Getting my first spaniel puppy next year....Is current environment suitable????

Rossenarra

Ok looking for some advice…… will be buying gundog early next year and am wondering if my current dog “set-up” will be conducive to training a new gundog. Our current dog is a German Shepard and here is the daily routine…...

Currently the German Shepard is walked every morning and every evening through field and is let run around all it wants. During the day it is not tied up or kenneled, it can go where it likes as we are surrounded by fields and a mile off a main road…..dog is let into living room maybe for an hour each night and I supposed it is a little spoiled…however she is a calm submissive dog and we never have any trouble from her when out in public….so my questions are

1. Is this routine conducive to training a gun dog
2. Should I treat it differently than the other dog
3. Should I let it have the run of the place during the day or should I kennel it
4. Will the other dog give it bad habits, as she loves to play with other dogs while out walking
5. Will the dog be having too much fun all day and won’t look forward to training

whitser

i wouldnt give a hunting pup free run of the place. defo a way to pick up bad habits. the walking is fine but when she's not supervised i'd keep her kennelled.
give the pup all the fun and play she wants,once your there. as she matures her hunting instinct will kick in and she'll looose interest in play and become interested in scent.

Mellor

I'd be inclined to go with whitser on this too,
then again, I don't have the option of being surrounded by fields.

LetFly

I would definitely keep the new pup in a kennel when you are not there to supervise it. On its own during the day your new pup will very soon start to realise that it doesn't need you with it to have loads of fun. It will start to hunt on its own and find and chase rabbits, pheasants, etc.
The main thing with a new pup (especially a Springer) is to keep it close to you all the time so that it starts to associate being close to you as the centre of all things exciting and interesting.
The pup will look to you as its master and will be really excited to be out and about with you. This makes training the pup a LOT easier as he will give you his full attention for the 10 or 15 minutes you have him out for training every morning and evening.
By all means take him out on the lead as much as possible to meet other people, dogs, livestock, cars etc to get him socialised. But when formal training sessions are going on you want no distractions at all. Just you and the new pup in a quiet field, garden or wherever.
Hope this helps.
G.

cavan shooter

Its all about training and giving the pup attention (here lies problem)

None of the springers I have owned and worked in the past have been kennelled during the day. I don't belive it's necessary (unless we weren't there). They were always allowed out around the garden, and the kids played with them only locked up at night. They never strayed or hunted on their own, even though they would go into the back field to poo. Again it's all about the training, (though they struggled with toilet paper):D

My Father had labs and I remember the dogs were part and parcel of Family life and again only locked up at night

The problem is the german shepherd, as he will want to wander as normal and he'l bring the springer with him (for want of a better expression) it is only natural. You cant stop the GS, he has done it all his life and so you'll have to control the springer by using the kennell or by electronic (invisible fence)means which I have seen used to good effect though they are expensive, they aren't cruel as you can alter the shock, and they beep before hand and it is the beep from then on that makes the dog stop. That approach gives the dog free reign and allows controls how far they can wander.

Best of luck

Rossenarra

cavan shooter wrote: »

Its all about training and giving the pup attention (here lies problem)

None of the springers I have owned and worked in the past have been kennelled during the day. I don't belive it's necessary (unless we weren't there). They were always allowed out around the garden, and the kids played with them only locked up at night. They never strayed or hunted on their own, even though they would go into the back field to poo. Again it's all about the training, (though they struggled with toilet paper):D

My Father had labs and I remember the dogs were part and parcel of Family life and again only locked up at night

The problem is the german shepherd, as he will want to wander as normal and he'l bring the springer with him (for want of a better expression) it is only natural. You cant stop the GS, he has done it all his life and so you'll have to control the springer by using the kennell or by electronic (invisible fence)means which I have seen used to good effect though they are expensive, they aren't cruel as you can alter the shock, and they beep before hand and it is the beep from then on that makes the dog stop. That approach gives the dog free reign and allows controls how far they can wander.

Best of luck

Ya was thinking about the invisible fense...don't know do I want to confine the GS..but may have to yet

whitser

have you tried hunting with the gsd? i've heard of shepard types being quite handy fox dogs. they are also used quite a bit in lurcher breeding. we used to bring out a shepard x,looked like a black shepard with a touch of lab, and he was excellent at digging out rats and working cover.

Rossenarra

whitser wrote: »

have you tried hunting with the gsd? i've heard of shepard types being quite handy fox dogs. they are also used quite a bit in lurcher breeding. we used to bring out a shepard x,looked like a black shepard with a touch of lab, and he was excellent at digging out rats and working cover.

Ya, started to bring her out lamping rabbits, she loves it......one very near miss last weekend where she had it in her mouth but hesitated.......don't think it will happen again if she get that chance

whitser

brilliant.