just curious

[Merle]

I am fairly new to bird dogs and wonder when a dog smells scent do you think it can tell how far away the game is? or does he just instinctively go on point as soon as they smell the scent? I know there are alot of variables such as wind, cover etc. but every once in a while I get the feeling when my dog gets birdy at first scent and then tries to get close almost like she knows how far away the bird is when she first picks up the scent. Sometimes they point and the bird will be within a couple of feet from her nose and sometimes she goes on point and the bird will be several feet away from her nose? Just wonderin....?

[BrittGSP818]

Merle when you smell the scent of nice sacullent roast im sure you know how far that baby is from you... same with dogs. The scent gets stronger the closer they get, but the reason they get close to the bird is becasue they are pen raised birds. Wild birds never let a dog get close to them (most), they either fly or run away. After hunting or training on pen raised and then taking a dog out to hunt wild birds they learn that birds with human scent (pen raised) will hold until they are closer. Birds that dont have human scent will fly sooner, so they point as soon as they pick up scent. Also, they might begin to point further away when you change your training area or routine, they see this as something new and will point a bit further than usual to test the birds out. It can also be wind conditions, they might not pick up scent then the wind changes and they are right on top of the bird. Hope this helps.

George

[GSPlover]

To me a dogs scenting ability is a mysterious thing and is affected by many different things. BrittGSP818 is right on about dogs picking up scent. I think it just takes alot of experience for a dog to know how close they can get. My GSP has a really good nose. I always try to help her when we are working some cover by bringing her in so the wind is in her face. Ive seen her point some birds that were 30-40 yards away and Ive seen her walk by birds that were less than 5 feet away and she never smelled them. Theres been days when no bird was safe because my dog would smell it and then again some days when she cant smell anything. Im talking wild Ruffed Grouse. I think scenting is affected by many different things. Wind, moisture, weather, time of year, even moon phases.

[tfbirddog2]

Well in my years of hunting with dogs, and training them, and guiding with them professionaly for years, what I have seen is that, alot of how the smell depends on so many factors, and those are not consistan either. Moisture will be a reason on how close or not a dogs gets or smells birds, wind being the same way too. I have seen first hand on what happens when you wing and string train a dog and let them get to close to the wing, they will be a bird bumper and a belly creeper. I have watched my dogs on p. chickens work the birds what I call high winding them by sticking their heads up (or nose) into the wind or basicaly pointing or trailing them 40 to 60 yards ahead. My dogs hunt relasesed birds and wild in the same field and if you can tell me one from the other the first time I would take you out I will eat my hat! I get tired of hear the pen raised crap it is annoying!!!!!!!!! Now I will admit there are place that have PENRAISED bird that are junk dont get me wrong, but are you going to tell me the wing you buy from Cabelas or Dogsafield is going to make your dog point different cuase it has been trained with a wing from a bag or one from a bird you or your friend shot while in kansas or the dakotas.I have had to kick wild birds to make them fly quail and pheasant both I have to put that in there too!!! But with one good point made the closer you get to that roast that has been inthe crockpot allday the stronger the smell will get same for them too. Training is a big key changing up play time( training) is a must.Sorry I hope I made sense I hate the penraised talking deal.dog wont associate human and pen raised together if you make waht they are doing and train them they will do what you taught them.

[JKP]

I do believe that dogs sense the difference between pen birds and wild birds...but its not just the birds...its the set up...the situation. If we don't do our job as trainers and get sloppy or predictable, the dogs figure it out real fast. How often have I watched a young dog simply run out to a field and back track the bird planter....or run the milk route....