list of things before bringing puppy home

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royta
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list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by royta » Sat Jan 26, 2013 8:55 am

What things are suggested to have before bringing a Brittany puppy home? I'm talking about training aids. I'm all set on regular house stuff I think. I already have an outside kennel run for when no one's home, and will have a plastic kennel for crate and potty training.

I'm getting ready to place an order from Gun Dog Supply and wanted to get some suggestions on what is needed. I'm already planning on a nylon puppy collar, the book "The Brittany: Amateurs Training With Professionals", Perfect Start DVD's (will get Perfect Finish later).

Which leash, check cord (so many to choose from), whistle (more whistle varieties than dog breeds)? I'm planning on getting her on birds right away so I'm wondering if I should get a training pistol right away too. I guess I need to either build or buy a pigeon trap.

I don't want to needlessly spend money on products that don't work, which is why I'm asking the experts. If I'm going to be in the fields with her every other day, I figure she and I should get the most out of it.

Now how do I keep this puppy thing a secret from my kids when I start bringing all this puppy stuff home? Ha!

Thanks for the advice.

Roy

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by Soignie » Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:41 am

congrats on the new puppy, how old is he/she? Acme thunderer is probably the most used whistle with bird dogs (not with retrievers), buy a cheap puppy collar because it will be soon outgrown, get a 5'-6' leash and a 20'-25' checkcord, I like a little larger diameter checkcord as it's easier on my hands but there is no "ideal" leash nor checkcord (actually I make my own checkcords rather than buy them). If you buy a training pistol lock it away somewhere that you can get it out again in 6 months because you shouldn't even think about using it around a new puppy and not at all until the pup is well into and excited by birds. Enjoy your new pup, let it be a puppy and don't try to make it into a finished product at to early an age, you and the family will then enjoy the new member for years to come.

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by BellaSpinone » Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:42 am

Do you live where you can keep pigeons? How far a drive to where you will be training.

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by royta » Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:53 am

Soignie wrote:congrats on the new puppy, how old is he/she? If you buy a training pistol lock it away somewhere that you can get it out again in 6 months because you shouldn't even think about using it around a new puppy and not at all until the pup is well into and excited by birds.
Whelped on Jan 20. Good call on the pistol. I think I may have read that before.

BellaSpinone wrote:Do you live where you can keep pigeons? How far a drive to where you will be training.
I'll probably be walking to where I'll be training. OK, maybe I'll drive 1/4 mile so I don't have to walk through our small neighborhood. I live in a rural area and there are many other fields close by I can drive to also.

I'm not sure how my wife or neighbors will feel about me keeping pigeons. How many are we talking here?

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by Cajun Casey » Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:06 am

It's a puppy. You don't need a bunch of stuff. Don't even think about field training until you have a good recall on the pup. Any 12 - 15 foot piece of rope you're comfortable handling is fine for a checkcord.

I use a Roy Gonia Special whistle or the one I was born with. The dogs don't care.

Most important thing you can do right now is not keep the dog a secret. You need to have everyone in the family on the same page before you bring the dog home.

And, get it microchipped.

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by JIM K » Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:25 am

most important to me was making checkcord about 25 ft out of small dia good quality rope.this way you can let pup get out a little ways walking etc.if pup gets loose, YOU CAN CATCH THE ROPE.
put a SMALL remington cheap bell on pup incase pup gets loose. you can hear bell.
a crate is no. 1 too and feed pup in crate .
bottle of odor spray if pup goes in house,which they will.
i bought the LITTLE GREEN MACHINE,i highly suggest getting one. you can use it in car also or for other mishaps.
its LIFESAVER.
tick preventative to be used if you go to woods after 12 weeks old.tick remover tool is nice also.

go to store and buy MEAT MARROW bones. like .71 cents ea and last for couple of weeks.forget all toys etc .but pup may get poo problem from marrow bone fat but that is too be expected.

later like said get THUNDERER WHISTLE.bright 1 inch dog collar with name plate on .
get bell from bob ecker called FLEWELLING BELL to be used after 6 months old if you go to woods.
PM ME FOR HIS PHONE NO..

last but no least. get a GARMIN ALPHA dog collar .or if you have e-collar already that is good one, look for used astro 220 .

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by RayGubernat » Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:54 am

Honestly it is often best if you kinda "bleed" the dog training stuff in. Several hundreds of dollars of training stuff at one fell swoop might get some unwanted spousal attention, but fity to a hundred bucks here and there can go under the radar.

An expandable puppy collar, a 6ft. biothane leash, 50 ft. of stiff checkcord line and a couple of snaps and you can make your own, either by tying it on with a bowline or using a rope clamp.

Either a 4' piece of 1/2" PVC, some 1/4" cord or rope and a snap for a Buddy stick or a Smith wonder lead...your choice.

In a few months ...a source for pigeons or quail or both. Some kind of small holding pen for 10 - 15 birds. A couple of bird carriers with solid bottoms , so they don't leave deposits on the floor of the vehicle. A bird bag, perhaps two( in case you leave it somewhere)preferably with a 10" opening(8" is too small for a gloved hand and 12 is too big for quail).

Look into remote release traps. They make training by yourself very do-able. They are, unfortunately, awfully expensive and you do not use them for all that long, after which they just kinda sit around. Perhaps you can make an arrangement to "rent" a couple from someone for the time you need them , or find someone who has them who will be willing to work with you. I found someone and when we trained together, we used his pigeons and I supplied the gamebirds. It worked out well for both of us I think.


I would also buy Paul Long's book, Mo Lindley's book and Mark Payton's book. They are not a lot of money and will give you a lot of variations on the same theme as far as training is concerned but most importantly, will give you a broader and deeper understanding of how a dog learns, so you will be a more effective teacher. There are many, many ways to get from here to there when training a dog, so the more you know, the better you will be dialed in to your dog's responses and the more you will be able to pick up on what the dog is trying to tell you.

The last, and perhaps the most important thing you will need is a small notebook. Every time you go out to train your new dog, you need to take a minute and write down EXACTLY what you are going to do...EXACTLY how you are going to do it and what you expect to happen, both good and bad...and what you are going to do when any of those things happen. Know how to start and know when to stop.

Effective training is ALL ABOUT TIMING. My timing usually sucks, but if I think about what I want to do and visualize what can go right and what can go wrong, I will be prepared and will react quicker and better. If I think ahead of time about what I am trying to accomplish, I will have all the proper training tools in place also.

Obviously you may not need an actual notebook, but a novice trainer should think the training session through BEFORE they step outside to train.

Plan your work...and then go out and work your plan.

And don't forget to have fun and make it fun for the dog.

RayG

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by royta » Sat Jan 26, 2013 1:26 pm

I just want to thank you all for your advice and suggestions. Its a bit intimidating starting something new and hoping the experts will help out rather than be irritated by questions from a novice.

I get worried because I don't want to miss queues from the puppy that should let me know when it's time to teach specific things. I really want a great gun dog, but I know it's inevitable that I'm going to miss some things.

Anyway, thanks for the help and I hope I'm not a bother.

Roy

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by Cajun Casey » Sat Jan 26, 2013 1:42 pm

royta wrote:I just want to thank you all for your advice and suggestions. Its a bit intimidating starting something new and hoping the experts will help out rather than be irritated by questions from a novice.

I get worried because I don't want to miss queues from the puppy that should let me know when it's time to teach specific things. I really want a great gun dog, but I know it's inevitable that I'm going to miss some things.

Anyway, thanks for the help and I hope I'm not a bother.

Roy
Have you talked to anyone with the dog clubs in the SLC area?

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by whatsnext » Sat Jan 26, 2013 2:10 pm

Cajun Casey wrote:Most important thing you can do right now is not keep the dog a secret. You need to have everyone in the family on the same page before you bring the dog home..
royta wrote:I just want to thank you all for your advice and suggestions. Its a bit intimidating starting something new and hoping the experts will help out rather than be irritated by questions from a novice.

I get worried because I don't want to miss queues from the puppy that should let me know when it's time to teach specific things. I really want a great gun dog, but I know it's inevitable that I'm going to miss some things.

Anyway, thanks for the help and I hope I'm not a bother.

Roy
First, i agree with Cajun raising a pup in a family environment takes every member of the family to be on board and understand how to properly teach and reprimand the pup.

Second, i would bet most members on here have trained a "first" gun dog and while they may or may not have turned out perfect i believe the key is to pick a proven method and stick to it and i am sure you will have a very enjoyable gun dog.

Third, BE PATIENT

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by royta » Sat Jan 26, 2013 2:21 pm

Cajun Casey wrote:Have you talked to anyone with the dog clubs in the SLC area?

The breeder I am getting my pup from is the 2nd VP of the Wasatch Front Brittany Club. I have also talked with the Secretary/Treasurer (his wife is the Pres) of the club. I do plan on joining and participating as time allows.

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by royta » Sat Jan 26, 2013 4:31 pm

Cajun Casey wrote:Most important thing you can do right now is not keep the dog a secret. You need to have everyone in the family on the same page before you bring the dog home..
whatsnext wrote:First, i agree with Cajun raising a pup in a family environment takes every member of the family to be on board and understand how to properly teach and reprimand the pup.

My wife obviously knows, and my kids have an idea. I've already talked to them about how "IF" we were to get a dog, that they can't be teaching it to sit, roll over, beg, let it jump on the couch, etc, etc. I told them that even though their intentions might be good, it would interfere with my goals and training. I told them that even though they can't teach it pet tricks, they can still play and run and do what kids are supposed to do with puppies.

I can't wait until the day when my kids are shooting birds over the dog.

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by ezzy333 » Sat Jan 26, 2013 5:11 pm

I never found a problem with kidsplaying with the pup however they like. The only requirement is that when I am working the pup, they are not to interfere or pet the pup if it comes to them. The pup has to learn that it can't escape by running to someone else. And try to get them to make it mind to whatever limits you allow. My puppies have always been on the couch or chairs when in the house but everyine should set their own rules.

I always tell people to forget it is a bird dog pup for a few months and just do whatever manners training you want, lots of socializing and a couple of walks in the field each week as long as you can keep your mouth shut and observe. Sometime as the pup is getting pretty well grown is time to start getting more serious and start on the bird training. By that time you should have the house training and manners training pretty well finished.

Ezzy

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by Double Shot Banks » Sat Jan 26, 2013 5:15 pm

I dont know much about britannys but i know if you go to an old barn, or under a bridge and shine a light on a pigeon you can just catch them with a net, they dont move in the light

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by Brazosvalleyvizslas » Sat Jan 26, 2013 5:45 pm

Personally I would get the bare essentials ahead of time and once the puppy arivives let the kids join in on the shopping. Let it be a family affair and the kids will feel like they contributed. Of course, you decide the serious training tools but they can help you pick out things like a dog bed, chew toys, bones and crate. Just a thought.

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by Fester » Sat Jan 26, 2013 8:18 pm

Relax and love the puppy you will pick things up as u need them, the most important thing in his life will be you, oh yea and a check cord

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by bb560m » Sat Jan 26, 2013 8:43 pm

Don't overdo the birds. Make it the funnest thing in the world, not a boring routine. It's fun to watch them get into birds, but no need to rush it. Take them everywhere to help them gain confidence in every situation.

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by Sharon » Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:09 pm

Cajun Casey wrote:It's a puppy. You don't need a bunch of stuff. Don't even think about field training until you have a good recall on the pup. Any 12 - 15 foot piece of rope you're comfortable handling is fine for a checkcord.

I use a Roy Gonia Special whistle or the one I was born with. The dogs don't care.

Most important thing you can do right now is not keep the dog a secret. You need to have everyone in the family on the same page before you bring the dog home.

And, get it microchipped.
Exactly.
If you have extra money consider Huntsmith's Puppy Development DVds #1,#2
http://www.gundogsupply.com/huntsmith-d ... smith.html

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by royta » Mon Jan 28, 2013 7:36 pm

JIM K wrote:last but no least. get a GARMIN ALPHA dog collar .or if you have e-collar already that is good one, look for used astro 220 .
I'm not entirely sure I want to get the Alpha. I was thinking about the Astro 320 and one of the Tri-Tronics Field Series e-collars. I'm still a little ways out from needing a tracking collar and an e-collar, so I have some more over-researching to do.

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by ultracarry » Mon Jan 28, 2013 9:40 pm

Good thought about the alpha. Better to seperate the two, if you need the tracker later. Have fun with the pup.

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by royta » Thu Jan 31, 2013 7:50 pm

Does anybody have an idea on what the neck circumference is for an 8 week old Brittany pup? Then maybe what it might be at 12 weeks?

Thanks.

Roy

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by HDAU » Fri Feb 01, 2013 10:42 am

Wow! My head is spinning and I didn't even ask the question. The best advice I have heard is to find a system and stick to it. There is a ton of discussion on this forum and the Search feature is your friend! Other than that, be patient, be consistent, and have fun!

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by ezzy333 » Fri Feb 01, 2013 11:50 am

royta wrote:Does anybody have an idea on what the neck circumference is for an 8 week old Brittany pup? Then maybe what it might be at 12 weeks?

Thanks.

Roy
Buy a cheap little expandable collar. It is all you will need for quite a while.

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by Saddle » Fri Feb 01, 2013 12:16 pm

I'm not a big fan of making the pup thing a family affair. My pups are raised outside in a kennel. I socialize them a ton and fool with them everyday. I get my pups around birds and the horse at about 10 weeks. I'm different then most here though. My dogs aren't pets. I tend to think getting the family involved would make it too hard to move the dog down the road if it doesn't turn out to be what you want.

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by Qwernt » Fri Feb 01, 2013 12:58 pm

royta wrote:
Cajun Casey wrote:Most important thing you can do right now is not keep the dog a secret. You need to have everyone in the family on the same page before you bring the dog home..
whatsnext wrote:First, i agree with Cajun raising a pup in a family environment takes every member of the family to be on board and understand how to properly teach and reprimand the pup.

My wife obviously knows, and my kids have an idea. I've already talked to them about how "IF" we were to get a dog, that they can't be teaching it to sit, roll over, beg, let it jump on the couch, etc, etc. I told them that even though their intentions might be good, it would interfere with my goals and training. I told them that even though they can't teach it pet tricks, they can still play and run and do what kids are supposed to do with puppies.

I can't wait until the day when my kids are shooting birds over the dog.
I am not an expert. However, my thoughts: even if I hunt my dog ALL day (8 hours), EVERY day of the season (for all available upland game birds, total ), and do 1 hour of training every day the rest of the year (222 hours), she is a bird dog about 15% of her time (much less for me, since I really only have 2 months of daily season at 1 hour per day). Given 8 hours of sleep a night (33% of her year), that leaves about 52% of her life to be a dog. For us, we decided that time would be as a pet. Obviously others are more focused on competition and breed enhancement, but if you are someone who just wants a great bird dog to take hunting, I would argue that Bird Dog and Family Pet are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Smart dogs can do both. Granted, if you are looking to invest the hours to make a competition worthy dog, you might not want to "muddle her mind" or if you are planning to rotate through dogs until you get one "perfect", you might not want the family involved, but I think you are missing out on opportunities if you take this approach (though my family doesn't allow the dog on the couches ;^)

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by Deets » Fri Feb 01, 2013 3:11 pm

BIRDS!!! You need a pigeon loft with some homers. With my first pup I did the whole catching feral pigeon thing and it sucks. First of all pigeon traps dont work very good. (I never caught one in a trap). So you end up catching them off thier roost with a net and a flashlight. There is nothing more frusterating than planning a training day, driving out to the pigeon roost and not catching any birds. Before I ever think about bringing home another pup, I will have an established coop, and access to a good training area.

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by royta » Sun Mar 10, 2013 7:58 pm

Qwernt wrote:I am not an expert. However, my thoughts: even if I hunt my dog ALL day (8 hours), EVERY day of the season (for all available upland game birds, total ), and do 1 hour of training every day the rest of the year (222 hours), she is a bird dog about 15% of her time (much less for me, since I really only have 2 months of daily season at 1 hour per day). Given 8 hours of sleep a night (33% of her year), that leaves about 52% of her life to be a dog. For us, we decided that time would be as a pet. Obviously others are more focused on competition and breed enhancement, but if you are someone who just wants a great bird dog to take hunting, I would argue that Bird Dog and Family Pet are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Smart dogs can do both. Granted, if you are looking to invest the hours to make a competition worthy dog, you might not want to "muddle her mind" or if you are planning to rotate through dogs until you get one "perfect", you might not want the family involved, but I think you are missing out on opportunities if you take this approach (though my family doesn't allow the dog on the couches ;^)
Your post is more along my line of thinking. I want the best gun dog I can have, AND have an awesome family dog.

I took my 9 year old daughter to look at the puppy this afternoon. Little girl is 7 weeks old today. I took my 10 & 13 year old son's to look at her at 5 weeks. I'll be picking her up either early Saturday morning or Friday early evening after work.


Pretty excited.

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by shags » Mon Mar 11, 2013 7:35 am

I'm with Ray G on the equipment. Acquire it gradually. Not only because of the money and the Wrath of She Who Must Be Obeyed, but because as your training progresses, you will find that your preferences for training aids changes. Also, when there's a lot of unused interesting inventory on the shelf, there can be a certain compulsion to use it, and it's easy to start moving too fast. When you see that your pup is ready to move to another step, order what you need. Going too slow, not a problem; going too fast, could be a trainwreck.

IMO you sound a little rigid about the family's interaction with a pup which will be a family dog as well as a field dog. Do you want your wife and kids to bond with and enjoy the dog? That might be difficult if the dog is on behavioral lockdown 24/7. You'll be stressed watching for infractions, and they'll be stressed being cautioned and corrected all the time, and the dog could become a source of resentment. Learning a few parlor tricks from the boys won't hurt its development as a bird dog; neither will hair bows, nail polish, collars with 'diamonds' on holidays, or other things your little girl will enjoy.

Best of luck with your pup :D

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by royta » Mon Mar 11, 2013 5:56 pm

Thanks for the advice. All I ordered was a color and leash. I have light rope I can use to to hang from the collar if I need something that might be easier to catch than the dog if it comes to that.

Thanks for the advice on kids/dog interaction as well. I'm a complete newbie at training a dog, so I was erring on the side of caution. I am, and was, all in favor of letting the kids play with the dog. I was just concerned with them possibly teaching, or at least not discouraging, bad habits. It sounds like the kids won't set back training too much so I'll just let them do their thing.

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by RoostersMom » Mon Mar 11, 2013 7:41 pm

Royta,

I would let the kids do whatever they want with the pup with just a few exceptions:
1) do not let them play fetch or tug of war with pup - they won't play fetch correctly and likely the pup will start to avoid giving the item to you since the kids will likely grab whatever the pup is holding and snatch it away from the pup - tug of war is bad all around - teaches the pup to have a harder mouth

2) do not let them use your recall command for the pup - kids don't know that here means here right now with no exceptions - they don't know that you should never give a command you can't enforce.

Other than those - who cares? My MH Vizsla knows sit, beg, down, shake hands, roll over, crawl, blanket (go to it and lay down), and a weird one we call "twist and fall" where he twirls around and then I shoot him "bang" and he falls over dead. Our pointers and the GSP know sit, down, blanket, shake hands, beg .....etc. I don't think it adversely affects their ability to hunt. I would limit the "sit" until the dog is confident on birds though.

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by Birddog 307 » Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:27 am

I raise britts and setter pups and can tell you that you do not need a lot of stuff to begin with. Small piece of quarter inch rope is good enough to start the pup with and her collar. You do not need to do the wing and string stuff. If she is bred right you will not have to do very much at all. Here is what I use to start a pup by letting her drag it around.
Image
This is the pup's first time out and is scent pointing a pigeon at less than 12 weeks old. She was dragging the checkcord around and hit a point. She held so good for me walking in front of her and flush the bird I decided to take the checkcord off and just let her hunt. She proceeded to point three other planted birds and that was enough for the day. She is 12 weeks old and is doing great as I have introduced the gun and let her get a bird in her mouth. If you need help feel free to PM me and I will do my best to help guide you through the process from the begining. For now expose the pup to everything you can and take it for walks off leash out in the country. Let your pup explore .
Image
Image
Image
The most important thing I can say is being able to read a pup and knowing when you can proceed in its training. The perfect start dvd is a good one for you and if you needed some young pigons to start a coup I could give you some. A remote launcher is a big help later in their training and a larger training collar and checkcord. The best training birds are going to be wild ones and by hunting season you should be hunting with your pup.
Birddog 307

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Re: list of things before bringing puppy home

Post by royta » Thu Mar 21, 2013 9:48 pm

Birddog307, I sent you a PM from the utahbirddogs site. I'd love to talk to you. Thanks for pigeon offer, but unfortunately you're on the other side of Wyoming. I'm hoping to find some feral pigeons locally by Saturday for my 8 1/2 week old Britt.

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