# Upland Training in the City



## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

My V is 15 weeks old this week and I wanted to get a game plan together with training him for upland game. We live in NYC so I think it's going to be a bit challenging. I know it will most likely require frequent trips out of the city but I wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions on time frames and such.

I have introduced him to the pigeons and mallards around. It's kind of neat when he doesn't see them but hears them fly and looks up. Especially with a million different noises going on around him, he always finds the birds flying. I also have some grouse and pheasant scent that I have been using with him around the apartment. I rub the scent on a special stuffed animal with a paper towel (i know i probably should have used dummies instead) and then hide it in the apartment, making a light trail to the bird. At first i let him smell the paper towel, and i told him to "hunt" and he just went for it. Over the last couple weeks he has gotten pretty good at it. Now i just hide it, leaving a very light trail, and he can usually go directly to it.

I was big into duck hunting a few years ago before I moved to the city, and i have only hunted upland game a few times. Ive never trained a birddog before so im a newby to pretty much everything im looking to do. 

I found a hunting dog trainer that lives a couple hours away that might be an option but I would like to do as much of the training as possible (http://www.catskillkennels.com/kennel/options.html).

Any input on time frame of what I should be doing things at? Or things I can do in the city to help prepare him/ nurture his instincts?

Thanks!


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

*Re: Re: Upland Training in the City*



giandaliajr said:


> My V is 15 weeks old this week and I wanted to get a game plan together with training him for upland game. We live in NYC so I think it's going to be a bit challenging. I know it will most likely require frequent trips out of the city but I wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions on time frames and such.
> 
> I have introduced him to the pigeons and mallards around. It's kind of neat when he doesn't see them but hears them fly and looks up. Especially with a million different noises going on around him, he always finds the birds flying. I also have some grouse and pheasant scent that I have been using with him around the apartment. I rub the scent on a special stuffed animal with a paper towel (i know i probably should have used dummies instead) and then hide it in the apartment, making a light trail to the bird. At first i let him smell the paper towel, and i told him to "hunt" and he just went for it. Over the last couple weeks he has gotten pretty good at it. Now i just hide it, leaving a very light trail, and he can usually go directly to it.
> 
> ...


Redbirddog, Texas Red, Gunnr and a few others should be here shortly with some suggestions. But it sounds like your making a start with getting some game focus happening. I would happily offer some thoughts, but we only target fur and do it with a bow, so none of my stuff is any use really.

Great to see another great hunting machine being put to use. Love your work......


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

It sounds to me as if you're on the right path.
Too many times people get hung up on not having the optimum training conditions. 
The fact is, the dog can either hunt, or it can't. You can't train a dog to hunt. It will never happen. You can only train it to hunt with you.
The games you're using are perfect. If you want to up the game begin the steadying to wing by tossing the stuffed toy and holding him a second or two. At each release command fetch. As time goes on delay him longer and get to the point where you don't have to hold his collar.
Work on his point by hiding the toy in a drawer low to the ground. He can smell it, but he can't see it. As he "works it",incorporate the commands that you will use when he gets on a real bird. "Whoa, easy, hold", whatever term you will use. What you are doing here is staunching him on point and "styling him up".
An amazing amount of work can be done on the floor of the kitchen and living room.

You will have to get him out though, you're right about that, but within an hour or two of NYC are an abundance of areas to go to. Head north towards Peekskill and use the Bear Mountains, and the Hudson, south of West Point. New Jersey has a lot more open space than people realize. Lots of farms that have been turned into Quail areas. Look to 'Jersey to get him birds at one of the Quail Hunting facilities.

It's winter right now, so not much you can do, but come early spring, I'd plan a few weekends down in the DELMARVA to get him into the salt marshes and intro him to ducks and water.


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## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

Lots of great information! I appreciate it!


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

http://regalvizsla.blogspot.com/

Read up on Andrew Campbell's blog "The Regal Vizsla". He is (was) from NYC and was my inspiration for redbirddog. Many good New England and New York information contained in his blog. 

http://annabeldog.com/

And then there is Annabel from NYC. ;D You can teach a Vizsla to speak French.

You have lots of pigeons. :

RBD


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

It sounds like your doing a good job with the limited space.
I would look to a trainer for early bird intro to make sure he has it imprinted at a early age, even it its just a session or two in a field. He doesn't need to stay with the trainer, just a short private lesson.
Anytime you can get him to a field, do it.

I love this article.
Eyes or Nose
http://steadywithstyle.com/eyes-or-nose/#more-350


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

I agree with Texas Red. Find a trainer that can get birds introduced to him. At 15 weeks, I wouldn't say that it's something you need to rush to, but it is something to to start thinking about here soon. I start to try and take him out as much as possible, let him explore and learn. This is a huge, but often underestimated portion of the learning process. Pup has to be excited and wanting to have fun and exploring and hunting. 
As an aside, I never used the man-made scent. I mean, do we really know what those particular birds smell like to a dog?


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

V-John

My experience with the man made scents is that they must smell different to a dog.
They work for training, but like the wing on a string, a Vizsla quickly learns the difference, especially after live pheasant and Quail have been introduced.


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## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

Thanks, I'm glad I have a bit of time. I still have to get my firearm permit and get my guns shipped here from Washington. Can you believe they charge almost $600 just for a permit to have firearms in my apartment? It's crazy.


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

Gunnr said:


> V-John
> 
> My experience with the man made scents is that they must smell different to a dog.
> They work for training, but like the wing on a string, a Vizsla quickly learns the difference, especially after live pheasant and Quail have been introduced.


Gotcha. That's interesting. The wing on the string, I don't use, other then just to play with; maybe once (photo ops), but that's about it. 
But, you gotta make do with what you got sometimes!


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

V-John said:


> Gunnr said:
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> 
> > V-John
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 Exactly! Sometimes you do what you can. Hopefully the dog's instincts can fill in the holes later.

I used the pheasant and quail scents before,and the dog's do respond. Once the real thing is encountered though I think they realize that the man made scents are close, but not the real thing, and they'll stop working them. It's a good bridge gapping aid.
The wing on the string thing is fun for puppies. It doesn't take a V long to figure out that to get the wing, they need to stop the string,and then the game is done forever with that dog. Mine have all figured out that they needed to stop the rod tip, and went for the rod.


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

Gunnr said:


> V-John said:
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> > Gunnr said:
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It's funny, you bring up human scent... 
One of the worst things is watching a dog ground track human scent and go right to the bird. At that point, you know the dog just outsmarted you and you gotta change tactics!


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