Pup wont pick up dead quail

[bpenn1980]

After introducing our new pup (3.5mo old) to birds a couple weeks ago, I decided I'd bring her along for the quail opener. I took her for long walks and she ran around chasing butterflies, romping, etc. I didnt shoot anything with her around, we kenneled her for our actual hunting time. After hunting I'd come back and show her dead quail and try and get her excited about them then toss them out. She'd run out to them and just sniff it a bit, but no willingness to get her mouth on one. Do I need to work her on more birds? Will her desire turn on later? Should I just ignore it and continue enjoying her puppyhood?

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[Sharon]

Don't worry about it. 3.5 months old - a baby. Let her just enjoy being out with you.
Smart move to kennel her during the hunt. Some folks would have considered that a great time to " introduce the gun ". :roll:

"A quail opener". Wow. That's sure a foreign concept to someone living in ON. You're a lucky man.

[Scott Linden]

Not enough eyebrow or beard. Pointer owners: that was a joke.

[live4point]

In my opinion a bird dog pup that doesn't have much interest in a bird is not good.

[bpenn1980]

Don't worry about it. 3.5 months old - a baby. Let her just enjoy being out with you.
Smart move to kennel her during the hunt. Some folks would have considered that a great time to " introduce the gun ". :roll:

"A quail opener". Wow. That's sure a foreign concept to someone living in ON. You're a lucky man.

Yep, I fully appreciate having so much wild land to hunt. I hunt a huge public area that has elk, antelope, deer, boar, quail, chukar, dove. The west is great like that, lots of space, even if its bone dry. Though I am surprised that our greenie state allows hunting on all of this public land.

We did some 22 acorn blank work with her a few weeks back when we intro'd her to pigeons, but having a few 12ga shots go off is completely different. It rings my ears, so I'm sure she would not enjoy it.

In my opinion a bird dog pup that doesn't have much interest in a bird is not good.

Yeah, that was what I was thinking too, except she readily chased down a live clipped wing pigeon a few weeks ago and carried it around all over the place. So I dont know, maybe she needs to figure out that quail are good too. I dont know. Maybe she's young yet, she still isnt working her nose a lot, just doing lots of sight pointing.

[postoakshorthairs]

Yeah, that was what I was thinking too, except she readily chased down a live clipped wing pigeon a few weeks ago and carried it around all over the place. So I dont know, maybe she needs to figure out that quail are good too. I dont know. Maybe she's young yet, she still isnt working her nose a lot, just doing lots of sight pointing.

I wouldn't worry about it if she showed that kind of drive on pigeons. I bet if you get some good flying quail and put her on them she'll put two and two together.

[wems2371]

She's a pup. If she's shown interest like you mention, she's got promise IMO. Heck, she just fell out of the whelping box (so-to-speak), not that many weeks ago. From my own newbie experience, my GSP Roxi has a ton of bird/prey drive and will retrieve just about anything, but as we went along in her early bird training--everything was a new step. Freezer birds were different than live birds. Shot birds were different than freezer birds. Different smells with different reactions at first, but in the end, she now rockets off to retrieve birds and without FF. I'd let her be a pup and continue to introduce her to birds, without a lot of expectations or pressure.

[birddogger]

She's a pup. If she's shown interest like you mention, she's got promise IMO. Heck, she just fell out of the whelping box (so-to-speak), not that many weeks ago. From my own newbie experience, my GSP Roxi has a ton of bird/prey drive and will retrieve just about anything, but as we went along in her early bird training--everything was a new step. Freezer birds were different than live birds. Shot birds were different than freezer birds. Different smells with different reactions at first, but in the end, she now rockets off to retrieve birds and without FF. I'd let her be a pup and continue to introduce her to birds, without a lot of expectations or pressure.

+1

Charlie

[AZ Brittany Guy]

Way too early to start judging that pup. If the breeding was good, the hunt will come. Not all pointing dogs enjoy retrieving but they will point and hunt dead. The first year should be happy times.

[ezzy333]

Never found it wise to judge birddog puppy by it's interest in a dead bird that it had no part in before it was killed. Bet a dollar you throw a live bird for her and she will have interest in it. Dead birds to a puppy is a piece of meat.

Ezzy

[RayGubernat]

Chasing meadowlarks, butterfiles and assorted chippie birds, as well as burrowing around for the occasional field mouse is precisely what you should expect to see in a baby puppy...which is what you have there. Sounds just fine to me.

Keep doing what you are doing and keep your expectations in your hip pocket. They are most likely unrealistic anyway. Mine usually are.

Instead...watch what the pup is doing and work with what the puppy gives you. At this age EVERYTHING is PLAYTIME for a bird dog puppy so relax, enjoy, and try to direct and channel that play so the pup has fun with you and has more fun and gets more praise and rewards doing what you suggest than otherwise.

In the final analysis, if a bird dog NEVER learns to retrieve, is that SO bad?

If one of my dogs finds and points a bird, holds it 'till I get there and stands there while I flush and shoot it, I like to think I can bring myself to walk to the shot bird, bend over and pick it up... most of the time.

Relax, take your time with your youngster and you will be fine.

In exactly one year's time, report back in with your youngster's progress. If your dog isn't doing a whole lot of things that you want it to do, i would be very, very surprised.

Patience, persistence and a sense of humor are what you need right now. Have fun!

RayG

[Shadow]

Chasing meadowlarks, butterfiles and assorted chippie birds, as well as burrowing around for the occasional field mouse is precisely what you should expect to see in a baby puppy...which is what you have there. Sounds just fine to me.

Keep doing what you are doing and keep your expectations in your hip pocket. They are most likely unrealistic anyway. Mine usually are.

Instead...watch what the pup is doing and work with what the puppy gives you. At this age EVERYTHING is PLAYTIME for a bird dog puppy so relax, enjoy, and try to direct and channel that play so the pup has fun with you and has more fun and gets more praise and rewards doing what you suggest than otherwise.

In the final analysis, if a bird dog NEVER learns to retrieve, is that SO bad?

If one of my dogs finds and points a bird, holds it 'till I get there and stands there while I flush and shoot it, I like to think I can bring myself to walk to the shot bird, bend over and pick it up... most of the time.

Relax, take your time with your youngster and you will be fine.

In exactly one year's time, report back in with your youngster's progress. If your dog isn't doing a whole lot of things that you want it to do, i would be very, very surprised.

Patience, persistence and a sense of humor are what you need right now. Have fun!

RayG

can't be said much better than that

I've two pups that age

[bpenn1980]

Thanks all for the input.

First time training a hunting dog makes me a bit anxious since I don't have any benchmarks to go by. I'll keep the pressure and expectations in my hip pocket as suggested and take my cues from her on when its time to move forward.

[snips]

I wold let that pp chase a clip wing quail and catch it. Sometimes they want to get their mouth on it if they catch it and kill it.

[andreasrossouw]

I took Baron(10months) to the farm this weekend to introduce him to the 12gauge and some birds. Started at a distance and worked our way closer. The closer he came the more excited he got. Had no problems at all not even a flinch. We then went out into the field in search of birds me and Baron walking a short distance behind my friend and his pointer working for the birds(would not have done this if i had the slightest hesitation). The GSP then pointed and flushed the birds and my buddy shot one bird.

Then i told Baron to fetch and he worked his nose very well but when he got to the bird which was still alive he just looked at it and smelled it and didnt want to pick it up. He wasnt scared but wasnt keen on picking it up. I played around with him with the bird still pretty much alive to get him excited but he runs after the bird all excited but wouldnt pick it up.

Then went to a dam and started playing with him and then introduced the bird again. He slowly started picking it up by the wing or neck for a moment and dropped it again. And not very long after he was carrying it around like a dummy. Fetching it on blinds and in the water etc. and holding it until told otherwise. And doing it all at full speed and very excited.

Your pup is still very young and dont be worried because i was for a moment over the weekend and the dog showed me otherwise. All good things come over time. The first few months you just cant wait for them to grow up.

[hpvizslas]

As most everyone else has said, the pup is too young to worry about anything right now. Just get em out to enjoy being in the field and have fun yourself. My oldest dog took almost 8 months before she would retrieve. Took one wounded pheasant running in a draw for her to catch and she has never looked back since. I would put her up against most other dogs for retrieving now and not have a worry.

Good luck and have fun with the pup. You will both learn a lot.