Hunting Dog Questiion

[yankeesouth]

I know this is off color topic.....but I have a hunting dog question. In short..... I have a 1.4 year old lab mix. I had her in the field last year and she naturally took to finding and flushing pheasants. The problem is she wants to take off and run them down. How do I retrain her to slow down and sit or stop when she come on a bird? I do not have the money to buy time at a preserve. All I have are pheasant feathers. Thanks.

Matt

 

[Butcher]

A shock collar is a good training tool but I'm not a fan of those. I've had good luck with a lite piece of rope cut to about the length you feel you would be flushing birds in your area. Tie 1 end to the dogs collar and the other to your belt. In the off season set your feathers or what ever with some off the shelf bird scent here and there. Then get a throwing dummy and scent that up to and keep it on you while you walk the dog. When rover gets her head in a thicket after the bait throw the dummy. When the dog gets about to the end of the rope give it a good snap to stop the dog or even pull it down. Make sure you give the dog plenty of positive attention when doing this and even a treat of some sort. It takes a lot of time but that's what I've done in the past with runners.

 

[Lighting Up]

Yep what Butcher said...need to work in the off season...good luck, love hunting with dogs it's the best.

 

[Retired Guy]

A good dog is the only bird hunting partner you need.

 

[yankeesouth]

Thanks guys....She has that "I want to hunt" drive. I guess I just need to work with her.

 

[bassJAM]

Is she obedience trained? Does she know her "sit, stay, come, down, etc" commands well? That is the first step, she needs to listen to you at all times. Other than that it's working her like others have said. By nature as a lab she's going to want to chase something, because well, that's what retrievers do. They've got to catch something before it can be retrieved! But labs are smart dogs that live to please you. Many others have used them for upland bird hunting, might want to try a hunting forum for training tips.

 

[Fake coal burner]

She is just like a woman, they do what they want.

 

[bmblank]

A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, and I'm gonna do what you tell me too...

 

[semipro]

A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, and I'm gonna do what you tell me too...

and I don't wanna hear a lot of whining
[so I'll shut up]

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I always liked to work a young dog with one or two older dogs. They learn fast from the other dogs and your commands.

 

[1kzwoman]

Grandpa used to "walk" with his 410 while my cousins and I played in my uncles corn stubble....no dog but we ate pheasants!
He used to have a little smile .
Just like when he told me horny toads were baby dinosaurs.

 

[BrotherBart]

Thought I was the only person that ever owned a .410.

 

[1kzwoman]

All ya need to put food on the table IMHO. Like 22. Besides it was Grandpa's

 

[johneh]

Carried a 410 all the years I hunted behind my springer
Never remember firing a shot ( just carried it to be legal )
That pup could catch them right out of the air . She could
spring 8ft straight up In the 10 years we hunted together
we ate a lot of Grouse. Sure miss that girl

 

[Wooden Head]

Carried a 410 all the years I hunted behind my springer
Never remember firing a shot ( just carried it to be legal )
That pup could catch them right out of the air . She could
spring 8ft straight up In the 10 years we hunted together
we ate a lot of Grouse. Sure miss that girl

I know what you mean. Mine would hunt until she until she would drop (if you let her). We would get home and If she didn't get enough she wouldn't get out of the truck until dark or she got hungry.

 

[Swedishchef]

My uncle has a wired hair point gryphon who LOVES to hunt birds. He worked with him for 3 months..using fake woodcocks, pheasants, etc. Prior to that he had a lab and did the same....

Andrew

 

[Lighting Up]

Hunted rabbit with a guy that used a 410 he also had the best beagle hunting dogs...nothing like hunting rabbit with a dog when the dog brings them back around where they jumped them.

 

[Augie]

Used correctly a field collar is worth its weight in gold, incorrectly just as easily it will destroy one.

 

[bondo]

Thought I was the only person that ever owned a .410.

My first gun was a .410. Still got great memories from that gun. A bolt action Mossberg and it is still in my gun cabinet.

 

[Ktm300]

My first gun was a .410. Still got great memories from that gun. A bolt action Mossberg and it is still in my gun cabinet.

I have a J C Higgins. 22cal on top 410 on bottom. Squirrels still fear this