Live Birds

Training progression:

This training session was part of our spring training series. These sessions are designed to start preparing young dogs for NAVHDA-sanctioned Tests later in the summer.

We introduce live birds for the first time under controlled conditions to ensure the dogs understand their role in the process.

Water work and tracking are planned for future sessions.

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Greatland NAVHDA

Promoting versatile hunting dogs

in Alaska

Alaska Chapter of the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association

Training with Live Birds

The Greatland Chapter holds training sessions as a natural progression from the three earlier sessions in which we introduced the "fetch" command, demonstrated techniques for teaching pups to "whoa", practiced heeling while carrying a buck on and off the training table, and worked on complying with the "out" command.

Here, Pete Nelson works with "Sadie" to accustom her to fetching a feathered buck.

Using a remote launcher in an open field and cycling the dogs through scent detection, approaching the bird, and steadying on point. At this stage of training, the dogs are handled (lifted) off the point without allowing contact with the bird or shooting over the dogs.

Part of the syllabus was an introduction to remote launchers, including loading, placement and controlling dogs during the launch. Using a harness and tether on the pigeon allows cycle the bird through the launcher multiple times without injuring or losing the bird.


	Steady to flush, watching the pigeon on the rise from a launcher.
		"Bramble", an 9-month old Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, watching a pigeon being retrieved and reloaded during his first day in the field with live birds.