German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America

wgonfan · Member Joined: 30 Jan 2005 Posts: 16 Location: Texas

Well I just picked up my first GWP, actually my first pure-breed sporting dog. I plan to train & hunt him myself. I have trained other dogs the "basics"(sit stay fetch ect..), but I have never attempted to train a dog for hunting. Part of the reason I decided on the GW was because of their trainability & of course the breeds versatility. My pups will be hunting lots of rabbit & squirrel, quail & pheasant 2 or 3 times a year, and tracking downed big game. Being a true beginner I have some questions:

What book(s) should I buy to get started.
Is 8 wks to young to start with anything other than the basics?
What methods work best for you guys?
What should I expect from a GW @ this age?

here is a pic of the little guy

_________________
Tom - Texarkana, Tx.

Cargo - male GWP

cheerio · Moderator Joined: 11 Mar 2003 Posts: 285 Location: Canada

Congratulations on your new puppy. He looks beautiful. I hope you will share a long road and many trails together.
I am not a hunter, so I cannot answer most of your questions. However, I have trained for many purposes and in my experience, tracking is one of the best thing you can do to start a pup, no matter what the work is. It teaches them not only to direct their nose to specific scents, but it gives them purpose, the habit to do something with and for his handler, discipline, directs his drive, and reward for a job well done.
I start all my pups at 8 weeks. So happy tracking!

Deb Finstad · Posted: 01/31/05, 9:41 am Post subject:

wgonfan,

A book we found very helpful when we got our first gun dog puppy is: Helping Gun Dogs Train Themselves by Joan Bailey. It's a quick read but very helpful. Here's a site to order it at:

The following link is not approved or endorsed by the GWPCA.

http://www.swanvalleypress.com/top.html

Good luck with the puppy!

Deb

birddog · Junior Joined: 01 May 2003 Posts: 63

This post had been deleted due to a "Rules Of The Board" violation.

GWPCA Admin.

birddog · Junior Joined: 01 May 2003 Posts: 63

I am sorry if I did not follow the Rules of the Board. I will use Deb's post as an example.

A video found very helpful for your first gun dog puppy is "Training For Silent Hunting" You will find it very helpful.

Here is a site to order it. Click on "store"

http://www.gundogforum.com

Good luck with the puppy!

Janet
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Hunting, Its what were all about!

york_rotch · Member Joined: 30 Jan 2004 Posts: 10 Location: Winnipeg

Tom,

I agree with Deb on this one. Joan Bailey's book is an easy read, and gets you off to a great start. I got mine on Ebay for about $12 last year. I also used NAVHDA's green book, which helped develop my overall obedience strategy. If you haven't joined one yet, a NAVHDA chapter or pointer club is a real must. They have equipment, access to birds, and experienced handlers to help you along if you are unsure.

The one thing most of these books don't stress enough is water work. Keeping that pup in and around the water is huge....you can never do enough water work. It will pay dividends in the marsh and the uplands.

The breeder you chose should also of great value during your first year. They will know their dogs well, and should be able to steer you in the right direction when you get conflicting advice...and you will. Do your research and fun. An exciting first hunting season awaits you at the end; that should be your goal.

I built a little website chronicling our first training/hunting season together.
Like you, this is my first hunting dog, first pure bred dog. As a novice trainer (a noob a year ago), we have made great strides in just one year.

http://members.shaw.ca/mitch66/Early.html

Have fun,

Mitch