Thanks Daleh

The reason i asked the e-collar question is because i heard many people saying that the e-collar is a cruel way to train the dog and that it can even cause damage to the dog. Is there other ways to train hunting dogs e.g. the ear pinch or is the e-collar the best way?

The Collar is just a tool. not for punishment.
Correct use of this tool gives you a cordless check cord that can be used at any distance.
In starting yard work the first thing i do is work on comming to you
I use (Here) as the command
with a long check cord and leather pinch collar around the dogs neck.
I let the dog run around and pull the cord to me calling here the whole time. after a few repitions of this saying, here and pulling 1 time the dog comes to you i do this for a few days.
Then i put on the collar at very low volatage give the dog a constant stimulation pull the check cord and say "Here" when the dog starts to move to you let off of the collar. (Positive Reinforcement)
Using the collar in this method it does not effect the dog what so ever.
In fact the e-collar is only replacing the pinch collar. the dog should not even notice the difference between the two.

Thanks again daleh

You've been a great help!
I'll let you know how things get on later this year

Exactly how young is this dog?

Well... like i said before am getting the puppy in the summer but when i get it i think it will be around 7 to 8 weeks old.

7-8 weeks the pup is really just a baby. Idon't need to buy aecollar just yet. You're looking at a few months down the road. But you can use the wingon a stick. At this point,making sure he doesn't have accidents indoors, socialization and bonding will be your most important things.

Whenyou get him, put the crate next to your bed. Do that a couple ofnights. You need to wake up every few hours to lethim out to use the bathroom. Be consistant with your hours.

Set up the crate on a hard floor, ie. tile floor, like the laundry room if you are going to keep him indoors. Use a baby gate to block it off, do not use the door. Door will isolate him. Never use the crate for pushiment. It'shis safe place.

Socialization: take him everywhere. A kids ballgame is great,an outdoor mall, a dog park, etc. The more exposure tothe public the less chance of the dog being aggressive.

*What you can do to 'train' him. There are a few other littletricksyou can use (not really secrets but they don't put it in books for some reason).

When you feed him, use a whistle to call him. Eventually, he think whistle = good.

Buy the thinnest nylon chord about 20'-30' long. This is the check chord.Go outside and toss his favorite toy.Get down on your knees and call him to you. Praise him when he does it right like its the biggest thing in the world. You can do indoors using a hallway, no check cord, doors closed.

When walking him, don't let him tug on the leash. Do a quick jerk, with just as much force as he's tugging. Eventually, this will lead him to heeling.

If you want a good dvd, but Huntsmith's 'Puppy Development Video'. That with the NAVDIA book should get you started. Another good book is Paul Long's book. You can teach heeling and woahing using his method at around four months. His method, you use a card board tube to bop him on the head. Itonly startles the dog and doesn't hurt him. Use a pinch collar with his method and you rarely have tobop him.

Concerning the ecollar. Some say use it right away, some say one year old. I started mine at nine months.Be very careful with it. Used wrongly and you can create more problems. The dog has to be mature enough to understand the command he is getting corrected for. You also have to know where to put it. Point of Contact or POC. Look at Daleh's pic, the poc is around the dog's belly. That is generally used for 'woah' training. Read up on how and where everyone successfully uses it before buying one.

Ok

Thanks a lot
I'll let you know how things get on