I've owned bird dogs for over 30 years, and after training several of my own dogs, I started training dogs for the public on a part-time basis. Today I continue to take a very limited number of dogs for training where I prefer trained retrieve work (FF) and starting dogs with both bird and gun intro. Most weekends from Oct through Feb/Mar, I can normally be found running my dogs on wild birds where I usually carry just an I-phone or GoPro but I do shoot a few birds from time to time.
I don’t do this anymore, but this spot would usually yield about 5-6 birds in less than 15 minutes. After that, all of the birds had been harassed and were either gone or too spooked to wait for me and my net. In all the times that I did this, I was stopped by a cop just once. He asked really out of curiosity and left when I told him I was netting pigeons.
I have another (longer) video that goes into more detail but it’s not difficult to teach. Give it a try! But only use it when you’re reasonably sure that the dog will successfully find a bird.
I haven't access to birds. Can break her from pointing a lizard, use flirt pole and easy, wait, clap hand and get it ... toy. Going from take it on treats to hunt close and using in yard online when environment is winning. Have been using positive reinforcement with Susan Garrett s games. Would love that fence here.
I realise you released this a few years ago, so may not look back, but I've two questions. I see this command working but I'm not sure why it's used or why it's important. I've had two Vizslas, but neither were used /trained for hunting. Now I'm looking to get another and definitely want to train it. I'm not a hunter due to vision problems, but if I fully understand the training, I can probably do most of it, and maybe there will be someone who can take care of actually seeing/shooting the game. In any case, thank you for the video.
Many dogs can be serviceable gundogs without ever learning the word whoa, but whoa is needed for those who want their dog to stand steady to wing and shot or for those dogs that just need help in planting their feet at the scent of a bird.
@@jonatanskarsvag9139Thanks. That’s the pup that I kept out of my September litter. She will occasionally drop to her belly which she does in the video, but she is very stylish. And she’s a strong birdfinder which surprised me considering her age.
@@Payton1221 That is exciting! Nothing like a strong wild bird finder. I'm already looking forward to autumn's adventures with her. Love to watch it!:)
I fired a shot, and I like and use guns that fire 209 primers: plenty loud and very inexpensive. Camera person is usually my 23 year old son, and he'll appreciate your compliment. But I agree: he does a good job.
I noticed at the point the dog backed/honored the silhouette you changed birds, putting the one in hand back and getting one from the inner bag. Did you have shooting birds in one, and recall homers in the other? Just curious.
I had to rewatch that but YOU’RE RIGHT(!!!): I had one “shooter” in the bag and the rest were homers. I mention in the video it was “bird number one” for that (second) workout and the dog really surprised me by backing so well on bird #1. I did these same exercises last night with a Brittany that had never been taught to back, and by Bird #6, she backed like a champ. Obviously more work is needed to be fully proofed, but she definitely understands the concept.
I don’t think so because the DT launcher is a combination receiver and servo motor in one. The DOGTRA is a receiver that sends a signal to the separate solenoid that actuates the unit.
Books are $20. I can either request the money from you via PayPal or you can send me a check. Email me at payton1221@yahoo.com with how you want to proceed. Thanks in advance!
Perfect example Mark. My five month old was introduced in Montana running with my 10 year old several hundred yards from me, chasing wild sharp tails. Now she sees the gun coming out of the safe and she’s ready to go!
My dog Andi has a similar response to the ecollar. When we get out of the truck, she comes right over to me, then turns from me so that I can place the collar on her. The association is obvious: an ecollar means an opportunity to hunt!
Thanks Jimmy. There are probably shooters who consistently shoot either behind or in front of their target with guns that don’t fit them such that their POI is either to the left or the right of their POA and the result is hitting a lot more targets in one direction when the errors cancel out and a lot fewer targets when the errors are additive.
Jonatan, thanks. To be honest, I'm probably average at best but I used to be terrible so I do know a few things that will help one's shooting and I emphasized what I truly believe are the two biggest reasons people miss. That side-by-side I bought surprised me when I patterned it. It was shooting high and left, but I resolved it with a higher (high-viz) sight and I actually bent the stock myself (it was an inexpensive used gun so I wasn't worried about damaging it). There was probably an element of luck too, but my POI now coincides with my POA.
I love that gun. Less than 7 lbs when loaded, and you can still operate it lightning fast. The clay target “chip” that I shoot at the beginning of the video was done with the 37.
Great lesson on gun fit and gun mount. I’ve only pattern my gun with different chokes. Never have tried the multiple firing like you did to see how the gun fits. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks. I was disappointed when I saw the results of the new double barrel that I bought. After researching for this project, I actually tried to bend the stock of that gun, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked! With me shooting high and to the left, I bent the stock to the right, but addressed the elevation problem with a higher front site. Other than ruining the stainless steel pan of my wife’s for the hot oil to drip into, the experiment was a total success 😂
Yes, but many, if not most, hunters only require that a dog be staunch, ie, that the dog remain pointed until they flush the birds. There are pros and cons to having a staunch dog, and there are pros and cons to having a steady dog (ie, one that remains stationary even after the birds have flown). I mention in my steady to wing and shot video that you wouldn’t want your dog to chase during this training if you are going to steady the dog later.
@@Payton1221 thanks Mark. What should I do differently if I want to teac my dog to stay steady to flush, shot and fall? Should I prevent the dog from chasing?
@@patricelapointe8550 Watch my steady to wing and shot video. It all starts with a SOLID, S-O-L-I-D(!!!), understanding of what whoa means and your ability to enforce it via the belly band. But, yeah, you don't want to allow him to chase when you introduce birds during the whoa training. That's one time when a helper and a checkcord can assist you and your belly band to teach whoa.
@@Payton1221 thank you. I’ll go and check your other video again. I also need to research about the belly band to better understand it. My dog is 2 years old and so far we only used e collar around her neck. Thanks again
@@patricelapointe8550 the advantage of the belly band is that it makes it extremely easy for the dog to understand. Stimulation to the belly means stop. Stimulation to the neck means turn or recall. The disadvantage to the handler is that it requires two ecollars and the handler has to toggle correctly based on what you are requiring of the dog.
I feel like it was younger than most to point a wild bird and to hold it until I got there 😬. I’ve seen it look better but she’s a keeper if she’s proves to be a good birdfinder.
@@aaronpatterson2462 I’m guessing you field trial your dogs. Correct? We have so few wild birds around here that I have to prioritize (wild) bird finding and (wild) bird handling as a top priority, but all things being equal (which they never are 😉), I like a nice high and straight tail too.
Mark, can you offer any advice on re-homing my GSP? He's about to turn four. I've been working with him and hunting him since 2020. I've never experienced a dog with such a strong desire to hunt, and I appreciate him very much, but lately he's been agressive around my children and their friends. I no longer believe that he's compatible with my household and think it best he's with someone that has a better arrangement for him. Any advice you could offer would be much appreciated.
I had a dog that liked to fight other dogs about 25 years ago, and I made the same decision you did: I found another home for him. I suggest trying to sell the dog at one of the hunting dog selling sites like gundogcentral.com and just be as open and honest as you were in your post. Don't downplay your concerns. Just say that in your opinion the dog is best suited for someone who ________________ (fill in the blank as best as you can). It's a hard decision, but as a father who raised two children and now has two grandkids, the risk is just too great IMO.
@Payton1221 Well, that's about as good advice as I could've hoped for. I've been talking with other GSP owners, and I think I may have him neutered and give it one last try. In your experience, can neutering a rather high-strung male that is otherwise innocuous, save for certain triggers, make him generally more docile, particularly around such triggers? Thank you much! Your content is excellent!
The more important selection is picking the right litter. There’s more variations between litters than there are between individuals within the same litter.
Hi Mark I’ve just started watching your channel, and enjoyed a lot of good info and ideas, I live in Utah and hunt wild chukar, and would be interested in your pups
Thanks Brett. The female that I'm keeping is as birdy as I've ever seen, and when you turn her loose, SHE HUNTS! She's not just running around. She's looking for birds every step of the way.
Nice video Mark. I enjoy watching your training videos. I train my 10-year-old German Wirehair pointer and now I’m working on eight month old Katie German Wirehair pointer. I had her in Montana and North Dakota and she’s coming along very well naturally backing thanks for sharing your time and videos.
Thanks Rich. I can’t think of a better way to start a dog than with lots of opportunities on wild birds! If you got any photos of your young dog on point, I’d love to see them.
Garmin 550 Plus (it shows distance and direction only),and Andi will sometimes flag singles. Ironically, she consistently looks best on pigeons 😳. Most dogs that flag will often flag pen raised birds and look great on wild birds.
That was fun to watch. I took my GSP (not quite 2 yet) hunting wild grouse, woodcock, pheasants, and quail this year. The transformation brought on by truly wild birds is beautiful to watch.
I hunt gambles quail in New Mexico with English setters and they act way different from bob whites. They run and run and run till the find thick cover than they hold well. And they covey into giant groups of at least 15 birds.
