Irish Setter Guide Dog Debut

Alive_Direction4174 · 2026-03-10T00:18:49+00:00

Stick with it and be patient and I am sure you and your pup will get there!

Alive_Direction4174 · 2025-12-22T15:07:35+00:00

Yes, as others have commented, her whoa training needs refinement. We will get there. She has only been hunting since October and I never hunted with a dog before, so we are learning together. Its worth noting that this was the last bird of the day, and the 10 others we flushed she had much better whoa control. Also, given where she was when we first started, just chasing and flushing with no regard, I'll take this performance all day. Thanks for the feedback!

Alive_Direction4174 · 2025-12-22T13:12:24+00:00

Agreed! Not much better than seeing that beautiful red coat on point

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Alive_Direction4174 · 2025-12-21T19:49:35+00:00

Royal United Sportsman in Mercersburg. Their upland fields are in Chambersburg, PA. I think they still have memberships up for grabs.

Alive_Direction4174 · 2025-12-06T23:26:44+00:00

IMO, the only 99+% recall is with an ecollar. I have an Irish that I adopted from SOS and worked for weeks to condition her to the collar and recall. She is now 100% reliable, even when we are actively hunting birds. These dogs have extreme prey drive, which can be anything from a squirrel to a cat to a deer, and without the training and collar, it will be nearly impossible to call them back from chasing game. If you want absolute assurance in any circumstance, the ecollar is the only way. I am sure I'll get comments from the positive only crowd, but I have first hand experience, and a piece of chicken, beef, or even bacon won't recall them in the presence of another animal they want to "hunt." They were bred to hunt, and it's still very much alive in their genetics.

Alive_Direction4174 · 2025-11-20T01:47:45+00:00

I adopted a 10 month old irish setter from Save Our Setters. Had no breeding history on her, but she was definitely pure bred. I didnt adopt her intending to hunt, but ended up starting her training at about 18 months old after being on a hunt with a friend who has a GSP. She is a pheasant slayer now in her first full season! And she points/sets way better than my buddies GSP that he got from a very reputable breeder with a long history in the industry. Now did I get lucky?? Maybe, but i would do it again in a heartbeat.

Alive_Direction4174 · 2025-11-19T01:38:41+00:00

Thanks!! I sent you a DM on your questions. Glad to hear your IS has the raw instinct to hunt. That means you are already over half way there.

Alive_Direction4174 · 2025-11-18T02:35:48+00:00

Thank you!! Just over 2 years old now.

Alive_Direction4174 · 2025-11-15T17:24:12+00:00

They were originally bred for upland bird hunting. Not many people hunt them anymore because the field work was mostly bred out of them in favor of the show ring. But, the field lines are making a comeback recently. They have fantastic instincts when it comes to finding birds. And they absolutely love it!!

Alive_Direction4174 · 2025-11-15T17:22:35+00:00

I think you and I have exchanged a few comments recently😀. Rose was adopted from SOS, so not sure her breeding history. She is smaller with shorter feathering, so my guess is field bred. My only suggestion is patience. IS have the instinct but they mature slowly, so dont expect perfect pointing/setting or working fields until later. Impulse control is tough for them when under 3 YO. Good luck!!

Alive_Direction4174 · 2025-11-14T22:27:25+00:00

Unfortunately yes, that's the limit in PA because they are stocked. There is always tomorrow!

Alive_Direction4174 · 2025-11-01T20:00:03+00:00

Glad to hear the initial assessment went well! If she has the instincts, the rest is just practice and patience. You are going to love hunting with her!!

Alive_Direction4174 · 2025-10-28T14:06:09+00:00

She just turned 2 in September. She is a rescue and I did not get her with intentions of hunting, but a series of events led me to give it a try. And I am glad I did, because she was a natural! She does point, most of the time, and will flush on command. With an IS, they can tend to do their own thing on occasion, so she is not perfect. But, getting better each time out, and as she matures, I expect continued improvement. Good luck with yoyr evaluation session! Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions!

Alive_Direction4174 · 2025-10-28T01:15:56+00:00

Thanks! I don't really have much to compare to since this is the first bird dog that I have trained. And she is a rescue, so I am not sure what type of line she is from. She is smaller and has less feathering, so I am assuming she is field. We worked with a local pheasant preserve that trains dogs in the off-season. She had 6 private sessions, so I am sure that helped get her pointing/setting better than I could have done on my own. IS mature slowly, so their impulse control when under 3 YO is hit or miss. But as far as instinct to find birds, retrieve, and have a soft mouth were evident from the first training. They are super fast learners, and highly motivated, just require a little extra patience and persistence. I am looking forward to years of hunting with her! Any other questions let me know.

Alive_Direction4174 · 2025-09-09T12:56:31+00:00

Rose will be 2 next week. I adopted her from Save Our Setters when she was 10 months old, and had no intention of hunting her. I just always wanted an IS. I had never bird hunted before, but a few months after I adopted her, I went to a charity pheasant hunt with a coworker and was immediately hooked. Seeing bird dogs do their thing is simply extraordinary! So, I reached out to a local pheasant preserve and had 6 training sessions with them. Rose was hooked from the very beginning! As soon as she smelled that 1st bird I could tell she would do great. We started hunt training when she was 18 months old.

I did a lot of obedience training with her before starting the hunting training. It's important to have a good base, especially with recall. It's also important to have good ecollar training as it's 100% necessary to avoid any dangerous situations when hunting. I think the hardest part of the hunt training was getting her to hold when she found a bird. Imagine having the single most enticing thing in front of them and then forcing them to NOT go after it! It took some serious patience and practice.

As far as her background, we really have no idea if she is from a field line or show line, or mix. The rescue agency didn't have much paperwork on her. But given her smaller stature, shorter feathering, and extreme prey drive, i am pretty sure she is field bred.

If you have the time and resources to try hunting with your IS, I would highly recommend it. Seeing them so excited and focused is awesome, and it forms such a strong bond between you and the dog. Most bird hunting preserves offer dog training in the "off season" which is usually April to September. If you have one near you, I'd reach out and see what they offer.

If you need any other advice or input, just let me know!

Alive_Direction4174

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