Putting the odds in your dogs favor

The hunting season is getting so close- we will be in the field chasing birds before you know it. People with dogs going into their first season have asked, “what part of training they should concentrate right now”. Hard to know how to answer, being each dog is surely at a different level. In general though, my answer is BIRDS! BIRDS! BIRDS!

Even short sessions of finding and chasing birds gets the dogs attitude where you want it. After a session with birds, any other training seems to go so much better.

You don’t need a dog that is steady or patterning to have a good start to the season. If the dog loves to find birds, flushes em up and brings em back, you are going to have a memorable season. So get your dog out in the field and have some fun now and he will be ready for the opener.

That’s is my plan for the next few weeks. I’m looking at a map book with all the WMA and WPA’s right now. I’m also looking for some good game farms too. The dog realy need to get on some birds. Does any know of some good game farms that is putting up birds this week end.

That’s is my plan for the next few weeks. I’m looking at a map book with all the WMA and WPA’s right now. I’m also looking for some good game farms too. The dog realy need to get on some birds. Does any know of some good game farms that is putting up birds this week end.

Great point Don!

I was fortunate, when I got Rufus as a pup, I had another co worker of mine also get one. What topped it off for us is that our Boss’s son Jeff, who was also subcontractor of ours also got a pup. We enjoyed so much time in the field training together during that first Summer. Then came training on LIVE BIRDS via game farm, thanks to Jeff. That first year or 2 Bell, Rock, and Rufus flushed and had more birds shot over them it is silly. I remember many days of 30-40 birds between the 3 dogs. Some of those flushes and retrieves those 3 dogs made in early in their hunting career, I still remember today 7 years later. To see them have that much fun, have your hard work training pay off, to see the light bulb click in each of those dogs eyes and minds, now man that was something special. Rufus is my 1st dog, certainly not my last, but I was given a Dog with so much talent and smarts, I often think he has too much. I know for a fact the one thing that brought out his true potential was getting him on all those birds early as a pup and made things a lot easier down the road. Thanks again Jeff.

Some of you might say yeah it was on a game farm, well you know what…..The Dogs do not know the difference, a bird is a bird to them. Sure, I like to shoot birds, but I get no greater joy hunting then I do watching my dog work or any ones dog for that matter.

Like you said no better way to get a pup on the right track then birds and more birds.

Great point Don!

I was fortunate, when I got Rufus as a pup, I had another co worker of mine also get one. What topped it off for us is that our Boss’s son Jeff, who was also subcontractor of ours also got a pup. We enjoyed so much time in the field training together during that first Summer. Then came training on LIVE BIRDS via game farm, thanks to Jeff. That first year or 2 Bell, Rock, and Rufus flushed and had more birds shot over them it is silly. I remember many days of 30-40 birds between the 3 dogs. Some of those flushes and retrieves those 3 dogs made in early in their hunting career, I still remember today 7 years later. To see them have that much fun, have your hard work training pay off, to see the light bulb click in each of those dogs eyes and minds, now man that was something special. Rufus is my 1st dog, certainly not my last, but I was given a Dog with so much talent and smarts, I often think he has too much. I know for a fact the one thing that brought out his true potential was getting him on all those birds early as a pup and made things a lot easier down the road. Thanks again Jeff.

Some of you might say yeah it was on a game farm, well you know what…..The Dogs do not know the difference, a bird is a bird to them. Sure, I like to shoot birds, but I get no greater joy hunting then I do watching my dog work or any ones dog for that matter.

Like you said no better way to get a pup on the right track then birds and more birds.