Cookie 1806 bird numbers required

Cookie asked a question in the Build It Yourself section which included the number of birds required to train a Bird Dog.

I thought it might bring more answers, here.

My thoughts are geared toward pointing breeds. What breed dog do you have?

The total number of birds required will depend on such things as how fast your dog learns, what breed it is, your training methods, and ability, and how proficient you want your dog to be, at hunting. If you only want an AKC trial dog, you may never need more than 10 birds. If you want a companion that can run the fields ahead of you, and point, and retrieve one from time to time, you may get by with a hundred, or so. If you want a shoot to retrieve champion, 200-300, at least. A top Hunting Bird Dog will need to have hundreds, or even a couple thousand birds killed over it. It's a little like comparing the guy who shoots one hundred straight at the local trap club with the Benelli exhibition shooters. Both are impressive, but once you've seen a real pro at work, you may be ruined, forever.

For a puppy, you won't need many, as long as you know how to keep him from catching them. Muzzle him, until you see how quick he is, and how well your birds fly. A remote launcher is worth more than a good shotgun, when it comes to training. Among other advantages, they can nearly eliminate the chance of a bird being caught by a dog. It can happen at the end of the bird's flight, if you have neglected to train "stop to flush".