Gun Dog Forum

This has probably been covered 100 times, but I will give you my experience. I have GSP and one is trained to remain steady after the shot until I tap him on the head or give him a verbal command. He does great. Another one of my GSP does not go to trials and he has been allowed to release from his point AFTER the shot on his own. He does well. I like both for different reasons. What are your preferences and why?

Steady until released, because that is how a properly trained gentlemen's gun dog behaves. Read it in a book. Never seen a downside.

Having had only 3 dogs STWS, I am finding I much prefer it. Does it get old to have to walk back and tap 'em on the head, yes. Has it resulted in more birds in the bag for me, absolutely. I get many more shots on birds that didn't flush with the first shot than I do when my hubby's GSP runs breakneck through the other birds while trying to retrieve the one that was shot. It is hard to hunt mine with his because she's only STW, she goes on the shot. I also haven't noticed any loss of birds as a result (many argue that birds are lost if the dog's not "right on them"). I haven't experienced negatives to the dogs being totally steady - I actually really like it (pretty new for me, just 3 years of steady dogs, and have hunted behind my own dogs for 16 years now).

If I'm hunting grouse and woodcock, I want the steady to WSF. Pheasant, I want them going on the shot and breaking off on two whistle blasts.

I prefer steady till command because if they fall back in training they will go on shot. If trained to go on shot and they fall back they will go on flush. That is real bad. I like my dog to go on verbal command not head tap. On a heavy concentration of California quail, I only want the dog moving around.

My dog's break at the shot if something falls. When I trialed they stood until sent but I used a voice command to send them. Nice thing about waiting till sent is that dog's will better mark a fall. Flush a covey and the dog just might be following a bird you didn't shoot. But i do want them steady to shot at this time, keep's them out of harm's way!

Stay till I tell them is what I prefer.

Hotchkiss wrote:This has probably been covered 100 times, but I will give you my experience. I have GSP and one is trained to remain steady after the shot until I tap him on the head or give him a verbal command. He does great. Another one of my GSP does not go to trials and he has been allowed to release from his point AFTER the shot on his own. He does well. I like both for different reasons. What are your preferences and why?

I have one of mine like this ......I'll train him though

For flushers on pheasants, I prefer them running on flush.