I want to start training our GSP's for waterfowl hunting such as duck etc. Can anyone point me in the right direction to start? Our dogs retrieve well in the water already so that is not an issue. Thanks!

I asked my Husband if he had any duck hunting experiences with our first GSP, Poge. His comment that one day he had his GSP Poge in his car by a lake and a guy shot 2 ducks in the water and he couldnot find them. So my Husband let Poge out of the car. Poge jumped in the water and found both ducks brought them back to this man with in minutes.   No prior training with ducks. Poge had hunted goose and pheasant and of course loved the water. So duck was a natural for him. My Husbands only concern for a GSP and Duck Hunting is in cold Temperatures as the GSP does not have the coat like a lab or Chese would have. So in cold weather a good Neoprene jacket would be a must!!!   Rocky has on a pheasant hunt swam across a large pond to retreive a pheasant that landed on the bank. Picked up the pheasant in his mouth swam across the pond back to the hunters and dropped the bird 2 feet at their feet so I don't think it would be much to teach Rocky to pick up a duck. So go for it and have fun. Your GSP will be a natural

Also forgot to mention. A hunter GSP friend of ours says he was out Duck hunting with other guys who had Labs and he just had his GSP. He told the other hunters who  commented that their Labs were tougher and more suited for duck hunting than his Short hair. , " Once back on land and in the vehicle, My GSP's fur will be DRY IN 10 MINUTES. You can't say that about your Labs".

Will you  be hunting from a blind or a boat, or jump shooting? How you are hunting will make a small difference. A good stay command will be a must no matter what you do. We duck hunt out gs's here in SW IA until the water freezes over or the duck season is over, then on geese in March. I don't use vests, I think they just hold water next to the body, when  dog with a proper coat is dry very fast.

Not sure where you live, but look up a navhda chapter, at navhda.org, they will be training for upland and waterfowl and the members will be glad to help you out.

I would agree with Trey, Navhada is probably the best venue for training your GSP for retrieving waterfowl. 

I use my dogs on ducks until the fresh water freezes.  Then I let my buddies bring their labbies for the final month on the bay. 

The shorthair does not have the heavy and oily coat of some of the other breeds, so I always have a couple of old, dry towels in my gear bag.  Also, I let mine run around after the retrieve to help bring up body temperature and steam off excess water. 

Keep your dog comfortable in the blind.  Straw or hay bedding.  I know I wouldn't want to sit on an ice covered floor. 

If your dog is calm and biddable they can be great duck hunting companions.

I wonder if you could buy a small bottle of Duck scent and sprinkle on a dummy like we do with pheasant scent? Also if you know some people who duck hunts you could ask them if they have any duck wings they could spare to wrap on your dummy.   Ducks unlimited  would be a great resource also. Personally, I have bought stuffed pheasants  and saw stuffed ducks in Pet Stores  ei Petco and Fleet Farm pet section. My neighbors have 2 Labs that they duck hunt with and I have been in the fields behind our house watching them practicing with their Labs retrieve life like duck dummies.  So one day they lost one of the 2 duck dummies in this thick field Their Labs lost interest hunting for it.. So I came along with Rocky who was 1yr old and our 10 yr old Chese /lab female Snickers, who was gun shy so we never hunted her a day in her life. We had all the dogs in the field searching for this lost Duck dummy. Within 5 minutes our old girl Snickers came out of the brush with the Duck dummy in her mouth   and her 22" tail hung high. 

Yes, they can live in there, if it is not a wire screen botom they they make a mess. Ducks have the remarkable ability to crap out three times the amount that they take in.

When you get them, clip the primary wing feathers on one wing, so they can't fly away even if you drop them. Then if you have a fenced yard you can turn them loose and let them eat bugs, the one the they are really good at!

I would go ahead and get ahold of them anyway, in our chapter members all train on different days, besides the once a month training sessions (can't train a dog once a month and get anywhere), some on Wed. pm , some on thursdays) but most will welcome a new training partner, you can't have to many hands! What chapter are you a member of, I might know someone there that can help you out.

Yes, I would cut the fethers (the primarys are the long ones onthe end of the wing), you can pull them , but then they grow back faster, if you cut them, they won't grow back unti the duck molts all of it's feathers.