Got a new bird dog but he chews up the bird.HELP.

[buck_hunter14]

I took my bird dog out a few times in these last few days and he loves to hunt but he wont bring the bird and he chews it up.what should i do.(he is a english springer spainel he is 5months)

[Don Fischer]

Ya got one mistake compounding another. You don't have a bird dog, you have a puppy! Your puppy might come when you call it but, a distraction, and it does it in it's own time. You have a puppy that has no need to be given a bird at that young age and it's doing what a lot of puppies do, chewing up something that taste good.

Knock off the birds and let it grow up. If you want to play feach, do it with a small bumper, better yet a large wooden dowel. Teach it all the yard work befor you intro,,,make that re-introduce the bird. Then when you do, make it a frozen bird. I never start a dog on bird work until they are at least a year old, sometimes older.

[deaconspoint]

Ok, I'm not a pro and I will tell you now that I start my dogs a little earlier than most. If you want to keep that young pup on birds then start him retrieving frozen birds to help with the chewing. You may run into trouble as he may not want to retrieve a frozen bird. I have a young Springer that will hardly even pick up a down bird until he has gotten to chase a shackled one. It's like a light comes on when he gets to chase that bird then he is non slip.

When I have dog that is hard mouthed I will use a slightly larger frozen bird like a chukar. It's harder for them to chew when the mouth is so full. If they still want to chew I'll wrap that bird with a strand of barb wire. It works. The key is not to be in too big of a hurry. Know that the pup is going to make mistakes and give him many chances to do it the right way.

You can start a dog young as long as you are not affraid to handle them easily and give a little. Or you can wait until their older and miss letting them have all that fun. Let him be a kid and enjoy him. If he chews birds then don't let him retrieve them unless you are right there to get the bird before he can eat it then work with him in his off time with frozen birds and wire. One thing to consider is how long you let him hold the bird in the field. If he has it for a while or you let him run a round with it then it's kind of natural to start chewing on it. Try turning your back to him and walking or running away while calling him in. As he gets to you then reach out and take him in. Pet him and praise him before taking his bird. HAVE FUN!!

Tim

[Don Fischer]

That's a nice picture. How did you get it in there? I can't get photobucket photo's to go.

Might add to what has already been said, when you start on retrieving again, use a check cord and never make a retrieve of over 20' until the dog is perfect there. That would be the length of the check cord. If your dog is on a check cord there is no place it can go but to you! Next, the dog will probally not willingly give up the bird at first. Don't fight with it or fool with it's mouth at all. Hold the collar under it's chin with one hand and scratch it's chin. With the other hand go over the top of the dog and pet it's off side. After several stroke's, hook your two middle finger's under the flap of skin where it's leg attache's to it's belly and lift getnly just as you give your release command. Move your other hand to the retrieved object and the dog should spit it out so it can reach back to remove the irritant of your finger's. AS SOON AS YOU HAVE THE RETRIEVED OBJECT, STRAIGHTEN OUT YOUR FINGER"S AND LET THE DOG GO! You'll have the object in hand and no fight. If the dog turn's hard mouth, the only way I know to fix it for sure is force retrieve training.

[deaconspoint]

I used a browser called "flock". It's hooked up with photobucket somehow and once the pics are in there you can view them on top of your browser and post them in a variety of ways. It's pretty cool!! I think you can do the same thing through photobucket, but I'm not sure how exactly. When I signed up for photobucket recently it gave me a link to get flock.

Here it is:http://photobucket.com/flock

Good advise on the retrieving too. I am not a pro and my ways are a little different than some. Got some pretty good pups though. Must be the breeding!!

Tim

[Don Fischer]

There are many different way's of reaching the same end. The way's I suggest are way's I found worked best for ME at a stress level no higher than I want to put a dog thru. I am sure there are more way's of accomplishing the same thing's at low stress level's. I'm low key and low stress when I train.

By the way, I still can't get that photobucket to work, even with the flock part.

[deaconspoint]

If you use flock as your browser you can have your pictures in a scroll bar across the top of the computer. When you are on a forum like this one just mouse over the picture you want. It will give you three options. Paste a small pic, paste a large pic and paste a large pic with code. Grab the picture and drop it in your post. Some forums you have to use the picture with code. This one you just use the regular picture. Now show me a picture so I know you got it.



Tim

[Don Fischer]

Well here goes. Seeing as we're talking dog's here:

[Don Fischer]

Her goes another try. Do I really look this dumb??

[Don Fischer]

Wow. Seem,s so simple!