Lost cause???

EPointer=Birdss

Lads,

I recently aquired a young setter dog of about 22 months from a friend who was at his wits end with him. (his word not mine)
Basically he has a seasons work & seems to set when it suits him.
He has good breeding.
He runs too hard & burts birds all day long then all of a sudden gets a notion to set & sets well...
He'd good to listen to commands & whistle etc & is a fine dog to find birds but it's the last bit that gets him.
He doesn't set the second he hits the scent, seems to push on harder if anything & this is his major failing.
He has birds shot so I think he is wild now as a result.

I have him now for a few weeks to see can I sort him out some way for him (Glutton for punishment I know but a big softie with dogs) as he is talking of giving him away or putting him down & the dog deserves a chance. He works away a good bit so doesn't have the time he used to have to train so I'm lending a hand.

I know he is very young & all that & might settle with time but is he worth the time & heart ache or are the bad habits he has developed some way reversable?

Just after your thoughts lads...

irish setter

hey, first the setter is young so it's def not a lost cause infact by what you say i think it could be a good one. if it were me the first thing i'd do is take him out on a few training drills just to build a relationship and trust. there is loads of ways to go about this. what i'd try first is to take him out with a proven dog but keep him on a lead and when older dog points take him in behind and stroke him talk quietly to him and encourage him to point. after a while let other dog flush but dont shoot bird and tell him what a great boy he is. only do this 2 or 3 times. also in the mean time get him used to hunting with a long rope trailing him on ground so when you try him on his own and he comes onto scent you can catch up the rope and steady him. you could try planting pigeon's using the long cord so you know where the bird is and have more control. having said all that he will prob come right in the end anyway making sure not to shoot any birds and heaping praise when he gets it right, but don't shoot birds till your sure he is doing it right more often than not.

EPointer=Birdss

irish setter wrote: »

hey, first the setter is young so it's def not a lost cause infact by what you say i think it could be a good one. if it were me the first thing i'd do is take him out on a few training drills just to build a relationship and trust. there is loads of ways to go about this. what i'd try first is to take him out with a proven dog but keep him on a lead and when older dog points take him in behind and stroke him talk quietly to him and encourage him to point. after a while let other dog flush but dont shoot bird and tell him what a great boy he is. only do this 2 or 3 times. also in the mean time get him used to hunting with a long rope trailing him on ground so when you try him on his own and he comes onto scent you can catch up the rope and steady him. you could try planting pigeon's using the long cord so you know where the bird is and have more control. having said all that he will prob come right in the end anyway making sure not to shoot any birds and heaping praise when he gets it right, but don't shoot birds till your sure he is doing it right more often than not.

Ya seems like the logical solution to go back to basics.
Considored bringing him out with my pointer but I don't want the setters bad habits rubbing off on him! I'll get on the long lead today & start from scratch I think...
Cheers

irish setter

if you do take him out with the pointer the idea is to keep the setter on the lead at all times and walk him up to the pointer on point on the lead