I Was hoping to give you a video of sam on his first duck shoot this week but due to a few training issues in the last week, i have got a film of a similar aged labrador which is retreiving some ducks.

Even though 10-12 months is to early to be taking dogs shooting on proper shoots you can introduce them to some duck, will show you sam in the next few weeks, for more on sams training go to hunting dog training

That brings us to this weeks topic of what makes a good duck shooting gundog

Like many other types of gundogs, there really is no mystery about what that gundog is used for. A goose or duck-shooting gundog is one, in simple terms, that is used for hunting goose and duck.

Of course, there is never juts a simple explanation and I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t get into it a bit more than simply stating the obvious. In general, a duck or goose-shooting gundog is a gundog that can work on both land and water. This is the dog that can sit with you as you wait patiently for the ducks or goose and it is a dog that does not start at the sudden gunfire that can occur during a duck hunt.

In addition, the goose/duck shooting gundog is one that doesn’t become overly excited as the birds fly overhead and takes off in pursuit of them.

With a goose/duck shooting gundog, your gundog will sit patiently in the blind or wherever you are sitting until you give the command to retrieve the birds that you have shot. The dog will then go into the water or wherever the bird landed and will retrieve it.

If a bird is crippled, but not dead, the dog will quickly retrieve it and bring it back for you to dispatch it humanely. A goose/duck shooting gundog is conditioned and trained to pick up these types of wildfowl and they are comfortable in their role on the shoot.

Traditionally, many trainers will recommend that your gundog runs a beat that takes them 25 yards from you. Although this may not seem like much, if your dog is flushing that far away, they are actually doubling the distance, making the beat a 50 yard run (25 in one direction, 25 in the other), and 25 yards out. At the greatest distance, the flushed game would be too far for a successful shoot, and that is if you even saw it. For this reason, it is recommended that you keep the beat only 10 yards in distance so you have more opportunity to shoot.

Now that you know the distance, let’s look at teaching your gundog to beat. First, your gundog should already be trained to take directions from you off lead. If he doesn’t, you will neeed to move with your dog to teach a beat. The very first time you beat with your gundog, make sure you have your dog beating upwind.

Next, set up the environment. Create a few piles of sticks and debris to simulate the bushes that he will encounter in the field. Place a cage with a rabbit or bird in one of the piles. After you have the first area set up, walk in a straight line across the field and set up another area. Repeat until you have a line of piles on either side that your dog can run back and forth to.

Once your environment is set up, start to lead your dog through it. Direct them to the first set of piles. Let him sniff around the clump before you direct him to the next pile in the set. Make sure that he checks each pile until he finds the penned animal. It is also important that your dog is moving in front of you when you do this, even if you have to lead him to the pile since he will need to be ahead of you when you are in the field.

After he has checked all the piles, give the whistle to turn and then direct him across the beat to the next pile of sticks. Repeat until he has checked all the piles and then send him to the third series of piles. Repeat for each pile that you have so that your dog is moving back and forth across the field in front of you. Move forward yourself in a gradual manner, mimicking what you would do on an actual shoot.

If your dog diverts from the beat, draw him back with the whistle and redirect him. If he doesn’t listen, draw him back again and then physically move him towards the piles you want him to go. Make sure you give the whistle again as you redirect him so he is sure of the way you want him to go.

When you first start training your gundog for flushing, it is important to start small and to work in a secure area where he can’t run off. As his skill and knowledge increases, you can increase the size of your workspace and can start to move into an actual field that will present him with distractions.

Below is a chart of a classic upwind beat.

We Are Training Sam Each week at Present

As I have mentioned in an earlier post, there are so many terms that a new hunter or sports person needs to learn and at times it can be overwhelming. The all round gun dog is another term that most people starting out are unaware of and it is definitely one that you should know before you purchase your first gundog puppy.

Generally, when you choose a new puppy or even a breed of dog, you will look for a gundog that can do specific things. If you are interested in training the retriever, then you will choose a breed that retrieves and if you want a dog that will point, than a pointing breed is the obvious choice.

While that way of choosing a dog can take you a long way, one of the most important questions that you can ask yourself is, what do I want to hunt? Some breeds are good for hunting water fowl, some are good for upland game, and others are excellent for hunting predators such as raccoons and opossums. If your answer is that you want a dog that will hunt all of those thigns, then what you want is an All Round gun dog.

But what is an all round gundog?

It is simple. It is a versatile hunting dog that can be used to hunt a range of prey from birds to predators. These dogs can function in a range of roles in the field and for this reason; they are equipped to work with their handler regardless of the quarry.

All round gun dogs are dogs that can track prey, point at it and when the time comes, they can retrieve it for their handler. In addition, these dogs are adept at working on both land and water and do equally well in both situations. They can usually handle a large range of terrain, whether it is rough or not, and they have the energy to work throughout the hunting trip.

While all breeds have the potential to be an all round gun dog, it does not a large amount of training and there are some breeds that are better suited to being all round gun dogs than others. Some excellent all round gun dog breeds are Brittany, German Wirehaired Pointer and the Boykin Spaniel

But I think most gundog experts will agree that a Labrador Retriever takes some beating, at present we are training sam to be a all round gundog each week we film Ron putting him through his paces and filming each session

To find out more on this training go to Weekly Gundog Training

You can train your Gundog as a picker Upper, To start with.

When you are first introduced to gundogs and all the activities that you can do with gundogs, it can be a little overwhelming. Before we even look at training, there is the selection of the puppies, and then there is understand a dozen or more terms for the whole sport of retrieving, flushing and hunting game, be it water fowl or game birds.

With as much training that needs to be done with the dogs, it is not surprising that the handlers will need to do a lot of training themselves and will need to become accustomed to what will happen when they finally go out in the field with their dogs.

But that is probably why you are here and while I can overwhelm you with a dozen or so terms, today I am going to talk about what a picker-upper bird dog is for.

This is a term that you will hear a lot as you train and work with your dogs and there are a few different variations to the term such as picking up, and picker up. Basically, a picker upper is a dog that is used to pick up any birds that were felled outside of the main action.

Picker uppers are also used to find wounded birds so that they can be dispatched quickly and humanely. While there are always a group of dogs at a shoot, there are usually roles assigned to each one and each dog is given a certain task.

While a dog can go and retrieve the birds from the main action, it is better for all if they are focused only on their certain task. Basically, at a shoot you will have one or two (or sometimes more depending on the number of dogs and handlers) who are sitting back away from the main action. Whenever a bird is shot, the handlers determine if it is in their arc or if it has flown out too far for their dog to retrieve.

If it is the latter, the picker upper bird dog will be directed to retrieve the felled bird and bring it back in.

Picking up is not a task that a newly trained dog or inexperienced handler should have. These dogs need to be well trained so that they aren’t getting distracted by the main action and are not breaking commands to get where all the fun is. These are the dogs that will sit and wait and only be used when necessary so good control and knowledge is a must for a picker upper and their handler to have.

And that is all there is to a picker upper bird dog. While it may not seem like a big task for your dog, picker uppers have proved themselves as a valuable part of a good shooting team time and time again.

If You Want To Go Further With Your Training Why Not Follow Our Weekly Training Videos Find Out More At Gundog Training

A Pidgeon Can Really Help Train Your Gun Dog

Years ago, I met a Labrador Retriever breeder who specialized in field retrievers. All of her puppies came from field champions and all were placed in homes where the primary use would be for hunting. Before the puppies even left her home, they were introduced to pigeon wings and the foundation to producing excellent hunting dogs was already in place when they wiggled their way into the homes of their new owners.

The reason why I mentioned this is that pigeons are an excellent tool to use when you are training your gundog and it can be used at a young age if it is done properly. Before I begin with explaining how pigeon shooting will help train your gundog, I would like to explain what pigeon shooting is.

If you have never been pigeon shooting there are a number of ways that it can be done. For many, pigeon shooting can be as easy as heading out to a field and shooting pigeons that you startle from their nests by simply walking through the fields. Others, where pigeons are not so plentiful, rely on the use of traps that hold about 5 live birds. When the trap is sprung, the birds fly out and hunters can shoot the birds as they fly off. The same trap is also used when clay pigeons are used but there are more and dogs are not used for clay pigeons, generally.

That being said, the main purpose of taking your dog with you pigeon shooting is to work on his steadiness. Pigeons can be very exciting when they start from cover and having a gundog in the field with you will not only give you an idea on the type of dog you have but it will also allow you to gauge his steadiness.

In addition, you can begin to train your dog’s steadiness, which will go a long way to having an excellent gundog when he is older.

Another bonus for taking your gundog with you when you are pigeon shooting is to take the opportunity to teach your dog direction. Usually, when you are pigeon shooting, you will shoot more than one pigeon at a time. The task of the dog is to bring back the pigeons that you want and only those pigeons. When you send your dog out to retrieve the birds, you can work on your dog’s direction in the field and you can take the time to work with blind retrieves as well.

while pigeon shooting may not seem as though it has much benefit, it can be excellent for any gundog, whether they are seasoned or inexperienced. Remember, pigeon shooting merely provides you with the opportunity to test your dog’s steadiness and to work him in the field, which is a benefit in and of itself.

Lots Of Gundogs Are Suited To Rough Shooting

Many people who are interested in having a gundog, or are looking into getting a gundog, think of them in terms of field trials and hunt tests. I mean, isn’t that the only way that you can really work your gundog now a days. The age old, traditional use for gundogs is almost obsolete so owning and working a gundog has more to do with the competitions and trials that you can win, right?

The answer is, obviously, that gundogs can and are still being used in much the same way as they were at the beginning of the 1900’s, although a good number of them are happy family pets now.

One way to work your dog is through rough shooting. If you are not aware of it, rough shooting is when one or a group of people get together to go out shooting with their dogs. Generally, if you are out rough shooting alone, you will walk through woodlands and fields with your dog working by your side hunting for live quarry.

When you are rough shooting with a group, you form a line and walk straight ahead through the terrain. Guns should be kept at a right angle and there is always careful watch to make sure that no one is moving into a shooters line.

What rough shooting means to a gundog is simple. A gundog that is used for rough shooting should be able to work alongside his handler when there is live ammunition and quarry.

Generally, a rough shooting gundog will run ahead of the line, taking cues and commands from his handler as to where to go ahead of him. The main purpose for this is to find and flush out quarry for the shooters behind the dog.

Many different gundog breeds can be used as rough shooting gundogs but it is important that they are properly trained. In addition, any shooters that are working with the dog should also be trained to avoid any accidents.

When a rough shooting gundog flushes out a bird or rabbit, the dog should react to the command, or training and drop to the ground out of way of the shooters. This is commonly referred to as “dropping to shot.” The rough shooting gundog should remain in this position until you give the command to either retrieve the animal or you call him back.

At one time, many rough shooting enthusiasts would work with several dogs and use them for different reasons. Spaniels were very popular for flushing the quarry from hiding while the retrieving breeds were kept back and only sent forward to retrieve when the quarry was shot.

Today, you can find rough shooting dogs that are used in a similar manner but more often than not, the rough shooting gundog is trained to both flush and retrieve, making it a versatile hunting companion.

Although hunt tests and other gundog activities can be a lot of fun, it is important to decide on whether a rough shooting gundog is really right for you. Training is important for all aspects of gundog activities, but a gundog that is trained for rough shooting should be well trained and able to follow through on commands quickly.

Rough shooting can be an exciting activity and it can also be nerve wracking as you watch your dog run ahead in front of shooters. For many, the excitement pales in comparison to their worries for their dogs so make sure that you are certain that you would like a rough shooting gundog before you put the time, money and effort into training a versatile, rough shooting gundog.

As you probably know there are quite a few gundog breeds. The most popular gundog is the Labrador Retriever.

All breeds have their fans, as do I but today I will try to give you a quick overview of a sometimes overlooked breed. Pointers.

There are loads of breeds of pointer gundog, they include the following:

Spinone Italiano

The Spinone Italiano breed goes by many names, including Italian Wire Haired Pointing Dog, Spinone, and Italian Griffon, The breed is big and strong and is also known for its intelligent looking eyes. Like the Labrador it is a excellent swimmer and a excellent hunting dog whatever the terrane or temperature.

Weimaraner

These dogs are athletic, sleek and usually have short, fine hair. There are long haired types though. They have intelligent amber, grey, or blue-grey eyes. Their limbs and bodies are muscular and long, with webbed feet. Weimaraners are very skilled hunters, trackers, retrievers and pointers, they are also used for police and search and rescue work.

American Brittany

The American Brittany dogs build makes them adaptable to woods, or hills, as well as cold or damp weather. They excel at hunting particularly hare and woodcock they are also tireless in the field. They are medium sized with a short coat, hazel or amber eyes, with short ears. The coat is orange and white, black and white or liver and white.

German Shorthaired

The German Shorthaired Pointer breed is known for its lean build. It has a clean cut appearance and intelligent, brown eyes. They are smart and eager-to-please with loads of energy. They love children and are loyal to their families

Vizsla

Another sleek breed with light red coat and excellent muscular build. Its face is lean with long pendant ears and light eyes. The coat is short and tight, displaying its defined body. They are loving dogs that display affection easily and often.

English Pointer

The English Pointer dog breed does better in a warm environments and is more comfortable on land rather than in water. It is a beautiful dog known for its powerful grace. The dog carries itself proudly being constantly alert. English pointers are athletic, with a high nose, chestnut or hazel eyes, medium-sized ears, and have a long neck.

Other types of Pointers include: Pudelpointer, Wiredhaired Pointer, Griffon and Munsterlander.

A great blog with loads of information on all breeds of gun dog visit http://www.the-hunting-dog.com/breeds-of-dogs.html and let me know what you think

2. Spend some time visiting gundog breeders in your area, ask them to tell you what the breed are good at and what their faults are. Most good breeders would rather you choose the correct hunting dog for yourself, even if it means not buying off them.

3. If possible ask to see the parents train, while good blood lines is not necessary, it will make training your gun dog 100% easier if your puppy had well trained parents. An experienced breeder won’t hesitate to prove their gun dogs’ bloodline, they may even let you see the parents on a hunt.

4. If you took notes when researching breeds you should know what traits each breed has. I always find its not best just to choose the biggest, Ron told me he always looks for the runt of the litter. This is because he/she will be a fighter, rather than the biggest pup who can be lazy due to its size.

5. If you follow these steps and make sure you pick the correct breed for your needs from the right breeder, and choose a puppy who looks full of character , you will be well on your way. Remember that choosing a puppy is itself a first step; proper training once you get your new addition home is crucial.

If you want the easiest training available for your Gun dog why not check my our weekly video classes

Click Gundog Training Here

This is a great way to learn to train your gundog. Each week I send you a video of Ron training his new gun dog, all you have to do is copy him and you to could have the best dog on the shoot, within a few months. Remember gundogs are also known as hunting dogs and Bird dogs.