Step 1
Bonding and basic obedience
Name, recall, crate, calm around people and other dogs. No birds and no pressure. You are building trust and a dog that likes working with you.
Dog Training
Train a dog you can trust from the first season.
If you are thinking about getting a bird dog or you already have a Brittany or Pointer puppy and feel a little lost, this page gives you a clear picture of what the first years should look like.
More than thirty seasons in the field with Pointers and Brittanys. The ideas below come from real hunts, not from theory.
Who this training path is for
This is for upland hunters who want a dog that works hard but also has a brain. Not a robot and not a wild rocket that disappears over the horizon.
- • You are buying or just bought a Brittany, Pointer, Setter or GSP.
- • You want a dog that hunts with you, not against you.
- • You care about safety, wild birds and long term progress.
- • You prefer a simple plan you can repeat, not a circus of tricks.
I started with Pointers and Brittanys when I was sixteen. Since then I have hunted over soft dogs, hard dogs, big runners and close workers. The pattern is always the same. Dogs that get small, consistent sessions all year become steady and reliable.
Dogs that only touch a field two or three weeks before the season stay chaotic for years. The good news is that you do not need a ranch or a trailer full of birds. You need a clear idea of what to repeat and what to ignore.
Want a clear plan for your dog's first seasons?
If you're starting a Brittany, Pointer or similar bird dog and want the first two seasons to build a reliable partner, not chaos, I'm putting together a simple, field-tested guide based on 30 years hunting and training with these breeds.
Drop your email below and you'll get the full checklist and training plan the moment it's ready.
No spam just field-tested notes and the full guide.
First Steps
Every good bird dog I have hunted behind, no matter the breed, moved through the same four phases. The details change but the structure is always the same. What you repeat calmly in these phases is what builds a dog you can trust.
Step 2
Field introduction
Short, fun walks in real cover. The dog learns how wind and ground work and you learn how it likes to hunt.
Step 3
Early bird work
First controlled contacts with birds. You protect confidence and stop things only when they become dangerous or completely out of control.
Step 4
First real seasons
Wild birds, real mistakes and calm corrections. Here you see if your daily work at home and in the field is paying off.
Free Training Tips for a Great Season!
No spam, only real hunting experience, dog work breakdowns and gear setups you can actually use.
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