# Training tips with English Springer Spaniel pup



## yooperhunter (Jun 10, 2008)

Do you guys have any tips for me that I can use to help train my Springer so she's ready for the opening day of bird season. She's about 18 weeks old and I've had her trailing a dummy with some scent when she was younger but ran out of scent and havent had the chance to buy anymore. When I did do it with her she did pretty well on the short path. There is a a Springer club by me, Tilden Valley I think it is called, should I bring her a couple times to get a basis of training so I can take what I learned there and apply it to my training. I've heard that once you get them on a couple birds they are set, is that true. This is my first hunting dog, I'm 16 and want to do a good job training her. Thanks for any tips you got for me.


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## DiversWelcome (Jan 15, 2007)

Welcome to the site, First off fill out your profile so people know where you are. Next, you are way ahead of the curve, I got my first dog last year when I was 29. How old is your dog now? That will determine a lot of the answers that you get. How is your dogs obedience? Is the dog whistle trained? I could go on but the people on here are going to need a base line of what you already have done.


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## yooperhunter (Jun 10, 2008)

Well anyway her obedience is good, she learns fast. So far she knows sit and I'm working on stay. I haven't gotten to whistle train her yet but will once I get around to getting a whistle. She stays close by during our walks in the woods and comes back when called. She comes from parents that were hunters. I've got her trailing a dummy and she follows the scent to the dummy. Whenever she gets to far away she comes back and goes back 15-20 yards, than comes back, than does it again. Im not so sure what quartering is but maybe that is what it is, but I dont know.


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## DiversWelcome (Jan 15, 2007)

Back up there son I was complementing you on getting started early, as in ahead of me starting at 29, I was not referring to your age as bad thing. I understand that you are 16 but slow down jack, if I missed the age of your dog I am sorry, I was just trying get an idea of where you were at in training. I am a new dog trainer too, and I was just asking the questions that others on this site will ask. Next time I see you posting I won't bother to help. 
SEE YA

Bye the way I see you filled out your profile, was that so hard?


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## yooperhunter (Jun 10, 2008)

i sent you a PM DiversWelcome about this incident on the thread. Please read it.


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## Shotgun Kennel (Feb 9, 2007)

It will be ready if you trade it in for a GSP.


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## NEMichsportsman (Jul 3, 2001)

yooperhunter said:


> i sent you a PM DiversWelcome about this incident on the thread. Please read it.



I hope it was an apology:lol:


Blasting the first person that offers help isn't usually the best way to build friendships or get advice from other members....I helped you start over.

Welcome to the site.


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## I'm with Brandy (Aug 5, 2007)

I hope you guys have worked out the miss understanding.

Get involved with the springer group in your area they will help you with training and questions.

Everything you do training wise at your dogs age should be fun for the dog and should help boost your dog's self confidence. So don't get angry or frustrated with the dog. Praise Praise Praise.

I would recommend that you start working on a little of everything. You should be working on obedience (sit, come, heal, crate, command for potty, and so on). Make a list of your commands both verbal and whistle so you can make sure you are consistent.

Work on steading your dog, make her sit before she eats, or goes out side or comes inside, sit before she goes into her crate before she comes out of the crate. Put treats on the floor and make her sit for a few seconds before she can have it. If she breaks for the treat don't tell her no or punish just pick the treat up before she gets to it and tell her sit and try again. She will figure out what you want.
Now is a good time to introduce your dog to water she can walk in like a baby pool. 
Work on retrieving short marks in the back yard and give the dog a lot of praise for doing the work. Don't be in a rush to take the dummy from her when she brings it back let her show it off and hold it a minute or two before you ask her to give it to you. Always remember to finish your training on a positive note and at her age keep all training short.
Your better off to do five 5 minute sessions over the course of a day than 25 minutes in one single session. 
Always leave the dog wanting more. If the dog shows signs of getting bored with the game stop and shorten up the time for the next training session.
Introduce her to noise while she eats. Put her in her crate at feeding time and take a pot and spoon go to another room and lightly tap on the pan with the spoon while she eats. Over weeks you can slowly increase the noise and you can use it as her dinner call. This will help get her ready for gun fire.
If she picks up items in the house that you don't want her to have like shoes just call her to you praise her for the retrieve and exchange the item for something she can have. The point is you don't want to punish her for carrying objects or she may loose her desire to fetch for you.

I recommend the following book. http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DHR212

Eventually you will start working on quartering and this is a good link for information on quartering. http://www.northernflight.com/sdsoquartering.htm

Keep in mind fun fun fun for the dog at this age.


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## nafc2005 (Jun 11, 2008)

Yooper Hunter,

I'm the VP of the Tilden Valley ESS Club and one of our members brought your post to may attention. We're a small training group of field-bred springer owners who get together once or twice a week to train our dogs. We're all hunters and some of us are involved in field trials and hunt tests. We've had pretty good success in that two of our members (out of a group of seven or so) have won the National Amateur ESS Field Trial Championship so we know a little about training springers for the field.

Our members are scattered throughout the central UP, but we normally train in the Sundell area (between Skandia and Chatham). If you are interested in coming out to see what we do, you are more than welcome. You can contact me at [email protected] for more info.

"I'm with Brandy" has offered some very good advice. Your pup is just that - a "pup." Don't rush things - she's just a baby. It's time for her to learn through having fun. Your main concerns at this point should be to ensure she is happy, healthy and beginning to learn the basics (sit, come, etc..) However, you should NOT be applying too much pressure at this stage.

Feel free to contact me with any questions or issues you are having and I will respond as time permits. However, your best bet is to come out to one of our training sessions and see what you may be able to accomplish with your girl if you are patient and consistant. We're a friendly bunch, so no need to be intimidated.


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## michgundog (Feb 22, 2008)

For sure follow "I'm with Brandy" advice on steadying. Also only do 3 or 4 retrieves per session as previously mentioned "always keep them wanting more."

Additionally, you want to establish a solid quartering pattern, so when you take your pup for a walk always walk in a zig zag pattern and just before you change directions hit the whistle with 2 peeps. Spaniels are suppose quarter so you might as well get her use to the drill now. I attached a link to a web site for buying a good quality whistle.

Also, a good book for any spaniel owner is Jim Spencer's "HUP", I would recommend you buying it and read it from cover to cover and apply some if not all of his principles (link attached). If you can hook up with your local club that would be great you will learn a lot. 


http://www.gundogsonline.com/dog-training-books-and-videos/dog-training-books/

http://www.gundogsonline.com/dog-whistle/


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## NATTY BUMPO (May 12, 2001)

michgundog said:


> Also, a good book for any spaniel owner is Jim Spencer's "HUP", I would recommend you buying it and read it from cover to cover and apply some if not all of his principles (link attached). If you can hook up with your local club that would be great you will learn a lot.
> 
> 
> http://www.gundogsonline.com/dog-training-books-and-videos/dog-training-books/


Rodger that.

Also Ken Roebuck's excellent "Gun-Dog Training "Spaniels and Retrievers"
(Stackpole) A good compliment to HUP, and goes into English training methods more.

NB


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## michgundog (Feb 22, 2008)

NATTY BUMPO said:


> Rodger that.
> 
> Also Ken Roebuck's excellent "Gun-Dog Training "Spaniels and Retrievers"
> (Stackpole) A good compliment to HUP, and goes into English training methods more.
> ...


I agree, I bought Ken Roebucks "Training Spaniels" DVD, at Cabela's last winter it's one of the Gun Dog Magazine sponsored videos. I give it a 10!!!


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## yooperhunter (Jun 10, 2008)

I've got her sitting and she will sit for a while until I give her t0he treat (the treat is still in my hand). She is retrieving good, about 20 yard retrieves. I don't think she will be gun shy, I have been shooting .22s and .410s around her and she has shown no fear of the noise. As soon as I can I will probably start shooting a 12 gauge to see how she responds. Thanks for the help.


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## nlgordaz (Dec 31, 2009)

My family has done a lot of hunting with springer spaniels so I just wanted to offer a few more tips.

You not only want to ask questions to other hunters, but also English springer spaniel breeders. They are the one's who know the most about the breed. Their insight about agility in particular could help you with hunting and retrieve training in general.

This is a really useful online resource for dog hunting tips: ducks.org They advocate making a Retrieving Hunting Plan. The first step is to outline your goals. What do you expect from your dog? You can read the rest on that site, but breifly, it says to Stay focused, Teach progressively, Employ repetition to the point of habit formation, Evaluate results, Remain flexible, Break down all skills into their individual components

Hope this help, and check out that ducks.org site. It is tremendous. its ducks.org 


Lane.


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