Anyone got experience raising bird hunting puppies? I have a 9 week old Brittany and I’m struggling (I think) to adequately tire her out and play. She likes to play tug of war but I hear that’s a no no. She’ll run after the ball a few times but quickly loses interest. When I take her out for a walk it’s on a short leash and she just wants to run crazy but I have no way of controlling her if I let her off leash. Any help is appreciated!

Puppies have a very short attention span, they like a lot of different activities.  My brittanys don't like to retrieve a ball, but they love retrieving a bumper with a couple of pheasant scent drops on them.  Pheasant feathers on a fishing pole are great play tool as well.  Your puppy shouldn't be going out for walks at that young age, unless you are absolutely certain that there haven't been other dogs there.  She hasn't gotten all of her parvo shots.  Parvo can survive 6 months on grass.  That being said, a long leash lets her run and explore, if you know of an area that hasn't had other dogs

There are lots of dog parks on Oahu.  The Hawaiian Humane Society has a nice one. 

Dogs can play together and tire each other out.  That environment helps socialize them so they aren't as aggressive toward strange dogs they encounter on walks.  Letting the dogs tire EACH OTHER out while you watch is not a bad way to go.

Not sure if the parks for dogs are open now.  I'd think they would be.

Before going to one, I'd get my dog on an internal flea prevention med.  The one I used was combined with his monthly heart worm pill.  For some reason, fleas tend to like dog parks, too.   

Puppies have a very short attention span, they like a lot of different activities.  My brittanys don't like to retrieve a ball, but they love retrieving a bumper with a couple of pheasant scent drops on them.  Pheasant feathers on a fishing pole are great play tool as well.  Your puppy shouldn't be going out for walks at that young age, unless you are absolutely certain that there haven't been other dogs there.  She hasn't gotten all of her parvo shots.  Parvo can survive 6 months on grass.  That being said, a long leash lets her run and explore, if you know of an area that hasn't had other dogs

    EXCELLENT advice.
Brits are full of energy and that's just their way and they like to spend time outside burning it off with their best buddy (you  ).
Swimming is a good way to tire them out so take her to the beach to run and swim.

   Brits are also VERY social and VERY sensitive and do not like "conflict" (arguing, loud noise, yelling).    /   
Treat her like a child because that is their temperament.
Lots of runn'n and lots of lov'n requiredI.
f she does not get enough attention /exercise you'll know it from excessive barking and your couch legs and pillows getting chewed up. 
If this happens, it's your fault.  Don't yell at her or get "da kine"as it'll only get worse.

    Not a very good dog to have if your working a 9-5 and leaving her at home alone.   

   Starting to teach with whistle commands also a good idea.
I recommend not using a "whistle" but rather your own induced whistle (pucker them lips  )
This way you can actually send commands (set, stop, fetch etc...)  by type of whistle, like once, twice, up/down pitch and so on and you'll always have it with you.
She'll thrive on trying to please you so be PATIENT. Affection and praise is her biggest reward. 

Check the internet for more training info as Brits are a pretty well used breed for bird'n.
GL
 

Awesome advice everyone 

I only take her for a “walk” around my unit. I just couldn’t keep her in the house because I could never tire her out properly. I am kind of worried because she’s only had one set of vaccinations so far, but I just had no choice.

Do you guys have any favorite training DVDs or books you’d recommend?

Awesome advice everyone 

I only take her for a “walk” around my unit. I just couldn’t keep her in the house because I could never tire her out properly. I am kind of worried because she’s only had one set of vaccinations so far, but I just had no choice.

Do you guys have any favorite training DVDs or books you’d recommend?

My experience is "training" is mostly for the owner.  Most people have no idea what they ought to do with puppies.

When you go to a dog school, they basically teach the owners a few exercises, then tell them to practice with the dog daily until next session.  Dogs will remember what to do IF the owner spends the time positively reinforcing the behaviors.

Consistency, repetition, positive reinforcement and treating the training session as "work" so the puppy knows it's different from playtime are the biggest factors I think.

Set aside about an hour to work on behaviors: heel (walking next to or behind, not in front), stay, sit, etc.  Start each session with the same routine so there's no doubt what they are expected to do -- pay attention, do as commanded, and get treats!!   

I bought books on my breed to learn about common attributes of behavior.  Beagles are known to be intelligent but also stubborn.  I learned about pinch collars with that one.  That thing is a miracle!  He stopped trying to lead every time we put it on him.

Cesar Millan has a lot of videos and books out, and he has many good tips on general training and behavior modification.  I'd start there and add breed-specific training tips from other sources.

I knew my German Shepherd was considered a "vicious" breed.  I made sure to spend extra time on obedience exercises.  I've received compliments from vets we visited on his behavior.  One said he was really nervous when he read he was treating a 90 lb GS with an ear infection (right next to the teethy part  ).  My dog never once looked like he was going to react badly.

You do your part, and most times the dog will do theirs.

Flapp, I would like to respectfully disagree.  Dogs have short attention spans.  The maximum training session should be about 15 minutes.  Keep it short and fun.  Lots of positive praise.  I train my brittanys with praise, not treats, that way they do what I want all the time, and not just when I have treats.  I don't differentiate between training, going on walks, hunting, or playtime, they are all fun times that my dogs look forward to.
Brystont1 pm me your contact info.  I got some good dog training books

Flapp, I would like to respectfully disagree.  Dogs have short attention spans.  The maximum training session should be about 15 minutes.  Keep it short and fun.  Lots of positive praise.  I train my brittanys with praise, not treats, that way they do what I want all the time, and not just when I have treats.  I don't differentiate between training, going on walks, hunting, or playtime, they are all fun times that my dogs look forward to.
Brystont1 pm me your contact info.  I got some good dog training books

I think the length of time is up to the trainer -- and the dog.  My experience tells me that you  can't have very effective training -- especially with a dog  with a short attention span -- if you only spend 15 minutes.  The idea is to get the dog looking forward to the training session.  It's a time to spend together.  If the dog is not paying attention, maybe there are too many distractions in the area. A more private setting might help.

Treats are a very useful tool if used for training.  It's positive reinforcement they understand from the get go.  Praise is fine, but it's not as immediate as giving a tangible reward for a specific behavior.

Praise is necessary, but not in the total absence of treats.

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/dog-training-treats/

Maybe you never heard of Dr. Pavlov?   

Flapp, I would like to respectfully disagree.  Dogs have short attention spans.  The maximum training session should be about 15 minutes.  Keep it short and fun.  Lots of positive praise.  I train my brittanys with praise, not treats, that way they do what I want all the time, and not just when I have treats.  I don't differentiate between training, going on walks, hunting, or playtime, they are all fun times that my dogs look forward to.
Brystont1 pm me your contact info.  I got some good dog training books

Well said Sackman 
short and fun.   
Lots of positive praise 
praise, not treats 
fun times that my dogs look forward to. 

It's all about the love here.

Give Sack man a call Bryston!,
Sounds like he has good experience with your breed

I would personally choose four fifteen minutes sessions over a one hour sessions any day.

You can reinforce positive behavior with many things.  Some people use treats, some use praise, and some use toys.  Someone I know trains bomb sniffing dogs with a tennis ball.  Brittanys are sporting dogs that hunt for their masters, their demeanor is they want to please us.  Praise from their master goes a long way in training.  could I use treats?  Yes, however I don't want to always have treats with me.  When you are hunting in the field, your dog is off leash 30-60 yards away from you, they need to obey your verbal or whistle commands, i don't want them ignoring me because I don't have treats in my pocket.

Pavlov wasn't a dog trainer.  He was eliciting a physical response to a stimulus.  Bell rings and dog gets a treat, Repeat a bunch of times.  After a while, the bell rings and the dog starts to drool because his brain is conditioned to receiving a treat after the bell rings.  I don't want to teach my dog to drool.

Posting an article from akc.org doesn't really convince me of anything.  Like anything on the internet, we could both probably post hundreds of articles to back up both of our sides.  I was just sharing my experience of training the brittanys that I have owned, trained, and hunted over.