# Off to Gun Dog Training



## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Next week we'll be taking our 1 yr old GSP Cheeney up to GA for Gun Dog Training; it's about an 8 hr trip to them from here in Tampa.

We know this is what he needs to progress as a Gun Dog, but of course I'm already feeling a bit sad that he'll be gone for 2 months. I guess the "bright side" is that we have 5-yr-old Zio to "take the edge off" our "GSP habit". But that doesn't mean that we won't miss Cheeney.









Hopefully, we'll be able to make a few trips up there to train with him, but the distances involved make that difficult. 

I wonder how his Uncle Zio will take his absence seeing that he often acts like Cheeney is the biggest PITA on the planet?

Since this is also Cheeney's breeder, there are already 3 of Cheeney's littermates up there making the Trainers' lives "interesting". And now there'll be ANOTHER one!


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

Boy he is so gorgeous I just want to kiss him.

I'll bet that would be so hard to send your baby away for so long, but if you can't do it your self then what other choice do you have. He has gotten so big I tend to forget how long you have had him.

You go Cheeney show them how it's done.


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## lab mom (May 6, 2012)

He is gonna come back a hunting beast!


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

I take my dogs up to training in GA also, but don't leave them, don't have that kind of money, but would love to get a little of that in for my doggies. I do my training myself, slow, but I enjoy it.

Hope you don't miss him to much, he will be having fun!!!


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

How much does it cost to leave them there for two months if you don't mind me asking? Is it daily training, and they come back perfectly trained?


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Chocx2 said:


> I take my dogs up to training in GA also, but don't leave them, don't have that kind of money, but would love to get a little of that in for my doggies. I do my training myself, slow, but I enjoy it.
> 
> Hope you don't miss him to much, he will be having fun!!!


It's unfortunate that the fellow who trained Zio is no longer doing it; he was only up in Tallahassee & we could go every weekend to train with him & Zio. We learned so much from that experience!

Unfortunately, we don't have the space or the resources. You NEED birds and a whole lot of other stuff (like 5+ acres of land, an ATV or horse, etc., etc.) to do this first stage of training. 

But we now know how to build on his initial training & keep it up so that we can do most of the rest on our own.


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Caty M said:


> How much does it cost to leave them there for two months if you don't mind me asking? Is it daily training, and they come back perfectly trained?


We were quoted $575/month for the training + "room & board"; we're hoping to get a little off since we will be providing Cheeney's food.

This stage is what is referred to as "whoa training" and "breaking [training] the dog". We will (hopefully) get Cheeney back as a "green broke dog": a dog that has been trained to be steady to wing & shot, but whose experience level means that they will not necessarily be staunch all the time. "Perfectly trained" at 1 yr old? We wish! 

We have been careful to spend time training Cheeney separately from Zio so he doesn't become dependent on Zio & only take his cues from him. It has paid off in how independent Cheeney is when we run them both; they start out together, but peel off & go their separate ways. However, Cheeney has certainly learned a lot from Zio and is actually doing some things "naturally" that indicate he has great potential.

If only the trainer wasn't so far away! :Cry:


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

When Drew gets his flat coat, the trainer we will take him to is about 30 minutes away. They have 100s of acres of marsh to work the dogs on and hold trials there. Its quite the place!

Good luck to Cheeney!


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

Well if you ever want to train, I have wingers, blanks, training ducks, and some spots to train, but again, I have labs, bird dogs are for upland hunting right? Just an offerop2:


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Chocx2 said:


> Well if you ever want to train, I have wingers, blanks, training ducks, and some spots to train, but again, I have labs, bird dogs are for upland hunting right? Just an offerop2:


Thanks for the kind offer. Although our guys are great in the water, you are correct in that GSPs are upland bird dogs.

That being said, if you ever want to do some upland training, the clubs we belong to have access to some great grounds in Masaryktown.


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Sprocket said:


> When Drew gets his flat coat, the trainer we will take him to is about 30 minutes away. They have 100s of acres of marsh to work the dogs on and hold trials there. Its quite the place!
> 
> Good luck to Cheeney!


You are so lucky! There are no local upland bird trainers here in Central Florida. The closest ones seem to be in GA. :sad:

However, we do have lots of "toys" and training space only about 40 minutes NW of us.


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