Hello everyone! This is my first post on here.  I must say there is alot of great information on this forum and I look fwd to being an active member.   I have a question that I am looking for some input on.  My wife and I are purchasing a GSP with great genetics from a great breeder in PA.  The pups lines have champions and Grand Champions in it.  My question is I am going to use the dog for hunting primarily but we are also planning on showing the dog.  Where do we start in terms of training with the pup?  I plan on teaching basic obedience first and then plan to utilize the assistance of a professional  trainer (for hunting related training)  At what point should we begin to introduce the dog to show training?  Thanks!

Preface: I dont know anything about show training.

Most people I know that train pointing dogs do NOT teach or encourage a dog to sit. It can (not always, but can) cause complications later in the field training.

I can think of no reason you would need your GSP/DK to sit on command, unless that is a requirement on conformation events.

Heel and whoa pretty much cover everything you need (at least until you get to conditioned retrieve training).

Texas Belle, I will post pics as soon as we pick up the pup on September 21st.  

 Let me rephrase...

Most people I know who train pointing dogs PROFESSIONALLY (as in people pay them to produce reliable results) advise not to teach a dog to sit. It may cause no problems at all... or... it may cuase a problem that could significantly slow down the process. If it were me, I would avoid the potential problem, especially since it has no positive value to a hunting or show (conformation) outcome.

Pro trainers are often presented with folks who have problem dogs becasue they got bad advice or misunderstood the advice they were given (or chose to ignore it).

In every cost benefit analysis I can think of, training a pointing dog to sit is a losing proposition... maybe not with A particular dog, but with dogs in general, why take the chance? In most cases, if it does cause a problem, it can be overcome, but just takes more time (read that as money).

Will you be wild bird hunting or preserve hunting, or maybe a mixure?
Will you be pond jumping or duck hunting - we pond jump.
If you will be duck hunting you will find he needs basic handling skills - much more than an upland hunter needs - actually - to upland hunt a dog needs to know no commands - while there are safety commands I recommend - they are not needed to perform successfully while hunting.

There is a difference between wild and preserve hunting - difference being wild is much more difficult. In preserve hunting we know the birds are there we just need to find them - in wild hunting we have no idea if there are birds there or where they will be - on the ground, in a tree. In all hunting we need an independent,bold,cooperative dog with a decent amount of retrieve desire - but more so with a wild bird dog.
I am not a show person, but I do have conformation ratings for my dogs.
It's my understanding that if you teach a dog to stand and be touched you are about there with a show dog - gaiting takes practice but is fairly easy to bring out.
How I train a puppy/dog is : work empty fields (no planted birds)for cooperation,get the nose working and intensity going,intro to tracking,intro to pen raised birds and whatever wild birds(game) are available - I encourage rabbit,chipmonk,etc games/searching,intro to water,intro to retrieving,evaluate boldness,desire,cooperation,retrieving desire,intro to gunfire,intro to commands - whoa,here,sit,heel,down. Intro to ducks and water searches, intro to basic handling and hold(retrieving).
I don't start holding a dog responsible until about 5 months old.
All of the above is done by 5 months old(or in the first 2-3months I have a dog),usually, water can be held back due to weather.

I recommend Evan Graham for basic handling and force fetch.





 

A little more goes into conformation training than pixie implied. Free stacking a dog takes some time to teach them. And the movement exercises also need some training. You want your dog moving around the ring on a loose leash. The down and back also takes some skill as you want to move your dog so that the front and back are shown off well. And the stand with a stranger going over the dog takes some training too. I spend quite a bit of time training my dogs for the show ring, and it makes a difference in winning or not winning. Can you do it with no training, maybe, but it will take you much longer and in the end your are still training your dog, you are just doing it in the ring real time.

The conformation ring is harder than it looks and requires an investment all its own. The dogs that win regularly are all well trained.