sicken a dog

stevoman

I was planning on taking the first week of november off work this year for the shooting season. My bitch will be a year and 5 months old on the day. My grandfather worked dogs of every breed all his life and he reckons a full week will sicken her.

your views?

mallards

You probably won't sicken her but rather tire her out! It would be like running a Marathon each day. By the third day she would be pretty knackered and would seem to be off form. But its just because they need the rest! Been there and done that!

If you had two dogs or if your mate had a dog you could take it turn about?

Mallards.

Vegeta

stevoman wrote: »

I was planning on taking the first week of november off work this year for the shooting season. My bitch will be a year and 5 months old on the day. My grandfather worked dogs of every breed all his life and he reckons a full week will sicken her.

your views?

I would say train her (like you would an athlete) for it.

She is also still quite young. A lot of dogs don't start agility training until they are 2 to make sure all joints etc are fully developed. So over working her beyond her fitness levels at a young age does have its risks

Our dogs usually are not fit enough for the first month or so of the season as the regular walks just don't simulate the 3 hour + hunting sessions we expect of the dogs. So once the dog shows signs of tiredness its off home we go. After about a month they are more than capable of outlasting us.

Don't push her beyond her capabilities. If you see her get tired or slightly off, call it a day, bring her home and take care of her.

stevoman

cheers lads advice appreciated!

jwshooter

stevoman wrote: »

cheers lads advice appreciated!

stevoman what breed is she a springer will work well from a young age but a pointer is a another matter but a week of full hunting would be hard in any dog

Vegeta

jwshooter wrote: »

stevoman what breed is she a springer will work well from a young age but a pointer is a another matter but a week of full hunting would be hard in any dog

tis a setter

meathstevie

Don't push the dog too far or you'll know all about having carried it for a few miles....:D

Grizzly 45

What exactly does sicken mean??Never heard the term before in dog training?

stevoman

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

What exactly does sicken mean??Never heard the term before in dog training?

I mean overworking her in the first week of the season and essentially sicken her away from hunting. Suppose its the same as us having to play a game of football 7 days in a row. come the eighth day we wouldnt want to look at football.

cavan shooter

Go out and enjoy the day, maybe go out everyother day give her a rest,and the birds a rest, theres a lot to be said allowing birds to re settle. You could push them away.

foxshooter243

me myself starting a young dog would never consider a full day, the emphasis has to be on steadiness , as the smell of fresh scent up a young dogs nose plays havoc with your training...slow and steady and youll have a better animal in the long run...seen to many young dogs started prematurely that eventually ended up hunting the next valley instead of the one the shooter is in....

stevoman

foxshooter243 wrote: »

me myself starting a young dog would never consider a full day, the emphasis has to be on steadiness , as the smell of fresh scent up a young dogs nose plays havoc with your training...slow and steady and youll have a better animal in the long run...seen to many young dogs started prematurely that eventually ended up hunting the next valley instead of the one the shooter is in....

my bitch could be one the fast track to that already im afraid!

foxshooter243

when i introduce a dog to shooting, i do it without a gun, instead having someone else along to shoot, the dog recieves my undivided attention.
cos its at this time all previous training can quite quickly become undone.
a dog will soon realise his" raison d,etre" or his reason for being and that is to hunt, and fresh scent and young dog = temptation.
i would work him for one hour and then retire him for the day, and would intersperse his short hunting trips with normal training, until your 100 per cent positive that you can take your eye of the ball so to speak, cos when you reach for the gun the dog will realise quite quickly that your attention is elsewhere, and will react accordingly.
ive lost count of the huge number of 9 month wonders that ive heard about only to see them strangley disappear of the face of the earth in no time, you cant put an old head on young shoulders , and the introduction to hunting is a testing time..remember your investing your time in a project that should leave you with a dog for many seasons..dont wreck him on your first!;)

whitser

if your bitch is only starting,i would leave the gun at home, so you can concentrate on working the dog not getting off a shot. it doesnt matter how many days you hunt more how long you hunt for. if you go out for an hour each day the dog will be fine,but if your each day for a few hours thats too much.
theres a saying with hounds, hunt 2 days kill the foxes,hunt 3 days kill the hounds. if your heading out for a full days hard hunting i would give her a 2 day break in between. also a dogs fitness will play a big part here,if shes had plenty of exercise all summer a full days hunting will be fine, if shes unfit ease her into it. all imo.