# Dog Training Resources for a Novice



## Russ J (Dec 11, 2009)

This year I found that I love to hunt birds, both waterfowl and upland. I have hunted with and with dogs and I find that everytime I go out with a dog I am wishing I had one of my own. They make the whole experience that much more enjoyable and rewarding. The problem is I am not much of a dog trainer. I would like to get a bird dog but I do not want to get serious about one until I am confident with and have the experience of the training of my current dog (not a bird dog by any means, he is a Boston Terrier). I have mastered the basics of sit, down and some others, heck he can even play dead for a treat. He is a good family dog and is well mannered but not as refined as he should be. If I can master the obedience training, even some of the skills a bird dog would need such as fetching and retreiveing to hand, with him then I can feel more comfortable getting serious about a real bird dog. 

So heres the question. What resources do you recommend for learing to train a dog both of a non-bird dog and also a bird dog?

Thanks,

Russ


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## huntall (Sep 11, 2007)

1. Get a book or two on obedience training.

2. Find a good suitable breed that will work your waterfowl and upland hunting.

3. Find a good breeder that is willling to help you every step of the way in training your new pup.

If they are a good breeder, they have had the experience of training and handling that breed and will likely see many of the same traits in the pup that they saw in the mother and possibly the father. Who could be better qualified to train that breed/ family of dogs than the man/woman that trained a parent and did the breeding.
If they are breeding for the right reasons, they will do everything that they can to help you and your dog succeed, because you and your pup succeeding means that they have succeeded in their breeding program.

4. The price of a pup is the smallest investment that you will make in the dog. When you choose a pup/litter pay attention to the pedigree and the breeder well before worrying about the price.
by the time you buy all of your training equipment, dog houses, kennels, e collars,food, vaccinations and the occasional vet visit the price of the pup is peanuts.

for example my Drahthaar pups are $900 but you'll get every pennies worth if you are willing to tag along and train along with me.

Later,
Matt

www.coldwatercanyon.weebly.com


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Russ J- I am in a similar situation. I have never really trained a dog for hunting before, and honestly, I did very little obedience training with my parents' golden, but I have a dog on the way, and I have been studying my brains out to figure out how to train him. I can tell you that once you start studying, it all becomes very clear, and I can tell it will make even more sense once I get my pup and start training. I would say make sure you are ready to make the commitment, then go for it! If you want it bad enough, you'll do what it takes to make it work. 

Of course, I may eat my words after the pup actually comes home!


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## Russ J (Dec 11, 2009)

Thanks Chaser. I am a lot as well. I still trying to decided what type of dog I want. Probably a Lab. What breed of dog are you getting and what made you decide to on that breed? Good luck with it and let me know how it goes.


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## Texscala (Sep 8, 2007)

Get out with a few guys and watch how their dogs work and ask them how they got them there.

Figure out if you want a flusher or pointer. Even though the season is over there is still time to run dogs on birds so find someone and go watch and learn.

I am of the belief that less is more. My pup learned most of what she does by running through the hills and encountering birds in the wild. I was lucky to have a schedule at the time that let me get the dog out a ton during the first 18 months and think it did her well.

I don't consider myself much of a trainer but feel I have a pretty good dog.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

I agree with everything huntall wrote. 

I commend you, Russ, for wanting to properly plan for your dog purchase. I will say that you can't teach a kid to play baseball by having him read a book. Wanna be a good dog trainer? Get the dog. You'll learn. It takes time, dedication, daily practice, willingness to learn from your mistakes, etc.

Lastly, fork out the cash for one of Matt's pups. I know they're a healthy chunk of change. It's a chance to save you from yourself. I promise. :wink: I paid a hefty sum for the dog in my avatar. My breeder was a top competitor in field trials at the time. He invited me out for some free lessons that were invaluable to me as a trainer. I learned at the hands of an expert. Now I own a dog who knows how to handle birds in the swamp.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Russ J said:


> Thanks Chaser. I am a lot as well. I still trying to decided what type of dog I want. Probably a Lab. What breed of dog are you getting and what made you decide to on that breed? Good luck with it and let me know how it goes.


Let me preface this by saying I have done quite a bit of homework on it all, and I made the decision for ME, personally. You should definitely do the same, as you may find that a different breed or different needs may suit you more properly.

I have always wanted a bird dog. Not just a hunting breed, but a dog that flat-out hunts. I hunt a lot of different birds, so I wanted a breed that would be good all-around, but not necessarily excel at or be limited to any ONE thing. I wanted a dog that would get in the water after ducks or winged upland birds with no hesitation. I wanted a dog that has a good nose, and drive to really get after the birds. But I also wanted a dog that would be good around the house. One that would make a great pet and companion as well as hunter. While I have heard great things about wirehairs, and other "ugly" dogs, they just weren't for me. So I felt that a lab would best fit the bill. My extended family has owned black and yellow labs, so I have always wanted a chocolate to round out the "collection" so-to-speak.

After doing some research, and getting opinions and advice from a lot of different guys on here, I found that most chocolate labs can have problems if they don't come from a reputable breeder who knows what they are doing. With this in mind, most of the $200-$300 chocolate "hunters" you find on KSL classifieds were out of consideration. I was contacted by another member of the UWN who just happened to be planning a breeding of his dog, who comes from a great pedigree, to a dog over in Idaho, who also has an outstanding pedigree. I asked him a lot of questions. He was able to give me references, and talked me through all of my concerns. I think the best piece of advice that I got during the whole process was to choose the right litter, and don't worry about the rest. If the parent dogs are awesome, and have a pedigree to back it up, you can rest assured that the pups will be good as well.

While I could have spent a grand or more on my pup, I felt like if I found the right litter in the $500-600 range, it would be sufficient for what I was after. If you would like to get in touch with the gentleman who I am buying my pup from, shoot me a PM, I'd be happy to give you his info. It's really fun picking out a pup, but it really stinks to have to wait once you've made the decision! I'm sure it will be well worth the wait though.


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## Donnerhund GWPs (Sep 12, 2007)

Russ J said:


> This year I found that I love to hunt birds, both waterfowl and upland. I have hunted with and with dogs and I find that everytime I go out with a dog I am wishing I had one of my own. They make the whole experience that much more enjoyable and rewarding. The problem is I am not much of a dog trainer. I would like to get a bird dog but I do not want to get serious about one until I am confident with and have the experience of the training of my current dog (not a bird dog by any means, he is a Boston Terrier). I have mastered the basics of sit, down and some others, heck he can even play dead for a treat. He is a good family dog and is well mannered but not as refined as he should be. If I can master the obedience training, even some of the skills a bird dog would need such as fetching and retreiveing to hand, with him then I can feel more comfortable getting serious about a real bird dog.
> 
> So heres the question. What resources do you recommend for learing to train a dog both of a non-bird dog and also a bird dog?
> 
> ...


Russ, 
NAVHDA is all about helping people train their bird dogs, and become better handlers. If you would like to come to one of our Training days, I would be happy to sponsor you so you can get an idea of what NAVHDA is like. If you like what you see, you can join up. You will also have the opportunity to see many different breeds work. We have members who own GSP, WPG, Visla, Wiem, GWP, BDB. One member is anticipating arrival of his Spinone Italiano. All breeds are welcome but, you wont see many flushers since much of the field work is geared toward pointing.

Let me know if you are interested. Here is a list of our training days:
http://utahbirddogs.com/forum/viewtopic ... 22d360abe4

I'll post here on UWN also


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## Sprig Kennels (Jan 13, 2009)

i would suggest join


Russ J said:


> So heres the question. What resources do you recommend for learing to train a dog both of a non-bird dog and also a bird dog?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Russ


join a local club and get to know some of the locals that train dogs.


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