04fox8 168 Posted October 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2013 Hate when people tell me a gun dog can't be a pet aswell. My 2 year old springer (amber) is more like my child than a pet. She lays on the sofa sleeps on the bed continually wants to play in the house THEN out comes the gun or were at our local game shoot helping out and she turns into a different dog eyes wide and alert and paw up sitting eager to please. I've had many of argument with guys telling me I can't treat her as a pet aswell as a working dog then they see her working better than there dogs and then ask would you sell her. This has happened 3 times now with the best offer of £700. When Im training her im very strict and don't let her away with anything. Best advise I can give is be strict not aggressive, And let it be a pup and enjoy it, it wont last long. When we first got Tex i was only 16 and it was my dad who had final say so he was asking the lads on the shoot advice etc...anyway they said if you're getting a dog it MUST go outside otherwise if it's in the house it will soften up and refuse to work in the cold etc :hmm:which is a load of bollocks! Mine both sleep out in the kennel and have the run of the garden but come in the living room when someones in and the pup sleeps on the couch lol no worries about them going soft whatsoever when they swim in the north sea all year round!! Read it a lot, that if they are kennelled, they're easier to train. Our 1 will be kennelled, but not for that reason. Being a complete novice, I just want to minimise any faults which I / We may cause. Quote Link to post
Nik_B 3,790 Posted October 30, 2013 Report Share Posted October 30, 2013 Hate when people tell me a gun dog can't be a pet aswell. My 2 year old springer (amber) is more like my child than a pet. She lays on the sofa sleeps on the bed continually wants to play in the house THEN out comes the gun or were at our local game shoot helping out and she turns into a different dog eyes wide and alert and paw up sitting eager to please. I've had many of argument with guys telling me I can't treat her as a pet aswell as a working dog then they see her working better than there dogs and then ask would you sell her. This has happened 3 times now with the best offer of £700. When Im training her im very strict and don't let her away with anything. Best advise I can give is be strict not aggressive, And let it be a pup and enjoy it, it wont last long. When we first got Tex i was only 16 and it was my dad who had final say so he was asking the lads on the shoot advice etc...anyway they said if you're getting a dog it MUST go outside otherwise if it's in the house it will soften up and refuse to work in the cold etc :hmm:which is a load of bollocks! Mine both sleep out in the kennel and have the run of the garden but come in the living room when someones in and the pup sleeps on the couch lol no worries about them going soft whatsoever when they swim in the north sea all year round!! Yeh that's just that macho crap from years ago. The trainer (really a behaviorist) I have right now is not in to the gun dog scene but knows way more about how dogs think and what motivates them than any of the gundog trainers I have met....and I've met a few lol. She's teaching me how to get the dog to want to do things for me and basically how to create neural pathways/networks it's fascinating stuff Quote Link to post
Nik_B 3,790 Posted October 30, 2013 Report Share Posted October 30, 2013 Read it a lot, that if they are kennelled, they're easier to train. Our 1 will be kennelled, but not for that reason. Being a complete novice, I just want to minimise any faults which I / We may cause. Unless the reason you are kenneling is to keep the house clean/dog free I really don't think it is needed and in many ways could be a bit detrimental to the dog, I wouldn't want to live outside ina kennel on my own for 23 hours a day. If you ahve multiple dogs then I would agree that the kennel is best but dogs are very sociable animals and need to be around people or dogs. Just something to bear in mind and could save you money We did use a crate when we got ours through 1 Quote Link to post
Philluk 181 Posted October 30, 2013 Report Share Posted October 30, 2013 Have to say he is sort of right, kennelled dogs are better, but before you snap my head off, I only mean for field trials they are only focused on work there is no play, out of kennel work or training and back in a kennel. It's not much of a life, unless it's done by professionals who take them out for a few hours a day. I'm not saying yours or mine, and right now I'm sat on the sofa on iPad springer is laying on her back to my right, the work cock is on the rug by fish tank, but I've just come back from setting up my new nv scope and washed his feet so he not allowed on sofa. Be interested to know how many FTC live in houses, I'm sure there is a few I agree dogs should be part of family our lives work around dogs, I have a kennel outside its great as I can hang deer in it so dogs don't get at them. Dogs that spend 23 hrs in kennel need more stimulant but when it comes to working on those wet February days I do feel sorry for mine in cold water. I have pets that work, not other way round. Horses for courses I guess Quote Link to post
Peter Tierney 0 Posted October 31, 2013 Report Share Posted October 31, 2013 The journey you are embarking on is frought with succes and failure , I have never trained a gundog in my life but was trained how to command gundogs , Simple Straight forward instructions. You blow that wistle you want a reation you dont get one get out to the dog and correct it , All drumed in to me in the same way the trainer had drummed it in to genorations of dogs. Go on a training day for handeling is my advise Its the human that makes mistakes How can you teach some thing you have never been taught , not saying you wont achievie it but a day with an old hand is well worth it Good luck Fair Point.As mentioned before, I've got a spaniel trainer close to me, Plan is to try and spend some time with him. I'll just be watching and learning. whoes you're trainer mate Quote Link to post
04fox8 168 Posted October 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2013 Gordon Sutherland. Like I say, I don't know him personally, but know his brother very well. Quote Link to post
Peter Tierney 0 Posted November 1, 2013 Report Share Posted November 1, 2013 Think he's a field trial judge hel keep you right mate Quote Link to post
andy97 209 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Anyone who thinks Labs are docile lumps can come and meet mine labs are very smart clever dogs I have 2 nice and lean fit as a fiddle was recalling and sitting on whistle at 9 week old there far fro docile id like to see a springer do that Quote Link to post
Nik_B 3,790 Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 Mine greets people at the front door by thrashing their legs with his tail. It actually really hurts lol Quote Link to post
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