Gun Dog Forum

So I have been planning on raising some Bob Whites to train my pup with, but was wondering if it be a bad idea with the pup seeing the pen and knowing the birds are in the pen, could it make training difficult, for him to comprehend seeing quail at his home as well as in the field.

My dog does not point stocked birds of any type with style. Never has. I now have a flight pen for quail or chuckar in my yard and a pigeon loft. Around these pens, I have an enclosure fence that keeps her 5 ft away from the other pens. She would drive the birds nuts if she could get right up to the bird pens.

If a dog doesn't point a stocked bird it is because you have taught it not too. Dogs don't care a bit what the bird or animal is as they point from instinct so they won't scare the bird and loose the chance of catching it. They will be happy pointing humming birds if you teach them that is what you are hunting. Over use of a single type of bird as a training tool teaches the dog it is a training tool and not what you actually hunt. Used properly you can get around that by shooting a few training birds for instance so the dog thinks you are really hunting and not just training. Birds in a pen in the yard shouldn't be a problem for your pup as long as you handle the situation correctly.

Ezzy

Thanks guys!

ezzy333 wrote:If a dog doesn't point a stocked bird it is because you have taught it not too. Dogs don't care a bit what the bird or animal is as they point from instinct so they won't scare the bird and loose the chance of catching it. They will be happy pointing humming birds if you teach them that is what you are hunting. Over use of a single type of bird as a training tool teaches the dog it is a training tool and not what you actually hunt. Used properly you can get around that by shooting a few training birds for instance so the dog thinks you are really hunting and not just training. Birds in a pen in the yard shouldn't be a problem for your pup as long as you handle the situation correctly.

Ezzy

So what about AF dogs that never put a bird in their mouth?

displaced_texan wrote:

ezzy333 wrote:If a dog doesn't point a stocked bird it is because you have taught it not too. Dogs don't care a bit what the bird or animal is as they point from instinct so they won't scare the bird and loose the chance of catching it. They will be happy pointing humming birds if you teach them that is what you are hunting. Over use of a single type of bird as a training tool teaches the dog it is a training tool and not what you actually hunt. Used properly you can get around that by shooting a few training birds for instance so the dog thinks you are really hunting and not just training. Birds in a pen in the yard shouldn't be a problem for your pup as long as you handle the situation correctly.

Ezzy

So what about AF dogs that never put a bird in their mouth?

I don't think retrieving was even mentioned if that is what you are thinking. However, I doubt very much if there is a mature bird dog that has never had a bird in it's mouth. I am guessing you are referring to American Field with the AF notation so you are probably thinking trials since that would be the only time AF would have anything to do directly with the dogs but I have never seen or heard of a dog that wasn't worked with birds at times from puppyhood to being an adult. And we don't train or work those dogs with their mouth taped shut.

ezzy333 wrote:

displaced_texan wrote:

ezzy333 wrote:If a dog doesn't point a stocked bird it is because you have taught it not too. Dogs don't care a bit what the bird or animal is as they point from instinct so they won't scare the bird and loose the chance of catching it. They will be happy pointing humming birds if you teach them that is what you are hunting. Over use of a single type of bird as a training tool teaches the dog it is a training tool and not what you actually hunt. Used properly you can get around that by shooting a few training birds for instance so the dog thinks you are really hunting and not just training. Birds in a pen in the yard shouldn't be a problem for your pup as long as you handle the situation correctly.

Ezzy

So what about AF dogs that never put a bird in their mouth?

I don't think retrieving was even mentioned if that is what you are thinking. However, I doubt very much if there is a mature bird dog that has never had a bird in it's mouth. I am guessing you are referring to American Field with the AF notation so you are probably thinking trials since that would be the only time AF would have anything to do directly with the dogs but I have never seen or heard of a dog that wasn't worked with birds at times from puppyhood to being an adult. And we don't train or work those dogs with their mouth taped shut.

And there are very, very few birds shot for them. If any.

Working a dog on birds doesn't mean shooting the birds.

displaced_texan wrote:And there are very, very few birds shot for them. If any.

Working a dog on birds doesn't mean shooting the birds.

Of course not but I am sure everyone on here knows that and neither one of us knows how many birds have been shot over any dog including the trainer so that is a non-issue
.

ezzy333 wrote:

displaced_texan wrote:And there are very, very few birds shot for them. If any.

Working a dog on birds doesn't mean shooting the birds.

Of course not but I am sure everyone on here knows that and neither one of us knows how many birds have been shot over any dog including the trainer so that is a non-issue
.

I can tell you exactly how many birds have been shot over the dog in my profile picture.