What is the next step towards hunting?

[twsnow18]

Will someone experienced with training pups for hunting or any similar experience please tell me what to do with my black 10 week old pup. I'm only 19 and this is my first puppy but this is the progress we've made so far. I've been working mostly on obedience stuff. He can sit, lay down, come, shake, down, and drop so far and he will fetch his tennis ball for short 10 yard retrieves or so. I've let him get used to every type of bird wing and he wants to chew on all of them! I dragged a duck through the yard and hid it in a bush a few times and he found it pretty quickly. What is the next thing I should be working on? Should I not just let him chew on bird wings, I want a birdy pup but not one that thinks its ok to eat game?

[Adam]

We should not hunt the animals.We should love them because they are also a natural creation of God.What is your opinion about this?

[vangogh]

You should buy the book waterdogs. It's old but it will tell you everything to train a great hunting dog!! Hunting over a good dog can not be matched.

[Dani]

I answered this in your other thread in training but here is my response again:

tie duck wings to a bumper. and let him have fun retrieving that. at this point make it FUN. If you force too much on him it will backfire...QUICKLY. Get him consistent with watching you and responding to commands...and don't really let him chew on the birds yet...just exposure for now is fine. If you can hook up with a training club nearby, great...take him around where he'll hear gunfire (but not directly next to it or directly exposed to it) so it isn't a big deal. FUN FUN FUN. Always end on a good note and keep him wanting more...I wouldn't get all bent up on specifics yet. In the meantime, while he's growing, pick up some of Evan Gram's smart works training videos and books and educate yourself and find a GROUP. It's great to train with others...you won't really be able to implement force fetch or holding stuff for a while at this young stage....just keep it LIGHT. I can't stress this enough. BOND with your dog and everything else will fall into place.

[Dani]

We should not hunt the animals.We should love them because they are also a natural creation of God.What is your opinion about this?

Go away troll.

[twsnow18]

Sorry I posted it over there and didn't see this hunting section so I posted it here too. Cool, thanks for the information I really appreciate it. I have heard lots of good things about Evan Gram's work I'll look into it. As far as tying bird wings to bumpers, I feel like he will just chew on the wings when I throw it for him to fetch.

[twsnow18]

I do love him regardless thanks. You probably haven't hunted much with a dog, like vangogh said, nothing beats that kind of companionship...

[windycanyon]

Find a retriever training group so you can get the pup on live birds early on. build the desire first, the stamina/perserverence later.

[GulfCoast]

I would suggest you order Cherylon Loveland's puppy book, and either Jackie Mertens "Sound Beginnings" DVD or Evan Graham's puppy program. Keep it FUN for the puppy, and find a local retriever club!

[murphsmom]

We really liked evan grahams DVDs! Very fun stuff!