Tips on training a Brittany?

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bigbuck92
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Tips on training a Brittany?

Post by bigbuck92 » Sat Jun 29, 2013 1:30 pm

I will be getting a Brittany pup here within the next couple weeks. Just wondering if anybody has any tips on training or recommendations and also would it be to difficult to make it a upland dog and waterfowl. Thanks everybody. Glad to be back to the forums!
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Re: Tips on training a Brittany?

Post by MuleyMadness » Sat Jun 29, 2013 7:32 pm

Happy Birthday, and sorry I've never trained one myself.

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Re: Tips on training a Brittany?

Post by bigbuck92 » Tue Jul 02, 2013 10:24 pm

Thanks Brett, but ya I am a total newbie when it comes to bird hunting and dog training so if anybody is out there with general advice it would be appreciated.
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Re: Tips on training a Brittany?

Post by ABert » Fri Jul 05, 2013 11:57 am

No expert by any means, but I do know Brittany's make great upland bird dogs. I'd guess training for upland is the same as for any other breed. Just keep in mind that they are pointers, not flushers.

Not sure how well they'd work out for waterfowl. They are a small breed and I'm pretty sure there are some geese that outweigh them...lol.

You should be able to find plenty of info on the interweb on training Brittany's. They are a GREAT breed, GREAT hunting dogs and GREAT family dogs. They love to run and love to hunt and love to be loved. Congrats on the new pup!
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Re: Tips on training a Brittany?

Post by waynedevore » Mon Jul 08, 2013 9:57 am

I am in the middle of training a Brittany pup. He is now just 1 year old.
Very smart dogs.
House broke very very easy.
Not high stung but VERY high energy.
You can't just walk them they will run and run all day. I hope you have a large area for this.
Get a 50 foot leash. go into the grass with your Britt. First thing is to teach it basic commands with the leash on. Such as come back or a similar command for coming to you. Then use it all the time. Say your command and pull gently on the leash, at first all the way to you. Praise and praise and praise some more. Maybe his favorite treat. Soon he will be coming on your command.
Never use hard training methods, you don't need to. A Britt is sensitive and very smart, just wants to please.

I'm very much still learning to, lots of good info on line.
Good Luck, let us know how it goes.

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Re: Tips on training a Brittany?

Post by bigbuck92 » Mon Jul 08, 2013 11:11 am

Thanks both of you guys. Ya this is all new to me so I'm trying to find as much info as possible. As you said though they seem like they house break easy. I have had the little guy a few days now and still no accidents. I do go out with him quite frequently though.
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Re: Tips on training a Brittany?

Post by waynedevore » Sat Jul 13, 2013 2:44 pm

I have something new everyday with my Britt. (Woodster) :-$
Keep us posted on your Britt, any info to share? Male, Felale, Name?
My Britt Woodster LOVES!!! the water, points at all kinds of critters.
Can't wait to get him on Huns and Sharptails. Pheasants too, ducks, probably. :thumb

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Re: Tips on training a Brittany?

Post by bigbuck92 » Thu Jul 18, 2013 3:55 pm

Sorry. Been a minute since I could get on and post. This here is Thunder and he is a little turd haha. Fun little guy though. Just trying to get the training figured out though
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Re: Tips on training a Brittany?

Post by DonFisch » Mon Jul 22, 2013 3:34 pm

not to awful difficult. First thing I'd get is a coil of 1/4" clothsline. cut off a 10" piece. Wrap the line where you'll cut it. Keeps the line from unraveling. That is a puppy check cord. It's thin and fairly short so the pup will pull it with no trouble. Most people put a ccollar on a new pup so if you do, get a snap to put on one end on the like. That will be the extension of your arm until you can get to a 3/8th tight woven nylon check cord. Do not tie a knot in your end of the cord until training get's a lot more serious. With that cord on your pup, you can take it out in the yard and keep it fairly close. if you cannot get the cord right now though, don't try to call the pup. Once you have your end of the cord you can call him and get him coming toward you simple as can be. Where lot's of people have trouble is timing the command and making the pup follow it right away. Timing in every way is very important. You have the cord in your hand and give the recall command and right after that give short easy tugs on the cord till the pup start's toward you. Keep the cord in your hand and start practicing feeding it in with one hand and letting it go behind you with the other. Once you have given the command, you need to be ready to reinforce it all the way back. So strip the cord in through one hand with the other and leave the loose end on the ground, much more important to keep in touch with the pup than coil the cord, all the way into you.

While your doing this, start taking it for walks. Really short cover at first and let the pup get it's feet under it. As the pup get's comfortable, move yourself over toward higher cover, pup may not go in but don't worry about it. Once it's comfortable it will go in and before long just tearing in. All this time remember the recall training, don't call the pup to you unless you can get a hold of that cord first. Start learning yourself to read your pup. if you really pay attention to it, it will let you know what it's gonna do before it does it. If you see the pup getting ready to turn, call to it and turn in the same direction it's getting ready to go. It will be learning to stay in front of you.

A lot of guy's will tell you not to teach sit, teach it if you want. Their theory is that when the pup get's confused about something it will sit and normally they are referring to the whoa command. That's down the road quite away's. Teach it to walk on a leash at this time too. This set's the pup up for more down the road. Lot's of people feel the need to introduce birds when they're young, I don't worry about it. The desire is bred in and all that is necessary is to expose it. You'll probably find on your walks with it, that's called happy timing, that the pup will chase dicky birds. don't discourage it! Come's in very handy down the road and dogs tyhat like dicky birds normally break off after they've been on birds awhile.

Next several month's, find yourself a training partner. Unless you get a remote release trap to plant birds in, you'll need a helper to flush birds while you handle your dog. Remote release traps are gonna be awful expensive if you only do one dog. You can see them at Gun Dog Supply and Lion Country, both cater to bird dog's. I don't know of any where other than a supply house you can get them now. I have Lion Country traps now and no problem at all with them. Have a two trap set up but three is better. My last set were from a guy I found in Amer Fld Magazine about 25yrs ago. They were getting pretty weak so I gave then to a guy I know that had none and got my present set. That other set lasted me over 20yrs. I don't know if EZ still sells traps but the only experience I've had wwith them has been really bad. DogTra and DT Systems both make very good traps and I think Tri Tronics still makes them.

If you plan on using an e-collar down the road, get one now. Soon as the pup can wear it, about 6mos, leave it off but let the pup wear it outside, leave the transmitter in the house. getting a decent training tape is a good idea. I think both Gun Dog Supply and lion Country have a bunch listed in back of their catalog's. Just search them on the internet and have them send you a catalog. Both very nice people to work with. It won't make a lot of difference which DVD you get, most are pretty darn good. Stay away from Gun Dog by Wolter's, not a good book at all, most trainers will tell you that. Marice Lindsey makes a tape that lots of people really like. I hear nothing but good about him. I watched a Sherri Ebert's disc a while and it's one of the two best tapes I ever saw. She is not so wrapped up in her training that it distract's from the viewer. A friend has met her an taking her dog back to Sherri in a few weeks. The other DVD I can't fine anymore. The Rick Smith DVD's are supposed to be very good but I have never seen them. I don't think any iof them are really going to show you a better way that the other's, just different ways. Find the one easy for you to follow and stick to it through this dog. You start trying suggestions from different DVD's and you are gonna end up confused and so will you dog.

Maurice I think you can get a hold of on Facebook, do a search on his name. If that doesn't work, let me know and I can find it for you.

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