Pup won't "hunt"

[sdsujacks]

I took my 6.5 month old lab out this past weekend for 2 days of pheasant hunting, 2-3 hours each day. He never really left my side or at times he even walked behind me. He is extremely young so I probably shouldn't be worried yet, but Im just making sure?

For the past 3 months I have taken him out to the fields to explore and I would hide pheasant wings or the dokken deadfowl pheasant w/pheasant scent in the field and he found them 100% of the time. The past month I transitioned off that and he started getting up wild birds on his own, always staying out in front of me about 10-15 yards. He is properly introduced to guns and has them associated with a retrieve as well.

Well this past weekend he never really left my side and went out to "hunt". I shot a few birds and he retrieved them fine, is 110% committed to finding the downed bird but just not crazy about flushing them up now. I'm assuming I have no reason to worry yet? hopefully over the course of the season he will figure out that flushing = more retrieves.

It was pretty hot out in SD this past weekend as well with not much of a breeze, so that also didn't help the cause.

[AzDoggin]

I agree with you - I'm sure it's an age/experience thing.

Wondering, when you've taken him out before, was there scent or a dummy or a planted bird 100% of the time? If so, the dog is expecting to find game every time, and hasn't yet learned that it isn't that easy...and when you haven't planted anything, you are just out for a walk in the field. He's hanging around because he knows that's a safe place to be when he doesn't know what else to do.

Hot/dry can make a difference too. The earlier in the morning you can hunt, the better.

Just a hunch, but I'd bet if you started to randomly vary during training whether the dog came across a bird when working his pattern, he'd start to work a little harder for them, and work harder during times when there are no birds - because he'll never know when a bird will be there and when a bird will not be there. Gradually, once the dog has an idea what you are looking for, you want to stretch out the bird encounters in training to mimic more closely what they will be on a hunt. You might even start to vary your training grounds more to further disrupt the 'predictability' that it's a training session, not a hunt.

Dang dogs are smart. Heck, he might even sense a change in your routine. In training, you might leave him in the kennel while you set up birds or whatever, so he knows there are birds out there. But in a hunt, you just get out of the truck and go. Pup might be thinking "hey - aren't you going to set up some birds for me?"

Sounds like a real nice dog and that you are set up to have a good hunter.

[sdsujacks]

No there is not something in the field every time we go out. I probably should have spent more time with some pigeons but living in a good wild bird area of SD I just let him find those instead. So there were times that I would take him out and he found nothing and other times he would get up 20 roosters. But then on his first real hunting weekend it was like all that went out the door, just walked beside me. He might have gotten bored as well last weekend, we were in the field for longer amounts of time and didn't see as many birds. and in the "exploring" sessions early on I would occasionaly throw a bumber for him to retrieve (he will retrieve it every time in even the thickest of cover) to keep his excitement up.

[AzDoggin]

No there is not something in the field every time we go out. I probably should have spent more time with some pigeons but living in a good wild bird area of SD I just let him find those instead. So there were times that I would take him out and he found nothing and other times he would get up 20 roosters. But then on his first real hunting weekend it was like all that went out the door, just walked beside me. He might have gotten bored as well last weekend, we were in the field for longer amounts of time and didn't see as many birds. and in the "exploring" sessions early on I would occasionaly throw a bumber for him to retrieve (he will retrieve it every time in even the thickest of cover) to keep his excitement up.

Oh heck if he's already finding wild birds in training, you are good to go. Sounds like the hunt might have been a little too long for him...remember early on to "leave them wanting more..." Also - why not throw a bumper occasionally on a hunt too if it will keep him happier and more engaged?

(You sure he's gun broke? Shows no reaction whatsoever to a gun going off beside him? With pointers on early hunts, the shooter is advised never to shoot an unpointed bird. I'm not so sure about flusher training...I'm sure your dog is going to be fine, though, with everything he's already shown you. Patience.... )

Good luck.

Signed,

Jealous of all your wild birds!!!!!

[sdsujacks]

Yes he shows no sign when a gun goes off. Started him off 2 months ago with a friend shooting quiet 22 blanks about 40 yards away, moved it in by 10 yards a time, then went to the louder 22 blanks, repeated, then went to 12 gauge, repeated. He never showed any sign of gun shyness. Then when I would take him out for training the last 2 months I would bring along the 22 blank and shoot it about 5 times a day during retrieves, and bringing the shotgun maybe once every other week, he has never showed anything with a gun.

[deseeker]

The pup is probably to young for long hunts---keep it short and fun. Since it is a lab, encourage him in catching birds--take some pigeons along with their flight feathers pulled and toss a few out when he isn't looking. Let him stumbled into them and encourage him catching them. He should then be able to transfer it over into trying to catch wild pheasants causing the flush---this used to work with the springers I used to own. Good luck with your pup.

[Sharon]

Do you always train in the same spot? A simple change in location can cause a young dog some anxiety, as they are place oriented.

[AzDoggin]

Delmar Smith once said "if you'll give one year to your pup, he'll give the rest of his life working for you."

One thing that means to me is concentrating on dog development in that first hunting season, not completely on killing birds. Yes get the dog into wild birds, yes take some selective shots so he can get the whole picture, but try not to overwhelm him, bore him, etc..

If you want to hunt a full day, for example, hunt your dog in 1 hour shifts. Try to get him bird exposures during that hour. After the hour, put him in the crate in your vehicle and let him rest and reflect on the hunt. Then take him out again. Don't give him the time in the field to get bored. Let him keep that drive stoked at a high level.

I like Deseeker's idea too - take a couple pigeons along and "seed" a field especially if the wild birds are tough to find. I know the guys that train antler dogs will seed their fields with antlers randomly along the way so the dog gets to have some successes and learns to put 2 and 2 together.

[Munster]

Do you always train in the same spot? A simple change in location can cause a young dog some anxiety, as they are place oriented.

Spot on! You have to expose them to all different covers etc. I have a 4 month old Munster that is as hard charging as they come. She is 50-60 plus yards from me when we go out. But I have had her in tall cover,short cover, sticky cover, flat cover. Nothing surprises her right now!

Just keep at it, he'll come around!

Love the Smith quote too!

[sdsujacks]

I have trained in grass taller than me (Im 6'6"), in grass a few feet high, in cattails, in cornfields, in soghurn, everything I can find.

Im not overly worried, I think he will come around. Might have just been a combination of hot dry weather and no breeze.

[Brazosvalleyvizslas]

You may be perpetuating a problem by throwing bumpers to excite him while hunting. He may be learning that you produce more fun than he will find on his own therefore he won't want to leave your side. He needs more success "away" from you. Think "bird bonanza".

[sdsujacks]

You may be perpetuating a problem by throwing bumpers to excite him while hunting. He may be learning that you produce more fun than he will find on his own therefore he won't want to leave your side. He needs more success "away" from you. Think "bird bonanza".

Thats kinda what I was thinking... When he was younger I was throwing them in the fields to make him interested and realize fields are fun. I've tried getting away from them as he gets older and I don't want to bring them on an actual hunt because I am worried of that problem.

[Northwoods]

your lab is young. there will be really good days and not so good days. i wouldn't worry about it.

my young lab will hunt great 3 or 4 times out, and then out of the blue one day it will almost seem like she is more interested in finding deer trails and chasing squirrels. once they get older they will become more consistent hunters

[sdsujacks]

your lab is young. there will be really good days and not so good days. i wouldn't worry about it.

my young lab will hunt great 3 or 4 times out, and then out of the blue one day it will almost seem like she is more interested in finding deer trails and chasing squirrels. once they get older they will become more consistent hunters

Im starting to notice that more and more every day hes out. He improves pretty much 2/3 of the time hes out. I wasn't overly worried a few weeks ago, but just wanted to make sure.