Rough_mut wrote:Its very interesting to read some common themes...
Some saying they wish they have kept the softer quieter dogs\bitches whilst others prefer the fire breathers?
Also some saying they regret rushing whilst some advocate getting out on to game as early as possible?
It should be noted that there is most certainly not a "one size fits all" when it comes to working bird dogs. What might be a good fit for someone, might be wholly unacceptable for someone else. Some people may not even realise what dogs suit them better until they have been through a few and understand how their own personalities and mannerisms effect how dogs develop (or not).
A dog that might be a firecracker for Mr. A, and thrive on firm control, lots of action and noise, might well be too much dog for Mr. B, who prefers mollycoddling and loving whispers and shielding the dog from too much of this and too much of that. In the final wash, little matters however, it is about personal preference and enjoyment. But it is important to identify what you want and what you want to achieve. It is also important to understand what dog is a better fit for your personality and end goals. Unfortunately, without exposure to the (gundog) game one will battle to identify what works for them - everybody who has succeeded with dogs, be it hunting or trialling, has ruined a few due to lack of compatibility.
Further to that it should also be said that getting a dog into game early is not necessarily "rushing it". The fundamentals are obviously a requirement, but exposing a young dog to game under the right guidance should not be seen as "rushing". The train of thought that dogs should not be exposed to game until they are goose stepping and polished to complying to every command in a millisecond is something that confuses most people. And it speaks more to the person training the dog that the dog itself. Plainly put, dogs need game to develop. This cannot be done with tennis balls and hidden dummies.
Dogs can be developed very well on game, in fact without game, I would battle to get the dog where I want it. Early, consistent and controlled exposure to game results in confident and clever hunting dogs. Delaying this and substituting it with overtraining and drills with other things in the hope that the dog will hold it together once finally let loose in a field of pheasant is usually met with frustration, much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Thereafter the frustrated handler posts the most common question I see on this forum: "my dog is 100% steady to dummies, recall and stop to whistle - but when she saw a pheasant..."
wot he said. 
