I Hope I got lucky and that with help In can tame this bred to range big dog into a close working dog for my preserve. I Got Call from a man had a 14 month old EP with papers and he needed to find it a home where he and his daughter could come and visit him.

Out of Yellow Rose kennels lived in home, back yard and kennel. Never been around birds. Some obedience and not a lot. Big boy, no nuts. Mostly white, strong and fit. Friendly wants attention and acts like he does not know his name. Is very birdy and curious, seems to have a nose. Gunshots do not bother him.

So my question is how to proceed with making this dog a great close working dog for my Preserve and private ranch guide services. NOTE I am very much a newbie and will appreciare any ideas.

Walter, from what you have said, you can't be sure of what you've got as of yet.
But I will tell you that I have successfully used big running dogs in a dropped bird hunting operation for years.

Once he is broke to what ever degree you are going to require of him, and he figures out that there are birds all around, I dont see you having a problem.

Now, if he is running past birds, just to be running, he is not hunting and you might need to trade him in.

I'll bet he'll figure out the game and do a good job for you.

I've had several. They all knew what a bird field was. I've never even considered a Gamin in a bird field.

Agree with Pointer. He never has hunt how do you know what range he runs

Re,e,ber he does not know shi$ from shino!!a at this point you have to train him. It won't happen setting in a kennel. Needs lots of work on birds with little shooting and lots of control but do not take the fun out.

I had a young mentor suggest I launch lots of pigeons in front of him on a check cord letting him only set up on point with 1 out of 10 and if he moves launch again. Idea is to make him think there are birds around that are very jumpy and he needs to be careful.

Send him to a trainer. The trainer can tell you what you have, if he's too big running, worse case scenario is you sell him or have the trainer help you sell him as a started dog, you made money off him, and you go can go buy a closer working dog for your guiding. Elhew's typically aren't close foot hunting dogs.

I don't think the breed matters. I have a GSP that will set a field on fire. She wants to run wide open in the worst way. As a pup at 5 and 6 months I started hunting her in all sorts of cover. At first I was scared to call her back when I lost sight of her cause I didn't want her to start hunting close but I learned she is programmed to run long so I quit worrying about it. I hunted lots of broken cover and she slowly figured it out herself. She still not perfect but I have a wide open running dog and I can control her and get her where I need her. When she is beelining away I call her back and send her a different direction so she sees she has to stay close to hunt with me. I talk to her softly to stay connected to her and it works. When we get into a big field I don't hold her back or talk to her till she points and she cuts it up.

I use a vibrating collar and vibrate it to get her attention and give her a very soft command. It works well and keeps us connected and quite. Sometimes when I vibrate her collar she stops and looks for me. All I have to do is point our direction of travel and she changes. As A pup we did quartering back and forth or a check cord with a "this way" or two soft whistles" command.
I hope this helps I'm no pro but it's what worked for me

What did I miss ?? Shooterwalter says he is a quail dog trainer, , guided quail hunts , and private ranch guide services ------- "" NOTE I am very much a newbie "" and asks for basic advice.??

Don't be a hater, atleast he asked and isn't afraid to state what he is in his own development. Hell I don't know anything, but have probably bird hunted more hours than most this year.

I feel like you may be worried with much ado about nothing. He will be a preserve dog with 000's of birds shot for him. He ain't going far. He is going to stay close to the gun. That is where all the fun is. Get him broke and holding and keep killing birds over him. I have had Elhews in the past. Easiest going pointer there is.

Who's the hater?

Bingo.

I feel like you have hunted more hours than I work.

I'll admit I was thinking the exact same thing.

Geez some of you guys got too much time . Check the facts. I do not say I am a bird dog trainer. I do say I have a bird dog training Facility with licensed Quail Hunting Preserve and quail on site for bird dog training. I guide hunts at my preserve and for others on their ranch with some dogs that get great compliments and good tips. I just had this wonderful looking,well bred male from Yellow Rose kennels as Elhew as you can get and never out of a fence yard at 14 months neutered fall into my lap and I just wanted to get some ideas and have some conversation about how others would go about this.

Thanks to those with constructive comments and excuse me to any one offended.

Want me to take him to West TX this weekend and check him out for you Walter? Leaving Thursday.

That's a very kind offer.

Better put a GPS collar on that dog. Mine probably came out of the same litter, she'll run to the next zip code if you let her.

Don't do it. CC has ruined more dogs that he's trained and if you dog turns out good, he'll sell it for cash money and tell you it ran off!!!

I kid, I kid. I'd definitely let Kevin take the pup and see what its got. He can give you a good, honest, knowledgeable evaluation of the pup.

wait I do not want the dog to ever get the idea of running big. I know he is birdy and not gun shy. He has no yard work under his belt and no basic obedience. Seems like for my preserve needs I would want to get the yard work done first to mastery level and then on to the field. I have got him coming and staying closer than he wants. Thanks for the offer Kevin and not what I think this pup needs at this time. This might be a good idea for a wild bird dog or field trail dog and I question if best for my preserve and close working needs.

I've never heard of someone NOT wanting their young dog on wild birds. You can let this dog go hunt wild birds and it will still be able to hunt preserve birds. When you say "close working dog" what is your definition of "close"? 25 yards? 50 yards? 100?

Walter, Walter, Walter,
Never never never pass up a chance for a pup to get into wild birds especially when we have the numbers like this year. A pup can accomplish more in one weekend hunting these wild birds than you can put down in front of him in a month working him every day. Kevin knows what he was is doing. Let the pup go with him. You can get an assessment and/or get some real valuable dog work. Don't miss a chance to train on wild birds! And I will bet you big money Kevin brings him home also. Dog is not going anywhere. He does not know how....yet.

Yellowrose website says their dogs are for foot hunter, so from what yall see thats not the case?

A couple seasons ago I let a trusting friend borrow Dash for a month of wild bird hunting in Montana during a time I could not take him hunting. He was hunted with or rotated with 4 other Vizslas. The experience did not change how far or close he worked one bit, but he came back supercharged on bird finding.

Y'all leave Walter alone, his dog, his decision. I wouldn't let someone take one of my dogs without me.

That is because you want to go too. Lol

Beat me to it

In all seriousness Walter, I would definitely reconsider Kevin's offer. Just because a dog runs big, doesn't mean you can't reel them in a little bit. And if you're already down 2 strikes, 1 it's a pointer (they typically run big), 2 it's an Elhew (they typically run big). You've said yourself you aren't a trainer and kind of a newbie at it, well, Kevin ain't. That guy is getting ooooooollldd, starin down the barrel of 50-55 these days. He trained the 2 dogs that came off the Ark when Noah took it to the bank.


There are numerous people on here telling you to give it a shot.

I have trained some dogs and corrected some issues and first time to get a 14 mo old pup that has never been out of the back yard. He is coming along nicely now with me. I cannot see how, if I am down two strikes with long ranging EPs and especially Elhews how it would serve my needs to take the dog out and let him work out as far as he wants. I have a friend who loves the fact that his setter pups are out to 600 and 700 yards. I question how much training influence you can have with a dog out of sight at 600 yards. He also says wild birds would be good for the dog and that he would only do it if he could go with the dog. Roger the dog shows to be a bit introverted having never been anything but a little girls puppy who grew up.

I would love to go try some wild birds and it does not work for me as I ave an all day event Saturday and a guided hunt on Sunday. Also I have zero interest in wild birds for myself as wild bird are not what I do.

Thanks for the input and for those PMs I cannot sell or trade the dog as I have agreed his 13 year old little girl previous owner could have visitation rights.

I think I have a four month old GSP coming for homing evaluation out of Classic Dog Kennels. Seems like people wanting to home dogs gravitate to me for some reason. I will keep you posted.

Come see us after the 26th.

ShooterWalter