members who sent their vizslas to Buck, with Backyard Training Kennels. They had good reviews on him.
Shopping with your husband is like hunting with the game warden. Experience is what you get, when you didn't get what you wanted.
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Re: At What Age
[Re: kindall]
#5919454
09/09/15 04:21 AM
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 6
Bird Bum
Green Horn
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Green Horn
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 6 |
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Re: At What Age
[Re: Bird Bum]
#5922298
09/10/15 07:25 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 475
Mundo
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 475 |
What about taking a Vizsla to a trainer at 9 months old? Good idea or bad idea? Use someone who has worked with Vizsla's in the past. They are notoriously soft--more negotiation than all those hard headed german breeds.
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