GSP training question

Benelli will be going to school this weekend and will be staying for 3 months.

do you think he will be able to hunt halfway decent with three months worth of training?

Depends on his breeding. If his parents have proven themselves in the field then yes. If the trainer sucks then no. Too many variables too say but it also depends on what they are training the dog to do exactly. Also no matter how good the trainer is, they cannot train the dog to hunt that's the breeders job.

he came from a great hunting background and i have heard nothing but good things about the trainer im sending him to

As long as the dog has the drive to go out and hunt and he's got some prey drive, he shouldn't have any trouble with 3 months. Make sure you spend some time with the trainer so you understand what to expect, how to handle the dog, etc.

thanks

Any trainer worth his salt should be able to go through the breaking process in two months. Most like to keep them three months. They keep on learning after you get them back from the trainer.

I agree Bill, I was even thinking it might be better to send the dog for two months now, hunt him a season then back to the trainer for another month of "clean up".

Ive let a trainer start a dog, and then made the first season hunting about the dog. They get bolder in the field, and figure out plenty just by being hunted. After the season send him back and the trainer will brush up the rough edges. I believe they need that first hunting season just for trial and error. It also lets them get a little age and able to handle the pressure of finishing the training.

Great info

No trainer should ever send a pup home until it's off the CC. That's when they are ready to continue learning from you.

I agree. I think you said your pup was 6 months old, that's a little early to be sending him off for 3 months of training and putting much pressure on him. I might wait a couple of months and then send him off for a month or two, then like everybody else says... hunt him for the first season to get him some experience and then next year, if he still needs polishing, send him back for a month. If he's a hunter, he'll find birds and point them... you'll just have to work on what he doesn't do naturally with obedience, honoring and retrieving.

work on him with obedience for the next month or two and then send him off when he's 8 or 9 months old. Then hunt him his first year and evaluate where you are.

Email this link to the trainer and get his thoughts.

This is just my opinion. The pup may, or may not need 3 months at the trainers. If you send him now he will be home June 9th. That gives almost 2 months before any of the the hunting seasons start. I would want the training to be fresh in his mind and closer to the hunting season.
I you have a place to keep working him, it won't be a problem. I just wouldn't want one to sit up for 2 months that is fresh out of training.

Much of this depends on the breed and type of animal you have. Some dogs need one owner and to est. themselves until maturity before one can send them to a trainer or you get a dog w/no personality and an attitude..I'd not send my Drathaar off until I
'd hunted him at least his first season..I owned one that my buddy trained that minded very well would hunt and lived in a kennel his entire life..he hated other dogs, killed chickens and wanted to fight every time another dog got near him..and he didn't like many people..I now have a new pup that is into everything..I think I can take the time to do him myself..DD

Yes the time to do it yourself and save yourself $

Yes.

This.

I sent my GSP to training at 6 months. The trainer told me upfront that he needed two months to get everything done at this stage. He explained what to expect from a pup at this age. She went Sept and Oct of last year, then we hunted Nov-Feb. I think she did great. I will probably send her back for one month in Sept this year for a refresher. The great thing about a good trainer is they are always willing to answer questions afterwards and give advice. I pick up a new GSP pup in May and will go to the same trainer in Sept with my other GSP.

I did have a bad experience with a trainer many years ago that kept my Drathaar four months because "he need a little more time." As I am writing checks each month, he was on the road at field trials much of the time. He did not explain upfront that he would be gone about a week each month with his trial dogs.