Valuable Tips on Training Younger Dogs in the Field

Ryman's Allegheny

Snow at a tender

six-months of age

Watching the progress of younger dogs in the field should be an enjoyable and memorable endeavor and as stress-free (for both the owner/trainer and the young dog) as possible.

Frustrations on the part of the inexperienced owner/trainer may begin to surface when one feels a younger dog is not progressing as fast as they have been told, according to something they read somewhere, etc. Circumstances such as this will not only diminish the enjoyment of the owner/trainer, but can serve to confuse and confound the younger dog as well.

When our children were still infants, my pediatrician gave me some invaluable advice on potty-training that could also be applied in a sense to younger dogs ~ that every child progresses at their own rate, and will potty-train when they are ready ~ and that when they are sixteen and eighteen years old it will not matter if they potty-trained at 10-months, 12-months, 18-months of age or even 24-months of age, whatever the case may be.

No one would think of demanding a baby of two-to-three months old become proficiently potty-trained, yet there are some who expect the world of a younger dog in the field when all the pup may be interested in at that particular point of their life is play. In addition, dogs have their own unique "ways of thinking about things" that may differ greatly from a human's points of view at critical times.

With the invaluable knowledge of four devoted generations of English Setter Gun Dog breeding and training behind him, John has written a wonderful piece in this regard, "Time, Patience and Understanding Equals Early Perfection" on the "Fetters Setters ~ Training Tips" page, easily accessed by clicking here.

And the common sense approach he offers is sure to bring the pleasure and enjoyment back into any young dog training experience in the field ~ not only for the owner/trainer, but for the very impressionable young dog as well.

To Top of Page

A Lively New Addition to the Fetters Setters Web Site/Blog: Fetters Setters ~ Training Tips

Typical eight-month old Female English Setter

by Roscoe Gladstone and Irene Cooper (circa. Early 1900s)

.

One of the newest additions to the Fetters Setters website/blog is a brand new page, "Fetters Setters ~ Training Tips" which can be easily accessed by clicking here.

.

As some of you are already aware, the Fetters Setters English Setters bloodlines and upland game hunting traditions have been on-going for no less than five generations.

.

The first article, personally written by John Fetters as all of them will be, is only the first of many tips and topics which will be appearing there.

.

You will have a rare opportunity to share in some of the vast reserve of knowledge and insights John has acquired through the years ~ much of which has been passed down religously through the Fetters Family.

.

If you have any specific topic you would like to see there, just use the "Fetters Setters ~ Contact Us" page, accessed by clicking here, and we will see what we can do to accommodate you.

.

John has been encouraged for years and years to put some of this vast knowledge ~ much of which has been passed along by his family through four generations of upland game hunters and English Setter owners and breeders ~ down on paper.

.

However now, with The Lady of the House (who is writing this particular piece) having a background in professional publishing, he no longer has a reason not to finally do so.

.

As with most of our English Setter and Gun Dog related topics, John does the initial writing ~ which is then edited and formatted by The Lady of the House and published here.

.

Anyone who knows John personally is already aware that he has the capability of doing at least a dozen things at one time ~ so The Lady of the House will have her work cut out for her as John already has four more different articles in progress, besides seven or eight (or fifteen or sixteen) other projects going on.

To Top of Page