question after my pups first hunt??

[MNpurple]

Today was my 7 month old lab pups first phesant hunt. We went to a game farm and bought a few birds and hunted extras inthe field. Overall I was thrilled. She didnt know what was up at first but after the first bird flushed and I shot it, the light bulb turned on. It was like she knew why we were there. We were working fields and it became clearly obvious when she was birdy, the head would go down, the tail would wag and the level of intensity in her was amazing. She even tracked a winged rooster and caught him. Way more than I could have asked for and I'm hopefully this is a sign of great things to come.

The only issue today was that she was relustanct to pick up the birds after they were shot and she found them. This summer I shotpigeons over her a couple times and she would pick them up and I froze a few that we play fetch with, but it was like this new, big bird confused her. A couple times she brought me the bird if I tossed it, but most of the time she would try and pick it up then put it down or jump around it like she wanted to but didnt know how. I put the bird in her mouth a few times and she would bring it to me, but not too often on her own. Should I be concerned about this behavior with a 7 month old on her first phesants or should I take some steps to correct this action? I did clip the wings off and will use these for fetch wrapped around a dummy but dont know if there are other things I should do.

[kdvollmer]

congrats on the successful first outing with the new pup. I'm not sure I would be concerned yet. This is the first pheasant hunt with her. I thihk a couple more times out (especially the first season) and you should be well on your way to a fine hunting dog. There will of course need to be continuing training, but that is just part of it.

[Doc E]

Are you planning on Force Fetching her?


.

[daleh]

A dog is just like a child
niether knows it all or can do it all or is perfect the first time.
It is an investment in time, Patience, and learning.
Both for you and the dog

[sproulman]

take the pheasant neck home,wrap it around a rag,i used rubber bands..
then hide it around your home,or go to school grounds and hide it.
drag the bird on grass with string attached,then hide it, not real hid ,just out of sight.

make sure she does not see you do this.
after she finds it, say BACK.. some say FETCH,i use back..
dont stay 50 yds away, say about 10 yds when she finds it,bend over and say BACK.

doc e said it right way to do it but sproule way is lot quicker but not right way..

yes, 7 months is too young yet,2 years is good and 4 is better...

i trained my lab to hunt rabbits at 9 pm in dark at night with a rechargeable spotlight at public school grounds,15 rabbits come out each night,put spotlight on them, said to toby, go gettem boyyyyyyyyyyyy,trained him in 1 night, haaaaaaaaaa.

[sproulman]

ORIGINAL: daleh

A dog is just like a child
niether knows it all or can do it all or is perfect the first time.
It is an investment in time, Patience, and learning.
Both for you and the dog

you are right.
dog has good/bad days, 1 day they will hunt great, next, nope..
roll of dice at times..