Need Advice On My German Pointers

[gouldy257 79]

i have two six months old pups and i have the dog one carrying back fine but when i throw the dummy for the bitch she lifts it an starts to run round an round an wont come near me i haven't done alot of work with her now,,,as i don't no to let her sit now for awhile now or ............?????? she comes back fine to me when she hasn't got the dummy... let me no if you've any ideas please its frustrating as i don't no what to do

cheers..

 

also what age would yous recommend for me to start my pointers on the trail of a pheasant?

Edited February 15, 2013 by gouldy257

[wyeman 1,177]

Make sure you carry out retrieving training with only one dog present otherwise there may be jealousy issues.

 

Take the bitch to a fresh piece of ground that she is not used to. After letting her have a short scamper throw the dummy and as soon has the dog picks the dummy up, call her and walk or even run from her, encouraging her all the time. Don't take the dummy off her straight away, but praise and stroke the bitch whilst she still has the dummy in her mouth. You then need to build on this success.

 

In relation to gamefinding, I would be introducing the pups now.

[gouldy257 79]

Make sure you carry out retrieving training with only one dog present otherwise there may be jealousy issues.

 

Take the bitch to a fresh piece of ground that she is not used to. After letting her have a short scamper throw the dummy and as soon has the dog picks the dummy up, call her and walk or even run from her, encouraging her all the time. Don't take the dummy off her straight away, but praise and stroke the bitch whilst she still has the dummy in her mouth. You then need to build on this success.

 

In relation to gamefinding, I would be introducing the pups now.

 

 

 

thanks alot will be trying that,, i try walking back but no good hopefully running should attract her with it as shes a energetic bitch

cheers mate :thumbs:

we usually trail the pheasant in a pair of tights should i do it now at this age or wait to round 8 months thanks again

[remi700 99]

I wouldn't be teaching a pointer to retrieve at all. From my experience if you train them with dummys at an early age it can cause them to run after birds on the flush in anticipation of a retrieve. They generally pick it up for themselves. As far as birds goes, as many as you can show the pups at this stage. The more the better but make sure you have a long lead on the dogs to keep them from running in and chasing. Bad habits can develop very quickly.

[wyeman 1,177]

Dogs will run in if they have not been correctly trained!

 

Once she is returning to you with the retrieve, don't overdo the retrieving training otherwise she will come to expect to retrieve. But by far the most important part of the training is the basic obedience, without that you are on a hiding to nothing, particularly with a wide ranging dog like a pointer.

 

Good luck.

[stroller 341]

All of the above is good advice but try a retrieve with your back to an obstacle like a wall or hedge she cant get through and just sit down after she has picked the dummy up. When she comes in to investigate make it all a good game. Im not sure about not teaching pointers to retrieve for me its important that its all a big game from an early age. Maturity will come eventually at around 12 years old

[echo 24]

I would only get her to retrieve indoors,preferably down the hall way.Untill it is a 100 percent successfull i would,t try it outside.

[gouldy257 79]

thanks lads will take all into consideration an take time with her

[the.. hunter 4]

I have a gsp of 18months old he is a falconry dog so I have never trained him to retrieve but I have recantly got my shotgun license so I wanted to see how he is with guns so I took him to my local shoot to stand behind the gun line to see how he was. While I was out I gave him one retrieve and he was exelent. He was never trained from pup but he just has it in him. After a couple of weeks of small close easy retrieves on a shoot day. He is now the best dog on a days shooting. He will find any bird runner or dead and pick it up and bring it straight in. What I find very good is that if the bird is dead he will go straight in and pick it up but if the bird is alive he will point and hold his point for as long as I ask him to which is very important for the falconry work I do with him. I am also training a cocker spanial at he moment and i will throw the dummy out and he will pick it up and run straight back to me with no encoragement but I will then make a big fussof him before touching the dummy. Too many people go straight for the dummy without parsing the dog first. If you have trouble with the dog running away from you or dropping the dummy before reaching you then walk backwards until she comes in again

[amholland 0]

Ive got a English pointer and ive started training with her just the basics heal&sit without the whistle just now, she was out with the lurcher at the weekend, got a kill and she bloody ran off with the bunnie so got my work cut out for me with this one, with her beening backward im finding it harder train is this normal?

[amholland 0]

Her parents are Irish fantastic workers too so shes off working stock

[shooter90 1]

i have two german pointers my self had they where my first gun dogs and had the same problem, i got a place close to my house was a very narrow lane where my dog could not get past me or run round me and threw the dummy there until they came to my hand took a couple of days and i took each dog separate , as for working them on game i never started working them until i had them trained to the whistle hope that helps.