Every bird hunter dreams of owning a great bird dog. There are multiple mistakes that can spoil these hopes. Fortunately, they can be avoided with careful planning. If you learn about these common problems, you can avoid making mistakes with your own bird dog.
1: Bad Breeding Carefully select a good breeder, and you are well on your way to a great bird dog. Avoid ‘puppy mills’ that produce large numbers of your desired breed. Instead, look for breeders that are very selective about the litters they produce.
Selective breeding can help you avoid health issues like hip dysplasia, heart issues, or deafness—any one of which can derail your hopes for a good bird dog.
Careful breeders also select for the best performance in the field, as well as the best dispositions at home. However, it is important to remember that good bloodlines only stack the odds in your favor. Like people, every dog is an individual.
It is also possible to find a perfectly wonderful bird dog at a rescue or shelter. Usually these are adult dogs that can be easily evaluated for health, performance, and disposition problems, even if their pedigree is unknown.
2: Socializing with Bad Dogs Ok, there is no such thing as a bad dog. But there are definitely dogs that you don’t want around your new puppy. Puppies socialize with their littermates and their mother, and it is important that your pup continues to learn how to interact successfully with other dogs.
Your puppy does NOT need to meet unruly or aggressive dogs. Focus on planned interactions with dogs that you know will be calm and tolerant of your puppy, even if it is too wild or pushy.
Dog parks are generally a bad place to socialize, as every dog there is unfamiliar. If you can, find a local trainer that holds structured ‘play dates’ or doggy daycare. Default to using a leash anywhere your puppy might encounter unfamiliar dogs. Even if another dog is out of control, you will at least have direction over yours.
Young dogs are highly impressionable. A few bad interactions can foment fear in your dog, creating problems that are difficult to fix. These issues can make ability tests, group hunts, or even neighborhood walks nearly impossible.
Similarly, a dog that develops fear or aggression toward people can be a big stumbling block, even a liability. Just like with other dogs, you should plan predictable interactions with people who know how to act around your puppy. Children especially need lots of coaching to remain calm, confident, and gentle.
3: Poor Introduction to Birds A clip-wing (or tape-wing) pigeon is a great way to introduce your puppy to birds. (Photo courtesy of Josh Tatman) If your idea of introducing your puppy to birds is to simply take them hunting, you may be in for a rude awakening. The explosive chaos of a pheasant or quail flush is exciting for the hunter, but it can be downright terrifying to a puppy who has no idea what is going on.
Pen-raised or captured birds are almost essential for a proper bird introduction. Most trainers recommend introducing birds when your puppy is a bit older, around six months. Gently bind a live pigeon or chukar’s wings and allow your puppy to sniff and inspect it. After several sessions, allow your puppy to chase a clip-winged bird, but use a check cord to keep your puppy from actually catching it.
Work up to hand-releasing birds that fly away near your puppy, then use a kick-trap for their first planted birds. If at any point your puppy seems startled by the bird’s flapping, or scared of the situation, back up a step or stop introducing birds till your puppy is a little older.
Simply put, if your dog develops a fear of birds flushing, it will be hard for them to become a good bird dog.
4: Improper Introduction to Gunfire How you introduce your bird dog to gunfire will have a huge impact on their success as a hunting dog. (Photo courtesy of Josh Tatman) Just like a proper bird introduction, a careful gun introduction is critical. Even more so than a loud flush, a loud shotgun blast can terrify your young dog. Most trainers recommend first introducing your dog to birds, before integrating a gun; although, if your puppy is a driven retriever, you might be able to use a throw dummy instead of birds for the process.
Either way, your goal should be to completely distract your dog with something that they care very much about pursuing. Throw a dummy or release a bird. When your dog is in the middle of chasing it, have a helper fire a training pistol from a distance. At least 50 yards away is a good starting point. If the shot seems too quiet, that’s a good thing. Your dog should pay no attention to the sound after a few repetitions.
If they do, you need to get quieter. Use a toy cap gun or pop a balloon but dial down the volume until your dog isn’t breaking stride at all. Then, gradually decrease the distance until you are firing twenty yards or so from your dog. Once this process is complete, you can use ‘popper’ or training loads in your shotgun. Again, start at a distance and gradually work closer to your dog.
Whatever you do, ignore your uncle’s advice to tie your dog to a post at the shooting range. If you go too loud too fast, your dog will not only develop a fear of guns, but a fear of the flushing birds that precede the shot. Many otherwise promising bird dogs have been forever ruined by careless gun introductions.
5: Inconsistency While Training The more consistent you are when training, the more consistent your dog will be in the field. (Photo courtesy of Josh Tatman) Any hunting dog needs structure. They need to know what is expected of them and when. For example, it does little good to insist on recall in your yard, if you never follow through on that command in the field.
Consistency is critical at every stage, from teaching your dog to sit, to teaching your dog steadiness in the field. If you carefully teach your dog to point, then shoot when they rip wild birds, you shouldn’t be surprised if their inconsistent behavior matches your inconsistent discipline.
Most good hunting dogs have higher energy levels that can’t be satiated by wandering around the back yard or going for a few walks a week. Dog owners usually have busy lives with commitments to work and family, but it is essential to prioritize time for your dog to run, swim, or otherwise burn off energy.
Stay Positive These pitfalls can be avoided with a little foresight and planning. Even if setbacks pop up, they can often be addressed. Don’t be afraid to reach out to the bird dog community, or to recruit the help of a professional trainer. There are many passionate individuals who want to see you succeed in your dream of owning a great bird dog.
