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New friend joining our family soon

Snydershrugged

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I'm really pleased to be satisfying both a family need as well as a lifelong desire today.

We just put down a deposit on my very first hunting dog puppy! The litter will be born soon and ready to join us at home in early April

After a long research period and a long hunt for the right breed, we are landing on the German Wirehaired Pointer.

German Wirehaired Pointer Dog Breed Information and Pictures



This will help my daughter therapeutically as well as myself!


If anyone here is knowledgeable of upland hunting with a dog, I'd love to pick your brain!
 
LOL, Ok, Ok, so I'm the only nerd interested in this stuff! LOL

So here is our plan thus far, I know its likely not perfect since we are new at this but I've researched the heck out of the topic!

From now through April, we are reading as many books/articles/blogs, etc on how to properly condition and raise a gun dog pup. I just wrapped up a great resource book called "How to help gun dogs train themselves" that was all about tactics to condition the pup in the first year. It was very, very good!

I will spend a few hours each day in teaching the dog who his/her pack is and that i am the leader (since I will be hunting mainly) My daughter will be "Day Boss" when I am working and out of town. She will also hunt and work with pup on other training activities like frisby and agility stuff.

Our breeder will take the pup back for a full week at around the 12 week mark of the pups age. This is an obedience jump start program that they run for all of their show and hunt quality dogs.


Then, over the course of the next year and more, I will work with the Breeder/trainer on hunting training. We will be taking it very slow, or at least at the pace the pup dictates. i'm in no hurry.

The plan is for us to get the dog field trial rated through the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association. This helps us in terms of confidence that we are doing it right as well as helps the Breeder with their stats.

I also am working with the owner of a hunting preserve to teach me how to bird hunt on my end and he will help me with the pup in its training too by providing live birds and setting up training outings of various nature.


All in all, I and my family are so freaking excited about this adventure. i cant explain how much I need this and thats something i didnt even realize until we made the decision to move forward.

The biggest boon though, is the good that this will bring my duaghter and I as we work together to bring this pup up in the world!
 
Thanks Mike! I realize how silly it may sound to a lot of folks, but I really think this is going to be great for our family.
 
The litter is due any day now, Momma looking good and healthy so far. LOL, my daughters are so freaking excited that they are asking me every hour, "Is Arlo born yet?"
 
Not silly at all. Wish I could afford another dog since I lost Taz. I still miss him like yesterday and the 16th was the one-year anniversary of his death :(

Thanks Mike! I realize how silly it may sound to a lot of folks, but I really think this is going to be great for our family.
 
I believe it was the first time ever, too. Those dogs have SO much energy that I was shocked it sat still long enough to be judged lol

LOL! very true. Its actually something that worries me some. Often, winning breeds from Westminster become the annual "chic" breeds for people to buy as pets. Those dogs are meant for activity and hunting. It would be such a waste if they are ruined.
 
I had the great pleasure of going on my first quail and chuker hunt over a couple of fantastic dogs this weekend. It was a weekend to remember! I learned so much from our guide and established a lot of new relationships to aid me in this adventure with my own pup coming soon in April!

One of the biggest surprises this weekend for me was that I actually have more skill in the shooting department that I realized. All those years on the farm made an impression!
 
It's been many years since I've been bird hunting but man it's was a blast. Grouse is by far the best eating, better than turkey imho.
 
It's been many years since I've been bird hunting but man it's was a blast. Grouse is by far the best eating, better than turkey imho.
I definitely had the most fun doing upland birds than big game and even turkey. I havent eaten grouse yet, just Chukker and Quail, and I loved it!
 
I totally forgot to come back and post!

Meet Arlo! He is 8 weeks old and has been a wonderful addition t our family even in a very short time. He brings a smile to whomever he meets (unless its me listening to him cry about being in his kennel at 2 AM of course!)

he tested high in the temperament tests for hunting skills and I see evidence of that almost hourly.

Some specifics Ive been monitoring are his level of fear for loud noises and for going under and over obstacles.

Thus far, hes killing it. He literally chooses the obstacle paths rather than going around them. Its fun for him it seems.

arlo2.jpg

arlo6.jpg

arlo4.jpg
 
Thanks Mike! He's been awesome thus far!

I have a plan mapped out (tell me if you think it will work) thats based on a book I read on gun pup conditioning stuff. At this stage, while he is eating, I will periodically do a single loud clap of my hands and then act like nothing occurred if he looks up. then we will graduate to something a little louder like banging a pan or something, after than, its a starter pistol outside the window near his eating area, then move up to a .22, and lastly a 20 ga shotgun. This will all be slowly over the next 10 months leading up tp his official training trip to the pros.
 
Cute pup ya got there SS. Hopefully turns into a great dog for you guys.
 
Had the scariest moment yet with Arlo last night.

All I can say is Oh My God.

I was helping my brother in law with a flip house yesterday evening. (Arlo, is 5 1/2 mo. old now) He came with me to the house to play with another dog in the fenced in backyard that was there.
I was with him most of the time, but left him playing with the other dog for no more than 7 minutes to help move a door we had ripped out.

I had heard him whining and barking for me for a bit (not totally unusual in new places), when the tone of his whines changed. I immediately ran around the corner to find him hanging from the top of his fence by his collar. I was able to get under him and hold him up while my brother in law took the collar off.

I feel horribly guilty and just awful. I really thought that there would be no issue with him unsupervised in a fenced yard and another dog present to play with for a little while. I wouldnt have left him very long and always keep him with me in most cases.

I feel awful and like the worst dog owner ever.
 
I have seen this happen with one of my dogs in the past. You're not a bad owner.

Try this one on for size....

My dog had been bitten by a rattle snake. Of course I did not know as much, but the following morning when I tried to take her outside, she just stared at me like she was high on some hallucinogenic.

Well, I was in college at the time and had a 30 minute drive to school toward the end of the semester where my grades would be aversely affected my my absence. I did not know what to do, so I left her home alone for 12 hours. I got home that night and let her out, she was slow and deliberate with her movements. The woman who owned the property told me it was more than likely a rattlesnake, not uncommon in those parts.

I had no clue, nor money to help the poor dog. Wanna talk about guilt, poor dog ownership?

Just grateful she made it
 
Yeah, definintely doesn't make you a bad dog owner, SS.

Michael Vick was a bad dog owner. You're not in the same dimension as that.

There've been plenty of times we've taken our eyes off our dogs and they get into trouble. One almost got run over in a dog park. It happens.

You feel guilty, then you realize how much you love them and you learn from your mistake and move on. No biggie.
 
Just returned from a visit with Arlo. He is wrapping up his first 30 days of hunting training with an incredible trainer. Very happy to report he showed well hunting, pointing, holding and flushing! 15241878_10154725115566064_4439863886886537111_n.jpg
 

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As we enjoy today's conversations, let's remember our dear friends 'Docsandy', Sandy Zier-Teitler, and 'Posse Lover', Michael Huffman, who would dearly love to be here with us today! We love and miss you guys ❤

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