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Bailey doing a fox
retrieve over an obstacle. (Part of the VGP test)
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Training of your Deutsch Kurzhaar:
I have listed below the materials that I feel
comfortable recommending. The training of
your pup should start as soon as you get it home.
The beginning commands of sit, no, and come.
The play retrieves, but the most important part of
training your dog is spending time with it.
I do not feel training is an hour a day job with the
young dog. They have a short attention span,
and as such need constant short lessons.
This can only be done if you are spending time with it.
This to me will bring out the best in your dog.
There are other ways that work, but our dogs are meant
to be a part of your family.
These dogs can advance and be hunting for you at an
early age. Their often only limited by the
handler. I do believe that a puppy should be
allowed to play and be a puppy. That there is
nothing better for training a young dog than to take it
to the field where the birds are and let it learn.
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Recommended Readings
DRAHTHAAR PUPPY MANUAL
(Source)
I
recommend this book for anybody getting a puppy and interested in
the German way of testing. Although centered on
JGHV testing the VJP and HZP it will help guide you through your
German test and has great training ideas and a training schedule
guideline to give you ideas of when a pup should be doing
something this is just a guideline though each dog is an individual.
ARMBRUSTER TRAINING MANUAL
Source please contact me if you are interested in one and
we will try to work it out?
This book
covers a lot and would not only get you through most test but also
help you to make a fine hunting dog. It has step by step
procedures, and also covers common mistakes.
Smart Fetch by Evan Graham (Source)
This is an easy to understand approach to Force Breaking a
dog to fetch. This book or DVD explains very well what needs
to be done and to what extent. There is a simple to read
booklet or the DVD's. Available through many sources.
The Training and Care of the Versatile Hunting Dog
(Source)
Often referred to as the Green book from NAVHDA it covers everything
to make your dog a Versatile dog. Also items such as building
a training table
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How
to Help Gun Dogs Train Themselves (Paperback)
by
Joan Bailey
This is a great book for the first time owner.
It helps you to work with the puppy from the
time you get it home till you take it hunting
helping to get the most of it the easiest way.
The link I have listed is Amazom.com if you do
not find it there just do an internet search by
title and you should find it or go to the book
store it should be available.
(Source)
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Deutsch Kurzhaar Testing/Training |
The training of your pup should center around
your hunting and testing. This is
why I like the German testing system. The
German testing system helps you to train your pup
to be a versatile hunting dog for you.
By hunting your dog when it is young and with
proper training you will be able to pass the
test. By training for the test you
will have the best hunting dog you have ever
had.
The spring test (Derby) involves simple
dog work in the field to show how well the dog
searches, points, cooperates and what type of
desire, and nose the dog has. The obedience
required is minimal, just what I would call a
well behaved dog. The dog should be
well exposed to birds and be pointing and
holding on point. We are not talking about
a finished dog here. If your dog is
hunting for you this test is easy.
The fall test (Solms) is more advanced but has very little
in that the average hunter would not use or
expect from the dog. Again the same
items that were looked at in the Derby will be
evaluated. Plus the dog will have to do
retrieves. So in the Solms
there is more training required. Your
dog will have to do duck searches. A
rabbit retrieve. These are all good
game management items that your dog should be
doing tracking game and not loosing wounded game
in the field. Force
breaking the dog is recommend very few handlers
take a dog to a test like this that are not
force broke. The
Smart Fetch, and Green book do a good job of
covering this. The dog should have
been on a lot of birds and be pointing good.
The dog should hold a point long enough that you
could shoot the bird. Another words
it should not be busting birds. You should
be able to tell for sure the dog is
pointing. But it is not required to
be steady to flush at this test. However it should
be obedient and return to you. Ok, one of the items
in the Solms is the rabbit drag. A
dead rabbit is drug for 500 paces.
Your dog will be expected to track and retrieve it.
For many this is not an item that might interest
them. But this is no different than
tracking a wounded pheasant or other game bird,
only yes it is fur. So condition your dog
to fur. I find most of ours do not
mind it, in fact some seem to really love fur.
Then there is the blind duck search.
Here your dog should search for a duck on a pond
until you recall it. There should be
good cover and your dog should not just search
the water but also the banks.
(Work In progress) Please check back.
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Other Books I
recommend to learn about the DK |
Der Deutsch
Kurzhaar
(Source)
This book
was out of print for the longest time and if you
could find it you paid dearly for it.
It was brought back in paperback edition and
some color photos added. It
covers all German shorthairs. In most
countries giving you history and top performers.
It also covers genetics. In the DK they
speak of the origin of the dog, and great dogs
out of kennels and the kennels that helped to
shape the DK.
The Complete German
Shorthair Pointer
(by Herr H.F. Seiger and Dr. F. von
Dewitz-Colpin) This book is hard to find
as it has been out of print for a long time.
It was written by 2 Germans for Americans.
It covers only the DK though. It
explains very well how the DK was developed the
thought process and why we have the test we do
in the DKV. I recommend you search and
find this book, you will not regret it if you
are interested in the DK. Just
little things like why it is important to have
the chest the right size etc are covered.
Here is one source
available today (JAN 2010) but they go fast
you must search.
(Source)
(2nd Source)
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