I like that line Milly
I don't know if this is OK here (I hope so) but we did ask the permission from the lady who wrote it on lab forums by Dianna of Wylan Briar labs. Someone was asking something quite similar and I thought it was an excellent reply and maybe of interest to others .... some of it relates to other previous posts but I hope you get the gist of it.... It certainly helped me make up my mind last night
Posted: 2009-12-22, 15:48:47 Post subject:
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I think what is important to bear in mind is the whole point of gundog training is never to challenege a dogs self control to the extent that they will fail. And failing, in this game, is developing the problems listed above. One or all of them. An 8 month old has little self control. The same way self control needs teaching to any young mammal by a senior figure. Its something that needs stepping up and up very slowly. The huge adrenaline rush of a shoot, and even more so of a runner bird where every instinct is screaming in your dog anyway is challeneging that self control to breaking point.
The test, more importantly as to whether it is 'working' to take your puppy out, is if you next time ask them to remain sat up and leave a runner that screams past them. The reaction THEN is the one to judge if the dog is being rushed on, not whether they got the runner sent for and handled it. Then if they can let two go by, then three before being sent for a fourth etc etc. Chances are thats when you will see the harm done rather than the times the dog CAN go for the bird.
The thing being many guns, and this is no insult, have dogs that are very unsteady, make a lot of noise and have little discipline out, so mug others dogs left right and centre etc etc, charge about aimlessly, run in after every bird that drops etc. This is especially on smaller shoots where this sort of thing is allowed, where as on a bigger shoot the dog would be ordered to be left at home. The reason for it, is usually the gun has been in a huge hurry to get the dog out shooting and done next to no homework. Or done a bit of homework, then rushes it out shooing its first year and over the course of two or three shoots the homework vanishes because at a young age, it is built on sand not concrete as nothing is fully installed.
It really depends where you want to go with it. IF you are prepared to take the chance of the dog starting to react to the adrenaline that, chances are, they are not mature enough to control, then of course you can take them shooting. But it would be much better to gently ease them into challenging situations by giving them a background of months of solid gundog training and then drop them in a drive at a time. But if whining doesn't matter etc then you probably don't have a lot to lose.
However if you wish to compete with the dog in tests or trials in any way leave them home for months and months yet. Give them a fighting chance to come out mature and ready to cope. Whats the rush? Its about introducing them to managing their 'emotions and keeness' under false circumstances that you can walk away from. Artifical shot. Cold game. Dummies. Until you feel sure they are ready to take on the real thing. Rather than throwing the real thing at them, fluking a couple of reasonable perfromances at the start but cranking them up so high that they have no chance other than to make noise, and not be able to control themselves generally.
I think myself, mre than 50% of noise making is not genetic. Its how a dog is brought forward. They all have different adrenaline breaking points each and every dog indivdually. Its finding that point BEFORE you put them above it, and then slowly working towards raising the bar and raising the bar.
I also think its worth remembering that start a dog slowly, and you will have another 8 or 10 seasons to do as much as you like with them. Overchallenege them too young and you will be giving up on them as less than useful companions by year two, chances are.
However many guns do rush their young dogs, but its almost always something they regret. I find a dog who has never faced game in their lives but come to it about two or three cope better than a dog started too young.
