Ideas on tiring out bird dogs when you can’t hunt them

[KurtR]

Yes, he was born and bred for hunting and the breeder and I selected him out of the litter for his drive. He has that in spades for sure.

It's funny you mention the dead bird not going over so well. I have a frozen rooster pheasant from last fall that worked great for retrieve training early on, but now he just isn't too interested in it. I think it needs to be fresh and lively or something.

I appreciate the advice fellas, and is there a good place to pick up some pidgeons? Are they easy to take care of for future sessions? I have plenty of space in my machine shed to set up a hutch or something.

Find a barn they are living in go at night with a head lamp and fishing net. They won’t fly most of the time I just catch them by hand. You can use multiple times just depends how hard of mouth the dog has. Would be easy to keep alive if you have a coop. They sell for 5 dollars each here. I Make enough money to pay for the dog game entry fees selling them.

 

[Danimal]

Scent work, obdedience training, 30 foot check cord work, make that joker point a hold steady, table work, steady to hand, steady to retrieve, etc. 15 minute short sessions a couple times of day. Morning, afternoon, evening. NAVDHA

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I've heard the same thing with early neutering. Our's knock on wood still looks great and has no signs of really slowing down (sleeps a bit more on heavy activity days). We decided to leave ours intact, but we've also studded him out on occasion. My next one will be a female, one thing that drives me nuts is we need to go mark every bush within 1/4 mile before we start paying attention to the task at hand.

Sorry to hear about the arthritis, my uncle's golden's have been lucky on the arthritis front, but with cancer as young as 6 and had others that hunted to 14 blind and deaf but still had a nose that knew the game. Unfortunately his latest really high buck field golden has hip displasia at age 2, he's sick as you'd expect. Hoping for the best but he may need to get another pup.

I've shot 146 roosters over him and I always wanted to hit 250. Hoping for another 4-5 years afield with my buddy. Glad he's still acting like a golden, my uncle says when they quit acting like a golden retriever its time...

Our first golden wasn't a hunter and he made it to 11, the last year he was 3 legged after his hip went out on him. Copper kept acting like a Golden until he finally stopped eating and drinking. Horrible day for sure, and he's buried out front with the sun rising and setting on him.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Find a barn they are living in go at night with a head lamp and fishing net. They won’t fly most of the time I just catch them by hand. You can use multiple times just depends how hard of mouth the dog has. Would be easy to keep alive if you have a coop. They sell for 5 dollars each here. I Make enough money to pay for the dog game entry fees selling them.

Nice! I think I know a few places around here I can find some. The trick will be not falling off a ladder and breaking my neck! LOL

 

[KurtR]

Nice! I think I know a few places around here I can find some. The trick will be not falling off a ladder and breaking my neck! LOL

It’s amazing how dumb they are at night put some corn on the ground in the morning and they will be down there at night don’t even need the ladder. Most farmers want you to take them so permission for pigeons is east haha

 

[shedfinder7]

This!

I used to bikejor my two setters on gravel roads in the country.

The dogs are now dead and I'm pretty sure I still have the harnesses. If I find them, I would send them to you for the cost of shipping. They are quality black leather harnesses. My dogs were 48-58 pounds.

Definitely interested and glad to send money. Thanks alot

 

[shedfinder7]

All great starting points. Thanks all, hope I can return the favor with info on something else one day

 

[beachbunny]

this is great, i would drive out to the beach at lo tide, nice hard sand. toss the mutt out and let her run,i would never pass her cause that would ruin it for her,i would just pace her and talk to her.i'd stop every couple of miles.
did 7 miles one day.that one was a real lean running dog

 

[Pgidley]

Tree climbing to catch tree frogs: https://photos.app.goo.gl/5oQ1iiSernYeyjh59
Biking: https://photos.app.goo.gl/4ZoGZetGuXGWqLiLA

Mental stimulation always seemed to tire her out more than straight physical exercise. On really cold days in the winter, we'd play hide and seek: I'd put her in a down/stay, then go and hide somewhere in the house and give her a release. Really gets the nose and brain going, and they figure out the game pretty quick. It also has some good training aspects. Running with the bike is great conditioning leading up to bird season. She's 11 now, hips are starting to get a little stiff, but she still likes to run alongside the bike.

 

[2ski]

Nice! I think I know a few places around here I can find some. The trick will be not falling off a ladder and breaking my neck! LOL

I've heard they can't fly wet, so a squirtgun can make them easier to catch supposedly.

 

[2ski]

Yes, he was born and bred for hunting and the breeder and I selected him out of the litter for his drive. He has that in spades for sure.

It's funny you mention the dead bird not going over so well. I have a frozen rooster pheasant from last fall that worked great for retrieve training early on, but now he just isn't too interested in it. I think it needs to be fresh and lively or something.

I appreciate the advice fellas, and is there a good place to pick up some pidgeons? Are they easy to take care of for future sessions? I have plenty of space in my machine shed to set up a hutch or something.

I've heard frozen doesn't work as well. Unthaw it and see what happens.

 

[cuerro viejo]

That’s easy. Lake. My chessie lives in my pool summer and winter. He literally drops bumper at one end runs to the other end jumps in, fetches it and swims back out.

I stopped taking him fishing with we at the coast when I wade fish because he will jump out and chase dolphins

 

[S.Clancy]

I take my dog on 5-6 mile bike rides. She's generally running the whole time, so she's pretty tuckered when we're done

 

[Dos XX]

I have a Brittany that is 14 months. I tried to take it easy walking and running him when he was that young. I used the 5 min per month of age rule, so at 4 months, I would walk him 20 minutes twice a day. At 14 months, he did 80 miles last month.

Those 2 walks weren't enough to tire him out, so I had to do other things. A make a flirt pole out of a piece of PVC, some rope, and some baseball bat grip tape. I tied a fuzzy dog critter toy on the end of the rope. I could knock tire him out to where he would be flat on the floor in under 10 minutes with that thing.

I found this on the web. This is basically what I did, but I didn't use any washers. I just tied knots on both ends, and instead of a ball I used a furry critter toy.

How to Make a Flirt Pole for Dogs

5 steps on how to make a flirt pole for dogs. In less than 5 minutes you and your dog will be enjoying the mental and physical benefits of a flirt pole.

germanshepherdcorner.com

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I like the idea of the flirt pole. I already have a fishing rod with a wing on it, and I'll just get that back out and start using that with Oscar.

 

[shedfinder7]

I have a Brittany that is 14 months. I tried to take it easy walking and running him when he was that young. I used the 5 min per month of age rule, so at 4 months, I would walk him 20 minutes twice a day. At 14 months, he did 80 miles last month.

Those 2 walks weren't enough to tire him out, so I had to do other things. A make a flirt pole out of a piece of PVC, some rope, and some baseball bat grip tape. I tied a fuzzy dog critter toy on the end of the rope. I could knock tire him out to where he would be flat on the floor in under 10 minutes with that thing.

I found this on the web. This is basically what I did, but I didn't use any washers. I just tied knots on both ends, and instead of a ball I used a furry critter toy.

How to Make a Flirt Pole for Dogs

5 steps on how to make a flirt pole for dogs. In less than 5 minutes you and your dog will be enjoying the mental and physical benefits of a flirt pole.

germanshepherdcorner.com

Your my hero, thanks. Had a smaller one that broke