Introduction to Birds & month old pup

Kaffinejg · Post by **Kaffinejg** » Tue Jun 24, 2014 10:12 pm

Hi all I am new to the forum and looking for ways to introduce my 7 month old Pudlepointer to birds. I am concerned after reading allot of books about first encounters. I don’t have bird launchers but I do have access to pigeons and chuckers. I know I don’t want to reward him for bumping birds and trying to catch them, he is partially whoa trained and points pretty well. He is already pretty birdy. I plan on using a check cord and working with him but I do want to get some feathers in his mouth at some point. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. JK

birddog1968 · Post by **birddog1968** » Wed Jun 25, 2014 4:28 pm

I would have let him bump chase and catch before you started real training.... Is he gun conditioned? What method have u been following

Gooseman07 · Post by **Gooseman07** » Wed Jun 25, 2014 6:38 pm

birddog1968 wrote:I would have let him bump chase and catch before you started real training.... Is he gun conditioned? What method have u been following

X2

I'm working on this with my 8 week old pup. I am using quail to start out to build confidence and dominance over birds.
I'm also trying to figure out how your dog is whoa trained and points well and hasn't seen birds yet. I've very interested how that is possible.

Doc E · Post by **Doc E** » Wed Jun 25, 2014 7:32 pm

What was the reason for waiting until the pup was 7 months old to introduce birds

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Brazosvalleyvizslas · Post by **Brazosvalleyvizslas** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 7:34 am

Letting him bump, chase and catch builds desire. Break him later or should I say "mold" him later into what you want.

RoostersMom · Post by **RoostersMom** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 8:39 am

Bird contacts with birds he can't catch is critical. I like the bird starting and gun intro from Perfection Kennel - it's a DVD, so good for me because I learn best when I can actually see what the author is talking about instead of just reading the advice. The one I'd recommend is the Perfect Start DVD. It shows how to do bird intro and gun intro correctly. It has worked for our many dogs.

Bluesky2012 · Post by **Bluesky2012** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 11:13 am

Lock a pigeons wings and throw it and let him play with it. Use a check cord to mold it into a retrieve when he starts picking it up. After he's confident, move to planting birds to build a point, and finish the point, then force fetch later to finalize a conditioned retrieve.

Kaffinejg · Post by **Kaffinejg** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 11:48 am

Hi all

The dog has been pointing at birds and other assorted animals. He doesn’t hold it long but for the most part he points on scent as apposed to sight. Of course with sight he has the tendency to chase. I live next to a lake with some runoff ponds running up along the creek so theres always song birds and ducks in it. I haven;t put any controls on him yet as far as these birds as to keep up his enthusiasm and he is very birdie. As I live in the country he was introduced to gun fire early on and we have progressed from starter pistol,22 to shotgun with no problems. I have just started whoa training with him on the training bench and he is progressing pretty well. I plan on picking up some pigeons this month and and starting on them. Thanks for the info. JK

winchester pre64 · Post by **winchester pre64** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:42 pm

no joke I was shooting quail for my pup in the avatar at 9 weeks and she would retrieve them if I could get the shot of quick enough that they wouldn't get to far out. 9 week pup has short legs. at 9 months she is steady to wing and shot on pigeons with a natural retrieve. have shot probably 40-60 quail for her, and been launching pigeons everyday. my point is at 8 weeks my dog gets the bird! can't get any flight conditioned quail until Aug, so we are stuck with pigeons for the next 30 days.

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