Bird dog advice

[Bill in Oregon]

Chatted with a customer at Tractor Supply yesterday who had a young pointer pup with him. He got to talking about his training method — just letting the birds train the dog.
He said the biggest mistake many dog owners make is talking to the dog while it is on a bird. That dog is using his eyes, his ears, his wonderful nose and every cell of his brain trying to solve the problem of hot bird scent. The last thing he needs is some idiot human blabbing at him about "find the bird" or "slow!" and distracting him.
Another dog owner sin: Shooting at a bird that his dog didn’t properly work. A bird in the hand that the dog didn’t earn is a teaching moment wasted. Don't even load your gun, he said, until your dog is on point, otherwise you will turn a fine potential pointer into a flushing dog.
Final advice: All you need with your dog is a lead or an electronic collar, plus about eight inches of duct tape. The collar is for your dog. The duct tape is for your mouth.
I don't know if God will grant me one more dog, but I would surely consider this advice if He ever does.

[Walt]

[dkmlever]

I agree!

[GunnyMack]

Where does the electronic collar go Bill!? ( Around the family jewels)
Of the 8 labradors I've been blessed with half have been hunters. All but 1 I'm sure would have hunted but I wasn't in a position to hunt/train.
Claro has been bird CRAZY her whole life, a fine hunter but very grabby if given the chance to grab a bird on the ground before it can fly. Infact she has caught 2 birds while they are trying to get off.
Parker is a great hunter, she has actually figured out to get out around a runner and turn a bird back to the people to shoot it and she can fetch it.
Sage is still learning but she does a phenomenal job.
Since I don't waterfowl hunt I don't do any water training tho they love the hose!
How do I train you ask, I play fetch, retrieving dummies dosed with bird scent. Get that magnificent odor imprinted in their brains from 8weeks old.

I'll always remember my Lady Rimfire Valentine, I was told by the breeder she was the runt but full grown she was 2" taller than the standard of 22" and her working weight was 96 lbs of lean muscle. Anyhow, in Colorado we were jump shooting ducks, a mallard got winged by my buddy. The duck is swimming, Lady following, the duck dived under and Lady stuck her head underwater and followed it completely submerged! Duck popped up with her gaining ground. They went round the pond a full lap under and above water. Finally I called her off and she got out of the pond and did a running leap on top of the duck bringing it to hand. Some things you can't train!

With Sage's litter I stuck an elk shed in with the puppies to chew on, play around. I didn't do any shed training but last spring she brought me a deer antler. If she smells bone she picks it up.

Lastly, the best thing to do with ANY puppy is get them out into the world to experience people, cars, bicycles, noises, sights, smells of any sort. It will help tremendously with a good " bullet proof " dog.

[piller]

One Uncle had a Weimaraner which was a good hunting dog. Heini, yes that was the dog's name, even brought in pheasant which couldn't fly that had made it in to Grandma's pasture. Uncle Homer ran a small herd of cattle, so no one but Homer could hunt there. Heini would let Homer get close enough to where the bird would fall about 10 yards from Homer before he would flush it. Never trained. It was just his nature. He never lost one.