Once we are done with all of the tests, I will continue hunting with her recreationally. Previously, I had never considered shooting for myself after all, I’m just a girl! Then I met a woman from NAVHDA who told me that even a girl can go out and hunt and shoot over her own dogs and ya never know, I might like it. Then a couple of years ago, I attended a NRA Women’s shotgun clinic and learned to shoot sporting clays and loved it! I bought a shotgun six months later.

I had finally decided that I wanted to take it a step further and actually learn to hunt so that I could shoot for Roxie and complete the circle of the woman/dog/hunter relationship.  I signed up for a women’s hunter camp sponsored by California Waterfowl last fall. It was a two day camp where we took the hunter’s safety exam Saturday morning, did sporting clays in the afternoon then on Sunday went on a real pheasant hunt.  15 other women were in the camp with me and we had a great time!  Roxie wasn’t a part of the hunt and I didn’t get a bird, but that’s OK, I really wanted my first bird to be with her anyway.

The following few months, I attended several women’s pheasant hunts put on by the Department of Fish and Game and in the process met MORE great women to hunt with.  Roxie and I got our first bird (and on video no less!) and a new club was formed, Bad Ass Girls Club.  Our goal is to encourage more women to get out and shoot and hunt.

I cooked my first pheasant for my parents and cooked and shared it with friends at Thanksgiving.  With all the pheasant in my freezer, I think I can stop buying chicken now!

Renée and Roxie with friends showing their pheasants.

This season, I hunted with friends, family and enjoyed every minute of it. There are moments when training or hunting where the moon and stars align and Roxie does exactly what she is supposed to do, when she’s supposed to do it and looks beautiful doing it.  It’s an amazing feeling and when it happens, I just have to stop and take in the moment (and try to get a picture) and I think to myself… this is why I do it.

Renée with her Blue Weimaraner, Roxie.

This article written by Renée Viehmann, secretary and treasurer for the Blue Weimaraner Club of America. Roxie is Int CH Fairhaven’s Blu Skys the Limit, JH, NAVHDA NA2. You can read more about Renée’s adventures with Roxie on her Blog. Photographs © Renée Viehmann. Please do not reproduce without permission. Click on images to see larger.

The Weimaraner is a Hunting dog
I’m sure you know or have guessed that Field training is training for hunting or often more specifically for entering your dog in hunt tests or field trials to get titles. Weimaraners are a hunting breed in the sporting group. To be specific, they are considered to be Versatile Hunting Dogs also referred to as an HPR breed, which means they Hunt, Point and Retrieve as opposed to other breeds that specialize more in pointing (English Pointer) or retrieving (Labrador Retriever). You may also hear a Weimaraner described as a continental pointing breed. This distinction came about because the British often used several dogs that specialized in tasks such as pointing, retrieving or flushing whereas in Europe, usually the same dog performed many tasks.

What is Field Training
Why does a hunting dog need to be trained? While hunting dogs naturally have a desire to hunt and pointing dogs usually instinctively point, we do ask them to learn some behaviors that are contrary to their natural desires. A pointing dog might naturally point, but we then ask it to stay still (steady) even after the bird flies away (flushes) and even to stay still when it falls when shot. It can take a lot of patient training to get to the point where a dog understands to be “Steady” until released to retrieve.  This is called “Steady to Wing, Shot and Fall.” Weimaraners should have a natural instinct to retrieve, but we want them to consistently not only go get the bird, but also to deliver it to hand. This usually takes some training. There may also be some water work, teaching your Weimaraner to track and retrieve water fowl, like ducks. A Weimaraner will also be trained to work with a bracemate and will learn to “honor” the other dog’s point if that dog finds and points a bird first.

Field training is something that is never completely finished. You don’t train them once and then they know it for the rest of their lives. Like all dog training, it requires regular practice.

Try it, you might like it.
Like others you’ll hear from this month, I never thought I would be involved in hunting and training for field. What we have discovered is that Field training is really fun! Not only are you outdoors, often working with friends, but seeing your Weimaraner do what it was meant to do is awesome. When you see your Weimaraner on point with every molecule of its body strung taut with intense concentration — well, it’s a thing of beauty.

Bella is on point. I am about to flush the bird. Gunners are standing by.

The Weimaraner is above all, a breed that is intended to hunt. While not everyone with a Weimaraner must hunt, it is important that we understand, respect, and protect the intent of the breed. I realize that to many, hunting has intimidating if not negative connotations. When examined closer, we may find that this is an undeserved, knee-jerk reaction. Future articles will look closer at attitudes about hunting.

If you are interested in learning about training your Blue Weimaraner for field, you could contact your local Weimaraner club. They often have training sessions or fun days where you can come out and give it a try. You can also contact your local NAVHDA branch (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association). They will often have training fun days and prep days for their Natural Ability test. I also recommend the Steady with Style blog for a gentle method of training, they have a free manual to download.

Top photograph is of Bellatrix des Perles d’Artemis (Bella) on point. © Cori Moesta. Please do not reproduce without permission.

Brad has developed a system of silent bird “releasers” that mimic how a bird would act in nature. Listen to Brad explain what’s going on. That’s me going up to flush the bird from the bush. Look for further explanations on this method coming soon.

Check out Brad Higgin’s Training site at Higgins Gun Dogs

You can also find out more about this training method at the Steady With Style site.