testing a dogs nose

[jwn]

I have a 1 year old GSP that is well trained steady to wing and shot he handles pen raised birds and pigeons but there has been many times when he bumped wild birds I think he did not know they were there I am trying to figure out if he has what it takes before I put more time and money into him or just count my losses and get another pup thanks. JEROMY

[birddog1968]

He's young....I bet his nose is fine and just needs more wild bird encounters.....as soon as he gets it right shoot one. Just my guess.

[SCT]

Did he find the wild birds or just randomly run over them? Usually, if you are watching them closely, you'll see them smell and turn right before the birds flush. He probably just doesn't know the distance he is from the bird from lack of experience and finds them, but runs them up by getting too close. That's why it's so important to get them on tons of birds, preferably wild, as young puppies. He's fine, just run him more where there are birds. WILD birds are the BEST training tool for pointing dogs.

[nevermind]

Are you paying attention to wind direction? Running a dog with the wind or dry scenting conditions I find cause dogs to bump birds.

[birddogger]

Not to worry, just inexperience.

Charlie

[oldbeek]

Was he trained to point as soon as he gets scent? Or has he been allowed to creep in and then point? My current pup scents at about 30ft and points. I am used to dogs that are on top of the bird when they point. With this dog it is somewhat of a hunt for the bird after she points but she never bumps them.

[jwn]

Thanks for all the replys. I do hunt by the wind or at least try to. As far as him creeping he does a little with pigeons with what wild birds he has pointed i think he went on point without to much creeping but it is hard to say because it seems to happen a little far away for me to know where exatly he hit the sent cone but, other times i was shure he should have been in the sent but he bumped the birds i belive accadently.

[larue]

wild birds are the most difficult thing to teach a young dog to handle.
the simple answer is to keep running on them it will click.
If in working tame birds you are using birds that he can ride in with out them flying off you are teaching the dog that he can get close,wild birds will not allow that.
he has to relearn the distance he has to point at,and that takes bird contacts,i have seen experienced wild bird dogs pointing without knowing where the bird is they just got a small piece of scent and will not move to get a better scent
my best wild bird dogs took a dozen or more contacts before they made the switch when they were young

[JKP]

I have a 1 year old GSP that is well trained steady to wing and shot he handles pen raised birds and pigeons but there has been many times when he bumped wild bird

I would expect any young dog that is accustomed to "stinky" pen birds that it can walk right up to...to go through a learning curve on wild birds. Shame on ya...that you didn't get that pup out on wild birds last fall. Break the gun and walk...let the birds teach the dog...shoot when the dog steadys up....the old way is still the best way to make a bird dog.

[nevermind]

Very true the wild birds are the best for developing a hunting dog... especially pheasants. You'll know your dog if figuring them out when it starts backtracking to pick up scent from the wily rooster that slips back past you.

[jwn]

I did hunt him on wild birds all season long last year although I only shot 5 birds over him I never shot the ones he bumped my point was to this whole thread was is there a relibale way to test a pups nose so that in the future me or anyone else can accuratly know what sort of dog we are getting as far as nose quality. Thanks PS the only reason I am working him on stinky pen raised birds now is so I can make him stop to flush.

[Superhawk]

I will tell you how you can test a nose or at least the dog's reaction to scent. Remember, how your dog handles the scent is another issue. The only way you can do this is to plant birds and notice when the dog picks up the scent and at what distance. That will tell you if he is smelling birds. Wild Pheasants or even liberated Pheasants are no way to judge a young dog's nose...you need a bird that will hold. If you are bumping birds it is because the dog does not have time to settle in on the scent and Pheasants are not going to wait on your dog. Remember, he has to learn how to handle scent. Try Woodcock, they hold. Regardless, if you put a dog on the lead in the dark down wind of some planted birds on a normal walk and your dog reacts at a distance (which I am sure it will) then issue is not his nose at all. My best dog bumped a lot of Pheasants and he pointed a whole lot more. Make sure your dog's teeth are clean as well. It is not the nose it but the interest in what is being scented and some dogs run all day and do not find birds because they are really not looking for birds. In other words, I believe all dogs have a good nose but not all have prey drive. My wife's Bichon should be a hunter with how good his prey drive is but its never going to happen but I know he wishes it would...good luck and don't shoot bumped birds.

[ezzy333]

There is no practical way to test a dogs nose but if there was you will find little difference in most dogs that have been bred for the same purpose, ie birddogs. Those that you think have better noses are probably just reacting to the scent differently and that changes with experience. It is rare that you will ever find a dog that can't smell.

Ezzy

[SCT]

I like what ezzy said, and from my experience a dogs nose work is ALL about that dogs brain. Some dogs don't find birds because their brain is not tuned in to hunting for them. I believe there's very little difference in nose "quality", but may be a little.

On the last two litters I had I took a friends advice to test the pups ability to use their noses. At between 5 and 6 weeks old (prior to weaning) I started giving them tiny bits of hotdogs and after a couple of times of them eating them out of my hand and on the ground in front of them I started spreading them around the yard to observe which pups were the first to start "hunting" for them. I had been observing them from birth very carefully to see which ones were the first to do different things. I also had already picked the female I was going to keep because in practically every instance she was the first one to figure out different things like getting out of the whelping box, finding her way back into the box, etc. The others weren't far behind her, she just seemed to have a gift. Well, guess who was the first one to start hunting, and I mean intently hunting for those little hotdog bits. You guessed it, it was her.

Now she's almost 4 months old and I am amazed at how far she scents the birds and goes right to them and points 'em. I will do this on every litter now, it was great advice..

Steve