Do's, but more importantly, DO NOTS

[samwyse]

Hey guys,

I am completely new to guns and hunting in general. I'm an avid fisherman and do a lot of work outdoors (farm manager).

I have a 4 month old Drathaar/Lab mix. She's great, her name's Tesla and the beard from her father is coming in nicely. I intend to use her for waterfowl and grouse. If anyone thinks/knows that she could carry skills over to other animals easily, let me know! She's already pointing naturally, so I'd like to know if there's anything I should do to promote that. She's just beginning to listen well to "whoa". I don't have a gun and don't really intend to introduce her the sound of one until I have one to carry around the farm so she gets used to seeing it. She's been fishing with me and we hear locals practicing near the FSR's, doesn't seem to phase her much.

Overall I am looking for advice from experienced hunters with dogs about what to avoid wrecking her.

thanks in advance!

[BiG Boar]

I'd look at proper ways to introduce her to gun fire right away.

Get a a book or DVD and start some kind of gun dog training program , the sooner the better. Unless you're okay with a half assed dog. Then just do what you feel is best.

[samwyse]

I'd look at proper ways to introduce her to gun fire right away.

Get a a book or DVD and start some kind of gun dog training program , the sooner the better. Unless you're okay with a half assed dog. Then just do what you feel is best.

Hi Big Boar,
I've read (and heard from hunters I've met) a whole range of different ways of introducing dogs to gunfire. What I've come away with is to not take her to the gun range.
Do you have any books you can recommend? I have found one at the FVRL but did not glean too much from it unfortunately.

[yamadirt 426]

I would love to see some pics of her a pointing bearded lab would be very cool. Get her used to some very loud noises like banging pots and pans. I like to do it when they're eating so they associate it with good times. Go for a walk on the farm with the 22 and shoot it into the ground and don't make a big deal out of it . Try and shoot some pigeons on the farm with the pellet gun if there is any she will love that game and associate a gun with good times . If she's loving all of that, you could do in one day if you want to, then move on to the shotgun. Take her into the field sit her down walk about 40 yards away shoot the shotgun in the opposite direction and then call her over to you and give her a big treat make sure it's lots of fun


make it all super fun for her and don't waste any more time. This has worked for me and a couple of other dogs I know

[BiG Boar]

Take a couple of 1 foot pieces of 2x4 and slap them together just as she knows dinners coming. Start quietly maybe from far and work your way up to loud banging. Then switch to 22 blanks if possible.

Find a DVD set to follow along to get her birdy. Personally I went with Bill Hillman puppy DVD. It was $100 but well worth it as I have a birdy dog now, and I sold the DVD for almost what I paid. Pointing isn't covered on that DVD but most other bird dog basics are. It's probably the most recommended DVD to start with.

I have some books I could sell also if you're interested. I read them already and you gain information from all kinds of areas.

[Foxton Gundogs]

Take a couple of 1 foot pieces of 2x4 and slap them together just as she knows dinners coming. Start quietly maybe from far and work your way up to loud banging. Then switch to 22 blanks if possible.

Find a DVD set to follow along to get her birdy. Personally I went with Bill Hillman puppy DVD. It was $100 but well worth it as I have a birdy dog now, and I sold the DVD for almost what I paid. Pointing isn't covered on that DVD but most other bird dog basics are. It's probably the most recommended DVD to start with.

I have some books I could sell also if you're interested. I read them already and you gain information from all kinds of areas.

This do it gradually from a distance getting closer as she shows no response to the noise. Do the same with a blank gun then a shotgun, if the dog reacts to the noise then back up. I do it with 2 people, when the food is put down I make the noise.

[hotload]

Drahthaar Mix ??

[Cedar Cowgirl]

Drahthaar Mix ??

OOOPses happen, I know this all to well, but I also understand there is a "breeder" doing it on purpose.

[hotload]

OOOPses happen, I know this all to well, but I also understand there is a "breeder" doing it on purpose.


A breeder of Drahthaars, doing it on purpose u mean?

[Foxton Gundogs]

HL there was a guy on here with a wirehair and lab from a certain breeder that raises both. He produced at least 2 litters on purpose and actually was advertising the pups on HBC

[Cdn-Redneck]

One thing I have learned the hard way is don't try to get to the next step to soon!! Don't settle for pretty good make sure each foundation is solid before trying to get to advanced stuff. Start with solid obedience and using retrieving as fun time while they are young and make sure your training times are short, if your dog does what you want near when you are thinking of stopping, end that session right there.

[Kasomor]

One thing I have learned the hard way is don't try to get to the next step to soon!! Don't settle for pretty good make sure each foundation is solid before trying to get to advanced stuff. Start with solid obedience and using retrieving as fun time while they are young and make sure your training times are short, if your dog does what you want near when you are thinking of stopping, end that session right there.

That right there is good advice.

Check out Bill Hillmanns Blog and YouTube videos.

You can get Training Retrievers For Marshes and Meadows by Jim Spencer from the library. Its a good basic book and you cant go wrong following the instructions

Don't be in a huge hurry to introduce gun fire. Your dog should be CRAZY about retrieving before you even think about adding a shot to the equation. Call me super paranoid but I have never had a gun shy dog and never want one. Gun shy dogs are man made... they don't come that way.... and are super hard to fix. I don't roll the dice and do the "lets see what happens if I do this".

I'm a fan of the TV show Yukon Men. Who else saw the episode where Joey gets a new pup and is testing the dog to see if he will keep him? Joe takes a rifle and shoots over the dog. The dog freaks so Joe puts him on a leash and shoots again. The dog bolts. A couple of episodes later Joe shoots over the dog again and the dog freaks, bolts and disappears. Joe was thinking the dog wouldn't come back. Now I know Joe is smart to be able to live where he does but he is dumb a** stupid about shooting over a dog!!!

And just because a dog is OK with a shotgun being shot over them doesn't mean they are ready to go into the blind with a few shooters and have everyone shooting at the same time....

Beware of the water temperature this time of year too. You don't want to turn a pup off by having them refuse to go into the water cuase its cold and hypothermia is a risk too.

[hotload]

HL there was a guy on here with a wirehair and lab from a certain breeder that raises both. He produced at least 2 litters on purpose and actually was advertising the pups on HBC


And Foxton comes to the rescue, thanks for the clarification. The word Wirehair settled the nerves..............................

Have a Great Xmas

[samwyse]

And Foxton comes to the rescue, thanks for the clarification. The word Wirehair settled the nerves..............................

Have a Great Xmas

Hey!
I was fuzzy on this as well. My understanding was Drahthaars met very specific breeding and training(?) specs: Compared to a GWP which is the blood but not the certification of the Drahthaar kennels and ergo can't be called a Drahthaar. The guy I got her from said the sire was Drahthaar and I can see the mother was lab. I really didn't take him up on certification papers because that really wasn't important to me.
So if it's more appropriate to say GWP/Lab then I will, but I just went with the logic if the dog was half drahthaar then it was drahthaar/lab cross.

[samwyse]

I would love to see some pics of her a pointing bearded lab would be very cool. Get her used to some very loud noises like banging pots and pans. I like to do it when they're eating so they associate it with good times. Go for a walk on the farm with the 22 and shoot it into the ground and don't make a big deal out of it . Try and shoot some pigeons on the farm with the pellet gun if there is any she will love that game and associate a gun with good times . If she's loving all of that, you could do in one day if you want to, then move on to the shotgun. Take her into the field sit her down walk about 40 yards away shoot the shotgun in the opposite direction and then call her over to you and give her a big treat make sure it's lots of fun


make it all super fun for her and don't waste any more time. This has worked for me and a couple of other dogs I know

Thanks for the advice. She actually found someone's grouse kill while I was walking around a fishing spot. She zoomed in on it with no problem. Pigeons should be no problem then.

[samwyse]

Thanks guys! It's great to hear some titles to look up. And it will be a few a couple months before we try any water stuff. We will definitely work on the loud noises associated with fun times before even looking at the gun.

[hotload]

Hey!
I was fuzzy on this as well. My understanding was Drahthaars met very specific breeding and training(?) specs: Compared to a GWP which is the blood but not the certification of the Drahthaar kennels and ergo can't be called a Drahthaar. The guy I got her from said the sire was Drahthaar and I can see the mother was lab. I really didn't take him up on certification papers because that really wasn't important to me.
So if it's more appropriate to say GWP/Lab then I will, but I just went with the logic if the dog was half drahthaar then it was drahthaar/lab cross.


If the sire has no tattoo in the ear, it's not a Drahthaar, easy as that. Doesn't matter if this is a Draht X Lab or GWP X Lab you will have a great companion and hunter. Follow the excellent advise offered by the informed on this site and they can guide you over some hurdles as they have done for many. IMHO, the advise of small steps instead of larger ones is a key that will help secure all disciplines. Take your time to bond and give your dog more than one reason to follow instructions.