# 1 year old



## mikesf (Nov 5, 2012)

Maci is my first V and the first bird dog I am training as a retirement project. Its been and continues to be a learning experience for both of us. She has a great nose and has found all but one quail I have set out for her. She has a great point but continues to rush in to get the bird. When I have her on a check cord she holds just ok but when I don't use one then she gets anxious to get the bird. She always has been a bit jumpy to noise. Breaking her to the gun is taking longer than expected but I know one day she will come around. I use a blank firing pistol starting at 100 yards out. I toss a quail up which she chases and is ok till the gun gets within about 50 yards. She then still watches the bird fly till the gun is fired by my friend. Maci looks back to the noise and sometimes flinches but she has never ran away from it. The noise breaks her concentration on the bird so we go back to 100 yards and start over. I stay close to her encouraging her to focus on the bird hoping that soon she will be over the noise from the pistol. Her retrieving and call back is excellent but she is very possessive of the birds. I usually praise her for a minute or two as she holds the bird and then put my hand on the bird to take it from her when she opens her mouth. She has yet to put it in my hand when retrieving. Her response to the whoa command is mediocre, good when on a check cord but not so good when she is running free. I ran out of birds for a few months this summer so I took her out to the farm for exercise and yard work. Had her out on birds today for an hour as it was hot out. Looking forward to opening season so she can experience wild quail. I wont shoot over her till she is comfortable with the gun so this season may be a training season only. We'll see.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I wouldn't worry about the whoa training, or her breaking on birds until she gets more comfortable with the gunfire. I would plant plenty of good flying birds in the fields for her. Most of the time I will put at least 5 out in different areas of the field. I turn the dog loose and say nothing to it. I just walk with the dog running to the front. Have your shooter 100 yards out if that's what she is comfortable with. When she goes on point, stop walking. Just stand and be quite. When she breaks and goes on chase( full run) have you shooter shoot. If it breaks her concentration, you need him farther back. When I place 5 birds out, I only have the shooter shoot on the 2nd and 4th bird. The 3rd and 5th bird is about watching the dog. Is she staying in full run or is she giving any sign she is anticipating the gunfire. If she is showing signs anticipating of the gunfire, looking over to you while running. Don't shoot on the next bird.


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## mikesf (Nov 5, 2012)

Texas Red, thanks for the reply. She isn't anticipating the gun fire. There were a few times when the shooter wasn't on key so no shots were fired. Maci continued to chase the bird till the bird flew out of site. I'll give your recommendation a try and she how she does.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Part of the time were in to big a rush to flush birds in front of young dogs. They start competing for the flush. I will let a young dog stay on point for as long as it can hold.
I just stand back and say nothing. I don't talk or touch the dog. I want its full concentration on the bird. I let the birds teach it to stop at first scent, and that they can't catch a flying bird. Later after they have been conditioned to gunfire, I start stepping on the check cord. If they break there is not a shot, and I just walk the dog away. We move to another section of the field and work another bird.
I also start doing yard work at this time. Learning Whoa in the yard, then around birds and lastly on birds.


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