Training a Lab

shopper2011

Hi all, I have a lab bitch, now 19months old. I'm trying to train her up on woodcock, pheasants and duck. I dont have large tracts of lands or am a member of a gun club. Just my own small permissions scatterd around and the foreshore licence. What Im looking for is advice on getting her to hunt and flush birds. Woodcock and pheasant in particular. I havent met very many birds this year atall as only got out twice/three times and she is complete novice.

Im thinking the penny has not dropped yet for her and would like suggestion from people, or even somebody in the leinster area with working labs who we could tag along with to see if I can get it all to click together for her.
Just anxious that season close is fast approaching and I'd like her to be alot further along than she is.

Springwell

Do you want her to hunt? Or just retrieve?

shopper2011

Springwell wrote: »

Do you want her to hunt? Or just retrieve?

Hunt and flush birds. She appears to have a good nose and uses it alot. She just hasnt flushed anything atall really. Today she walked past a snipe and it was me who put it up. I had no gun out today and wouldnt really be shooting at snipe genreally, but you understand my point?

Springwell

Difficult for a dog to learn her trade without birds in front of her or at least another experienced dog to show her the ropes as you say.

Eddie B

How many birds have been shot over the dog?

shopper2011

Eddie B wrote:

How many birds have been shot over the dog?

None so far. She's just hasnt presented any birds.

Eddie B

shopper2011 wrote: »

None so far. She's just hasnt presented any birds.

A ok. Right, a few things you have to understand. First off, that dog will not know the difference between a pheasant, or a wren. They are just birds. Young dogs pick up lots of different smells, and only experience will tell them what smells are what.

Secondly, there may not be very many birds in your area. These days it can be harder get a dog going because of lack of birds compared to years ago, when oppertunity's for success were so much more frequent.

The best advice i can give you, is to take your dog out as much as possible. Every oppertunity you can get. The more the dog gets out, the more experience it will gain, and the more chances you will have of flushing and shooting that first bird. There's a lot of work involved in getting that penny to drop. I think taking your dog out with an experienced dog could help bring on the dog, but if that's not an option, then lots of patience and persistence is the way forward.

Springwell

If you want a few dead pheasants for her to retrieve and possibly help make the connection with what she's looking for let me know.

shopper2011

Springwell wrote: »

If you want a few dead pheasants for her to retrieve and possibly help make the connection with what she's looking for let me know.

PM sent