new at training, needed advice about my britt. and getting him to hunt quail

[quailhuntiner1212]

im new to brid hunting i know a little but not enough. just got a britt he is about 6 months, what should i start doing now in order to get my dog ready to hunt?

[birddog3412]

Get you a bird wing on a pole let him point in but not catch it (this builds his prey drive). I usually have my pointers on birds by 6 months, but if you are just starting with him now I'd start with a wing for acouple weeks. Get you a training book and follow it.

[Vizsla Vince]

Get him out in the field as much as possible, & make it fun! Save the "training" for the yard & make the field "the happiest place on earth"! In a couple of months, you are gonna want to start to introduce him to birds. If there is a NAVHDA club in your area, go to one of their training days & ask a ton of questions.

[Centaur 1]

Is he a house pet or is he penned in the yard?

[Roland45]

in addition to the help stated above,
Condition him to loud sounds. this can be done by banging a large spoon on the bottom of a steel pot,
Only do this 1 time a day, and only when he is feeding. Start a room or 2 away. have some one watch him, bang the pot with the spoon, he will jump. like I said 1 time per day!!!, he should stop jumping at the sound in a few days, mine took 5, some take 10. when he stops jumping move closer and start all over again, 1 TIME per day!!
eventally you will be able to stand over him whiule hes eating, bang the pot, and he wont jump.
this is the best training any one can give a younger dog, hunting dog or not.
My britt is now 10 years old. since i trained her like this, she will sit on the porch with me during the nastiest thunder storms, and everytime the thunder hits, she runs out into the yard to fetch the bird she thinks was just shot. after i sound conditioned her, i took a pheasant wing and tail, rubber banned them together, and would thro them as hi and far as i could while shooting at them with a cheap cap gun that shoots the plastic caps.
This worked very well for me. i wanted a couch potato during the week, and a hunting dog on the weekends.
I did the wing on a string also, I never let her catch the wing on the string, I did hide wings in leaves and tall grass when she wasnt looking, and she alway gave them back. Rember to make traing fun, and to love your dog like its one of your kids. do not let your children manhandle, play tug of war, or make the dog growl when playing with them. Take your britt everywhere you can where there are kids. baseball games, soccor games, fishing contests, ect. this way he willknow kids are not to be feared.
Good luck, hope this helps.
Roland

[Illinois hunter]

Vince, was curious if you are a Western Illinois member (NAVHDA). Im in Central IL in the Spoonriver chapter. Id love the opportunity to come train on some new terrain a couple weekend training days and meet some new members.

[Vizsla Vince]

I am not a member, I only attended one training day @ Seneca Hunt Club. I couldn't commit the time to the club. I know the folks in that chapter are good people & would welcome a stranger. You can check the website for their schedule...
http://www.illinoisnavhda.org/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

[4evrhtn]

I had alot of success with building a small pen and keeping 3 or 4 quail in it. I placed the pen on stilts above the reach of the dogs. That in itself did way more for increasing their bird drive than anything else. Plus it is something that will direct their attention when beginning your whoa breaking in the yard. I use a piece of plastic conduit pipe 1" diam. with a pvc cap on one end and an eye bolt screwed into the end of it which a carabiner can be attached to tether the dog. Placing the pipe on the dog gives you more control than a leash or cord because it is rigid allowing you to move in front of the dog and keeping him in place.