Jake Training Update
Jake is really starting to mellow out a bit and lose his puppy energy levels and silliness. He enjoys going on ATV rides up into the mountains where he can burn off his excess energy. He stays with me quite well and will turn to the sound of his name or a whistle blast when I think he is getting off track. I recently read that force-fetch training can sometimes help bold up a dog that is a little gun-shy or bird-shy. So we will begin our force-fetch training in the next few weeks. This year I hope to start raising pigeons, quail, chukar and pheasant to help in my dog training endeavors. It will be a while before we can get out on wild birds again (fall hunting season).
The other day we chased a stray pheasant out of our chicken barn. The handsome rooster made the poor choice of flying into the airspace over Jakes kennel. Jake made one leap from the top of his dog house and snatched the rooster right out of the air. I was glad to see that he still had a strong drive for birds. As a reward I let him chew on the pheasant for a while. I am starting to wonder if the bad experience he had happened at the pheasant farm where we train at. He seems to do fairly well anywhere but the farm. The last time we went out at the farm he ran back to the ATV and lay underneath it at the first sound of gun fire.
Comments
Chris colt can tell you probably better than I can. Back when I used to really train dogs for waterfowl. Every time I took a dog in that was gun shy I put the gun away for a few months. I would start all the training over again. Basic OB then fetching to water then birds. The dog would get so bird crazy watching them swim and picking hobbled birds up in the field that they didnt hear the shot later on. Here is my suggestion. Get all the pigeons you can. Plant them and let your dog find them. Flush the bird and let the dog chase them. Card a few so he can catch them. Then have someone with a cap pistol fire it several yards away when the bird flushes and your dog gives chase. Then move closer until you are shooting right next to him. Then repeat that with a shotgun. If he flinches move further away. Then start moving back in to him. Gun shyness takes alot of patience and TIME!! Dont rush it. Lots and lots of birds. Also running him with another pointer may help. These dogs are very competative that may help
Posted by: Chris | February 24, 2007 12:01 AM