Hunting closer?

[BHC]

From the time they're pups what is a good way of teaching a dog, mine in particular a GSP, to hunt closer? In your opinion what is the ideal distance?

[crazyboy]

You're going to have a difficult time here with any discussion of getting a dog to work closer. Now if you wanted to get the dog to hunt further out I'm sure many would have advice. What distance did you want it to hunt at?

[DonF]

Don't worry about it now. Let the pup go and explore and learn to handle cover. When you get ready to do birds, plant a lot of birds. Make him think all the birds are near you.

[3Britts]

If you want the pups to hunt close, try letting them go (you decide the distance, then call them back and treat them. A few session like this and you will find the dogs will hunt close. I should mention that this should be done when they are still pups.

[Big bloc]

I taught my vizsla about 10 years ago with the check cord 30ft. always keep in that distance. As she got older I let her go out a little more. I read a long time ago it is easier to keep dog in close and let it go out a little. But its hard if you let it range big then try to keep it in close. There has been many time we would go out with friends they let their dog out and start hunting to fast. My dog stayed with me and pick up on the birds they walked over. A lot of people said she worked too close but that was fine by me she still got birds.

[Kmack]

Hunt into the wind...

[rinker]

I have bigger running english pointers, but here is the way that I get them to handle at a young age. I run them in areas that they are not likely to find birds. I carry a sack of pigeons with me and I wait for the pup to get out about as far as I want him to go. I then call the pup and when I get his attention I reach in the sack and toss a pigeon. It does not take a lot of this to really get a pup tuned in to you.

[SetterNut]

If you plant birds close to where you are walking, I suspect the dog will learn that the bird are close to you.

But why is it you want the dog to hunt close?

[BHC]

I hear English pointers hunt bigger than GSP's? Any truth?

[rinker]

I would say that in general that is true, but there are certainly big running shorthairs and close working english pointers.

[Francois P vd Walt]

In both EP and GSP they breed for both big running and close working, depending on what you want.
That is why it is so importend to get the right dog for your needs, if you like big running great if you like close great just make sure you get the right dog !

I have seen EP and GSP dogs swim and retrieve, I also have seen both not swimming and not retrieving !

[birddog1968]

Funny I hunt, trial and run on 25 to 40 acre preserve fields with HB AA dogs, then take them to the prairie and cut em loose and they will run as big as necessary.

Range is part whats in the dog....its also equal or more to do with development.....


If you want the dog to hunt closer to you, you might try dropping and planting lots of pigeons, the dog will learn birds come from and are found in close proximity to you.