coonrapidsgsh

i have a german short hair and i just bought a sportdog 1200 remotre shock trainer, he is only 3 1/2 months and shows very good natural ability as well as some that ive trained him, I havent put the trainer on him yet, my question is how old does a german short hair need to be before you start them with the shock call treatment? and also what would be some good training techniques to use on him

Roost em 1st

My hunting paqrtner trains a lot of GSP. He never heats them up till there around 5 or 6 months. Primary use is for bringing them back in. He prefers a close working dog and only lets the finished dogs get rangey. We usually precede the collar work with check cords. And encourage that natural ability a lot before the collar is ever used. Birds are very important right now at this stage for your pup.

HOSS

I agree with roost em I've trained a number of gsp's and the primary use I've have for the collar is to bring em back they seem to get single minded once on a hot trail yard training and getting them used to the whisle is important for this I blow the whisle. just a short quick toot and if they aren't responding and looking for a hand signal that's when I lit em' up

2eagles

Burning any dog is about like spanking a child! Don't do it, untill the dog knows what you want him to do and he says "kiss off" (or something like that). When he defies you, then use the collar to prove to him you still have control. Before I put a hot collar on my GSP, I put it on my wrist to see how bad it is. I didn't like it, but darn it really isn't that bad. I've seen dogs outrun the range of a hot collar and others hardly react at all. Keep a cool head to keep from ruining a good dog. Jim

coonrapidsgsh

hey thanks for all the help guys, he's also having a hard time house training, and it seems like it just passes right through him when he eats something? Is this natural for a german short hair to have such a fast metabolism or should i be concerned? once again thanks for the help so far

gselkhunter

Get a poop check at your vet, make sure there aren't any problems first. Then every time your dog goes in the house, put his nose in it and tell him NO, then put the material in a paper towel and take it and him outside and put it in the potty area and tell him OK good dog. Be ruff about it, not mean, this is the point in your pups life that one of you has to be boss, if you want a good dog you better take the job. As for the collar, it is for reinforcing what the dog already knows. Be careful, if you use a collar when your dog breaks on a point and you pop him, you just told him birds are bad! The collar is a great tool, my dogs don't go out with out one on. Mine is used for a come back call or proofing. Proofing is done so your dog won't want some animals. Mine have been proofed for snakes and porcupines. To proof a dog is kind of mean, but it keeps them out of danger. Take a snake for example, let the dogs nose lead him in, tell him NO and hit the hot button. Then do it again. Most dogs will learn in quick order. You will know it worked when they avoid the snakes smell. As for when to start the collar, that would be when your yard work is done. Another time to be careful, fly aways, teaching a dog to not chase is a fine line. He is pumped up because of the bird, if you hit him with the collar and he didn't hear COME because of being pumped up, you just told him birds are bad. Question, are you whistle training your dog also? I train for whistle commands as well as voice, because they will hear a whistle sometimes when they don't hear your voice. Then you won't need to hit the button at all.
Gselkhunter

Bowtech Dually

Using a collar requires the dog being conditioned to the collar and the operator knowing how to use it, its not a tool used by a novice to save time. Trust me you can accomplish all you want without the use of the collar. The dog wants to please you just like a child, you just must be clear in what you want and teach through repetition. If things during a training session are going bad do not get mad and lose your cool just try to end the lesson on a positive note and save what you were trying to teach for another day. If the dog equates the collar to you and your training session and learning is no longer fun you can destroy the dog. Trust me leave the collars to the pro's.
Best of luck
BD

RemMod1100

Based on my experience (raised 2 GSP's from pups, trained them myself), and as you can see I don't claim to be a pro, I'd put the collar away until the dog is 2 years old. My two dogs couldn't have done a better job their first year in the field. I had spend a lot of time in the yard with a check cord reinforcing sit, stay, come. Out to a year old I think they still are dependent on you for what they are doing and don't range far. Once they hit adolescence (remember the old 1 dog year is 7 human years? Well, that makes a 2 year old a teenager) they think they've got it figured out and don't need you anymore. This is where a collar helps to reinforce in the field what they learned in the yard. I, too, have only used a collar to bring them back. As a friend of my says, sometimes you have to turn their hearing aid on. By the way, hunted with a 6 month old sired by my dog this morning. My friend has done a great job teaching him the basics (come, sit, stay) and the pup did great. Had 3 hard points on roosters and stayed steady to wing. Like I said, we'll hunt him again next season without a collar while he gets it all figured out. I think it's very important for a young dog to thoroughly enjoy himself starting out.
I screwed up hunting my lab when he was 6 months old. I got him to retrieve a bird and bring it to me, but after I took the bird he jumped up on me with his front legs trying to get the bird again and put a nice scratch on my gun. I slapped his nose and told him NO! To this day, and he is 3 now, I cannot get him to retrieve to hand. He comes within about 5 ft., sits, and puts the bird on the ground. I praise him and praise him and leave it be. I know I'm the one that screwed him up when he was young. Lessons learned!!

coonrapidsgsh

hey , thanks for all the help guys it really is coming together, still having house problems but im gonna see if I can't get that taken care of, im not gonna do the shock collar thing, just gonna teach him what I can and then send him to a pro for some of the others, even though he's only 3 months ive already had him out hunting and getting to use to the field and birds, he's already rock solid pointed 4 birds, he wouldnt retrieve but i dont blame him, the birds were bigger then he is practically lol. but we've been working with the dummies and he's retrieving and bringing em back everytime and dropping in my hand, no hard mouthing or tug of war what so ever, well this post is still open if you guys wanna share stories or what not , keep em coming

GSPsnFORDs

I'm only 21 but I've trained two of my own GSP's and helped with a few others as well as a couple other breeds. I have shock collars but don't use them unless it's necessary (I'll talk about that later on). I've always trained with a check cord and made sure that the dog understands the commands you give it. My advice is to do your basic yard training with various commands and progress to the field once you read your dog and know that it understands what you want and want you're telling it. Once you get to the field then start using the e-collar only if the dog is being belligerent and not obeying your commands. However, my opinion is that you should not use an e-collar until a dog is at least 6-8 months (depending on the temperment of the dog). I have one dog that is extremely bull-headed and the collar has never really phased him. On the other hand, my other dog is extremely mild tempered and I rarely have to the e-collar on him. Now, the only reason I ever bought e-collars is b/c my first dog (the second one, eventually) decided he liked to chase deer and the e-collar is a good fix to that. But, just b/c I have an e-collar on each dog does not mean I like to abuse the "priveleges." This might sound a little complicated, but hopefully it makes some sense to you. Just "read" your dog and use your best judgement!