# I am looking for some tips



## Robb Sandey (Oct 9, 2017)

I have a 4 month old and I am wondering if there is anything I can do to train him for upland bird hunting


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## Robb Sandey (Oct 9, 2017)

This is Hunter


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

At this age, obedience is a big deal. Put a long line on the pup and work on sit, heel and here. Then repeat and do it again. At the end of each OB session, toss a small frozen bird for the pup to retrieve. (pigeon, chukar, hen pheasant etc.)


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## Edward Lee Nelson (Jan 2, 2017)

Swamp Collie is right,, At this age obedience, obedience, obedience! try to join a retriever club in your area and get to know other retriever folks and the program they follow as far as training and maybe train together. Research programs such as Lardy, Hillman, Evan Graham Smartworks and Danner Farmer/Judy Aycock. Also Jackie Mertens has a nice video called Sound Beginnings. Just a word of advice! everyone wants their dog to be super dog, but every dog matures at a different level. Only train what you dog is capable of and dont push too hard, Goldens are different than Labs. and make sure you have a very strong foundation. I believe the Basics should be the same whether its Hunt Tests, Field Trials or hunting. Good Luck!


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Swampcollie is right. Get a long line. Never leave home without one. Make sure whenever doing any kind of obedience or retrieves, that the dog is on a long line.

On obedience, make sure to not call the dog to you, unless you can reinforce the recall. Meaning, if you call the dog and it doesn’t come, make sure you have the ability to go get the dog. A long line is a huge help on recalling. 

Keep everything fun fun fun!

Work on whistle sit and whistle recall. One toot to sit, 3 toots to come. Getting the dog good on a whistle right now, is so much easier than when they are older and more easily distracted.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Break him to the gun so that he does not develop gunshyness. Teach him to quarter and add a come around command. Be careful about taking a shot when he is just in front of the gun, the muzzle blast can frighten him in addition to affect his hearing. When he gets experience, teach him to quarter from afar into the gun. Teach him to handle into good looking cover that he might have passed up.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Always insist on delivery to hand. I NEVER compromised on this one. I do not require a sit on delivery. You may end up asking the dog to sit on something like a thorny branch---guess who wins.


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## Robb Sandey (Oct 9, 2017)

He is going bird and gun introduction in January. I have a 3 year old lab that I exposed to a 12 gauge at a young age. Didn't turn out well


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Robb Sandey said:


> He is going bird and gun introduction in January. I have a 3 year old lab that I exposed to a 12 gauge at a young age. Didn't turn out well


Don't repeat your mistake on introduction to the gun.


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## Uplander (Jan 5, 2009)

Actually, retriever clubs don't really work on upland hunting. They are focused on the retrieving games and while the UKC has an "Upland" test, it is deeply flawed as far a measuring the skills needed in a flushing dog.

What you want to find is a Spaniel group. Goldens make fantastic upland dogs when trained in the manner of a Springer Spaniel and they can even participate in AKC Spaniel tests. If you primarily want a pheasant dog, you should let you pup develop his nose & desire to find birds before teaching him to "heel". Obviously, you'll teach him "here" & retrieving so that you can plant birds for him to find.

This is a pretty good DVD to get you started: George Hickox Training the Upland Retriever: The DVD Collection of Volumes I through III. $35.95 (Save $4.00)


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## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

I guess that I'll be the contrarian on this thread ....

At 4 months, I believe that it's most important to do what I can do in order to maintain or even increase pup's momentum/drive/desire/whatever you want to call it ... the go-get-um-ness in the pup. Expose the pup to as many different environs as possible, preferably via puppy walks through fields, over fallen trees, through fallen treetops, through ditches and creek beds, through tall cover, etc. These are fun walks! While I don't train for upland, I have to believe that those things are important for pup to experience if it will be searching for birds therein.

As to obedience, it depends on the dog as to when obedience should be demanded ... some, the wild "off-the-chart" ones may need it early, but the more reserved puppies should be given a little more time to be puppies, let them build their curiosity and courage. 

Also, bear in mind that different folks have different ideas as to making a pup "obedient," and how to go about making a pup obedient, and what level of obedience is to be required of the pup and at what age ... so everything said has to be considered in that light. 

FTGoldens


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## Bella Floden (Nov 28, 2014)

One thing I try to avoid is fetching anything other than dokkens... I tend to avoid the tennis balls, pulling toys, etc. We have a teal-sized dokken we fetch then put away so they don't chew it up. A small bumper with a pheasant wing attached is great too. If you want them to be tough on a bird then teach them to pull on things. I like the dokkens because they are designed for them to learn to pick them up with a gentle mouth by the body and not carry by the head either.

In the crate for keeping busy I give them the fun stuff -- kongs, chewy things, etc. But for their "work" when it's training time it's the hunting stuff.

The others have mentioned the check cord, which is definitely probably the best idea here. lol. I'll never forget my about 4-month old golden in her first started hunt test (entered her for fun as our club was hosting the event) circling around and around for probably 10 minutes before she finally pooped in front of myself and the judges still with the duck in her mouth, then brought the dang duck to hand. She eventually made a MH out of herself. (Talk about embarrassing. It was also the first time we had the recall issue.)

20 feet will work great. Start whistling to bring the bird back just as they are picking the bird up. Don't give them time to think about going the other way.

Intro to gunfire can start with a pellet gun, working way up very gradually.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

If you have a well bred field dog, all you should need to do is teach it basic obedience, hold and fetch. Then you need to introduce the gun (correctly) with some single marked retrieves, and you should be off and running. 

The desire to put the nose down and hunt is inborn through proper breeding. You keep the dog in range through the obedience you've taught it. When the bird is shot, the dog pursues the bird, grabs it (fetch) and returns (obedience again), then delivers the bird to you (hold and drop). The dog might flush like a spaniel or it may point like a setter. (Goldens are known to do one or the other, sometimes both.) You won't know what you've got until you get there. 

Work with what you have. If you have a dog that naturally wants to flush, don't try to make a pointer out of it. If you have a dog that wants to point, don't try to make a flusher out of it. Use what nature gave you, don't fight it.


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