# Tips for first time owner



## fishinf150 (Jan 4, 2006)

I have just purchased a Brittany Spaniel and was wondering if any of you guys out there have some tips for training a pup. I've been trying to teach her to sit with treats, trying to get her house broken, and just trying to get her to stop biting everything in site. She's still pretty young at 7 weeks and I try to spend as much time with her as possible. If you have any pointers I sure would appreciate them. Thanks


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## Dillier23 (Mar 18, 2006)

Good choice of dogs. I have had a few years experience with Brits, the most important thing to remember is not to physically or verbally be too stern with them. They are not hard headed like a pointer, and abuse will ruin them and set your training back weeks or months if it is severe. Other than that do a little research on training bird dogs and progress as the dog is ready.
Good Luck,


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

Right now, just let your pup be a pup. Lots of playtime, exploring, and socialization. About the only training you should worry about until it's 10 weeks old is crate training and potting training to go outside. Put a flat collar on the pup now and leave it. When you have your pup outside, snap on a light 4-6 foot check cord and let it drag behind. This will give you a means to keep your pup out of danger, and it will be accustomed to a lead or check when you begin OB training a few months down the road...


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## fishinf150 (Jan 4, 2006)

Is there any particular book out there that you guys would read up on for training or suggest that you have used or heard about that I should get.


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

I strongly suggest using 10 Minute Retriever by John & Amy Dahl (which will take you through the first 6 months) and Smart Work by Evan Graham (far more technical, and will take you through Transition through Finshed stages) as your program. I recommend reading 10 Minute Retriever cover to cover as soon as you get it.

I have to insert a disclaimer here. Having never trained a spaniel, I don't know if there are training nuances specific to the breed. Both these books/methods are aimed at retrievers.

Whatever program you choose, have patience and take your time. Don't be in a hurry to advance your pup, it is a long process. Don't skip steps, and don't move on to the next task until your pup has the last down cold.

The most important thing your pup will learn is basic and then formal OB. Without rock solid OB, other training will be fruitless. OB is the foundation on which all training is built.

Take this to the bank. When (not if) you run into a training snag further down the road, go back and revisit the closest corresponding OB task.

Remember the only emotions you should allow yourself when training are patience and a sense of humor.

Enjoy that pup!


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## brianb (Dec 27, 2005)

The Brit isn't a spaniel. They took that out of the breed name a while back. It isn't (at least not supposed to be) a flusher. It should be trained as a pointy breed.

The books mentioned are for retrievers which act as flushers. I would check out the NAVHDA website or NSTRA. They should have book recommendations.

A couple of my friends have pointy dogs and they do some things very different than retrievers but a lot is the same.


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

Sosialize-socialize-socialize, get your pup around as many people, places, and things as you can... Follow a good training program and don't be in a hurry.. :beer:


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

I stand corrected. Those long hairy ears fool me every time!


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## mburgess (Aug 11, 2003)

Gun Dog by Richard Wolters has sold more copies than any dog training book and is always on the shelves at Barnes and Noble. It is a great book for the beginner with limited resources. It is not a book for the field trialer. One thing about the Wolters book is use the wing on a string for awhile and then put it away. It can cause more problems than help once you have brought the pointing instinct out of the dog. Once your dog is showing pointing instincts put it away and try to get some pigeons and work those with a helper with your dog on a checkcord to teach your dog to learn how to use his nose and scent point rather than sight point. If you can't get pigeons than just chalk up your first season as a learning experience and get that dog into wild birds. Only shoot birds over points and your dog will learn the game fast as a puppy, but don't be suprised if that pup busts birds out of range, chases deer, points mice and rabbits and gets into a skunk before it starts pointing birds. Let her be a puppy that first year but work on the basic obedience in yard work all year long. The trick to getting a dog to hunt for you and not for yourself is to really bond with that dog. You guys are a team and most of the time teamates have a learning curve and have to feel each other out for awhile. I can't stress enough how important wild bird contact is. The more the better, wild birds will train that dog for you better than any pigeons. Really try to get that dog into sharptail grouse in the early fall. They are a great pointing dog primer and hold nice for points early in the year. Field trialers all over the country come to the ND grasslands to get wild bird work on sharptails because they are a great training bird early in the fall. Brits are great and don't get too tough or hard on them when they mess up because many are softer by nature, but most have high energy noses and tend to be natural retrievers. I love my Brit and I'm just praying that some day the real boss in the house will let me get another in the near future. :lol:


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## wirehairman (Oct 31, 2005)

I have two quick pieces of advice.

First and foremost, enjoy your puppy. She won't be a puppy for long, so enjoy it now and don't get wrapped up in over training. I realize that retriever trainers typically start with obedience training early, but a pointing dog needs to develop its natural hunting instinct on its own. My goal the first year of a dogs life is to let them discover that they love to hunt and that they can't catch a bird. That means lots of time in the field and very few birds in the bag, but it definitely pays off down the road.

Secondly, don't teach your pointing dog to sit. I ignored this advice with my first pointer, and it came back to haunt me. When I began whoa breaking her, she would sit in an attempt to "do the right thing" and please me instead of standing. I fought that for all 13 years of her life. I now teach my dogs to "charge" or lie down but strictly avoid the sit command.

Along those lines, I would not recommend Wolters book, Game Dog, either. Post a few more details on what you're looking for in a finished dog, and I can probably recommend a book specifically for training pointing dogs that will help you along.

Good luck with the pup.


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## mburgess (Aug 11, 2003)

I'd second the opinion not to teach him/her to sit as it can confuse the dog when pressured with whoa training, but a smart dog will figure it out soon enough with proper corrections. You'll have many tell you that Gun Dog by Wolters isn't a good book, but for a true hunting dog book it isn't bad and is easy to follow. There are better books out there though, just go to Barnes and Noble and look through what they have. Or get a Pointing Dog Journal and look in the ad section and it has a list of about 20 books. I have a book by Robinson, can't think of the name though that is an awesome book, in my opinion. If I can find it I'll post the name on here. Someone on here may even know what book I'm talking about. I think it is called The Ultimate Guide to Bird Dog Training. :lol:


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## fishinf150 (Jan 4, 2006)

For right now I'm just going for the basics. The biggest thing is trying to get her to stop biting everything in site. Even when being petted she has to try and bite a person.

I never knew about the sit command for a pointer though, very interesting. I guess what I want out of my dog is to do a good job of pointing, stay within shooting range. Nothing fancy for the first year.

I did pick up a book called Gun dog training Spaniels and Retrievers by Kenneth Roebuck, not knowing that it didn't have Brits in it and it was only for flushers.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated guys. Thanks for the tips so far.


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

How are you "trying" to get her to stop the bitting????


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## mburgess (Aug 11, 2003)

_The Ultimate Guide to Bird Dog Training_ by Jerome Robinson. :lol:


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## wirehairman (Oct 31, 2005)

Hunt Close by Robinson is another exceptional book for the average foot hunter.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1558212647/102-6722191-8206555?v=glance&n=283155


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## fishinf150 (Jan 4, 2006)

To get her to stop biting, whenever she does it, I grab her mouth shut between my thumb and middle finger and in a deep tone say no while looking into her eyes. I also read that you should grab the loose skin under the next and forcefully yell no while looking into there eyes, cause this is how the mother would correct the pup. For me its seemed to work so far, the only time she really bites at me is when she is really excited and we've been playing, but to my wife its all the time. I've told her she has to do the same thing or it will continue.

Is there any other little tricks I should try.


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