Whoa training/Not pointing yet?

[collinedward]

I made the mistake of teach my little 5 month gsp girl to sit . Whoa training is a little tough since , she wants to sit everytime i hold her back and tell her whoa. How do I break her of this?
I have yet to see her point.. How do I get her to do what she was bred to do ?

[snips]

Sooo, are you trying to hold her back to point a bird? Kinda confusing what you wrote, is she 5 months now? If so, I would not worry about any obedience, just expose her to good flying birds and let the birds teach her to point:).

[collinedward]

Im sorry I'm at work .Yes she just turned 5months old . Come to think of it, it might be the birds i'm planting. They don't fly real well, she just tries to catch them.

[snips]

That'll do it. It is ok for exposure but after shes knowing what shes looking for time to get her on good flying birds. If you can't get them, wait til you can. I like to start on some pigeon launchers at around 7 mo if they are bold and need to get pointing. At her age I would not worry.

[RayGubernat]

collinedward -

Get a copy of Paul Long's book, "Training Pointing Dogs". It has in it a description of a heel/whoa drill that will help you in a couple of ways. Instead of using the looped checkcord I suggest using a Smith wonderlead or a pigging string(which is cheaper). That drill should get the dog out of the habit of sitting and it should also get the dog thinking about stopping and standing, so that when you reintroduce birds it may very well transefer that yard training into a point.


In the meantime, I would take the dog off birds, especially if they are lousy fliers.

RayG

[bobman]

Sooo, are you trying to hold her back to point a bird? Kinda confusing what you wrote, is she 5 months now? If so, I would not worry about any obedience, just expose her to good flying birds and let the birds teach her to point:).

thats what I would do

[Sprig]

it comes down to birds, birds, birds......stop holding her on birds in the field. she has to get the "chase" out of her system before you can start to "whoa" the dog. teach whoa in the yard without birds but invest in a bird launcher and keep putting flyaways in front of her...sooner or later she will start to slow down and creep to the bird, that is when you add the whoa on birds. 5 months old, dont expect too much too soon.

[collinedward]

Thanks for all the info.. Very helpful ...