Hunter Rath Report post Posted February 11, 2014 I have a 10 month old liver and white field bred English springer spaniel and she is really good. To the point were I'm not experienced enough to further her training. I am looking for info and ideas on how to advance her training. I'm only 15 so nothing expensive or having to do with to much driving. Thank you. Hunter Rath. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deserthntr Report post Posted February 11, 2014 to help out we need to know how far she is trained. does she hold her points? is she broke to wing and shot? how is she on her commands? do you have her snaked trained? etc... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesPursuit Report post Posted February 11, 2014 Hunter, when I got started with my lab's waterfowl retrieving I read a few books oriented to hunting waterfowl specifically. I would recommend reading at least 2 gun dog books because one author's/trainer's methods may be more realistic for your contraints (time / $ / etc.) or in general for what you want out of your pup and experience. The first book I read, Water Dog, by Richard Wolters. http://www.amazon.com/Water-Dog-Revolutionary-Training-Method/dp/0525247343/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392129968&sr=8-1&keywords=waterdog Had great info but his methods weren't realistic for me, especially for a first timer. This book's approach is to essentially "finish" a dog in two years, and have that dog be dedicated far more to hunting/retrieving than a member of the family. I did get a TON of valuable information though that I use in combination with the more realistic approach I chose for me and my dog. The second book I read, Training the Hunting Retriever, by Jerome Robinson. http://www.amazon.com/Training-Hunting-Retriever-Jerome-Robinson/dp/1558219366/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392130170&sr=8-1&keywords=training+the+hunting+retriever Way better approach for me, it was easier to follow and I felt like I wasn't under some looming deadline if my dog, or more often ME, wasn't getting it. These 2 books probably aren't what your looking for, but the idea is there. Richard Wolters makes a couple others you may want to look into, such as Game Dog - This is written for both waterfowl and upland game birds, sounds like a good fit for you maybe? http://www.amazon.com/Game-Dog-Retriever-Waterfowl-Training/dp/0525939423/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1392130657&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=richard+wotlers I know some folks on here should be able to step in and give you great direction, but I found reading these older books gives a comprehensive look at the whole deal and it's way better than searching and organizing articles on the internet! Youtube videos are great too, but better once you know what you and your dog need to do next or exactly how to go about doing it. Spending time with my dog in the field is one of the most amazing feelings I will never be able to explain. Good luck, Hunter! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter Rath Report post Posted February 12, 2014 Ok thank you coues pursuit. I think I'll get water dog Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter Rath Report post Posted February 12, 2014 To reply to deserthntr she does not point, because springers are a flushing and retrieving dog. She is steady to wing and shot for the most part meaning she can do it but I'm still kinda working on that. She is not snake trained and has never even seen a snake. And she has some experience to the whistle but other wise they're good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deserthntr Report post Posted February 12, 2014 my mistake, for some reason i was thinking of a britt, maybe i can blame it on 6 hours of straight reading for a college class? one of the first things i would do is work on snake training, especially if you plan on using her during dove season and for flushing quail. it could save your dogs life and you alot of heartache. im sure your parents wouldnt be too happy on me suggesting using a live rattlesnake, but maybe your dad would be comfortable helping out on that, otherwise kill one and use it, although it will have a slightly different scent, the dog will get the point if you do it correctly. i use a shock collar at its highest setting for this. but i like to let the dog get downwind and start to investigate. then hit the shock collar at full blast. DO NOT say a word when you do this. the dog has to think its coming from the snake and not you because you told it no, or stay away. i hardly ever use a shock collar besides for this, because the dog can learn its the shock collar causing it, and not the snake, and the dog will hate wearing the shock collar, and sometimes not want to perform because it is afraid of doing something wrong and getting hit with the collar. good luck with the dog, and have fun. i got my first german shorthair when i was 14 and its a blast to put in all the work training and watching it all come together. also, dont push the dog too hard during its first serious season. let the dog have fun and learn from the wild birds, this may mean you get less shots, but it is a sacrifice worth it in the end. the second serious season the dog has is when you need to start enforcing commands seriously, and making the dog do what you want it to do, not what it wants to do. i really believe once you get the basic commands down, the dog will virtually train itself the more wild birds you get it on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesPursuit Report post Posted February 12, 2014 one of the first things i would do is work on snake training, That was good advice from deserthntr, getting the dog snake trained is a must. Because I wanted to be sure and use live rattlesnakes on my dog, I elected to use a professional for this. I know you said $ is a factor but I used a professional for $60 or so, which came with a free follow up session to verify the dog learned 100% avoidance. If you choose to get some help and not do it yourself, Roger May is member here on CWT, and I know he does snake training. He goes by "maydayretrievers." I'm sure he would help you out. Ok thank you coues pursuit. I think I'll get water dog You can preview those books on amazon, I thought Game Dog would be more suitable for you as you seem to hunt both quail and waterfowl but I could be wrong. Best of luck! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maydayretrievers Report post Posted February 12, 2014 Hunter sounds like your doing pretty good. feel free to call anytime you have questions. We will have snake training classes starting in march. And all the books listed above are pretty good but if you have problems call it easier to cause a problem with a dog than it is to fix it.. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
7greenheads Report post Posted February 13, 2014 Hey hunter there is a guy in New River right next to you called Viper Voidance I think. I did this to my dog and it saved my life and his. This is a must.especially since you live rural like I do where snakes are an every day thing in the warmer months. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
7greenheads Report post Posted February 13, 2014 I have a water dog book if I can find it I'll give it to you.just give me a couple days Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter Rath Report post Posted February 13, 2014 Thanks guys for the input and help I think I'll leave the snake proofing up the pros. Maybe even maydayretrievers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter Rath Report post Posted February 16, 2014 Does any one here, on coues whitetail, have springer spaniels? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonesface Report post Posted February 16, 2014 Does any one here, on coues whitetail, have springer spaniels? My dad has always had Springers so I've been around that breed for many years. He lives in Utah and uses them for pheasant hunting. They are good dogs. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azhuntnut Report post Posted February 20, 2014 I have a springer, but we don't use him for hunting. He is more of a family dog, but he acts really birdie. I also have a Brittany that I trained to hunt when I first got him, but I haven't taken him out and shot over him. I am really impressed with the vertical jump of my Springer. David Does any one here, on coues whitetail, have springer spaniels? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
