Bird Dog Puppy

[406flyfish]

Curious as to what others focus their efforts on, especially in those first initials weeks after picking up a puppy?

 

[BravoNovember]

You will get 100 different answers on this. My dogs are house pets 90+% of the year so house manners and basic obedience are top for me.

Timely post as we are pickup a new pup next weekend.

 

[KurtR]

Socializing and exposure to everything first and foremost. What kind of dog and what kind of hunting or games you want to play all factor in. Then the biggest factor is the dogs personality is it a fire breathing dragon or on the side you need to build drive.

 

[chizelhead]

In addition to what was already mentioned, carefully introduce loud noises to mitigate gun shyness.

 

[Jaegerr]

I'll second socializing and exposure. My GSP was my first dog and my vet terrified me of Parvo and she was not socialized well and it becomes a life long issue. It's not the dogs fault, 100% my fault, but the difference with my two labs who were very much socialized and my GSP who wasn't, is a huge quality of life thing for you and the dog as someone else said dogs are 90+% just house pets and that should be the focus in my opinion.

As far as training, a lot of different methods but I'd work with a trainer if you have it in the finances to do so. If not people more versed than me could probably recommend a certain book or program.

 

[Jaegerr]

In addition to what was already mentioned, carefully introduce loud noises to mitigate gun shyness.

Remember those little pop guns kids play with, or usto at least, I was taught just casually popping it a few times while they're eating was a good way. Especially if the dog is very food driven, it associated the noise with a reward in the beginning.

 

[Runningwater]

Socialization, exposure to everything (especially various age kids, other dogs, cats), nature walks to explore various cover, sounds, smells.

Also crate and potty train of course!

 

[cubdriver84d]

Already mentioned but exposure to lots of stuff will payoff big time. Good strategy I've found is focus on introducing them to at least one new thing each day. Lots of opinions about how/when to introduce gunfire, but I've had good luck doing it in the field with birds but not until they're 4-6 months. I was at a navhda clinic last year, and a few dogs >1 yr hadn't been exposed to gunfire yet. Fling a bird, let them start chasing it, and fire a shot. No issues.

 

[BigDuckHunter]

I wouldn’t worry too much about gunfire right away. You’ve got plenty of time for that and if you try to rush into it you can definitely mess things up.

I do agree with exposing the dog to as many places, people, sights, smells, textures, as possible.

I’ve done a similar thing in trying to introduce one new thing a day. Person in a wheelchair, someone with a mask on, store with lots of different smells, grass over pups head where he can’t see you, swampy wet areas, etc.

I also like them to “accomplish” something every day too. The park I took my current pup to everyday had lots of big dirt piles from a mud run they do there every year. Sometimes we’d climb one of those. Sometimes I’d have him climb onto a piece of playground equipment. I like doing something that is a little more difficult than just walking to start building their confidence in doing difficult things.

One more thing, if you want them to be an off-leash dog, I think it’s easiest to start that now. Mine is pretty much never on a leash in public and knows to stay close to me. That all started when I first brought him home. I’d take him out to the park and just go for a walk. I’d reward him every time he walked up to me. He learned pretty quick that it’s better to be near me than to run away and he’s rarely been on a leash since.

Enjoy the time with your pup! They change fast.

 

[sndmn11]

Gunfire = no way, and no reason to until ~6 months AFTER bird drive has been established.

1) developing a bond and trust in you as the leader
2) name recognition
3) remembering that everything else through year two is building a foundation for years 3+

 

[Clovis]

I've had good luck getting in off-leash "puppy walks" in the woods and birdy areas as often as possible and letting the pup get a lot of experience sniffing around and checking things out-for my dogs that was twice a day, but it depends on where you live how practical that is. When they are little they want to stay close and learn it is there job to keep track of you rather than the other way around and it makes for a good handling adult dog. For my second dog as he got to be about 6 months old I focused a lot on recall and made that rock solid and a strong "down stay," but those are for slightly older dogs.

 

[jmez]

Socialization. Come here, insert name. Kennel or place.

 

[BucksNBulls]

Start with crate/potty training the day they come home. I've had a lot of dogs, I currently have 5 labs from 10 years old to 10 weeks old.
First week is throwing bumpers doing fun retrieves, Lots of loud noises ( I just got done driving T posts with the pup a foot away from me. Leaf blower, lawn mower Etc. Also start introducing to water right away. A duck wing or pheasant wing on a fishing pole to start working on prey drive. This is all the first week for me.
Once they are hot for the bumper I start using my bumper launcher that uses .22 blanks to launch. I set it a distance and slowly move closer over about a week. This is usually week 3 ish.
Also, I do basic obedience training like Sit, Place, Kennel, down, etc and leash training. It's all about repetition but keep everything short in the beginning. I only do 3-20 min sessions a day until they are old enough to start force fetch. I don't do any E collar until FF starts either.

Pretty much the same method I've used for the 14 labs I've owned over the years.

 

[BucksNBulls]

I'll second socializing and exposure. My GSP was my first dog and my vet terrified me of Parvo and she was not socialized well and it becomes a life long issue. It's not the dogs fault, 100% my fault, but the difference with my two labs who were very much socialized and my GSP who wasn't, is a huge quality of life thing for you and the dog as someone else said dogs are 90+% just house pets and that should be the focus in my opinion.

As far as training, a lot of different methods but I'd work with a trainer if you have it in the finances to do so. If not people more versed than me could probably recommend a certain book or program.

Everyone that comes to visit until my pups are fully vaccinated I make spray this on their shoes. It kills Parvo.

 

[30338]

Good luck on your journey with the new pup. Always a lot of good advice on here.

 

[Dos XX]

Do you have a Bass Pro, Home Depot, Atwoods or other farm store around you? You can roll your puppy around those stores in a shopping cart if you are worried about parvo. They don't have to get on the floor. They will get petted, scratched, and oogled by ladies, men, and children.

I have a brittany that we really worked on socializing. We took him everywhere, including using the shopping basket at the stores I mentioned. Later when he was about 6 months old, a friend's 5 or 6 year old son approached him. The boy was wearing a very big cowboy hat. Scared the crap out of him. Nope. Didn't think to expose him to small boys with really big cowboy hats on.

With both of our dogs, I did things in the backyard when we first got them to help them see new things. I would lay my aluminum extension ladder down in the grass and lure them in and out of it and over the rungs with treats. I would set up a little barrier and lure them jump over it over it. Really just to build confidence when seeing new things.

 

[JGood]

Week 1: Force Fetch
Week 2: Steady to wing, shot, fall
Week 3: Multi-variable Calculus
Week 4: Derivatives and Rocket Science

By one year the pup should have invested in a few start ups, bought bit coin at an 5 year low and hopefully purchased some high margin companies like HVAC or Roofing.

YMMV, but this is what all my bird dogs do.

 

[GetOutside]

Hilarious!

In all seriousness though, I’m working on crate training, self-control (calmness before opening doors and feeding) and simple recall in the house. Exposure to new places can wait until vaccine schedule finishes at 16 weeks. Hard pass on dog parks.