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Just wanted to add. When I say your dog doesn't need birds every outing I am talking about yard work and planted birds in a field. If I am training young dogs on wild birds and teaching them to hunt I do all I can to try and get them bird contacts every outing. If they find birds regularly they will expect to find birds and dogs that expect to find birds, find more birds.
I like to use coturnix because they cheap and they are good eating too! You will need LOTS of them. If you're lucky, your pointing dog will catch most of them and that's saves on shells! Just be careful though because some dogs will take a hankerin' to these quails and you might have to get to them slightly before the dog.
If you're too out-of-shape, you might try a launcher. Timing is critical though. As pup approaches and sniffs the quail, you release the launcher. It should sound like this, "Twang...YIP!" It's easier to get this timing right than racing to the bird before your dog chomps it but I'll let you decide which process works best for you. Hence the term "hard mouth" meaning it's "hard" to get there before the dog "mouths" the birds.
If you go the outrunning your dog route, you will be better for it! Trust me........
DO NOT...and I repeat, DO NOT combine the outrun-the-dog process with the launcher!!! You'll know... It sounds more like, "Twang....ahhh,sonnofabeatch, dang nabbit,.....!#?!?#$! It's even uglier if the quail hits you in the jaw as the dog arrives!!
My wife said I'm getting stir crazy from all this cold weather. I think she's being a bit critical!
lol. That's the kind of knowledge you pay attention to.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ugo
I just recently hooked up with a quail breeder. I picked up some birds for training. Somehow I've ended up with 12 eggs before I could even get the dog out to practice.
We had a good time training today, saved a few birds for next weekend.
Hopefully I'll have a good story to share soon.
......and that's why short legged fat dogs make better bird dogs. Brittany X long-haired Dachshund are one of my favourites!
You've got 1/2 a chance of getting to the quail before them. Keeping them fat also reduces the damage to your quail. Most times, the chunky little beggar will only have room for the breast and legs so it's not a total loss.
The downside is that when they do beat you to the bird, they have a tendency to crawl into the nearest rabbit hole. Just yesterday the Dachtany I was working with ran in a hole with my quail and came out with a rabbit!
....fair exchange, as I see it. And the best part..........still not a shot fired!
Now that dog's got promise!
Sarcastic? But I just ordered a Dachtany pup from California. The breeder has plenty of AKC grand champions in their lines.
Wish I could afford one.