# Heart says yes, head says no



## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

really wanna take Elvis hunting this season, he'll be coming up 8 months old and it's gonna break my heart to leave the ginger giant at home whilst Ruby and I get amongst the birds....so, my plan is, to let Ruby work and have Elvis along on the lead (leash) for a couple of months, then maybe run/work him on the woodland pheasants later in the season,,decisions decisions


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Keep working with him, and only put him in hunting situations that you think he's ready to handle. Is it possible to run him after the hunt, on some of the birds?


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

TexasRed said:


> Keep working with him, and only put him in hunting situations that you think he's ready to handle._* Is it possible to run him after the hunt, on some of the birds?*_


it is an option Deb, he show's a real good aptitude for "picking up", although us beaters this side of the pond class "picking up" as the lazy handlers contribution to the shoot on the whole. But there again, if he's walked up with me and observed Ruby doing the hunt/point over driven birds I'm sure he'll be well rounded and even better for next season if I let him just pick up for this year.


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

D, I am also desperate to get Flynn out, and I desperately wanted to do the pointing day on the moors that you did in July.....but several very experienced people said that he was too young and it would ruin his joints. Well I know slow is good from the Danes I've had. I admire these people and their dogs so took their advise. There will be other opportunities.

Talk to people like Janet, Gail and Tracie they are all very experienced breeders as well as working and showing their dogs. Flynn is 25" (just on breed standard) I imagine small compared to Elvis - the bigger they are the longer their bones and joints take to develop.

can you not take him at the end of the day for an hour? A friend who trains smooths had Flynn on a long line this morning around the pens up at his farm, getting him steady on the birds and then some hunting. Wow did he run, but nice and steady on the birds.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

> "picking up" as the lazy handlers contribution to the shoot on the whole


It might be, but if its where Elvis excels, it can be a big confidence builder for him. Take it slow and easy. See what works, and what doesn't.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

at times the forum forgets ! no one knows the pup like the owner - did post yrs ago - RUBY looked 2 bird & GUN - set the pup free !!! HAR - you do all the work 2 have a gun dog - broke 2 bird & GUN - let ELVIS TRY - @ 8mo's old - the only thing holding him back is U !!!!!!!!! ? WHY should RUBY have all the FUN !!!!!!!!


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

HaVe no clue what happens on your side of the POND !!!!!!! 8mo old + 5mo hunting season = a year old pup ! put them out there - nothing Ventured ! nothing GAINED !!!!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

JMO
Its more about how advanced the pup is on training, than its age, before taking it on a hunt. Gunfire is a big one for me. Unless my dog is over the top excided about the sound of gunfire, and knows it means birds. I don't take it around other hunters. People that don't work with gun dogs, can literally shoot down your dreams, and leave you with a gun shy pup. There seems to be some mental block that takes over their brain, when birds enter the picture.
Next I look at how well the pup handles in the field, and I don't expect a young one to be perfect. But I should be able to pick up the dog without chasing it through the field for a good 30 minutes.
When you hunt with multiple people, you don't want to be the one whose dog runs a muck. Its a hunt for everyone, not just your personal training session.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Please note in the 2nd pic - PIKE's ears are back - sit mark - in a dove field - PIKE does not like it - loVes - dead bird find - in a duck blind - the same way - I know he is a POINTER !!!!!!! but we do a LOT of feathers - POINT of this - LEARN 2 read your pups body language !!!!!!!!!!!! - when PIKE's ears are back - set me FREE DADDY !!!!!!!!!! I just have 2 shoot a BIRD !!!!!!!!!!


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

I didn't take him for the opening day, but I did take him on saturday, kept him on his lead for most of the time just to get him used to the sights, sounds, smells, people etc associated with a driven shoot day. He seemed to take everything in and was well chilled out so I let him have a run on the last drive when I knew the bird tally was already in the bag (tally was 240, we ended up with 280 from 4 drives), here's a little vid towards the end of the drive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5UmhcrcBJc&feature=youtu.be


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