When it comes to pulling out my wallet to buy a pup, my greenbacks go towards performance, cover-dog setters every time. But a while back I was looking at a few pointers. As a hardcore setter man, I knew I’d catch some grief from my buddies, and Peter in particular. Like me, he loves all bird dogs…but he’s a pointer man.
“TK,” he said, “I hear you’re looking for a pointer pup?”
Two truths emerged that day. The first is that the joke applies to any two breeds of your choosing. And the second is that 20 years later my jaw still clicks when I chew a piece of steak.
When it comes to finding the gun dog of your dreams, there is a criterion of age and ability: puppy, started, and finished. Finding one that’s right for you is key, so here’s how.
Puppies
Turning a puppy into a finished gun dog takes a lot of time, effort, and knowledge. That said, hunting over a puppy you trained yourself is what it’s all about. (Photo courtesy of Tom Keer) Age: 8-10 weeks old Cost: Lowest Hunting Experience: None Training Needed: All
It’s tough to beat the satisfaction that comes from successfully hunting, trialing, or testing a dog you trained yourself. But life can changed a lot. Start looking at puppies if you can check the following boxes:
Time: Time is a commodity, and the more time you spend with a pup the better. Strong bonds that develop between handler and pup carry over when socializing to the living and working environments, other animals, and training. It takes time to bring along a pup. Know that you’ll need to work with your pup in short frequent sessions, and that as the pup ages, time commitments increase, too. Give some thought as to how much training time you can devote to bringing along a puppy. Training grounds: Basic obedience of come, sit, stay, heel, and kennel along with introductory steadiness drills don’t require a lot of space. That changes when you ladder in handling (whistle training, hand signals, and patterning), conditioning, water work, and introductions to birds. If you’re training on private land, then you are aware of the boundaries and are good to go. But if you’re running on public land, make sure you are allowed to release birds and discharge a starter pistol. Be sure you won’t get interrupted by non-hunters, too. Birds: Training on wild birds is the ideal, but you’ll need to liberate some, too. Bird costs typically range from $5.50 for a bobwhite quail to $17 for a pheasant. You’ll need feed, grit, water, and a predator-resistant house or pen. Homing pigeons are an affordable option as well, but require a coop. Gear: Unless you need to replace it, gear is a one-time investment that is well used for training future puppies, started, or finished dogs. You’ll need more for a puppy than you will for an older dog with advanced training. There are collars (pinch, electronic, or GPS), leads, check cords, bumpers and launchers, whistles, starter pistols, remote bird launchers, tip up bird cages, and the list goes on. Knowledge is power: If you’ve trained dogs before, then you have your own training progression with benchmarks. If it’s your first time, then you’ll likely need help. Resources range from friends, pro training clinics, club affiliations, content found in books, magazines, and other media. It’s becoming increasingly popular for owners to opt for started or finished dogs. Let’s look at the differences between a started and a finished dog.
Started Dogs
Started dogs are on their way, so it is important to know what work remains to be done. (Photo courtesy of Eukanuba Sporting Dog) Age: Typically 1 ½ to 2 ½ years old Cost: Moderate Hunting Experience: Possibly one or two seasons Training Needed: Finish work, increased experience and bird exposure, and conditioning
Started dogs are a known quantity, and that increases their appeal to many new owners. While there is no actual standard for a started dog, they’re typically under 2 ½ years old, have mastered all of the basics, and perform them regularly and willingly: basic obedience of recall, sitting, staying, and walking/heeling on a lead. They’re also steady on birds or in a boat or blind, but likely have a ways to go. They’re collar conditioned and have been properly exposed to birds and to gunfire. Bird dogs may simply point dead or pick up a bird and briefly carry it, meaning, retrieving to hand will be a training focus. Retrievers typically perform single and double marked retrieves while being able to run/swim through decoys and fetch to hand. Started dogs are well socialized, with both indoor and outdoor kennel life, and are comfortable with other dogs and animals. They’re used to tailgate checks, normal maintenance like vet visits, ear or fur cleaning, shaving if necessary, and nail cutting. They kennel up easily and ride easily in moving vehicles with no car sickness.
Owners of started upland dogs typically focus on the dog’s pattern, degree of steadiness they desire, honoring, retrieving reliably, and delivering to hand. A started retriever would be able to pass a UKC-started test or an AKC junior test, so advanced marks and greater than triple marks are a focus going forward.
Finished Dogs
A lot of time goes into finishing dogs. They’ll always need a touch-up here and there, but they’re older and ready to hunt. (Photo courtesy of Eukanuba Sporting Dog) Age: Typically 2 ½ to 4 years old Cost: Highest Hunting Experience: 2 seasons or more, age dependent Training Needed: Conditioning and reinforcing.
If you’re looking for a dog to hunt right now, then a finished dog is for you. Finished dogs handle easily, are broke and steady, honor respectfully, and retrieve to hand. Retrievers perform multiple marks and blind retrieves, remain steady until sent to retrieve, and honor other dogs when it’s their turn. Most owners pick up these polished dogs when the dogs are between two and three years of age. Conditioning is important, and when it comes to training, the focus is on maintaining that high level of training. Working with the pro trainer/owner to understand how the dog has been trained is important for consistency.
Understanding Started and Finished Dog Prices The perception that costs for started and finished dogs are way too high comes up in every conversation. Sometimes it’s even true. But before you complain, think about the total cost involved in bringing a dog along. There’s the cost of the puppy, feeding, vet bills, training gear and equipment, and knowledge. Perhaps the biggest one is “time.” Treat the purchase as you’d look at fixed and variable costs on a P&L. Break it down to a monthly cost and multiply it by the age and training of the dog.
While there are some outrageous asking prices for started and finished dogs, most of what I’ve seen represent among the best bargains you’ll find. There are a lot of started and finished dogs with great genetics that were brought along by excellent trainers. Do your research on the trainer and dog just as you would a shotgun, truck, or pair of boots. You won’t just avoid heartburn; you’ll find the dog of your dreams.
