Thread: 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

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

Definitely not too late. I started my dog at 2.

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)

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.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

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!!

yes that age surely is ideal.....hopefully this 6 mth old has picked up good habits and manners....

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.

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 .....

Yay remmy !!



Only a goat I know but gotta start somewhere...

That's great FTX
I bet you can barely remember all the chaos a few months ago

Originally Posted by rugerman

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 .

@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.

Originally Posted by Ftx325

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

Originally Posted by mikee

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.