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Too old to Train?

I have a 4 year old shorthair that I have hunted for three years. She had no real formal training. I did what I could but I had little time and real knowledge so her training has been in the field hunting. Despite the lack of real training she has turned out to be a decent bird dog but just a little inconsistent. She may lock up solid on one covey and run right through the middle of the next one. I now am at a position where I can afford a professional trainer and would like to send her to a trainer.My main question is, is she too old? I really think she could be a real good dog and I am not ready to give up on her. Thank you
Trey

No dog is too old to be trained. We took an 8 year old shorthair with a little bit of basic training in him and a lot of years of hunting experience an trained him. In 5 months of work, we finished him up with a NAVHDA Utility score of UT 189 prize II (mainly due to some bad luck that we didn't get a prize I). So to answer your question, no dog to us is too old to train. It all depends on other factors like the stamina of the dog, his temperment and what kind of instincts the dog has. If you feel that your dog has the potential to be better, then have him trained to bring it out.

Steve
Krystal Creek Kennels

For more information on training older dogs, try:
Training an old dog new tricks - Jan Burkholder
Training an old dog II - Jan Burkholder


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