German Shorthair pup help
 

I just got a German shorthair puppy and i was wondering if anyone could help me out with a few questions.

First i was wondering if it is a good idea to get my puppy nuetered or if will affect his hunting ability?

Also i was wondering what the best first steps were to take when starting to train the dog to spell and point birds, i am getting the basic commands and yard training done now but just wanted to know where to go after the basics.

Is a shock collar a good idea for training or is there any other training aids anyone could recommend?

Thanks for any help you guys can give me

DL55

Ya, DoubleLung55. I have the sympathy, same worry with you on my dog.
So I have to turn to my friends for help and they advised me to get a shock collar. Actually I hadn't heard this thing before. So I just search on eBay and found this shock collar.
I found it so useful beyond my thought. I believe a shock training collar will help you a lot.

Stop right there! You do NOT NEED a shcock collar. Not even close! With 2 posts i willing to bet that is spam.

Now spaying or neutering a dog will not harm the huntablilty of the dog at all.

Want to learn to train the pup yourself - do look for a North American Versatile Hutning Dog Assoc. Chapter in your area as the cover most of the USA and Canada.

They (at the chapter level) will help to train you to train your own pointingd go before and after the shot on both land and water. It ain't rocket science but one does need help.

I for one like to let a dog socialize with me first and be a pup before I put lots of pressure on it to hunt. Exposing ti to birds at an early age is good. And I always start teaching the basic commands of Here, Kennel, No at an early age.

But do look at NAVHDA.

JW

Get this book and read it, "How to Help Gun Dogs Train Themselves" by Joan Bailey. Disregard the part about bang pans while eating. Introduction to gun fire should come later.

I use the shock collar as a recall tool and use it very sparingly. I will initially use my normal command (whistle, voice, whatever you use) to recall. If she won't listen, the beeper is used as a warning. If the warning doesn't work, then I'll use low stimulation increasing in levels as needed. Places I use it; training in open fields and hunting fields. These are places where her safety can be jeopardized, ie. near a road, someone's property, etc. Where safety is in question, I need as close to 100% obedience as possible. I don't use it in yard training and everyday running the dog.

Before putting the collar on, the dog must know whats its for. It can really screw up your dog if used unwittingly. Shocking a dog on point or pinning a bird down may make the dog avoid birds.

Read the book then look up NAVHDA chapter. Ask 50 members and you'll get 50 different ways to train your dog - all of them being the way God intended it to be. BTW, the book is a pre-cursor to the NAVHDA book. By the time you finish the book, you should know which of the 50 ways you want to use.

Thanks alot for the tips guys! My pup is just starting to obey on the "come, Sit, Heel and walk" aspects of the yard training and he is now potty trained, I will look into the book and continue to introduce him to the birds, thanks for all your help!

DoubleLung

I'll second NAVHDA. If you join up with these guys, and apply yourself. You'll end up with a useful versatile hunting companion.

For spay-neuter. The current thinking is to wait until the dog/bitch is full grown. 2yrs.

Good luck with your new pup!

If you do get him neutered, I'd wait until he's fully grown, usually they are by the time they are one and a half. I don't think it affects their hunting ability or energy level much, except for maybe a few weeks after the operation. Those dogs are just so nuts anyways. An e-collar is a great tool SO LONG as you know how, when, and where to properly use it. I was actually able to break my dog from wanting to run after every deer he sees with the ecollar, which I never thought was possible for any hunting dog, considering their prey drive. I'd suggest reading up on the ecollar and reading excerpts from dog trainers about how to use it properly.

We have had great success with the e-collar, everyone had their different views on it, but for us we love it. We have the sportdog brand and it comes with a dvd and a manual on how, when, why to use it! I don't see anything wrong with it as long as u use it properly.

Ive trained hunting dogs for 40 years. Mostly GPS..Brits....the last few years ive taken on one chocolate lab name Maggie....started with her at 15 weeks...basic OB trainning..sit stay come..a lot postivity....no hollering....I let the dog tell me when it was over and always took a goody bumper with me......and I did this for a good few months...when she knew all the commands...that's when I collar trained her only to enforce what she already knew.,so a collar is just a tool that we use to enforce...not for bad behavior..a lot of good dogs have been ruined by miss use of them..so do you basic OB trainning have fun doing it and don't take you frustrations out on you young dog.....end the trainning on a good note...Ive had my sportdog 800 for 6 years in and out of water and its never let me down....goodluck. Honkers

JW,you are right.we all like to rush things. for me, a dog that listens is no.1.its hard at times.
my SMALL MUNSTERLANDER is 15 weeks and he is starting to not listen as much as he did at 12 weeks.

but i have no plans for e-collar, old school for me and i just dont want to use it as i never needed it .
but if it works, i say give it try but before i would ever do it i want someone that has used it to do it, NOT ME.