First bird folded over new pup............
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:35 am
Okay- I have to share this with you all because I find it both hilarious & fascinating.......
I picked up a FDSB registered Pointer pup in early September and he has been balls to the walls
since coming into the house. A very affectionate pup, but very bold in every sense of the word.
He was challenging (in a playful way- not aggressive) my 3.5 year-old female GSP two days after
I brought him home for chew toys, prime spot on the dog bed.... etc....
Bodhi has continued to show me over the last 6 weeks that he was way ahead of any percieved development
plan I had in my head regarding his training/development. He pointed Woodcock (3 times) when he was
9 & 10 weeks old. These weren't flash points- rather he 'stuck' these birds and didn't move until after the flush.
He would watch from a distance as I would work my GSP on quail and I would fire my .209 blank pistol and all Bodhi
did was stand at attention with a 12 o'clock, poker straight tail. Even my wife, (who doesn't hunt) was impressed
with his attitude when she watched Bodhi's reaction to a flushing Quail & blank pistol shot.
So I started bringing Bodhi along (for the ride) with Katy & I when bird season opened earlier this month. I'd take Katy
out, hunt her, then put her up and take Bodhi out for a run with his bell on. I put my gun away and just handled him into
areas where I thought we could encounter birds. The second time I did this, he stuck a pheasant. I didn't have a gun
(not even my blank pistol), but I flushed the bird and Bodhi stood there for about 8-9 seconds then he realized he was
missing the party and gave chase with a high, cracklin' tail.
Fast forward to yesterday...... I took Katy out and we folded a rooster in fairly short time. I had noticed another
rooster running into some cover when I sent Katy for the retrieve, made note of it and proceeded in another direction and
hunted her for another 30 minutes or so. I went back to my vehicle, put Katy up, put my 12ga. away, broke out my 28ga.
and took Bodhi out.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING:
- I don't advocate doing this with most 14 week old pups, but given the absolute boldness this pup had shown to date,
I felt very comfortable going out with a 28ga. gun shooting 3/4 oz. custom loads with very little gunpowder.
- If the bird flushed & swung around over the dog, I WOULD NOT HAVE FIRED.
- If the dog broke on the flush and moved in front of me, I WOULD NOT HAVE FIRED.
That said, I broke Bodhi away, hunted him for about 20 minutes and then worked our way over to the area where I saw the
second rooster run into. He immediately caught scent, and then locked up- with his 12 o'clock, tail. I walked in from the side,
located the rooster, flushed him and the bird oblidged, flying straight away- I was between the bird and Bodhi (and Bodhi was
~9 yards behind me). I quickly mounted the 28ga. and dispatched the rooster, he was dead before he hit the ground. I then
heard movement beind me, Bodhi was charging past me on his way to the bird. He tried to pick it up, but the bird was too heavy
for him, so he dragged it back to me! I was laughing and praising him at the same time, then loved him up huge when he finally
made it to me.
We took this picture once we got home. I can report with confidence that this little pup was not adversely affected in any way, shape
or form from a single shot of a very light load from a 28ga. shotgun. I AM NOT ADVOCATING PEOPLE DO THIS WITH MOST 14 WEEK OLD PUPS! Bodhi was the alpha pup in a litter of 11 and has never, ever shown any signs of being timid or frightened. Any/all loud noises in the house only seem to peak his interest & attention. I gradually ramped him up to his exposure, albeit accelerated, but there was a deliberate & methodical process of getting him to yesterday & it was driven more by his personality/temperment than anything else.
Rob
I picked up a FDSB registered Pointer pup in early September and he has been balls to the walls
since coming into the house. A very affectionate pup, but very bold in every sense of the word.
He was challenging (in a playful way- not aggressive) my 3.5 year-old female GSP two days after
I brought him home for chew toys, prime spot on the dog bed.... etc....
Bodhi has continued to show me over the last 6 weeks that he was way ahead of any percieved development
plan I had in my head regarding his training/development. He pointed Woodcock (3 times) when he was
9 & 10 weeks old. These weren't flash points- rather he 'stuck' these birds and didn't move until after the flush.
He would watch from a distance as I would work my GSP on quail and I would fire my .209 blank pistol and all Bodhi
did was stand at attention with a 12 o'clock, poker straight tail. Even my wife, (who doesn't hunt) was impressed
with his attitude when she watched Bodhi's reaction to a flushing Quail & blank pistol shot.
So I started bringing Bodhi along (for the ride) with Katy & I when bird season opened earlier this month. I'd take Katy
out, hunt her, then put her up and take Bodhi out for a run with his bell on. I put my gun away and just handled him into
areas where I thought we could encounter birds. The second time I did this, he stuck a pheasant. I didn't have a gun
(not even my blank pistol), but I flushed the bird and Bodhi stood there for about 8-9 seconds then he realized he was
missing the party and gave chase with a high, cracklin' tail.
Fast forward to yesterday...... I took Katy out and we folded a rooster in fairly short time. I had noticed another
rooster running into some cover when I sent Katy for the retrieve, made note of it and proceeded in another direction and
hunted her for another 30 minutes or so. I went back to my vehicle, put Katy up, put my 12ga. away, broke out my 28ga.
and took Bodhi out.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING:
- I don't advocate doing this with most 14 week old pups, but given the absolute boldness this pup had shown to date,
I felt very comfortable going out with a 28ga. gun shooting 3/4 oz. custom loads with very little gunpowder.
- If the bird flushed & swung around over the dog, I WOULD NOT HAVE FIRED.
- If the dog broke on the flush and moved in front of me, I WOULD NOT HAVE FIRED.
That said, I broke Bodhi away, hunted him for about 20 minutes and then worked our way over to the area where I saw the
second rooster run into. He immediately caught scent, and then locked up- with his 12 o'clock, tail. I walked in from the side,
located the rooster, flushed him and the bird oblidged, flying straight away- I was between the bird and Bodhi (and Bodhi was
~9 yards behind me). I quickly mounted the 28ga. and dispatched the rooster, he was dead before he hit the ground. I then
heard movement beind me, Bodhi was charging past me on his way to the bird. He tried to pick it up, but the bird was too heavy
for him, so he dragged it back to me! I was laughing and praising him at the same time, then loved him up huge when he finally
made it to me.
We took this picture once we got home. I can report with confidence that this little pup was not adversely affected in any way, shape
or form from a single shot of a very light load from a 28ga. shotgun. I AM NOT ADVOCATING PEOPLE DO THIS WITH MOST 14 WEEK OLD PUPS! Bodhi was the alpha pup in a litter of 11 and has never, ever shown any signs of being timid or frightened. Any/all loud noises in the house only seem to peak his interest & attention. I gradually ramped him up to his exposure, albeit accelerated, but there was a deliberate & methodical process of getting him to yesterday & it was driven more by his personality/temperment than anything else.
Rob
:!:He is a Very nice lookin pup even though his tail is TOO long. 
