Just starting out

[Redbeard]

Looking good.

Also, the dingo looks a bit thick...

they all do

Mrs. Assa gonna drop kick you into next week.

Ha. I grew up with em. They're all built like Jerome bettis no matter how much ya run en

Ah, "all" heelers. Thought you were referring to all in the clip.

I'm ballsy, but not that ballsy

[assateague]

Rick, she was ready to kick my rear when she first watched the clip, as we were both unaware that her ass made a couple of accidental appearances, prompting me to immediately crop the clip. Could've been ugly had I not watched it first.

[Redbeard]

Hey Jim...ya may already realize this but something I've experienced and I'm sure some of these other guys might agree, but try not to get into the habit of training in the same field or same place too often. I'll be the first to say I'm guilty of it, mostly out of laziness. Charlie would get to where he would run a drill to perfection at one field, then the next day struggle with it somewhat at a different field, simply because it was new. Started rotating locations and saw great improvement. Then as the season draws near, I spend a lot of time at some of our actual hunting spots.

You probably already know this, but was just something I thought about while out today with the dogs

[assateague]

Any advice is appreciated. I'm trying to take Ricks advice from quite a while ago, and just enjoy him being a puppy. Only come, sit, and his name at this point. Maybe wrong, I don't know. But I do know that if that bastard won't look at me when I call him, most other stuff is hopeless.

On a side note, he went batshit crazy tonight on a dead rabbit in the yard. I didn't even see it- one of the barn cats must've caught it and chewed the head off. I thought he was putting the stalk on a leaf, then he started growling like he wanted to start some shit. I got him away from it after allowing his curiosity to be satisfied, only to watch The Dingo cone up and roll in it. She smelled wonderful.

[Redbeard]

Any advice is appreciated. I'm trying to take Ricks advice from quite a while ago, and just enjoy him being a puppy. Only come, sit, and his name at this point. Maybe wrong, I don't know. But I do know that if that bastard won't look at me when I call him, most other stuff is hopeless.

On a side note, he went batshit crazy tonight on a dead rabbit in the yard. I didn't even see it- one of the barn cats must've caught it and chewed the head off. I thought he was putting the stalk on a leaf, then he started growling like he wanted to start some shit. I got him away from it after allowing his curiosity to be satisfied, only to watch The Dingo cone up and roll in it. She smelled wonderful.

I'd have to agree with Rick 100%. But once ya get heavy into field training just try to keep in mind to rotate locations

[jarbo03]

Any advice is appreciated. I'm trying to take Ricks advice from quite a while ago, and just enjoy him being a puppy. Only come, sit, and his name at this point. Maybe wrong, I don't know. But I do know that if that bastard won't look at me when I call him, most other stuff is hopeless.

On a side note, he went batshit crazy tonight on a dead rabbit in the yard. I didn't even see it- one of the barn cats must've caught it and chewed the head off. I thought he was putting the stalk on a leaf, then he started growling like he wanted to start some shit. I got him away from it after allowing his curiosity to be satisfied, only to watch The Dingo cone up and roll in it. She smelled wonderful.

Remember, the prey drive for all game is strong. Rick is roght, let them be pups. I would still be throwing something that is easy to retrieve, I bet he would. Let the instincts come naturally, but encourage them if they are ready.

[assateague]

Will do. That was one thing the breeder stressed a lot- not only for training, but the dog goes everywhere possible, just for the sake of going, also. Which is good, because he's got a trapline to run this season, since he's not hunting. And I like the company most other places, too.

I've got several parks, fields, and ball fields spied out already, since I remembered you (or someone) talking about this.

[assateague]

Any advice is appreciated. I'm trying to take Ricks advice from quite a while ago, and just enjoy him being a puppy. Only come, sit, and his name at this point. Maybe wrong, I don't know. But I do know that if that bastard won't look at me when I call him, most other stuff is hopeless.

On a side note, he went batshit crazy tonight on a dead rabbit in the yard. I didn't even see it- one of the barn cats must've caught it and chewed the head off. I thought he was putting the stalk on a leaf, then he started growling like he wanted to start some shit. I got him away from it after allowing his curiosity to be satisfied, only to watch The Dingo cone up and roll in it. She smelled wonderful.

Remember, the prey drive for all game is strong. Rick is roght, let them be pups. I would still be throwing something that is easy to retrieve, I bet he would. Let the instincts come naturally, but encourage them if they are ready.

Sonofabitch goes crazy for those pheasant wings. He likes getting the one I throw, and the other is on a string. Acts the fool constantly, and cracks me up.

[jarbo03]

Any advice is appreciated. I'm trying to take Ricks advice from quite a while ago, and just enjoy him being a puppy. Only come, sit, and his name at this point. Maybe wrong, I don't know. But I do know that if that bastard won't look at me when I call him, most other stuff is hopeless.

On a side note, he went batshit crazy tonight on a dead rabbit in the yard. I didn't even see it- one of the barn cats must've caught it and chewed the head off. I thought he was putting the stalk on a leaf, then he started growling like he wanted to start some shit. I got him away from it after allowing his curiosity to be satisfied, only to watch The Dingo cone up and roll in it. She smelled wonderful.

Remember, the prey drive for all game is strong. Rick is roght, let them be pups. I would still be throwing something that is easy to retrieve, I bet he would. Let the instincts come naturally, but encourage them if they are ready.

Sonofabitch goes crazy for those pheasant wings. He likes getting the one I throw, and the other is on a string. Acts the fool constantly, and cracks me up.

Awesome, that's what you want. That prey drive is what makes it easy to train, like I said before, you control the prize. Don't focus on pointing now, it will happen naturally. All I know is rhat if it is alive and an animal, Taz wants to kill it. 3 radult rabbits and a raccoon so far in my back yard. I let it happen, as long as he doesn't chase when we are bird hunting.

[NuffDaddy]

To teach my dog to point, we took a fly rod and ties about 8 foot of string on it with a wing tied to the other end. All we did was flip it around and let her chase it for about 1/2 hour.
When he runs after it flip it away just before he gets to it. It's important to make sure he never actually catches it though. Because a pointing dogs natural insuring is to stalk, they should resort to that once they realize they can't catch it by chasing it. Then when you feel he is ready, you can begin with the WHOA command and teaching him to hold instead of stalk.

[Rick]

Hey Jim...ya may already realize this but something I've experienced and I'm sure some of these other guys might agree, but try not to get into the habit of training in the same field or same place too often. I'll be the first to say I'm guilty of it, mostly out of laziness. Charlie would get to where he would run a drill to perfection at one field, then the next day struggle with it somewhat at a different field, simply because it was new. Started rotating locations and saw great improvement. Then as the season draws near, I spend a lot of time at some of our actual hunting spots.

You probably already know this, but was just something I thought about while out today with the dogs

There's an old training axiom that a dog hasn't learned something until its demonstrated it in three places. They're situational or compartmentalized learners, which can be both good and bad. Bad if you can't discern or overcome a missing cue Pup is expecting but good in that something like one of the dog's handler's laxness won't seriously affect its performance for a more demanding handler. (IE: play training run amok with the kids will have negligible impact on serious training with a primary handler.)

I use compartmentalization to advantage in training by getting handler oriented training down pat in on set of training areas, where Pup learns I'm the only source of entertainment, while also letting Pup develop independent search and learn what only the field can teach (like using the wind) in another set of areas, where I interfere as little with Pup's explorations as safety allows, before gradually bringing the two together. That way Pup is focused on me when we're doing OB or retriever training as "the only game in town," rather than hoping I'll release him to explore and hunt. And when we're working on independent search and field lessons, Pup's free to focus on those, rather than looking to me for instruction.

[Redbeard]

I hear ya

[assateague]

Growing like weeds, the both of them.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1376344016.417624.jpg

[assateague]

So far, Dutch has been introduced to gunfire (.22, with some "nuisances" on the receiving end) and a goose call (although this one was initially accidental, when Layniebug blew it in the house). I have since parlayed the "it's necessary for sensitization" card into me blowing the call in the air conditioned house instead of the hot as blazes shop.

He handled both excellently, wanting to come sniff the call (which is very loud in the house), and just giving the gunshots a passing glance as he went about his business, which was stalking a chicken.

[jarbo03]

That's awesome

[Tomkat]

Growing like weeds, the both of them.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1376344016.417624.jpg

Great picture!

I think dogs pick up on the owners emotional feelings towards guns/gunfire.

Pack member freaked out-dog freaked out.
pack member happy around guns-dog happy.

I dont have anything at all to back that up, but it makes sense to me. All I know is my dog never had a problem with guns from a very early age on. Ditto for water.

Brandy hit a point in her puppyhood where she got real excited anytime I cracked out a gun (which was frequently).
To this day she will often come bounding up, wagging her tail, and try to lick any gun I am carrying.

[assateague]

Growing like weeds, the both of them.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1376344016.417624.jpg

Great picture!

I think dogs pick up on the owners emotional feelings towards guns/gunfire.

Pack member freaked out-dog freaked out.
pack member happy around guns-dog happy.

I dont have anything at all to back that up, but it makes sense to me. All I know is my dog never had a problem with guns from a very early age on. Ditto for water.

Brandy hit a point in her puppyhood where she got real excited anytime I cracked out a gun (which was frequently).
To this day she will often come bounding up, wagging her tail, and try to lick any gun I am carrying.

I'd be inclined to agree with this. Makes sense to me.

[Redbeard]

Growing like weeds, the both of them.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1376344016.417624.jpg

precious

[Redbeard]

Growing like weeds, the both of them.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1376344016.417624.jpg

Great picture!

I think dogs pick up on the owners emotional feelings towards guns/gunfire.

Pack member freaked out-dog freaked out.
pack member happy around guns-dog happy.

I dont have anything at all to back that up, but it makes sense to me. All I know is my dog never had a problem with guns from a very early age on. Ditto for water.

Brandy hit a point in her puppyhood where she got real excited anytime I cracked out a gun (which was frequently).
To this day she will often come bounding up, wagging her tail, and try to lick any gun I am carrying.

so does that mean your dog hates...aww never mind

[3legged_lab]

Growing like weeds, the both of them.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1376344016.417624.jpg

Great picture!

I think dogs pick up on the owners emotional feelings towards guns/gunfire.

Pack member freaked out-dog freaked out.
pack member happy around guns-dog happy.

I dont have anything at all to back that up, but it makes sense to me. All I know is my dog never had a problem with guns from a very early age on
. Ditto for water.

Brandy hit a point in her puppyhood where she got real excited anytime I cracked out a gun (which was frequently).
To this day she will often come bounding up, wagging her tail, and try to lick any gun I am carrying.

so does that mean your dog hates...aww never mind

Fish?

[sws002]

Brandy hit a point in her puppyhood where she got real excited anytime I cracked out a gun (which was frequently).
To this day she will often come bounding up, wagging her tail, and try to lick any gun I am carrying.

My pup is the same way, can't get a gun out of the safe to clean it without her going apeshit. It even got to the point before I moved to Michigan that when I would come back for the weekends in college, I couldn't even open the door to my old man's truck without her losing her mind. She knew that me driving that truck meant we were going hunting.

[assateague]

Hard at work. Pigeons start tonight.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1376491530.301166.jpg

[Flightstopper]

Get ready for Bat. Shit. Crazy.

[assateague]

Yep. He was one focused sonofabitch. I have a video, but it sort of sucks, because the pigeon went backwards, under the wife's truck, then under and out the back of my Jeep, and by the time we got around with the camera he had caught it. Fucker took off like a bat out of hell, under and around the vehicles. Not a care in the world. Very focused, though, I'll give him that. He was very pleased with his birds tonight, as was I with him in general.

Dutch30.jpg

Dutch17.jpg

Dutch18.jpg

Dutch25.jpg

Dutch8.jpg

Dutch7.jpg

Dutch15.jpg

[jarbo03]

Awesome pics Jim, Dutch is lookin good. Pic of him with bird lookin at camera is a keeper, goes on the wall.

[Feelin' Fowl]

Awesome pics Jim, Dutch is lookin good. Pic of him with bird lookin at camera is a keeper, goes on the wall.

Agreed. That picture is awesome.

You two are going to be some bearded sumbitches!

[Redbeard]

Great pictures Jim! He gonna be a fun one to watch grow up

[AKPirate]

Awesome Jim

[Flightstopper]

Winning!

[Rick]

'Course now that you know he likes them, you're gonna have to convince him he can't catch them without your help...