Is my retriever too young....

[tacklejunkie]

For game preserve pheasants? He will be 6 months soon and has had smaller birds and gun and obedience and is doing very well but I'm thinking that I might try a pheasant preserve or should I hold off on that for a while?

[MattL]

This is just my opinion, but I think getting a dog on birds early is a great idea. My last 2 dogs were started on wild birds at 7-8 months. I am sure others may have a completely different opinion though.

You will have to be patient with the dog. It may be a big learning experience for him. It may also help if you don't bring buddies along, they may get upset if he runs the field and flushes all of your paid-for birds out of range.

[rundrave]

I don't think that's to young at all. The more you can expose them at a young age will really bring out the prey drive. The worst that can happen is the dog gets spurred.

I say go for it, I started both of my dogs around 4 months on pen raised birds.

[LABS4ME]

Get him out there!

Keep your expectations low and make it fun... It will pay off in huge dividends in his life.

Good Luck!

Ken

[tacklejunkie]

Thanks for the replies.

I wouldn't expect much at this point but my concern is a pheasant is a big,tough bird and he has had only smaller birds so far like pigeons and quail

[fivebucks]

The more birds you can get the pup on in the first year the better. My pup (now 8 yrs) was introduced to birds and guns at 3 months.

[rundrave]

maybe instead of the game farm planting the birds etc, maybe this place will pull the flight feathers out and dizzy a bird and you can do some introductions that way?

or buy a bird outright and try some intro and tracking with it. You can hobble them to keep them from running far etc.

[herm]

I echo those saying "do it now!" Especially now that wild bird season is closed in Minn. Also, tell the game farm your situation. They likely will offer up things they can do to help your dog's first experience. (I took this approach with mine - and the game farm made them extra-dizzy and even offered to put a few out in cages to help her locate/point. They also told me where a few were so I would know what to watch for in her "getting birdy.") One warning from a trainer and books: Don't make the birds so dizzy that the dog can catch them. Good luck!

[S.D. Ice Angular]

Get it on birds ASAP!!!

[stretch]

no do it now and get your retriever on as many birds as possible. either pheasants, chuckers or quail. I have a 7 month old gsp and we have been to the game farm twice and she has pointed/retreaved at lease 50 birds in the last month and it's paying off big time.

[pikeguy2003]

As soon and as often as possible. Absolutely get them out there. Just remember the attention span is not very long with a young pup. Frequent, short, positive experiences and a lot of them are huge at this stage in the game. I also like to breast out the pheasants carefully and then close them back up and put string and rubber bands around the breast area to keep the exposed part of the pheasant concealed. Put them in the freezer.

I like to grab the birds and take the shotgun and trap loads and go out to my buddies farms and take the dog for a walk. As I am walking along I will toss a bird up in the air and touch the gun off in that general direction. Dokken taught me this trick. It helps the dog to learn to look in the direction the gun was shot, and when they see the falling bird, they go and retrieve it. It is a nice way for them to get a lot of retrieves and it doesn't cost a ton of money, just time and effort.

Just watch the regs, there are times of the year when you are not supposed to be working dogs in the field.

I have done this with two dogs in the past 22 years. Unfortunately, I will have to do this with another new dog sooner than later. I am pretty sure that I just shot the last wild pheasant over my current black lab. Her spirit and desire are there but her body is telling us otherwise.