Working with my dog
Roy
good trainers amoung you. I have a question, actually 2 questions. First I
have a chocolate male 18 months old. I got this dog late (14 months) his
owner lived in town, small fenced yard and new family no time to work with
the dog. He loves to retrieve, dummy, softballs, frizbe's you name it but
when the gun comes out he freaks (cap gun, starter pistol, shotgun). I have
had him in the blind and he is attentive when hunting but after the shot
you have to push him out of the blind. I have been firing the cap gun over
him while he feeds in an attempt to reduce his sensitivity to the noise but
it is not helping any idea's.
Second, I just purchased a Black female for hunting and possibly breeding
she is 55 days old and I have had her for just over a week (purchased on
her 45 day) I have been following the format in Richard Wolters book Water
Dog. She does not even seem to notice when the gun goes off. Is anyone
familar with his style of training and what do you think?
Roy. I am no dog trainer or expert, I just like to hunt and watch a good
dog work.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at:
http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
To leave the GunDog-L listserv list, send a message with SIGNOFF GUNDOG-L
in the *body* to list...@listserv.tamu.edu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pam Kadlec
#First I have a chocolate male 18 months old. I got this dog late (14
months)He loves to retrieve, dummy, softballs, frizbe's you name it but
#when the gun comes out he freaks (cap gun, starter pistol, shotgun)....
>Second, I just purchased a Black female for hunting and possibly breeding
#her 45 day) I have been following the format in Richard Wolters book Water
#Dog. She does not even seem to notice when the gun goes off. Is anyone
#familar with his style of training and what do you think?
Roy,
I would suggest getting someone out in a field with the cap gun and
throwing a dummy. Start off about 30-40 yards away. He will gradually learn
that the gun means fun! As he adjusts to the gun, move it closer until you
can fire the cap gun right next to him. Move up to a shotgun, again with
the gunner out in the field at least 50 yards away. If the dog shies, move
the gunner back further. Once he associates gunfire with birds, he
shouldn't be worried anymore. He was proably scared by a loud noise early
in his life and it will take patience and time to get him over it.
The young pup is learning early that gunfire is associated with good things
- food! :-) Just don't go too fast and when you introduce a shotgun, make
sure the gunner is out in the field before you shoot over her.
Good luck.
Pam Kadlec
Just Ducky Kennels
p...@daccess.net
Boykins in Cyberspace
http://www.daccess.net/pkw/boykins.html
Just Ducky Kennels
Rt. 5 Box 7995
Starke, Fl 32091
904 964-3337
Roger J. Kittok
#Hi Folks, after lurking here awhile it appears that there are some very
#good trainers amoung you. I have a question, actually 2 questions. First I
#have a chocolate male 18 months old. I got this dog late (14 months) his
#owner lived in town, small fenced yard and new family no time to work with
#the dog. He loves to retrieve, dummy, softballs, frizbe's you name it but
#when the gun comes out he freaks (cap gun, starter pistol, shotgun). I have
#had him in the blind and he is attentive when hunting but after the shot
#you have to push him out of the blind. I have been firing the cap gun over
#him while he feeds in an attempt to reduce his sensitivity to the noise but
#it is not helping any idea's.
Roy, I think that you have the right idea about starting with the cap gun.
I suggest that you start firing the cap gun at some distance from the dog at
first and do it only when the dog is doing something that it likes (at
feeding time is good, during a retrieve, chasing a bird, etc) and have
someone standing about 30 to 50 yards away fire the cap gun. After the dog
accepts the noise at that distance, have the person move closer and shoot at
the distance. After the accepts the cap gun, then move to the blank pistol
and then to a small gauge shotgun. Gunshyness will not be cured in one of
two sessions but will take weeks (or months). Another suggestion is to get
a audio tape to pay for the dog. One source is Sporting Dogs, Etc.
Toll Free 1-888-734-DOGS (3647)
spor...@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/stvnsue/sportingdogs.html
AUDIO TAPES & MANUALS(Noise Shyness Cure Systems)
By Steve Rafe
Curing Your Dog's Fear of Gunfire......$39.95
Curing Your Dog's Fear of Thunder......$39.95
Curing Your Dog's Fear of Fireworks......$39.95
Roger Kittok
Lincoln, Nebraska
ans...@unlvm.unl.edu.usa
2 GSP - Gus and Sammy
Pam Kadlec
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amy Frost Dahl
with what the dog likes most: retrieving.
I have a lot of experience with dogs trained by Wolters's
methods and prefer to do it differently. I have known
people who got their dogs trained using his books, but
unless the dogs have a superabundance of drive the method
tends to slow them down and make them lose interest.
Specifically, I believe it's important to:
Encourage the dog to hunt up its marks (RW discourages it)
Force fetch rather than beating up a dog for mouth
problems when it doesn't have the foundation to
know what it's being punished for.
Restrain the dog on puppy marks, rather than requiring
it to be steady. Release just before it hits the ground.
Focus on developing drive, rather than emphasizing control,
during the first six-eight months.
Good luck with your dog.
--
Amy Frost Dahl Oak Hill Kennel phone: (910) 295-6710
Retriever Trainer & P.O. Box 1605 email: a...@oakhillkennel.com
Handler Pinehurst NC 28370 http://www.oakhillkennel.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at:
http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
To leave the GunDog-L listserv list, send a message with SIGNOFF GUNDOG-L
in the *body* to list...@listserv.tamu.edu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
. . . . . . . . . .
Info on moderated group rec.guns is at http://doubletap.cs.umd.edu/rec.guns
Rebekah Stivers
Please post this:
We have four Irish Red and White setters, all with papers,
shots, etc., for sale-- incredibly pettable; four and 1/2 months old.
Excellent in the field and don't bark as much as other setters. Please
respond to Peggy.J...@HealthPartners.Com.
Roger J. Kittok
http://members.aol.com/stvnsue/sportingdogs.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amy Frost Dahl
with what the dog likes most: retrieving.
I have a lot of experience with dogs trained by Wolters's
methods and prefer to do it differently. I have known
people who got their dogs trained using his books, but
unless the dogs have a superabundance of drive the method
tends to slow them down and make them lose interest.
Specifically, I believe it's important to:
Encourage the dog to hunt up its marks (RW discourages it)
Force fetch rather than beating up a dog for mouth
problems when it doesn't have the foundation to
know what it's being punished for.
Restrain the dog on puppy marks, rather than requiring
it to be steady. Release just before it hits the ground.
Focus on developing drive, rather than emphasizing control,
during the first six-eight months.
Good luck with your dog.
--
Amy Frost Dahl Oak Hill Kennel phone: (910) 295-6710
Retriever Trainer & P.O. Box 1605 email: a...@oakhillkennel.com
Handler Pinehurst NC 28370 http://www.oakhillkennel.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Koehn
# Second, I just purchased a Black female for hunting and possibly breeding
# she is 55 days old and I have had her for just over a week (purchased on
# her 45 day) I have been following the format in Richard Wolters book Water
# Dog. She does not even seem to notice when the gun goes off. Is anyone
# familar with his style of training and what do you think?
# Roy. I am no dog trainer or expert, I just like to hunt and watch a good
# dog work.
#
Roy:
I am not a professional trainer either. But I have a 17 month old yellow lab,
and I followed the same book as best as I could. She is turning out to be a
great dog.
I feel the same way as you, It is great to watch a good dog work.
Happy training!!!!