I just inherited a Brittany Spaniel

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DaisyCutter

New member
My wife works at a 24hr emergency vet clinic. One of her coworkers breeds Brittanys and he gave us one that is about 1.5 years old. She is female red & white and about 45lbs.

Lucy (the dog) has had very minimal training. The breeder thought that he would have more time for her but had to give her away (too many dogs). Lucy is extremely hyper but eager to please nonetheless.

Can you guys tell me what I should do to train her to be a good bird dog.

I do lots of dove hunting but don't need a dog for that. I always limit out by sunrise. I usually make a token effort at quail but it's real hard work compared to dove. I hope I can get the dog to help.

Any advise???

My pop had a Chesapeake Bay Ret. He used to throw a rubber duck slathered with some special scent into a lake. Occasionally the dog would get the duck. He had real poor luck.

Is it possible to have a normal friendly dog and a good hunting dog in one??

BTW I have two other dogs. #1 is a Sheltie. #2 is my best friend Chow/Ger. Sheperd. I take the Chow hunting... All he does is eat strange things and step in cholla.

Thanks,

DaisyCutter
 
Hey Daisy,

Sounds fun. I havn't yet figured out how to find a spot and wait for the doves to come to me. I usually hunt trees atleast half a day before I limit out, but I can't tell youo how many times hit doves have landed in excellent rattler territory with lots of weeds. I get creeped out trying to find the birds. Sometimes I can't find the hit ones.
How many times I have wished for a dog to help find the downed ones. have fun man. When i go hunting, I am the DOG!!!
 
I used to be involved in raising and training German Shepherds as guide dogs. Experience has taught me that if you've got a few $ to spend, try working first with a professional obediance trainer for a month or two just to get the dog under firm control. A good trainer can work magic with a dog, it's really amazing to see. The money spent working with a good pro (not the idiot "trainer" from PetSmart or someplace) will save you tons of frustration and get you a better, faster result. By the way, Brittany Spaniels are cool dogs and love to run and play and be part of a family.

Doug
 
Most of my experience has been with Labradors.I use them for hunting both upland and migratory birds. Yes you can have a pet and a good hunting dog all in one. There are so many things involved in training that there is not enough space here to cover it all. It sounds like you have the type of dog I really like to train. Lots and lots of go. it is easier to channel that energy than to try to create a desire to hunt in a dog that would rather lie on the couch. The main thing I've found with training is it requires a time commitment from a trainer to get results. I have trained Spaniels for friends and my next dog will probably be a springer. Try to find some field trialers in your area . These people are serious about training and are usually happy to have newbies along.Remember these dogs are not as smart or as stupid as we sometimes think they are.Let the dog know what you want. Teach him. He will try to please, but he hasn't read the manual, so teach him.Redfrog

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Don't eat the yellow snow.
 
DaisyCutter,

This is pretty funny. I have 1.5 year old brittany named Lucy as well.
smile.gif


I suggest you buy some books and videos on gun-dog training. There are several of each that focus specifically on brittanys.

The old decoy scent routine never really worked for me. You almost need to get out and practice on live birds (pidgeons, farm pheasants).

Brittanys make fabulous family dogs. If you include her in the families activities she will mellow out a bunch.

A few side notes that I've learned along the way. Brittanys are very sensitive dogs. They say it's a Frech dog thing. NEVER use force in your traiing. It makes things very difficult. As far as quail go, Brittanys make awesome quail dogs. It may take some time to get her pointing consistantly. My lucy was a pretty bad creeper her first year, but patience prevailed. Thats the main thing. Just be very patient.

Getting them to retrieve takes some work. Some dogs pick it up naturally, while others have to be taught. Either way, those books will discuss ways to work on that.

Hope everything works out. Sounds like you've got the makings of good little birder.

good luck (be patient)
rojo.

Oh yeah, You may want to call around to see if there is a Brittany club in your area. Thats great way to meet people and get some great information.
 
Congrats on your new hunting partner! Brits are truly one of the best all around hunters and pets you'll find. I have a Brit that is now 7 years old. By far the best hunter I've been around.

Basics, basics, basics. I have a retired friend that put me on track with mine when I got her as a pup. First things first. Absolutely give her as much attantion as you can. If she's inside all the better. To many people think you'll "ruin a dogs nose." I say no way. When I'm in the field she is always looking for me. She's as attached to me as I am to her. Huge advantage in my opinion, many hunting dogs only see their owners during hunting season. My Brit is my buddy first and my hunting companion 2nd. My Brit has very basic commands. Sit, stay, come & heel-(be sure she does this well, then in the field she come in a heart beat when she hears the word "heal)." I started her very early with this, (you can still do) and didn't worry about her hunting instincts. This will come easy when she catches scent of that first bird. Brits are very quick learners. Be sure Lucy is doing very well with these things before you start anything else. *REMEMBER, Brits thrive with PRAISE training. They do not do well at all when owners get to hard on them. If I raise my voice to my Brit you'd swear I just gave her a physical lashing. She's truly a sweetheart, and thrives when she knows she does something well. Yours will too.


Once Lucy really has the basics down, you can then take her to an ope field and run her on a check cord. Get her accustomed to a whistle. I also have 3 commands with the whistle. One quick blow and she stops. On the cord simply blow it, and stop her with the cord( I also told her to sit right after I blew the whistle, seemed to stay better). 2nd command is a long whistle, then bring her in with the cord. Lastly I blow two quick pops and she switches direction. Do this last after she has the other two down. I'm in no way a pro, but my buddy was. THis worked very well for me. Brits are very easy to train. Good luck with your Brit!! Enjoy her.


The key for me to retrieving was shooting a pheasant when she was a pup and simply playing fetch with it over and over with her in the field with it right away. After the shot she went over to it(11 months old)picked it up and dropped it and started to hunt again. So I whistled her over, drug the bird around her really fast like a toy at home and got her really excited about it. Then I would throw it and she would go get it. After a several times she was bringing it to me and with a lot of praise she realized how much fun she could have retrieving. Again a tip I received from my retired buddy. I can honestly say she's a terrific retriever! Sure a Lab is going to do better, but that's their forte. I've shot about 30-60 pheasants over her in each of her 7 years except this year I only made it out 6 times with her(shot 17 birds and 3 partrige). I would say most years I did lose about 1-2 birds a year, none this year. Which I believe is outstanding for a pointer. Make it fun for her even if things don't go the way you think they should and you will have a great hunting partner.


The posts above have some great tips! Be realistic, gentle and reward her. Most of all have fun with her and she'll catch on to that and hunt hard for you. Brits love to be praised.

[This message has been edited by SteveH (edited 02-19-2002).]
 


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