Hello everyone!

My First Post on Texas Hunting Forum; I am from South Texas (Rio Grande Valley).

So I retired three months ago and when my son and I went Whitewing hunting this year we had a conversation about my retirement and what I was going to be doing (I'm 57 years old) with my time. I have always wanted a gundog and this year when we lost a dove in the field, I decided that since I have the time now I would research and get myself a versatile hunting dog. I decided on a French Britt and am already on a waiting list (my pup will be born last week in October or first week in Nov). I've done research and have been reading like a maniac to see what system or combination of systems I want to use. I have lots to learn, but am excited, motivated, and ready to go. I also have a ton of patience, (I was an educator for 35 years and taught everything from kindergarten to high school AP US History) so I feel I can do this. My new buddy will be retrieving dove, but we will also be doing quail hunting and I might even try my hand at Chachalaca. Anyway, I wanted to introduce myself and will be looking forward to the volumes of experienced knowledge that seems to reside on this forum.
JJ

Welcome! Where are you getting your dog? Looking forward to seeing pics when you bring it home!

Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to hearing about you new pup.

Actually, when I told my son I was going to get a French Brittany he suggested a kennel in South Dakota. I know it's a long ways off, but the kennel was recommended to him from one of his old college roommates who happens to be from SD. After doing the research and searching for complaints (BBB) and other sources we decided it was very reputable. We have spoken with the owners and those are indeed hunting dogs, from hunting stock. Not to mention beautiful. My son went ahead and put down the deposit and I am simply waiting for my buddy to be born. Really really stoked!

Thanks for the welcomes!

Cant go wrong with a Frenchy!! Cant wait to see some pics.

Oh, and welcome to the forum!

Put a picture of that puppy on here, and keep us informed of his or her progress!

Can't wait to see the pup! What method did you decide on?

Welcome!

I saw a Brittany at Pet World in McAllen. Very nice dog! I recently got a Labrador. I am using Evan Grahams Smart Works to train my pup and his Smart Fetch when he gets older to formalize his training.

Welcome to the forum and good decision on the brit. I owned and hunted with a Brittany many years ago, my first pointing dog. They are great hunting dogs IMO. I don't think anyone has ever posted on the forum about hunting Chachalaca. I planned a stop to hunt them once, but after talking with people via email and phone who are familiar with the public land down your way, I found no one has ever seen or heard them on those places before, so I scratched it off my list. Hope you stick around. We all would enjoy reading the progress reports with the pup.

I really haven't decided on a system or method yet as my research is not complete. I love Joan Bailey's How to Help Gun Dogs Train Themselves; which is a system based on early conditioned learning for the first year of the pup. There are some things in her system that I am having trouble accepting; although while I have been lurking here I am beginning to understand why she writes what she writes (like not teaching sit to a pointing dog).

I am still waiting for my Green Book which should arrive in a few days and for now, I believe I will use various methods from the varying literature that exists out there. Joining this forum has already helped me tremendously (the Words of Wisdom thread alone is worth its weight in gold for new trainers).

I don't want to use a collar, I don't want to punish the dog; only positive reinforcement; and I don't want to bribe it using kibble or milk bones. Of course, we all know about the best laid plans which is why I am going to keep an open mind. Also, I am retired now (we are also empty nesters so all my time would be dedicated to my new buddy) and plan to spend every day with my pup and hope to build a quality relationship with it.

I am a little nervous, but by the same token, I am extremely excited.

Pancho, thanks for the welcome! I see you are in the Valley as well, good to know! From the literature I have read I don't think I want a dog from a pet store; and I am happy with the choice I have made. Waiting for him or her to be born is hard, and I imagine the wait will be more difficult once he is born and the weeks begin to count down. I am hoping to get the puppy a week or two before Christmas, maybe sooner depending on when it is born so I will be patient.

May I ask where you work your dog? There are lots of open spaces where I live (mostly empty lots) but for now my back yard and the surrounding lots will help me until the dog is ready for some real work. Also, I am originally from Brownsville and know the area by Boca Chica Beach very well, there are lots of areas there where I can take the dog for long extended runs where there is a good chance he can run into some real wild game. Maybe we can get together and take the drive out there, I know the area extremely well.

John,
I am really excited about my Britt and I believe I made the right choice. It is warm here, and that is the one thing that concerns me, but I plan to keep him well groomed with a short coat especially during spring and summer.

I have seen a ton of Chachalaca in neighborhoods where there is heavy brush. They tend to roost in thick brush, usually in heavy mesquite and they will not budge from there which is where the dog will come in handy. Unfortunately I have never been to public land, but I have heard them several times when we go out dove hunting or I join one of my buddies at their ranch. They are loud so you cannot miss them.

I have a half acre back yard. My pup is 9 weeks old, and still needs another vaccination before we can go out and explore. I will take him to where I dove hunt south of Weslaco in late november early December so he can get to know the area he will be hunting.

Yea I hear you on the pet stores. I got my pup from a gentleman here on this forum. Its good to know someone else from the valley here. It would be cool to take the pups out.

You will find most do not follow that type of training or do not fully understand it. I know because I am a student of it. As sort of a personal experiment my now 9 year old Vizsla Blaze was trained entirely positive reinforcement, operant conditioning, etc. No E collar, no force breaking. I developed a relationship with her unlike any of my previous 7 or 8 hunting dogs. It takes more time and patience, but it was very rewarding for me and resulted in my lifetime dog. My current Vizla Dash Rip Rock I am cross training. Clicker training, shaping behavior, conditioning, repetition, positive reinforcement, type theory that went very well his first year. But he is a smart self thinker and very hard headed. Force beaking was necessary, but I have avoided collar conditioning so far, I am sure I will eventually go there for a training tool to be able take him when and where I want him to be. Each program or training method is not always the best program or training method for every breed and every individual dog.

Adapt the training to the dog, not the dog to the training. ~ Evan Graham

To add related to your mindset on how you want to train. A favorite book of mine regarding dog behavior that I recommend.
Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson
It is not a training program and there will be parts of the book or qoutes from the author that you and I do not agree with, but it will give you a good understanding of how a dogs brain works. You should be able to pick up a used one off Amazon for cheap.

You don't want to use the shock collar or treats so how do you plan to motivate the dog?

Positive is often miss used in dog training and you can see it here in this thread. It means adding, similar to tge mathematical term and it could be either pleasant or unpleasant for the dog.

Remember,I am new to this and to the terminology. I am and want to develop a close bond with my dog. I want my dog to do it for me because he wants to please me and because we will be a team.

Also remember that this is plan A; I will have a plan B and a plan C as well, and it may involve the treats and it may even evolve into the shock collar but that is not my first choice. Also remember that I will have the time. The dog will be kenneled inside the house and he will spend most of the day with me; he will go where I go, he will sit on my lap; he will be sitting next to me while I watch Wingshooting USA, and I my hope is that he will see me as the individual that will provide birds and plenty of running around and exploration time on a daily basis. This type of closeness I hope will help to seal the bond.

Thanks for the info on the book by Donaldson; I am going to order it tonight. I know I have my job cut out for me, but I really want to do it this way.

Along the same direction your interested in. "positive reinforcement and consistency mild negative reinforcement" There is some good content that I like within the free training videos on youtube from willow creek kennels.
http://www.willowcreekkennels.net/german-shorthairs/
http://www.youtube.com/user/willowcreekkennels

Even if you choose to train instead with mostly negative reinforcment, or use a packaged program, or an entirely E collar based training program, it will be benefitial for you to understand positive reinforcement and other positive training theory. Someone once said "If you do not know how to train without an E collar, you will not know how to train with an E collar."

Most will recommend that a person training a dog for the very first time should pick a good packaged training program and stick with that program. I may do my own thing, but I do agree with that statement.

Heck of a lot of ways to skin a cat...Robalro, not a dang thing wrong w/your thought pattern IMHO. I too think that if my bond w/my pup is tight enough and I am effective in communicating my wishes to him, we will do just fine.

An e collar wouldn't change any of that.

Rob, I would recommend Sherry Ray Ebert's training video. IMHO, no training method works on every dog.