I have a 6 month old pup that I was hoping to sell as started as I can already see mom's back end issues, which I was trying to avoid, coming out.
Pups has been on bumpers with taped duck wings on them and prefers the winged bumpers over non feathered bumpers. She is obedience trained and FF. She'll do walking fetch, force to pile, etc. So I thought now that her mouth is finally large enough, I'd go to thawed birds and then sell her before duck season as a started dog. Well she hates thawed birds!! She won't pick them up, so we're back to FF on birds. If I put it in her mouth, she'll hold and heel with it until commanded, but her whole body has this "I HATE this" posture.
I took out an older kennel mate who loves birds with her this am hoping the zeal would be catching but pup would run out to bird with the older girl but always let the older girl get it, so that didn't work.
Ideas?? I cannot keep pup due to conformation issue but have put quite a bit of training into her since 4 months. She loved the training so I did not feel I was pushing her.
If the FF, FF to pile etc was done correctly it IS alot of pressure for a baby , especially a show bred dog...... I would get some live pigeons and let her chase them around. Lighten up and let her have some fun.
Everybody has their own standard, but a started dog to me is doing simple doubles, simple blinds, has experience in a boat, has swum in decoys, has had numerous decoys on land....that dog sells for $3000-3500 That is the hunting market , and alot of people will cry about that.
go to retrievertraining.net and ask your question from people that do what you are asking
Good luck with the pup
"Everybody has their own standard, but a started dog to me is doing simple doubles, simple blinds, has experience in a boat, has swum in decoys, has had numerous decoys on land....that dog sells for $3000-3500 That is the hunting market , and alot of people will cry about that."
I have trained in the past almost to that level of started but of course this pup is too young. My pup price is $1200, was hoping to sell her for around $2000. There is a market in my area for obedience trained dogs who are FF, come to whistle,and do basic singles as long as they deliver to hand, which she does, that was my goal this time. Of course, I'm still picky that it's the right home.
Thanks for the idea about live birds, I usually go thawed and then live but maybe order will have to change this time.
I do just the opposite Live pigeons 1st, to build the prey drive, chase and FUN!!
OF COURSE it depends on the temperament of the pup, but that is part of how I pick and place my 8 week olds. A live bird at 7-8 weeks gives me a huge idea of who is who.....and can guide the hunters to the right dog and keep the right dog for me to train.
I have an 8 month old back for training, who as a pup loved the bird. Has not seen one since and the day of drop off I asked the owner what he has done , which was basically nothing , (groan) , well she is STILL crazy about birds .
$2000 is about right , good luck again.
I do the same as Sighttosea. I find that starting true FF too early can really hurt a puppy's drive. I have an almost 9 mo old here who is just starting on formal Hold and more formal obed. She loves retrieving Fred and Barney (the live pigeons), so that's half the battle right there.
