doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Off topic issue for those who hunt............

First rule is to toughen and harden them as I do Abby and Willa, American Brittanys. They sleep on a concrete slab as depicted below.
KY Jon is spot on about "whoa". I taught Abby and Willa "whoa" on daily walks on the leash. "Whoa" is a command that supposedly anchors them in place. If they moved forward, I picked them up and stood them where the command was first given and where they were when it was given. It is the most important command and can save their lives. I liked the Hickox series of video, especially e collar conditioning. Willa learned as much from older Abby as she did from me in the field. Fourteen month old Snap, a French Brittany, is coming along just fine. I taught her whoa on a barrel and whoa board as well as on the leash. She was exposed to gun fire and birds at six months. She has hunted with the big dogs for woodcock and quail. Abby is aging out at 14 this coming January and Willa was 10 this past May. They are 99.9% pets but know what to do when the whistle blows. One thing Hickox stressed is basic obedience such as whoa and come, are best taught in the yard where you live. Don't mix locations where you put them on birds with where obedience is taught. It's field vs. yardwork locations. Gil

Whoa, come, and go fetch, and clean killed cock pheasants will not ruin a young dog. End of story. Don't carry a .410 out on a pheasant training session.

There is a time and place to use a .410 and birds which is when the dog is first exposed to gunfire. I used a .410 and birds simultaneously. I planted birds and allowed the dog to scent, point, flush and chase. These were boxed quail. Others use pigeons. After the dog shows an interest in birds, then gunfire. I do it over 2 days. First day is to let them find birds and respond--all of my Britts lock down and hold and I flush. They chase. Fine when they are young, the chase part. I don't discourage the enthusiasm. The next day, I plant a bird, have a friend stand about 75-100 yards away with the gun, a .410. I let the dog find the bird, when it flushes, usually by me, my friend fires the gun. If the dog doesn't flinch or respond negatively to the gunfire, the procedure is repeated but with the gun closer. The next bird is planted, my friend moves 25 yards closer, the procedure is repeated. if the dog doesn't respond negatively to the closer gunfire, we do it again, shrinking the distance. I'm not concerned about dropping the bird with any shots. The fourth repetition is with the friend behind me, firing the gun at the next pointed flush. I have heard of dogs being ruined by a boneheaded owner shooting a 12 ga. over a dog on the dog's first exposure to gunfire. Works for some, but not for most. As a prelude to actual gunfire, I used a cap pistol for a few weeks at feeding time shrinking the distance as I do eventually with birds and gunfire. The birds are integral to gunfire exposure; the excitement of exposure to birds is a distraction to the actual noise of the shot. Gil