Welcome guest, is this your first visit? Create Account now to join.
  • Login:

Welcome to the NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.

Terminator Night Vision NZ


User Tag List

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 19
Like Tree32Likes

Thread: How old is too late for training? GSP pup

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    Lincoln
    Posts
    34

    How old is too late for training? GSP pup

    Hey team, just wanting the 10 cents of people with more dog experience

    I’ve been offered a GSP dog that’s 6 months old and has been on a farm it’s life. Nothing wrong with the pup that I can tell, it just was never sold. It’s well socialised with the farm dogs but has had no training that I know of. Is it too late to get a pup like this and train it up for the basics of hunting?

    Both parents were keen hunters and I’m pretty realistic about how it might go. The end goal is more of a companion animal for the hills, I don’t expect it to lead me onto animals like top dogs do.

    Thanks in advance for the help

  2. #2
    Gone................. mikee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Nelson, New Zealand
    Posts
    9,812
    never too late as long as you have patience and persistence and are not a scone do'oer cause that rubbs off on the dog.
    Only issue I see is won't be house trained but even thats not hard assuming you want him to be a house dog

  3. #3
    Member Chur Bay's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Cambridge
    Posts
    1,683
    Definitely not too late. I started my dog at 2.
    Woody, Micky Duck and mimms2 like this.

  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Marlborough - Pelorus Sound
    Posts
    5,455
    6 months no problem
    My best GSP was 13 months age when I got her and had a couple of bad habits to iron out (Possums being one - Rabbits the other)
    Woody likes this.

  5. #5
    Member Micky Duck's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Geraldine
    Posts
    24,797
    you missed out on all the puppy fun/love...but if has been on farm and well socialized with other dogs,you are ahead in some ways..no trained at all???? it must come when called or it would never have been fed......sit and come and get your hairy bum in behind are the three most important early lessons to learn.... 6 months isnt too late.
    my Father taught his 9 year old pig dog to work sheep...with patience anything is possible.
    rugerman, Woody, Steve123 and 1 others like this.

  6. #6
    Gone................. mikee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Nelson, New Zealand
    Posts
    9,812
    Quote Originally Posted by Micky Duck View Post
    you missed out on all the puppy fun/love...but if has been on farm and well socialized with other dogs,you are ahead in some ways..no trained at all???? it must come when called or it would never have been fed......sit and come and get your hairy bum in behind are the three most important early lessons to learn.... 6 months isnt too late.
    my Father taught his 9 year old pig dog to work sheep...with patience anything is possible.
    I prefer to get my pups @ 10-12 weeks preferably and even better if they have been running with their older brothers/cousins etc.
    Usually they have been taught proper doggie etiquettet unlike the "puppy preschools" that seem so popular with the "townies" and I is one!!
    Micky Duck likes this.

  7. #7
    Member Micky Duck's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Geraldine
    Posts
    24,797
    yes that age surely is ideal.....hopefully this 6 mth old has picked up good habits and manners....

  8. #8
    Member rugerman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Horowhenua
    Posts
    3,195
    As others have said age is not a problem. Although I think the saying should be "you can't teach an old owner new tricks". A dog can always learn if you teach it and have the patience and consistency.

  9. #9
    Member Ftx325's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2020
    Location
    Nelson
    Posts
    3,128
    We have been looking into this with remmy ( 10 odd months old now) and everything we have read etc has said that before going hunting , as MD said , you must have the basic commands rock solid . It would seem most (vizslas at least) aren't hunting until 18 months or more !
    Well our boy got his first animal last weekend , pointed and held point until I pulled the trigger .
    We are very happy with that after the last episode when he chased rather than pointed .....
    rugerman, Steve123 and Micky Duck like this.
    born to hunt - forced to work

  10. #10
    Member Ftx325's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2020
    Location
    Nelson
    Posts
    3,128
    Yay remmy !!

    Name:  IMG20211002191252.jpg
Views: 652
Size:  5.95 MB

    Only a goat I know but gotta start somewhere...
    born to hunt - forced to work

  11. #11
    Member rugerman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Horowhenua
    Posts
    3,195
    That's great FTX
    I bet you can barely remember all the chaos a few months ago

  12. #12
    Member Ftx325's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2020
    Location
    Nelson
    Posts
    3,128
    Quote Originally Posted by rugerman View Post
    That's great FTX
    I bet you can barely remember all the chaos a few months ago
    Oh I remember all right ... but I think the family as a whole would struggle now to imagine life without the little furry bugga around . He's certainly had a major impact on our lives which was entirely unexpected .
    Like having another child .
    rugerman and Steve123 like this.
    born to hunt - forced to work

  13. #13
    A shortish tall guy ROKTOY's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Nelson
    Posts
    3,414
    @Ftx325 That's a great result with Remmy. I am still working on manners with our young dog. At 2 years she has only just started to grow ears.
    Ftx325 likes this.

  14. #14
    Gone................. mikee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Nelson, New Zealand
    Posts
    9,812
    Quote Originally Posted by Ftx325 View Post
    Oh I remember all right ... but I think the family as a whole would struggle now to imagine life without the little furry bugga around . He's certainly had a major impact on our lives which was entirely unexpected .
    Like having another child .
    first two years seem to take forever and last 10-12 seem to sadly just fly by
    rugerman, ROKTOY and Ftx325 like this.

  15. #15
    A shortish tall guy ROKTOY's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Nelson
    Posts
    3,414
    Quote Originally Posted by mikee View Post
    first two years seem to take forever and last 10-12 seem to sadly just fly by
    Yep, can attest to that, we have one at each end of that spectrum. Seemed only a few years ago I picked up our Huntaway for the farm. He is 11 now.

 

 

Similar Threads

  1. Better late than never
    By Noswal in forum Introductions
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 06-05-2020, 07:00 PM
  2. Better late than never
    By charliehorse in forum Introductions
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 14-07-2019, 07:13 AM
  3. Better late than never!!
    By Southcity in forum Introductions
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 31-03-2019, 08:35 PM
  4. Thanks Gun Nut- Sorry it's a little late
    By Willie in forum Projects and Home Builds
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 10-02-2019, 06:16 PM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Welcome to NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums! We see you're new here, or arn't logged in. Create an account, and Login for full access including our FREE BUY and SELL section Register NOW!!