You did your homework, picked the right hunting&nbsp;, and found the breeder who provided you with the genetic package you dreamt of. On the drive home it hits you.&nbsp;Have I&nbsp;?&nbsp;Now what? How do I start?&nbsp;You own the equivalent of a Ferrari but are unsure how to take it for its first spin without scratching it. Too often, folks are afraid to work with a little pup, and before they know it that cute little bundle of fur and teeth grows up and takes over their lives, chewing through slippers, trucks, spousal relationships, and every last thread of happiness. Before that happens, you need to answer the question,&nbsp;How do I start?&nbsp;&nbsp; You just start, and you start on day one.

Where to Start in Training with a Bird Dog Puppy

As each year passes, some of us find enough time to raise and finish our dream upland dog. It is an amazing opportunity to have your dog at the ready, all day long, just begging to be educated. Extra time, whether due to retirement or working from home, has inspired many of us to get out there every day and mold our pup into the finest hunting machine. Of course, spending lots of time with a dog can have some unintended consequences, like leaving the dog at home for work, family, friends, and other activities where the dog is left behind. For those who haven’t properly prepared for this change, don’t be surprised to come home and discover that your rebellious companion has destroyed its crate and chewed through four different pairs of your shoes while you were away. Worse, you may return to a panicked and shaking dog that didn’t know if you would ever return—a true sign of separation anxiety and not a behavioral problem. Was there something you missed or hadn’t prepared for? Absolutely.

Solving Separation Anxiety Issues with Dogs

Having dealt with so-called “fine” firearms for decades, the question “What exactly is a ‘best gun?’” comes up a lot. Explaining what a best gun is can be challenging because it’s more of a concept or ethos to building a gun, not something that follows a set of rules or criteria. As such, the term is used quite liberally, especially when it comes to shotguns. Moreover, best quality&nbsp;&nbsp;made by English gunmakers are rare by any measure, giving them an almost mythical status. This makes the term “best quality” even more abstract.

What Is An English “Best Gun?”

“Where were you last night?” These words strike fear in nearly all adolescent children. Is the parent simply curious? Was it an ambivalent conversation starter or a knowing and accusatory set up? The answer always lies within the subtle tones, expression, and body language of the parent. The same is true when thinking about the delivery of a&nbsp;. It is very important to be cognizant of how we present information to our dogs because they, too, are always studying what we are saying. Know that you can’t hide your emotions within a command, no matter how hard you try. Always try to remain clear, calm, consistent, and absolute when commanding.

How to Correctly Command Your Dog

My first-ever interaction with an English Springer Spaniel was when my wife, Emily, brought one home. When considering which&nbsp;&nbsp;our first hunting dog should be, we ultimately landed on the one with which Emily was most familiar. She grew up with Springers, and consequently, that is where we landed. At that time, we weren’t aware of the differences between bench and field bred dogs. Perhaps unsurprisingly, as our involvement in bird hunting deepened, so did our knowledge of the breed. Our first dog, Dixie, was most likely a bench bred dog. Bench bred dogs are those who are bred with the goal of placing in the show ring. I say most likely because she came from an inconspicuous farm litter but was physically more similar to a bench dog (we’ll get into that in a bit).&nbsp; As Dixie got older, we got on a list for a field bred Springer Spaniel. These dogs are bred with the rigors of field trials and hunt tests in mind; hence the term field bred. Our first field bred dog, Timber, died from a&nbsp;&nbsp;before her second birthday. At that point, we got Fern. Then, roughly a year later, Wild, who has the same mother as Timber, joined our family.&nbsp;

English Springer Spaniel: Breed Characteristics, Abilities, and History

It’s not quite U.S. domestic politics or&nbsp;, but raise the topic of “force fetch” or its euphemism, “trained retrieve,” and you’ll quickly discover that pointing dog folks have lots of feelings about it. You’ll generally find four camps: a camp of those who say they don’t need it because they don’t need their dog to retrieve but only help them find a downed bird; a “natural retrieve” camp of folks who abhor the idea and claim you don’t need to do it with a good bird dog; a camp of those who say you can’t finish a great bird dog without it and attribute to it all sorts of benefits for the handler/canine relationship; and finally a camp of those who are confused by the divide between the proponents and detractors and aren’t really sure what force fetch is. I’ll confess I’ve spent at least a little time in each of those camps before settling in as a converted proponent of force fetch, and though sometimes I need to check my evangelistic zeal and admit it might not be necessary nor even desirable for every pointing dog / handler combo, I can speak to the positive experience I’ve had with it in training Lincoln. Here I’ll make the proponent’s case for anyone who might be considering employing it with their&nbsp;.

Introduction to Force Fetch for Pointing Dogs

I can’t help but stare through the conference room’s glass curtain wall, in awe of some of the world’s most productive wetlands on Earth. This morning, the frozen wetlands are blanketed in snow after this winter’s biggest storms pounded the area, which is great for recharging those wetlands later in the year. During spring, summer, and fall, these Great Salt Lake wetlands are so valuable, that they’ve been recognized as being globally important and critical habitat for millions of&nbsp;&nbsp;and shorebirds. But we aren’t here to talk about wetlands or shorebirds. It’s the sagebrush landscapes beyond the Bear River Delta that this group of researchers, biologists, and ecologists are discussing. As I watch a meadowlark hide under snow-laden cattails, my attention snaps back to the conference room when I hear, “Pinyon jays are where greater sage-grouse were 30 years ago.”

Are Pinyon Jays the Next Sage Grouse?

&nbsp;can be particular with the kinds of&nbsp;&nbsp;you put through them. In a world filled with high-velocity, heavy payload shells, the difficulty of finding lighter loads can take away some of the allure of owning a classic. But it shouldn’t stop you. There’s something warm and cozy about hunting with a 50-, 75-, or even 100-year-old shotgun.&nbsp; Only a handful of ammunition manufacturers really make loads like they used to. With the right load, classic guns can work just as well, if not better, than some modern guns today. Whether you’re considering buying one or you’ve inherited an old shotgun from a family member, it’s important to shoot the right shells through it so it will keep working for the next generation.&nbsp;

A Guide to Choosing the Right Load For a Classic Shotgun

Like most parents, I hope my children will share my interests so we can enjoy them together. As a passionate upland hunter, I dream of days spent in the field nurturing their curiosity, instilling a desire for&nbsp;, and fostering a profound respect and appreciation for the game birds we pursue. There’s a special kind of magic and responsibility involved with welcoming young children into the world of&nbsp;.&nbsp; I often get asked, “When is the right time?” I believe it depends on many factors, primarily age and maturity, but it’s important to understand there’s no one-size-fits-all introduction to the uplands.&nbsp;

Introducing Kids to Upland Bird Hunting

The recall is an extremely important ritual we have with our dogs. When called, the dog quickly and directly finds its position either in front or to our side. It happily and thoughtlessly finds its position, returning as excitedly as it went out and finishing with robotic consistency; something that has been groomed into it since the day it came home.&nbsp; READ:&nbsp; When properly developed, a dog can’t wait to get to its owner’s side. Even after capturing its most prized possession, a dog with a good recall is laser-focused on getting back to its spot. It does so out of habit and anticipation of the party that will ensue on its return. The cooperative attitude developed from a good recall is everything for developing a consistent retrieve and having good field manners. A dog that is thinking about coming to you doesn’t crunch birds, parade about, or pass you by; it religiously finishes the same way every time.

Training and Troubleshooting the Recall Command with Dogs

When acting selfishly while playing youth sports, the common phrase “there’s no I in team” was repeatedly thrown around. My coaches insisted I trust others with the ball to develop good teamwork. But giving up the ball didn’t come naturally. I often got “the eye” from my coaches, revealing their disappointment in my lack of team play. They’d use various positive and punitive techniques to get their points across, though eventually, “the eye” was all it took for me to know what needed to be done.&nbsp; Young pups naturally follow a similar journey to learn to obtain items they cherish and identify gestures that lead to things they don’t like. As a good coach, your job is to teach your dog how to be a good teammate through eye contact.

The Importance of Eye Contact During Dog Training

In order to make our content easier to access in more diverse ways, we have decided to create audio versions of our growing library of online written content.

Where to Start in Training with a Bird Dog Puppy

projectupland.com On The Go

Related tracks