Thread: Your Training schedule

How much time do you devote to your best mate in anyone week and what type of training do you all do? I live central city next to the harbor bridge so one might think my options might be limited to what I can actually do in my area which is very much coastal urban.

Every night I walk my dog as it helps me to loose the odd 10kgs here so in summer Ill fit the mankini .I am quite fortunate in the local area to have in Takapuna a large enough common area that was once the Takapuna tip which holds the odd bird -pukes ,ducks starlings and alike- there was once a few pheasants there also .
Directly below my home in Little Shoal bay I have a large park surrounded by a wet land and a good size native forest -Believe it not its right smack next to the harbor bridge in the first bay .

My walk consists of walking down to the park and letting the dog of the lead to start his stalk --straight away he starts sight pointing on the little birds and stalking --people in the park watch with amazement as he stalk -turns looks at me for a little movement of the hand to say go forward , or a shrill sound of wind over the teeth like a whistle to say move on.

Lately he has been let off and gone straight on poo point -that is to say he so wants to point the birds but wants to take a dump at the same time and is so point greedy stalks with his hind quarters facing down trying to lay that cable while not letting the feather friends out of sight.

It is interesting and a good lesson in changing locations on your dog as if they run the same ground and see generally the same bird patterns they will false point !!

The best thing with a good size park I find I can work on whistle and hand commands so basically it is obedience training all the time which helps in the field and on the trial course where manners matter -for me better manners means less frustration .

I have watched my dog zooming in on pooks finding getting close and just breaking like a beginner dog out of control chasing which as you can imagine can translate into the field .My dog has had many years without wild bird work over a gun so lacks still in some areas of perfect trust when away on point -I wish I could say I trust him 100% of the time but cannot say that although I have shot some wonderful birds over perfect points --he is stunning to watch stiffen up to the point and stalk .

The forest provides a good area to keep the dog working a bit closer but he's a Setter and like to stretch those legs -a peep on the whistle often helps to remind him that I want to see him .In the field I am using the beeper collar which he has "just "got used to so I don't mind him going out of sight as the Hawk scream lets me know he is on point --still needs to be controlled though about breaking that point when I am not there as I don't want to hear the flapping of wings and find a dog 2 miles down the road --thank goodness he is pretty good and the manners training helps that also .I also use a E collar to reinforce my commands at distance if they are not obeyed quickly -you need to think about how and why to use the E collar otherwise you could ruin your dog or be indogmane to him!!!!


Work on your dogs manners folk's and be a happier hunter

Hmmmm. Quantity dictates the training around my place and the lack there of, but I don't need them doing the flowery stuff.

When I'm home, in the morning they are all out for an empty and a quick stretch then all away again except one or two of them. These ones will get an extra 15 minutes or so just being away from the others and personal time with me, then they will go on a chain outside not in with the rest. Middle afternoon those one or two will get a bit more time then the whole crew get loaded up and away somewhere for a decent run. Electric collars onto any that need a refresher course on stock or anything else. Home watered and feed and away, then before I go to bed they are all out for another quick drink and an empty.

At work, out in the morning for a quick walk to empty then hang about outside playing, fighting, just doing dog stuff. Two hours or so later back in the box till work time which is whenever it cools a bit, somewhere around three to four hours later we are home, watered again then feed and into the box. Once I get home from nightshooting they are out for about ten to fifteen minutes for more water and another chance to empty. Repeat.

All training apart for stock proofing is done on the hill.

they are all rabbiter's Wirehunt

ElB wrote...
Lately he has been let off and gone straight on poo point -that is to say he so wants to point the birds but wants to take a dump at the same time and is so point greedy stalks with his hind quarters facing down trying to lay that cable while not letting the feather friends out of sight.

I believe that any dog worth his salt should be able to multi-function...

I give my two a run then put the older dog in the car and spend 10-15 minutes on training the youngster. Take the older one out for a bit of training then let them both loose for another run.

What are you doing Corrine when you train the younger one alone -is there a routine or any things you like to practice .I have to do more retrieval with pigeons with mine so its an automatic pick up in a trial rather than a point loosing command -lucky or unlucky enough to have a few dead pigeons in my fridge hahah

Ok elbo, what are these hounds of yours? Pigeons in the fridge? WTF?

my pointer is 8 yrs old, he gets no training on birds between seasons, 6-8 weeks out he gets a touch up on whistle commands and thats it, he gets run along the beach 4x a week with my aunties 2 dogs behind the UTV.

I take mine down the river sometimes in the summer and throw a stick for them, they bring it back most of the time

I let my dogs out of the kennel for a run, several times a day... when we move, as a pack, it's training... always.

Originally Posted by Wirehunt

Ok elbo, what are these hounds of yours? Pigeons in the fridge? WTF?

pigeons for retrieve training-still oin it and my ol boy is a English Setter

Just working on him stopping/sitting on the whistle and turning on the whistle command. Also the recall while he's on the long line and I can haul him in.

He has got into a habit of playing 'chicken' with me and hurtling past very close at great speed. I was told last weekend to stick my foot out and he wouldn't run into it. He did and his face connected with my outstretched foot. He hasn't done it since though

The biggest success I have had this week is not having the dogs screaming with excitment or having dogs bounce several feet in the air as they see me approach the runs. They are finally back out there again - and that is a story in itself (complaining neighbours - fortunately they have left).

The 'OI' worked quite well with me refusing to move until they had settled down but tonight I went out there armed with a water bottle. Two squirts and no problems. I just hope they have been quiet during the day as they are when I am home and they're locked up. I did tell the neighbours to let me know if there was any noise and a loud 'OI' should shut Steel up. Fingers crossed.

Originally Posted by HF1

Just working on him stopping/sitting on the whistle and turning on the whistle command. Also the recall while he's on the long line and I can haul him in.

He has got into a habit of playing 'chicken' with me and hurtling past very close at great speed. I was told last weekend to stick my foot out and he wouldn't run into it. He did and his face connected with my outstretched foot. He hasn't done it since though

The biggest success I have had this week is not having the dogs screaming with excitment or having dogs bounce several feet in the air as they see me approach the runs. They are finally back out there again - and that is a story in itself (complaining neighbours - fortunately they have left).

The 'OI' worked quite well with me refusing to move until they had settled down but tonight I went out there armed with a water bottle. Two squirts and no problems. I just hope they have been quiet during the day as they are when I am home and they're locked up. I did tell the neighbours to let me know if there was any noise and a loud 'OI' should shut Steel up. Fingers crossed.

The water bottle will make them start again... Stay with a methodology that asserts you over them. The water bottle might shut them up in a moment but has the opposite effect in their attitude to you. That type of methodology just leads to increased conflict eventually, sooner rather than later.

Have you tried a sonic bark collar or citronella collar ,my sonic was $30 and appears to work

Jesus wept....