Posted By: Catch Dog
What Age? - 05/05/15 11:31 PM
What age should you send a pup to the trainer for some pointing training?
What Age?
Posted By: bill oxner
Re: What Age? - 05/05/15 11:52 PM
Great question. That guy who is looking for a trainer for his 7 months V is a little early in my opinion..
To me it depends on the month your pup was born. Seven months would not be too young if it were August. I like to put mine through the breaking process starting in August with yard work and progressing through October, where they will be ready for the he field when quail season starts.
I'd say that June pups should just be socialized and hunted, the first season. That should put them at the trainer at 14 months. A lot depends on the pup and what you are willing to do before you send them off.
To me it depends on the month your pup was born. Seven months would not be too young if it were August. I like to put mine through the breaking process starting in August with yard work and progressing through October, where they will be ready for the he field when quail season starts.
I'd say that June pups should just be socialized and hunted, the first season. That should put them at the trainer at 14 months. A lot depends on the pup and what you are willing to do before you send them off.
Posted By: kindall
Re: What Age? - 05/06/15 01:28 AM
I guess I feel differently. I don't even want my next pup to come home until its started on birds.
Posted By: bill oxner
Re: What Age? - 05/06/15 01:19 PM
Delmar Smith wrote his book before wide spread use of the variable e-collar. He wrote that you should take them off birds and don't put them back in the field until they are completely broke, which does not make good sense. I think what he meant to write was that you should whoa break them completely before you put them back on birds.
It's my opinion that you should collar condition and whoa break them completely before you put them on birds, except for puppy training on hunting wild birds.
Think about it. Whoa means stop and stay there until released. That's a broke pup within hearing or e-collar range.
It's my opinion that you should collar condition and whoa break them completely before you put them on birds, except for puppy training on hunting wild birds.
Think about it. Whoa means stop and stay there until released. That's a broke pup within hearing or e-collar range.
Posted By: Wilsonandleo
Re: What Age? - 05/06/15 11:41 PM
6 weeks to 6 months pups are sponges that leak. By 6 months the leaks subside and they start retaining with an attention span of more than three seconds. Your post is extremely broad. Do you lab on doing any training yourself or rely solely on a trainer?
Posted By: Wilsonandleo
Re: What Age? - 05/06/15 11:42 PM
Plan not lab
Posted By: bill oxner
Re: What Age? - 05/06/15 11:45 PM
Originally Posted By: Wilsonandleo
6 weeks to 6 months pups are sponges that leak. By 6 months the leaks subside and they start retaining with an attention span of more than three seconds. Your post is extremely broad. Do you lab on doing any training yourself or rely solely on a trainer?
Hey Jason, what are you smoking?
Posted By: Wilsonandleo
Re: What Age? - 05/06/15 11:56 PM
That's not legal in Tx yet Bill. 
Posted By: blanked
Re: What Age? - 05/07/15 12:37 AM
Letting pups chase birds builds there desire to hunt and find birds. Teach pup to come and get pup used to the gun fire. Then take pup hunting. Wild birds will teach pup to hunt and point. That's part of the breeding and you can't teach this
After a solid year of pointing and shooting birds for pup then worry about the formal training
After a solid year of pointing and shooting birds for pup then worry about the formal training
Posted By: tigger
Re: What Age? - 05/07/15 12:57 AM
Bill does what I do so it must be right.
Posted By: bill oxner
Re: What Age? - 05/07/15 01:33 AM
Originally Posted By: blanked
Letting pups chase birds builds there desire to hunt and find birds. Teach pup to come and get pup used to the gun fire. Then take pup hunting. Wild birds will teach pup to hunt and point. That's part of the breeding and you can't teach this
After a solid year of pointing and shooting birds for pup then worry about the formal training
After a solid year of pointing and shooting birds for pup then worry about the formal training
So when would you start the breaking process or formal training with a November or December pup?
Posted By: blanked
Re: What Age? - 05/07/15 09:01 AM
I don't worry about age. I pay more attention to bringing out pups breeding to hunt and point first. If the bird numbers are low first hunting season and pup didn't get in much bird contact I wait another year until he does before formal training begins
The pup I just got was only 3 months old when we hunted New Mexico in January. I just took her for walks in blue quail habitat without a gun letting her free run
The pup I just got was only 3 months old when we hunted New Mexico in January. I just took her for walks in blue quail habitat without a gun letting her free run
Posted By: bill oxner
Re: What Age? - 05/07/15 12:02 PM
My Honky Tonk Attitude pup Cookie was a January pup. I was working my two older dogs two to three times a week on Johnny house birds in September, so I decided to give her a try. I did 6 weeks of yard training, then put her on pen raised birds for six weeks. She went on to point and hold 50 coveys of wild quail her first season and bumped only one.
Here again, a lot depends on the pup.
Here again, a lot depends on the pup.
Posted By: First_Chance
Re: What Age? - 05/07/15 01:10 PM
I typically try to get my pups that have been whelped in Jan-Mar time frame. I start almost immediately 12-16 weeks on socialization & obedience and maybe introduction to water, CC and some basic retrieving, etc. i.e. "Yardwork" through the first 6-8 months, during the latter part of this time I also introduce to the e-collar. Around 8 months, I will introduce to gunfire over live birds (pigeons) and work on the pup's handling in the field in some controlled situations.
My goal is always to have handling control on the pup so that he can hunt on live birds his first year and not range too far or run off, be introduced to gunfire, and know something about what happens when he doesn't whoa on a bird. From that point, the birds themselves will train the dog and typically I finish the first year with a decent hunting pup, still making mistakes, but learning and progressing nicely.
The second year, Mar-Oct... if I thought it was necessary, I would consider a trainer...
So my short answer on when I think sending a pup to training would be, is about a year old.
My goal is always to have handling control on the pup so that he can hunt on live birds his first year and not range too far or run off, be introduced to gunfire, and know something about what happens when he doesn't whoa on a bird. From that point, the birds themselves will train the dog and typically I finish the first year with a decent hunting pup, still making mistakes, but learning and progressing nicely.
The second year, Mar-Oct... if I thought it was necessary, I would consider a trainer...
So my short answer on when I think sending a pup to training would be, is about a year old.
Posted By: bill oxner
Re: What Age? - 05/07/15 01:33 PM
I was real fortunate with Cracker. She was a September pup and was not yet hunting by the end of the season. I had access to a quick 3 to six coveys across the road. I started taking her out with my two older dogs and found that she was a natural backer.
I found out another thing She occasionally liked to make a loop on her own. I never broke her of that, even with the e-collar.
I found out another thing She occasionally liked to make a loop on her own. I never broke her of that, even with the e-collar.
Posted By: bill oxner
Re: What Age? - 05/07/15 02:04 PM
Originally Posted By: First_Chance
I typically try to get my pups that have been whelped in Jan-Mar time frame. I start almost immediately 12-16 weeks on socialization & obedience and maybe introduction to water, CC and some basic retrieving, etc. i.e. "Yardwork" through the first 6-8 months, during the latter part of this time I also introduce to the e-collar. Around 8 months, I will introduce to gunfire over live birds (pigeons) and work on the pup's handling in the field in some controlled situations.
My goal is always to have handling control on the pup so that he can hunt on live birds his first year and not range too far or run off, be introduced to gunfire, and know something about what happens when he doesn't whoa on a bird. From that point, the birds themselves will train the dog and typically I finish the first year with a decent hunting pup, still making mistakes, but learning and progressing nicely.
The second year, Mar-Oct... if I thought it was necessary, I would consider a trainer...
So my short answer on when I think sending a pup to training would be, is about a year old.
My goal is always to have handling control on the pup so that he can hunt on live birds his first year and not range too far or run off, be introduced to gunfire, and know something about what happens when he doesn't whoa on a bird. From that point, the birds themselves will train the dog and typically I finish the first year with a decent hunting pup, still making mistakes, but learning and progressing nicely.
The second year, Mar-Oct... if I thought it was necessary, I would consider a trainer...
So my short answer on when I think sending a pup to training would be, is about a year old.
BINGO! I was running on about training my own, but you actually answered the question about when to send the pup to a trainer, with a reply that could save money. It might not have to ever go to the trainer.