Best way to get springer pup hunting and interested in birds

wexgun

Hi all,
I have a 6 month old ESS pup. Its a dog and he's big strong and lively. I have him retrieving dummys and hurling balls etc but was wondering how to get him hunting. I bring him out every weekend to the woods or the fields but he stays beside me and shows no interest in hunting. I was out last sunday with my brother in law and he has 2 English Setter pups not even 6 months and they were looking to hunt. He says that they spend all day every day hunting and chasing birds, rats etc. Because I live in the town I only get to take my pup out at the weekends only until the long evenings come in. Any suggestions anybody? I've set traps for live pigeons so I hope to maybe get him to chase them when I catch a few. I've also thought about leaving him with the setter pups for a few days at a time to see will he go with them. BTW he has been introduced to gunfire recently and doing well so far. Any suggestions ?

foxshooter243

give him time you cant put an old head on young shoulders-..;)

Mellor

Would having hi near setter pups be any help,
the two are very different

Banjax

Foxshooter said it, give the dog some time is all.
Unless it's a been bred from a long line of show springers, it'll want to hunt sooner or later.
Just give it the opportunity, practise your quartering and play a few hide and seek games using the dummies and sliothar.

Sit him, and while he watches hide the dummy or whatever under something, an old blanket or some leaves, grass whatever.
He knows its there, but he'll use his nose to find out exactly. This will help him to begin to look with his nose, if you know what I mean.
Expand this game by having two hiding places, one near the other. Pretend to hide the dummy in one place, but actually put it in the other. He'll use his nose to find out which is the right place to look.

Use the wind when you're doing this, make sure he's down wind of where you put the dummy. You want this to succeed so give him every advantage.

meathstevie

A couple of live chickens in the garden in a pen. See if he develops an interest. At the end of it you have a couple of organic chickens for the sunday dinner...

homerhop

Always found it usefull to bring a pup out with another older springer. They learn off what they see, its just a case of being shown what to do. With a bit of luck it will be a natural hunter and will pick up fairly fast. Main thing is not to force it, make a fuss when you see it doing something right. Might have helped to get a pair of phesant wings during the season and tied them to a dummy, help it to get the dog used to the scent.

mallards

Wexgun your springer will range out soon enough as he develops more confidence in himself. Its a good thing he is sticking close at the minute. The setters are bred to range wide as they will hold the game till you get there. The springer on the other hand will bust them as soon as it gets near them. You don't want that to happen 60 yards in fron of you!! When he does get out from under your feet keep him no further from you than the edge of your shotgun range as outside this you won't kill a going away bird etc cleanly.
Have fun!

Mallards.

meathstevie

I was given a labrador who comes from a long line of show dogs by a lad who bought him as a present for his girlfriend. Paperwork with the fecker and all. Only problem is that he's thick as two short planks and only good for converting food to crap. No matter what you try the only thing he retrieves are dummies. I'll give him one more try retrieving pigeons this summer, if I've no succes he's gone and a wee wirehair will take his place.

cavan shooter

My brother is the best I've seen with dogs? He has taken 2 year old house trained springers that never saw the headland of a field and brought them on. He has been given gun shy dogs that fellas where going to shoot and he brought them on.

This was done by encouraging the dog, getting him to hunt around hedges in the garden before bringing them out to briar ditches. He uses the expression "Go ditch" and points, if the dog walks over to the edge and sniffs it's a start he gives plenty of encouragement.

As for not retrieving game but bringing back the dummy no problem, you have to weed the dog of the dummy:D (Anyone with kids will get that!!!
Take a dummy and tye wrap wings onto it get him uses to that first
Get a crow elastic band the wings together use that for a while (at least till it starts humming)
As for not retireving pigeons, some dogs ate the feeling of pigeon down and they say it agitates them, I have had that problem and this is what I did:

Get a pigeon and put it into ladies stockings to control the feathers eventually when they are retrieving go fror a un tampered with springer.

Training a dog is a labour of love everyday 10-15 minutes

stevoman

cavan shooter wrote: »

My brother is the best I've seen with dogs? He has taken 2 year old house trained springers that never saw the headland of a field and brought them on. He has been given gun shy dogs that fellas where going to shoot and he brought them on.

This was done by encouraging the dog, getting him to hunt around hedges in the garden before bringing them out to briar ditches. He uses the expression "Go ditch" and points, if the dog walks over to the edge and sniffs it's a start he gives plenty of encouragement.

As for not retrieving game but bringing back the dummy no problem, you have to weed the dog of the dummy:D (Anyone with kids will get that!!!
Take a dummy and tye wrap wings onto it get him uses to that first
Get a crow elastic band the wings together use that for a while (at least till it starts humming)
As for not retireving pigeons, some dogs ate the feeling of pigeon down and they say it agitates them, I have had that problem and this is what I did:

Get a pigeon and put it into ladies stockings to control the feathers eventually when they are retrieving go fror a un tampered with springer.

Training a dog is a labour of love everyday 10-15 minutes

well said cavan, my approach to my setter is almost the very same. fortunatly iv got myself a natural hunter and she's eight months now and setting dead steady and flushing on command. 15 minutes work a day and positive reinforcment realy goes a long way

breatta

I had a spinger pup the very same until about 8,9 months just kept walking field after field then one day he got onto a scent of a phesant & began to realise his purpose in life. Great hunting dog now. Give him more time

Tackleberry.

I'd stop hurling that ball it will only encourage your dog to bust birds outside your shooting range keep him working close, throwing distance is best for now, also find rabbits somewhere there brill for firing young dogs up

Double Barrel

I say reward with finds. Meat scraps. The pup starts dealing in success; the more points of interest -objectives- he hunts the more birds or rewards he receives. If you should not be able to handle the dog down to the lines or objectives then you have other problems. I have long been accused of taking my dogs to finds/objectives. Take the pup for a walk let'm get comfertable and when the pup is not paying attention - hide - and then let em find you, works great. The pup will use his/her nose and learn to hunt WITH me.
Do you think that would help?
There are so many things pups learn and not all of them are "good things" so be careful what you teach.
Live birds will get the interest of even the most docile gundog. I raise a few pheasants, partridge and bobwhite quail for release and if I have a litter of pups a few of each are kept for training purposes. I clip the wings on the "training birds" as it lets the birds fly a little ways, allowing them to stay well ahead of the pups. Creates a high interest.

BTW, the only feathers which should be clipped are the primary flight feathers. These are the ten long feathers on the outermost part of the wing. Start at the 10th primary (the one furthest from the body) and progress inward. How many primaries you need to clip varies by species and bird but game birds are good flyers and I usually start with clipping 8 and see what happens.

whitser

at 6 months its still only a pup. take him out after rabbits in a few months and soon you wont be able to stop him hunting. theres nothing like rabbits to get a springer going.