trainin a bird dog

billhilly7 · 02-14-2006, 07:53 PM

i have a 6 month old golden retriever and think its time to really start trainin her hard, we have all the basic stuff down (sit, fetch, come, etc...) but now i wanna train her for birds, What r some good techniques? and also she is a little gunshy, i tried the tappin on her dinner bowl thing and that didnt work, she still gets scared, also, hahaha, how should i train her to swim, havent been near any water yet but will be this spring and summer.

wirehunt · 02-16-2006, 02:08 AM

Just take her to a swimming hole and play with her, she CAN swim - she just doesn't know it yet! What ever you do don't through her in, it can have bad effects on her later.

With the retrieving see if you can get some bird wings, put them on some kind of throwing dumby and away you go, start in close - like 5 feet away, then slowly increase the distance. It pay's to teach them from the start to sit when they retrieve and pass the 'bird' to you, also make sure to teach her not to go for the retreive until you tell her to.

Remember to keep the training sessions small, about 15 minutes several times a day is better. And keep it fun, then the dog will want to do better by pleasing you.

pball942 · 03-15-2006, 02:25 AM

I thought this site had some good advice.
http://www.thecheckcord.com/

Joey l mur · 03-17-2006, 05:01 PM

There are 12 gage blanks you can bye to work on gun shyness. Always have the dog behind you when you shoot or they might hurt the dogs ears.
The dog is more likely to enter the water if you are in the water. Try shalow water first if he can touch the botom he is less likley to get scared and work your way deper.:uzi:

sjsjbb · 04-05-2006, 05:55 PM

i had a golden i trained .for gun shy i would take a dummy or bird wing and throw up in air at top of throw i would smack my hands together and item would fall week or so till u see her not jump or scare than 22 and up . i would not fire right beside dog at first stay away a little worked for me

rdale 501 · 04-16-2006, 11:24 PM

Just a few personal thoughts, realize I am not a professional trainer. I have had a Golden in the past and it was the easiest dog I've owned to train. Swimming should come natural and be on the dogs terms. Play around water will soon come to swimming, belive me, they are natural swimmers. Shooting may be a different matter. Here is what I have done. Skip a meal and take the dog out. Have a friend walk a good ways away, and you feed the dog. Have friend shoot a small cal. say a 22. nothing too loud, while the dog is eating and be there to reassure it. After a few times the dog should relax during shot. Then have the friend start moving in closer. This may take several days, but it will be worth it. When dog is ok with 22 up close start over with shotgun. Another thing, I have a 7mo. black lab/rottweiler cross. I have had her out to the refuge several times during duck and goose season this past year. There was a lot of shooting going on and we were on the far side of the lake so she was never spooked by it. When I started shooting around her she was not at all spooked. I think it helped getting her out and around shooting even at a great distance. Have fun they are great dogs....

02-14-2006, 07:53 PM	#1
billhilly7 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 107	trainin a bird dog i have a 6 month old golden retriever and think its time to really start trainin her hard, we have all the basic stuff down (sit, fetch, come, etc...) but now i wanna train her for birds, What r some good techniques? and also she is a little gunshy, i tried the tappin on her dinner bowl thing and that didnt work, she still gets scared, also, hahaha, how should i train her to swim, havent been near any water yet but will be this spring and summer.

02-16-2006, 02:08 AM	#2
wirehunt Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Otago New Zealand Posts: 656	Just take her to a swimming hole and play with her, she CAN swim - she just doesn't know it yet! What ever you do don't through her in, it can have bad effects on her later. With the retrieving see if you can get some bird wings, put them on some kind of throwing dumby and away you go, start in close - like 5 feet away, then slowly increase the distance. It pay's to teach them from the start to sit when they retrieve and pass the 'bird' to you, also make sure to teach her not to go for the retreive until you tell her to. Remember to keep the training sessions small, about 15 minutes several times a day is better. And keep it fun, then the dog will want to do better by pleasing you. __________________ Happy Hunting

03-15-2006, 02:25 AM	#3
pball942 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Kansas Posts: 256	I thought this site had some good advice. http://www.thecheckcord.com/ __________________ Running is not a plan. Running is what you do when your plan fails.

03-17-2006, 05:01 PM	#4
Joey l mur Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 334 Images: 1	12 gage blanks There are 12 gage blanks you can bye to work on gun shyness. Always have the dog behind you when you shoot or they might hurt the dogs ears. The dog is more likely to enter the water if you are in the water. Try shalow water first if he can touch the botom he is less likley to get scared and work your way deper.:uzi:

04-05-2006, 05:55 PM	#5
sjsjbb Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 9	i had a golden i trained .for gun shy i would take a dummy or bird wing and throw up in air at top of throw i would smack my hands together and item would fall week or so till u see her not jump or scare than 22 and up . i would not fire right beside dog at first stay away a little worked for me

04-16-2006, 11:24 PM	#6
rdale 501 Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 21	Just a few personal thoughts, realize I am not a professional trainer. I have had a Golden in the past and it was the easiest dog I've owned to train. Swimming should come natural and be on the dogs terms. Play around water will soon come to swimming, belive me, they are natural swimmers. Shooting may be a different matter. Here is what I have done. Skip a meal and take the dog out. Have a friend walk a good ways away, and you feed the dog. Have friend shoot a small cal. say a 22. nothing too loud, while the dog is eating and be there to reassure it. After a few times the dog should relax during shot. Then have the friend start moving in closer. This may take several days, but it will be worth it. When dog is ok with 22 up close start over with shotgun. Another thing, I have a 7mo. black lab/rottweiler cross. I have had her out to the refuge several times during duck and goose season this past year. There was a lot of shooting going on and we were on the far side of the lake so she was never spooked by it. When I started shooting around her she was not at all spooked. I think it helped getting her out and around shooting even at a great distance. Have fun they are great dogs....