Trying to train older Weim (5 yrs.) to hunt

Dutchy

Last year, we brought Rufus & Willy to a trainer in our area who has GSPs. I wanted to see if either had any natural talent, and learn some training exercises we could do with them "for fun".

So, he hid pigeons in his field-- Willy (who we thought would do best) wanted to go after them too much. My husband worked him. I brought Rufus out, check cord on. First bird he pointed & stood still, but I had to put tension on the check cord to hold him while the bird was released. By the third bird, he held his point stock-still, even when trainer walked around him to release bird. I had no tension at all on the check cord. It was the trainer's opinion that he has a great natural point & if he had been trained early on, probably would have some titles by now. He wanted me to work on "whoa" and gave us some quail wings that we have in the freezer. (I also have two canvas bumpers with pheasant & quail scents).

Over the winter, Rufus was my "barn dog"-- had to go with me to point the two chickens we have. He creeps into the barn, like a cat stalking, then stands there (or sometimes sits) still and focuses on them. I'd praise him & tell him to "wait" (he understands that term from feeding time). He hardly ever jumps on the fence to go after them, even when they're right in front of him. He knows what "birdies" are-- he will immediately go over & point them if I ask him where the "birdies" are. Our other Weims hardly look at the chickens.

I don't know if I could ever get him ready/good enough for any type of competition (and what type of competition would he be good at??), but would love to at least get him trained enough to be able to take him out hunting, with friends that hunt. I think he'd love it!

So, my question is, what now? Are there exercises I can do with him at home, to hone his skills? Not sure how to proceed... any advice appreciated! Very Happy

PamK · Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 8:46 pm Post subject:

see if any weim clubs in your area do retrieval or hunt tests. From what you've written the novice titles should be easy for him to pass.

DanniGirl · Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 9:06 pm Post subject:

First, what do you want out of him? Do you want a dog whom you run in FT or HT's? -If so, what kind of tests are you interested in?
It sounds like you want a personal hunting dog, is that correct? Look into your local NAVHDA chapter. Also, it is imperative that you get him on wild birds, take him out to numerous fields where you can find birds.
Quail wings and scent aren't really going to help develop his skills much because he needs to learn HOW to hunt; searching, etc...

h20fwlkillr · Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 1:17 am Post subject:

Dutchy · Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 1:20 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the feedback! Very Happy

I think the trainer wanted me to use "whoa" in & of itself, as a discipline tool, like teaching a dog to "sit" or "stay". He said his dogs will "whoa" anywhere they are, as soon as he says it.

Our 4 Weims all have prey drive-- they've killed barn rats and plenty of squirrels. And they will all point, Roofy seems to hold a point longer than the others. I think with Willy, he didn't point & just wanted to eat the bird. The trainer didn't think this was a bad thing, that he just needed to learn some control. He is very quick-- he can run down a squirrel and kill it like nothing. His "homework" was to work on pointing longer.

I would like to use hunting (whether for real or just to find birds) as something fun for our dogs where they can use their natural talents. If it led to a competition or two, that would be fun! I just don't know how to encourage their bird drive to turn it into a useful skill. Are there any good books or DVDs that would be useful? There are so many out there, that it's hard to know what is a good resource or not...

h20fwlkillr · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 10:17 am Post subject:

Dutchy · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 12:15 pm Post subject:

Thanks so much, h20wlkillr, I appreciate your feedback!

By the way, this morning, I took Rufus with me to the barn. The chickens were out of their pen (we need to clip their wings again) and even though Roofy was dialed in on them, he stood still when I said "wait". I was even able to herd them back into their pen & he didn't come after them.

Thanks again, I look forward to working more with him this summer! Very Happy