Btittany Pup

[fishing tech]

I just got a 18 week old Brittany, I have had it now for a week. It is starting to respond to his name and follows me like a shadow. I do not hunt but my 16 year old son is interested in hunting. It is a great dog but seams kind of shy and skittish. I awesome this will change as he get more comfortable with his new surroundings. Should I get an e collar to help train him and if so how long should I wait before I start to use it? He is pretty well behaved for a pup and I see improvement each day but I also see a little more wildness each day also. Thanks for your replies.

[leech~~]

If you are going to really get him into Pointer training down the road PM me. I have all the pointer training gear you would need from my Brit left. It is a field bag, check cords, whoa post, pinch collars, long leashes. I think we could work out a good price since I no longer need them.

[fishing tech]

Thanks Leech, I am not sure what I am going to do. I got him free from a friend who breeds them. He is my walking partner right now and will retrieve anything I throw. Well lets just say after 4-5 retrieves his attention starts to wonder. The last dog we had was a Lab which we had for about 4 weeks until we realized my youngest who is now 16 was allergic to the dog. He is doing fine so far with the Brittany so if it works out I might have to hit you up for a sale price. Thanks.

[leech~~]

Take your time and enjoy your new dog. Pointer training can be a bit of a time commitment but can be fun and enjoyable as you see them learn. The worst part of it and you do not want your wife to be there is the "Whao post" training. You put two collars on the dog. Their normal collar which goes to the Whoa post with one check cord. The second pinch collar goes to a check cord which you hold. You try and get the dog to sit which since you are just training can be fun. You call the dog to you and as they come you say "Whao". If they do not stop, which they will not the first time you tighen up on the pinch collar with the cord you are holding and repeat the command. You start over again by bring them back to the start. Then call them again, if they do not Whao-stop and point you keep making the stop with the pinch collar more aggressive. In the class I had taken the instructor actually had dogs hanging in air between the cords for only a sceond. I luckly only had to do Whao training one time and my Brit learned it right away. He got so good with it later that I could actually pick him up in point and but him down in a different direction and he would still be in point stiff as a board! I didn't do that to much as I didn't want him to learn he was pointing the wrong way! Good luck!

[fishing tech]

Oh boy, well I have him sitting by the door already when he wants to go out or come in. Maybe I will send him to you. lol It looks like I will have the whole summer off so I plan on enjoying him. He is really starting to chew. Any recommendations for toys or chewables? He stops when I tell him to and drops what he is chewing on. Thanks again for the advice.

[Pherris]

Best chewable I know is a elk or deer antler.

[leech~~]

Lot's of toys for them to chew on at the pet stores. One thing you may want to pick up that we did until they learn is the no-chew spray to keep them from chewing up shoes and everything else! We tought ours to stay in the kitchen and only come out on the living room carpet when called. So he had a lot of teeny shoes to chew up before we put the spray on them!

[fishing tech]

Thanks guys, he is downstairs and not allowed on furniture. He has torn up every toy so far.

[Pherris]

Thanks guys, he is downstairs and not allowed on furniture. He has torn up every toy so far.

Yeah my lab was a chew toy destroying machine. Then I bought an elk antler, they will chew it down but it takes some time. They are expensive so I just asked a few of my deer hunting buddies if they had any sheds or racks they would part with. They did and one rack gave me 6 pieces after cutting it up. I do not know how others fell about chew toys that squeak but when I picked my dog up from intro to birds and gun training the trainer said "you let your dog play with squeak toys didn't you" I had. He said he can always tell a puppy that has had squeak chew toys because they mouth the bird trying to get it to squeak. That was the end of squeak toys for me. Also I found those femur bones to last a long time too. Good luck with your new pup!

[Ufatz]

Haven't seen the "chewing bird problem" with a pup that has had a few squeaky toys, but I think the object should be to take them away before the dog gets too old and you are really working at training. The antler thing is a good idea.

And trust me, you haven't seen destruction unlimited until you've had a full bore crazy Lab puppy. Came home one time, years ago, and was shocked to find my office desk down on on end and all the stuff slid off onto the floor. My "adorable little black pal" had chewed and OAK leg right OFF the desk!! He's the same one that went through the paneling and sheet rock one time thinking he wanted to go out on his own.

Enjoy your little dog....they are nifty little guys and a ton of fun.

Can't imagine life without at least ONE dog running around the place.

[fishing tech]

Thanks guys. I will check on the antlers.