Dog Mentality

dev110

What type of a dog do you look for?
Do you look for the hyper/energetic type or the steady, easy going type?

The reason I ask is my two year old springer is mad for work. All he wants to do is hunt. When I have him around the house he is, simply put, mad!
When out in the field he is obedient but say for example when he is on heel he will keep walking beside me but is always waiting to be sent off again.

I am wondering are the types of attitudes set in the early training stages?

When I got my lad at 3 months I would play with him and be very enthusiastic with him and I still am. Always play with him around the house.

When I look at some videos on youtube you see some dogs that are very steady and waits for orders.

Does this be instilled by being 'professional' in the puppy stages and not really playing with them?

Or do they all go like that after a few years?

TriggerPL

dev110 wrote: »

What type of a dog do you look for?
Do you look for the hyper/energetic type or the steady, easy going type?

The reason I ask is my two year old springer is mad for work. All he wants to do is hunt. When I have him around the house he is, simply put, mad!
When out in the field he is obedient but say for example when he is on heel he will keep walking beside me but is always waiting to be sent off again.

I am wondering are the types of attitudes set in the early training stages?

When I got my lad at 3 months I would play with him and be very enthusiastic with him and I still am. Always play with him around the house.

When I look at some videos on youtube you see some dogs that are very steady and waits for orders.

Does this be instilled by being 'professional' in the puppy stages and not really playing with them?

Or do they all go like that after a few years?

Ya have your dog like you rare you pup , most trailing lads hand pick there dogs and they could go trough 10 pups to get the one

deerhunter1

dev110 wrote: »

What type of a dog do you look for?
Do you look for the hyper/energetic type or the steady, easy going type?

The reason I ask is my two year old springer is mad for work. All he wants to do is hunt. When I have him around the house he is, simply put, mad!
When out in the field he is obedient but say for example when he is on heel he will keep walking beside me but is always waiting to be sent off again.

I am wondering are the types of attitudes set in the early training stages?

When I got my lad at 3 months I would play with him and be very enthusiastic with him and I still am. Always play with him around the house.

When I look at some videos on youtube you see some dogs that are very steady and waits for orders.

Does this be instilled by being 'professional' in the puppy stages and not really playing with them?

Or do they all go like that after a few years?

Every dog has its own temperament and nature, springers are always on the edge ready to go, mad for work full of energy, if your happy with him and he responds to you well, do no more to him do not break that bond or his spirit, enjoy it. Mind you they will try your patience now and then:);)

dev110

I don't intend to do anything else with my fella but just thought it would be interesting to see if I got another springer and was professional with him/her from the beginning would they turn out with a different temperament.

EPointer=Birdss

dev110 wrote: »

I don't intend to do anything else with my fella but just thought it would be interesting to see if I got another springer and was professional with him/her from the beginning would they turn out with a different temperament.

I've a thing for the alpha in a litter. This gives all sorts of challenges in the early days with giddiness, stubbornness & so on.
Once the dog matures though I like the end result. That bit more natural IMO

I dunno would you get anything better by being straight tied from the off but the real question is would either of you enjoy it any more. Odds are no so if they are turning out good enough then great...
I think your approach is spot on as you enjoy doing what you do.

If I wanted a quite say duck or peg dog I'd look for a more relaxed pup.
My springer is v good like this but I've seen much better for hunting.

berettaman

It is difficult enough to pick them at the best of times. I had a great setter once, when I went to pick him out there were about 6 pups buzzing around and this one came right up and sat beside me, and just looked at the scene. I said to the guy that I will take this quiet one, and yer man said "He's normally the mad one"!! Turned out to be a great dog.
I had a litter during the summer and you get more time to look when thet are your own and you notice the timid ones vs the mad ones etc. Timid could be a sign of intelligence too so I don't rule them out... You see them at 10-12 weeks starting to "hunt" butterflys and moths, setting at pieces of paper blowing in the wind and you think..that one has got "it". If the breeding is right, as in the hunting strain is in them, it will come out...they just need time.

dev110

This was the first springer I trained and had to learn things myself while the dog was learning. I read Joe Irving's book religiously and from what I read in that and saw on the web I should let the pup be a pup and don't do any training until 6 months.

I say if I was to change from being playful to being 'professional' I wouldn't enjoy it. My lad knows when he can play and knows when it is work time. Usually when I'm heading back home and going back over the land I had just worked I will drop the whistle and let him do his own thing.

My springer is only coming into his own now. Last year he was still learning but so far this year he as rarely but a foot wrong. I hope to shoot a more birds over him this year. They only seem to learn with the more birds that you shoot for them