Training book recommendation?

I pulled the trigger and put a deposit down on a new pup – a brittany. It’ll be my 1st attempt at training a pointing dog after a lifetime of labs.

For the people in the know – what is a good basic book or books that can aid me in the training of this new pup? I gotta lot to learn……..whew!

Tim

When I got my brit this last spring, I went down to the local library and picked up all the videos that they had avail. I also am using a book Gun Dog. Lots of good info. They videos were very helpful. I have now started training with live birds and must say it is cool to watch even a young dog go on point so quickly. A lot of work, but fun.

Gun Dog by Wolters is a good choice. Also check out George Hickox- pointing dog collection. There are lots of good sources but also some not so good ones. The good ones in my opinion are the ones that show you how to work through a sticking point and not just show a finished dog.

I agree with Don “Gun Dog” By Richard Wolters is an excellent book

Delmar Smith was the best trainer for Britts. get his book, or his son Rick’s book. I think it is important to get a book written by a trainer, who had a verifiable history of measurable success, vs a book on ‘pointing” dog training written by a dog training writer. The Smiths are Oklahoma country boys and Wolters is a city guy.
My recommendation has NOTHING to do w/ training for trials. It is all about being able to shoot pointed wild birds over youe dog.

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I think it is important to get a book written by a trainer, who had a verifiable history of measurable success, vs a book on ‘pointing” dog training written by a dog training writer.

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I know several guys who have had very good success with Wolters books training there pointers for hunting and not feild trials inculding Britts.

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My recommendation has NOTHING to do w/ training for trials. It is all about being able to shoot pointed wild birds over youe dog.

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Neither did mine, I can not comment on Smiths books because I have not read them but my pointer is an awesome bird dog not a feild trial dog. The only guide I used for training was Wolters book.

I’m glad that the Wolters book has worked out for you and your pup. I’m just giving you my opinion formed over working my dogs and other peoples starting in 1976. I started in NAVHDA and ended up in American Field field trials. I have broke a number of dogs (15+)to wing/shot/kill for hunting purposes.. and field trials. I hunted my trial dogs on both foot and horse back. We had 4 dogs that were DEAD BROKE ..for anybody, at one time. I loaned 2 of them to the owners of the construction company I used to work for for them to use when they were hunting ND. I spent 32 years around pointing dogs and have been licky enough to have had some really good ones.. and 2 great ones.
Gunrunner Britts were the line that a very good friend developed. I believe Gunrinners Farout is in the Britt HoF.
I just voiced my experianced opinion that there are better books that Wolters. Probably the best way to approach it is to go to the library and read the ones they have and then buy the one that appeals to a trainers temperment and situation.

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Delmar Smith was the best trainer for Britts. get his book, or his son Rick’s book. I think it is important to get a book written by a trainer, who had a verifiable history of measurable success, vs a book on ‘pointing” dog training written by a dog training writer. The Smiths are Oklahoma country boys and Wolters is a city guy.
My recommendation has NOTHING to do w/ training for trials. It is all about being able to shoot pointed wild birds over youe dog.

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Blade-puller – I looked and could only find “The best way to train your dog: the Delmar Smith method” written by Bill Tarrant. I could find no book that Delmar actually wrote himself. Is this the book you recommend? I trained my lab through her first couple legs of the senior title in NAHRA and the main book I followed was Tarrants. I liked his philosophy and methods. He referred to Delmar Smith a lot……

I think I’ll order that book and am looking forward to training and hunting over my new girl.

Tim

That’s the one.

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I just voiced my experianced opinion that there are better books that Wolters.

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While Wolters was a pioneer in dog training (for his times), I will agree with the above statement that there are now better books out there. This is not to say that you can’t train a good gun dog with his methods and that his methods wont work, but as with anything else things become outdated and newer methods/techniques are developed.

That said…I don’t know much about Brittany’s so I can’t offer a good book. Here are some that others have recomended though:

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POINTERS

-Wing & Shot by Robert Whele:

This is the bible to many Pointer owners and for a reason. Whele is the breeder responsible for the Elhew line. Love em or hate em he was a genius with pointers, and his training program was well laid out in this book.

-Best Way to Train Your Pointer, The Delmar Smith Method by Bill Tarrant:

All I can say is Bill is an excellent outdoor writer, and teamed up with a winning trainer to write a great book. Delmar and his sons have proven their method over and over on the national field trial circuit.

-Speed Train Your Own Bird Dog by Larry Mueller:

This book doesn’t get real high marks by me only because of the way he tells to discipline the dog in one part. Overall it is a good book, I have used Larry’s Launcher design with some success before getting a remote launcher.

-Training Pointing Dogs DVD by George Hickox:

This is the only DVD that I’ll add and that’s only because this is the only one I have ever used anything off of. I have heard that Perfection Kennels also has a good one but I’ve never seen it so I can’t say how it is. Hickox video moves along well and it is full of useful info.

-Overview of the West/Gibbons/Lindley “Silent” pointing dog training method by Jere Murry:

You can read about this method of training pointers by doing a Google search for “Overview of the West/Gibbons/Lindley “Silent” pointing dog training method.” There is a video out that I have heard is not that best but shows this method in a training seminar.

I’m a DVD man, much quicker with visual aids.