too early to start?

[rebecca]

Bewster is nearly 3 month, we'd like to work him, but be a pet first OH half's dad goes shooting pheasants, grouse and th likes and will take him eventually and we'd also like to do field trials eventually. Brewster already 'fetches frisby, and balls' what sort of things can we be doing
 1 around the house when in or out(good sized back garden)
2 when out on walks?

we've not been playing any pulling games as we're aware of the need for a sorf grip
 
also any books reccomended, think we might get one book and try stick to it but any tips we an start with would be great help
thanks, Rebecc Jonny and Brewster x

[cazza]

Books - Gundog Training made easy by Eric Begie

Working Gundogs by Martin Deeley

Are 2 good books 

[Nicola]

At his age there's no harm in starting with the basics but it's important to keep everything very 'light' and fun with him and keep training sessions very short (a couple of minutes max). If you are wanting to get into field trials you will probably need to go to a professional gundog trainer for lessons as this requires very specific training which is actually a bit different to 'just' training a dog to go out and work in the field. A good trainer will also be able to assess him to see if he has FT potential. Very few dogs reach FT standard but many still make excellent working dogs - my Alfie being a case in point. His training is going really well and he will make a great working dog but he will not make a trialling dog; added to that I also don't yet have the experience to compete myself even if I had a suitable dog!

The books Cazza recommended are excellent, the Eric Begbie one in particular is very clear and concise.

[Wendy G]

I would also recommend Working Gundogs by Martin Deeley. It's good if your pup is picking up and carrying things, but I would not recommend that you throw them and let him "run in" to retrieve them (run and fetch them straight away) he has to learn to only go when you send him and he is probably a bit too young to learn this yet, so best not to teach him bad habits as it will be hard to put right when you need to.

[Cazzie]

Good luck in your training 

[Rich]

Read all books, Try and see as many Dvd's and videos as possible as everyone and every dog trains differently.

The point i make is with Wendy G reply about not letting them run in to fetch yet and only when told to, The books and Dvd's
say to do the exact opposite as you need to stimulate the retrieving aspect as early as you can.

I have a pup which is 15 weeks old now and she from 8 weeks has run in and retrieves to hand every day for me.... So its horses for courses.

Another good tip if he/she is to be a working cocker and lives in the house etc.. try not to let them have toys that they can pick up and carry around as they will
as you want to get them to retrieve what you want and when...

Good Luck

Richard

[Wendy G]

The point i make is with Wendy G reply about not letting them run in to fetch yet and only when told to, The books and Dvd's
say to do the exact opposite as you need to stimulate the retrieving aspect as early as you can.

I have a pup which is 15 weeks old now and she from 8 weeks has run in and retrieves to hand every day for me.... So its horses for courses.

As you say Rich it is horses for courses. I trained my 1st worker using Working Gundogs by Martin Deeley as a starting point and he does not recommend letting a pup run in to retrieve if it it already picking up and carrying objects (as Brewster is). If you have a reluctant retriever it is another story.
I know that times and training methods have changed over the years but this way worked for me

[Nicola]

As you say Rich it is horses for courses. I trained my 1st worker using Working Gundogs by Martin Deeley as a starting point and he does not recommend letting a pup run in to retrieve if it it already picking up and carrying objects (as Brewster is). If you have a reluctant retriever it is another story.

Totally agree with this Wendy; if your pup is a keen picker up and retriever of objects then you know they can do it and don't need to encourage them until it's time for proper training to commence. On the other hand if you have a reluctant retriever who doesn't like to pick up balls etc. then I would take every opportunity to get them accustomed to it - a dog which doesn't pick up and retrieve will not make a working dog so it would be a waste of time to train it further (as a gundog).

[Wendy G]

As it happens I did have a worker, Murphy that I couldn't get to retrieve whatever I tried, he would mark
dummies (or eventually game) perfectly but just wouldn't pick them up.
However as I wanted him for beating it didn't really matter so I started to take him beating and he was a great hard going little dog.
On one shoot day I was beating in a wood with my brother when I saw a black cocker retrieve a shot cock pheasant  out in the field and begin to approach us with the bird in it's mouth so I said "Rog your dog has brought you a bird" as the dog got closer he said "It's not my dog, it's yours". Murphy gave up the pheasant to hand with no problems (I didn't mind that he had given it to my brother and not me) and after that day retrieved anything I asked him to.
I guess he was just a slow learner in some respects.