training a springer spaniel pup

niall_b73

well i am pretty new (as fresh as they come ) to the whole hunting thing.

basically i take it that firstly the springer spaniel would be most hunters dog of choice (i no there are others and it is down to personal choice) but from what i have read here and on other sites this seems to be the case.

secondly, from a pup are the springers had to train to do most of the basic hunting commands.

thirdly, is it hard for a complete novice to train the dog. (and i mean a complete novice)

lastly is there anywhere online that i could read up on training a springer and training myself....

niall_b73

ps...... i need a springer spaniel :P

blackstairsboy

Welcome to the hunting scene first and there is plenty of knowledgeable people on here to help you out.

There is no reason anyone with the time and dedication could not turn out a well trained springer. My advice is put as much time and effort into the pup for the first year to 18 months then you can reap the rewards for the rest of the dogs working life. There is plenty of good books out there to get you started or else just find someone with a good springer that you like the way its trained and stick to their advice.
Take your time in buying a pup my thinking would be wait until the season is over start looking in March or so as most serious lads with good dogs would obviously wait until the season is over before putting there bitch in pup. There will be a few accidents that might be very well bred but if it was me I would wait. Also you will have the advantage of the long summer evenings ahead of you to get training your pup.;)

niall_b73

blackstairsboy wrote: »

Welcome to the hunting scene first and there is plenty of knowledgeable people on here to help you out.

There is no reason anyone with the time and dedication could not turn out a well trained springer. My advice is put as much time and effort into the pup for the first year to 18 months then you can reap the rewards for the rest of the dogs working life. There is plenty of good books out there to get you started or else just find someone with a good springer that you like the way its trained and stick to their advice.
Take your time in buying a pup my thinking would be wait until the season is over start looking in March or so as most serious lads with good dogs would obviously wait until the season is over before putting there bitch in pup. There will be a few accidents that might be very well bred but if it was me I would wait. Also you will have the advantage of the long summer evenings ahead of you to get training your pup.;)

thanks for that, as for time on my hands i have nothing but time at the moment.
another question if you dont mind me asking:
now i no a pup from working parents would be great but what about a pup who's parents never worked......... would that pup be impossible to train ?

thanks
niall_b73

dev110

niall_b73 wrote: »

well i am pretty new (as fresh as they come ) to the whole hunting thing.

basically i take it that firstly the springer spaniel would be most hunters dog of choice (i no there are others and it is down to personal choice) but from what i have read here and on other sites this seems to be the case.

Hunters use a springer for all types of shooting, duck, snipe, pheasant, pigeon. They are a great all round dog.

secondly, from a pup are the springers had to train to do most of the basic hunting commands.

This is hard to say as it is really down to the dog. I was looking with my springer as he toke up everything very quickly some might take longer.

thirdly, is it hard for a complete novice to train the dog. (and i mean a complete novice)

No. I was a novice trainer this time last year and I feel that I turned out a good dog.

lastly is there anywhere online that i could read up on training a springer and training myself....

The book I used was Training Spaniels by Joe Irving. Great book!


I got my springer pup this time last year and I had plenty of time to drill basic commands into him and get him hunting.

One thing is not to rush a dog. Take things slow.

223Shooter

niall_b73 wrote: »

well i am pretty new (as fresh as they come ) to the whole hunting thing.

basically i take it that firstly the springer spaniel would be most hunters dog of choice (i no there are others and it is down to personal choice) but from what i have read here and on other sites this seems to be the case.

secondly, from a pup are the springers had to train to do most of the basic hunting commands.

thirdly, is it hard for a complete novice to train the dog. (and i mean a complete novice)

lastly is there anywhere online that i could read up on training a springer and training myself....

niall_b73

ps...... i need a springer spaniel :P

I'm training two six month old springers atm and they're a joy to work with. There my first gundogs and I was a little worried starting out with one much less two. That said they have taken to everything so far naturally and there's something really enthusiastic about the breed. I've done obedience work with other dogs before but like I said, never trained a gundog. 'Training Spaniels' by Joe Irving is definitely worth a read. Covers everything from choosing a pup to the first season. I've found it helpful anyway.. Best of luck choosing a pup

pheasntstalker

welcome lad to boards, best , of luck lad , you cant go wrong with the springer ,this my first proper season with my 1yr old springer jess:D:D i trained her myself with a little advice from the father in law, best advice is get the book written by ian moxon i think ian is his first name google it ,train the dog your self, have patience ,there will be times you will want to strangle the dog lol:) but it will be so rewarding when the start of the 1st season you both go out and get that first bird:D:D just take your time there is lads here that will help along with myself if you get stuck or have any questions , good and safe hunting to you. p.s

niall_b73

cheers for the advice above i guess the book is the way to go.

but does the pup have to come from a hunting bloodline or would i get away with a pup from a pet springer that never hunted.

niall_b73

dev110

niall_b73 wrote: »

cheers for the advice above i guess the book is the way to go.

but does the pup have to come from a hunting bloodline or would i get away with a pup from a pet springer that never hunted.

niall_b73

If you get a pup from working parents all you have to do is train obedience and the rest will come naturally where as with non working parents the pup might not hunt

niall_b73

dev110 wrote: »

If you get a pup from working parents all you have to do is train obedience and the rest will come naturally where as with non working parents the pup might not hunt

hmmm...... i understand what you are saying but by eck they dont half cost a pretty penny

niall_b73

snipeface

niall_b73 wrote: »

hmmm...... i understand what you are saying but by eck they dont half cost a pretty penny

niall_b73

You must be looking in the wrong place. You should have no bother picking up a perfectly good hunting springer for around the 200 mark.
Bear in mind, if you only want the dog for your own hunting purposes you don't need to shell out the extra couple hundred dollars for a piece of paper.

pheasntstalker

not trying to offend anybody,and i am not an expert, but goin from my experience and more experienced lads like my father in law among others springers are natuaral hunters,the parents mightnt have bein working dogs, doesnt mean to say the offspring cant be trained, if you watch springers even ones just pets they have there noses to the ground ,its there natuaral instinct, you can train any breed to do what you want to hunt just some breeds ie, springers, pointers etc are just better;)imho so me personaly would be too worried if the parents werent working dogs its down to you and how you train the pup/dog

niall_b73

snipeface wrote: »

You must be looking in the wrong place. You should have no bother picking up a perfectly good hunting springer for around the 200 mark.
Bear in mind, if you only want the dog for your own hunting purposes you don't need to shell out the extra couple hundred dollars for a piece of paper.

i agree totally but as i am now unemployed and have been for a few years now E200 is a lot of money.
at the moment i count my lucky stars that me missus has even let me go this far as in the licence cabnet and all the rest.

considering on a couple of sites i have seen springer pups (albeit not very many) at starting prices from about 50 euro upwards.

niall_b73

niall_b73

pheasntstalker wrote: »

not trying to offend anybody,and i am not an expert, but goin from my experience and more experienced lads like my father in law among others springers are natuaral hunters,the parents mightnt have bein working dogs, doesnt mean to say the offspring cant be trained, if you watch springers even ones just pets they have there noses to the ground ,its there natuaral instinct, you can train any breed to do what you want to hunt just some breeds ie, springers, pointers etc are just better;)imho so me personaly would be too worried if the parents werent working dogs its down to you and how you train the pup/dog

now i have to say that the above is kinda what i was wanting to hear.
if it is natural to the dog, well a bit of training can only better the situation.

take a sheepdog that was never trained...... it never stops chasing cars !!
it is programmed into them so hopefully the training should awake it in them as they enjoy it anyway....

niall_b73

snipeface

niall_b73 wrote: »

i agree totally but as i am now unemployed and have been for a few years now E200 is a lot of money.
at the moment i count my lucky stars that me missus has even let me go this far as in the licence cabnet and all the rest.

considering on a couple of sites i have seen springer pups (albeit not very many) at starting prices from about 50 euro upwards.

niall_b73

Look, you could very well pick up a little gem for small money nowadays ( i myself let the last two pups in my last litter go for 100 yoyo:( )
Just be careful who and where you buy from and i would definitely recommend you bring someone with you that has some knowledge of springers.

blackstairsboy

niall_b73 wrote: »

thanks for that, as for time on my hands i have nothing but time at the moment.
another question if you dont mind me asking:
now i no a pup from working parents would be great but what about a pup who's parents never worked......... would that pup be impossible to train ?

thanks
niall_b73

I would always recommend buying a pup from working parents. You can never guarantee that a pup will become a good working dog but by ensuring the pup is from working parents you are increasing the chances that he will make the grade. The way I look at it all dogs cost the same to feed and keep so although it might seem you are saving money by buying a cheaper pup from non working parents you are saving nothing in the end.

niall_b73

grrrrrr....... decisions, decisions.........

niall_b73

garv123

Some fellas say when the see the litter come out of the run they can pick out the best ones and the pets straight away.

A cocker spaniel is also a option. the lad i head out with has 3 and the oldest is pushing on 9 and shes still going strong and is great to put up birds.

Id also go with the working dog background, you don't want to pay out for a dog (as you said money is tight with us all) and you don't want to be let with a pet.

niall_b73

ok so i got to get this book and do a little reading firstly.
secondly, save the little extra and purchase from a hunting blood line.

rite that sorted and i am not changing my mind about the springer but how come pointers are not way up there in the same league as the springers.

in my head and having looked on youtube and the like the springer runs about and finds his target thus putting the bird in the air for you to take your shot.
ok i get this and i guess this is where the training comes into play as in you control where and how far ahead the dog is in front of you.

now dont get me wrong on this but a pointer looks like (and please do not take offence to this(please forgive me)) a lazy mans dog.....<<< i dont really mean that.
but it finds its target "BUT" waits for you to get on top of the target before you take your shot. and i really like this idea.
so i guess the pointer lets you get ready for your target whereas with the springer you have to have all your witts about you and ready to take the target asap.

like i said above i am not trying to offend anyone with this post but more so just trying to understand better in my own head the workings of the hunting dog...

niall_b73

snipeface

Jeez lad stop apologising, you're not offending anyone.

No harm in asking questions.

pheasntstalker

+1 on the advice your getting niall , i actually the good wife paid( gave me the money lol;):D) to get my pup this time last yr all i paid for my pup was 45euro:eek::eek: she came from working dogs, now back to this codswallop,again not to offend or insult anybody, ive seen springer pups that came from non working dogs turned into outstanding workers, now its argueable, but you could also get a pup from a brilliant pair of working dogs and that have all the bells and whistles but turn out to be useless, at the end of the day it all boils down to is training,what you put into it an spend at it, have the patience etc, its the luck off the draw,all im saying is doent knock pups from non working springers;) they can surprise you, springers are natural hunters eitherway,its what you do with the pup that counts;);)

niall_b73

patience, time and effort....

cheers for all the replys it is all a learning curb, but i cannot wait to get stuck in and give it all a lash.

niall_b73

kermitpwee

pheasntstalker wrote: »

+1 on the advice your getting niall , i actually the good wife paid( gave me the money lol;):D) to get my pup this time last yr all i paid for my pup was 45euro:eek::eek: she came from working dogs, now back to this codswallop,again not to offend or insult anybody, ive seen springer pups that came from non working dogs turned into outstanding workers, now its argueable, but you could also get a pup from a brilliant pair of working dogs and that have all the bells and whistles but turn out to be useless, at the end of the day it all boils down to is training,what you put into it an spend at it, have the patience etc, its the luck off the draw,all im saying is doent knock pups from non working springers;) they can surprise you, springers are natural hunters eitherway,its what you do with the pup that counts;);)

Just to make this clear as the op knows very little. There are 'show' and 'working' springers. You don't want a show dog, you want a dog from working lines, even if the parents are not workers they must be from working lines or forget about it.

snipeface

kermitpwee wrote: »

Just to make this clear as the op knows very little. There are 'show' and 'working' springers. You don't want a show dog, you want a dog from working lines, even if the parents are not workers they must be from working lines or forget about it.

Very valid point kermitpwee, and at the risk of sounding condescending i'd say show dogs are what some people refer to as non working, but as you rightly point out they are like chalk and cheese.

niall_b73

well with all that said and i value all views on the subject i guess it is common sense to look for the hunting blood line...... then if it does not work out i have only myself to blame for whatever reasons.

niall_b73

Vizzy

niall_b73 wrote: »

now dont get me wrong on this but a pointer looks like (and please do not take offence to this(please forgive me)) a lazy mans dog.....<<< i dont really mean that.
but it finds its target "BUT" waits for you to get on top of the target before you take your shot. and i really like this idea.
so i guess the pointer lets you get ready for your target whereas with the springer you have to have all your witts about you and ready to take the target asap.

like i said above i am not trying to offend anyone with this post but more so just trying to understand better in my own head the workings of the hunting dog...

niall_b73

I hope EPointer doesn't read this !!!:D

pheasntstalker

just to clarify to kermit i maybe a novice at springers, because ive only started my first season this year with my dog ,i have bein reading the books etc, but ive bein advised and helped by a man who has 30yrs plus training his own dogs, so i do know the difference between a show dog and a working dog;) this same lad that trained a springer pup from non working parents that turned out to be the best dog he ever owned:eek::eek: the point im trying to make is it doesnt matter eitherway be the pup from working perants or not it can with the rite training ,time and petience turn into a great working dogs,or not same go,s with the pup from good working parents could turn out brilliant or useless, its down to the luck of the draw and the training;)

pheasntstalker

:okermit sorry lad ,misread your post i thought your having a pop at me:o:o the effects of hangover, and bleary eyes:o:o me bad,adminstering slaps to back of head to self now lol:D:D

irish setter

niall_b73 wrote: »

now dont get me wrong on this but a pointer looks like (and please do not take offence to this(please forgive me)) a lazy mans dog.....<<< i dont really mean that.
but it finds its target "BUT" waits for you to get on top of the target before you take your shot. and i really like this idea.
so i guess the pointer lets you get ready for your target whereas with the springer you have to have all your witts about you and ready to take the target asap.

like i said above i am not trying to offend anyone with this post but more so just trying to understand better in my own head the workings of the hunting dog...

niall_b73

pointers and setters were bred as a specialised dog to work vast areas where game is few on the ground

niall_b73

irish setter wrote: »

pointers and setters were bred as a specialised dog to work vast areas where game is few on the ground

would a springer not also pick up on these scents as well ?

niall_b73

Spunk84

Pointers and setters are as it was said above are a specialised dogs, the same as Labs and spaniels. You choose your dog to suit your hunting needs. i.e if you have alot of cover and big ditches there's not alot of work for a pointer but would be ideal for a spraniel or lab.if you have alot of flat ground/bogs or heather a pointer/setter maybe a good choice.

A pointer use the wind for scent as well as on the ground and a springer will pick up the scent on the ground. A pointer will cover a field quicker than a springer IMO I've seen some unbelievable setting dogs of the years that will cover a field in a minute or so, point a bird and not budge until you come to the shot. The same with spaniels and labs going thru cover after a bird that you would not think a rabbit would get threw. different breeds for different purposes

charlie10

i too was in the same boat as you. and i thought about a springer but i was drawn to a german pointer ,and early on in his training i was thinking "why didnt i get a springer", but now that he is working so good i wouldn swop him for anything , say what you like about watching a springer working but there is something very special about a setting/pointing dog, and he is as universal as a springer in that he will go to water and loves it, take a look at epointers dog and that last video he posted of that unreal retrieve . every house hold should have a pointer !!:D

niall_b73

well i will be for the most hunting farmland/countryside but also some bog as well.

how do i get to see the video you mentioned above

niall_b73

charlie10

here ya go enjoy!! scroll down and you will find it and many more
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055775778&page=19