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Post by Plainsman on Feb 22, 2021 15:54:20 GMT -5
 Most hunting dogs are passionate about their "work." It's part of their appeal. GSPs tend to be VERY passionate about... most everything, but most especially their hunting life. Created to be versatile hunting/companion dogs I'm sure they have hunted everything huntable all over the world. In the US they hunt upland birds, ducks and geese (GSPs have webbed feet), hogs, mountain lions, bear, squirrels, and lost children. Eli is showing definite signs of wanting to be a squirrel dog. He spots them in the trees, looking up. He watches them at the window for long, long periods of staring concentration. We have fox squirrels here. Big, athletic fellows that dwarf the eastern gray squirrel. Plenty around the place. They've always been off-limits here, my own dictum. Squirrel hunting used to be my favorite, especially with a .36 flintlock long rifle or a .22 and sometimes with a 410. Thinking seriously about letting Eli test his potential and doing a bit of squirrel hunting with him. Might be good for him, if not for the squirrels. I have a few recipes.
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Post by Ronv69 on Feb 22, 2021 16:01:24 GMT -5
Squirrel is good. We had hundreds at the old house, but we had a lot of oak trees. Here we have one medium and one that is dying. And one big fat squirrel.
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Post by Ronv69 on Feb 22, 2021 16:06:05 GMT -5
Lacy thinks she's a bird dog. She is not.
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Post by puffy on Feb 22, 2021 16:37:22 GMT -5
My grandfather got a dog..Named him Skipper..Grandpa took Skipper out in the field.Gonna teach him to be a rabbit dog..Grandpa fired the shot gun.Skipper ran under the house..After that every time grandpa got out that gun skipper made a bee line under the house..I guess you could say he was passionate about staying away from that shot gun.
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Post by Plainsman on Feb 22, 2021 16:58:02 GMT -5
“Teaching the gun” to a dog is a process. Mine is simple, starting with a young pup. I feed him on the deck. While he’s eating I fire a 22 rifle at about 25-35Y, muzzle pointed away. Two shots max. Gradually increase the number of shots and decrease the distance. After a couple of weeks shift to a 22 pistol, same drill. Then a 38 pistol, muzzle pointed away always. That usually does it. Once game is taken over them they are hooked and will “do the dance” whenever they see the gun come out.
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