Flagging

sandhill · Post by **sandhill** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:13 pm

My 7 mo old pup has started flagging on point she never did this before. I'm just wondering if it's because she is smelling my scent on the planted pigeons or is she getting wise to the game. Perhaps maybe I have created this using the birds in the wrong manner. Need your help please.

Post by **ezzy333** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 5:45 pm

Sandhill,

It could very well be that the planted birds are much of the problem. That is a somewhat common complaint. I would back off using the birds as often. She is young, let her get out and hunt instead of giving a steady diet of birds. Her instinct will let her point when its time in the field and you need to be working more on commands when you are training.

I have just in the last few weeks got my seven month old pup on birds and she is doing fine. Had a nice find with a solid point two weeks ago running in a puppy stake at a walking trial. I wont do a lot of bird work with her till later this summer but want to get her out where she can run and learn to pattern and go to objectives. There is a lot of time to get intense with the birds.

Ezzy

sandhill · Post by **sandhill** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 7:11 pm

Thanks for the advice ezzy I will do just that. I thought maybe that was the deal but not sure. I will give her a break for awhile and work on other aspects of the training.

ViniferaVizslas · Post by **ViniferaVizslas** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:46 am

I don't use pigeons for pointing exercises although many do. You need birds that are free to be bumped, not in a cage or teathered. Your dog knows the bird isn't going anywhere so she's loosing intensity. Run her on wild birds if possible or get some good chuckars, not quail.

ezzy333 wrote:Sandhill,

I wont do a lot of bird work with her till later this summer but want to get her out where she can run and learn to pattern and go to objectives. There is a lot of time to get intense with the birds.

Ezzy

How do you teach the pup to go to objectives if there aren't birds planted in them? I agree about intensity but it should build with exposure rather than decline.

Post by **ezzy333** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:54 am

Vinnie,

I've never planted birds in the field for my dogs. I find that the good ones have and instinct where they will find something. I do train on a preserve but i do it during the week and do not put out birds. There always seems to be plenty that some else has put out. Last week I run them both in a twenty acre field with the pup going first. She found 4 birds and pointed two beautifully and I shot one of them for her. She made a nice retrieve, which was her first one. The two year old found 6 with one being shot for him also. We did some work with heal and whoa while we out also. I was very pleased with Rush at the trial also when he found a pheasant in the running area that the twenty dogs before him hadn't. The judge even came over after the trial and told me he run the best race of the day, as he was so quick to hit every objective in the field. I don't know if any of it is due to training methods or not but he will find birds if they are there.

Ezzy

ViniferaVizslas · Post by **ViniferaVizslas** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:21 am

ezzy333 wrote:Vinnie,

I've never planted birds in the field for my dogs. I find that the good ones have and instinct where they will find something.

Ezzy

Not on my farm - except when the woodcock are flying through. Some stick around all year but not enough to train a dog with. Your fortunate to have access to a field with birds.

Nice to hear your dog's doing well!

sandhill · Post by **sandhill** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 3:09 pm

Ezzy Just returned from a run with the pup, and my partners setter. My pup had 2 points that I know of 1 good the other she busted. my partners setter came in after and pointed the busted one for a sec. then moved on, Overall we had 7 points with 5 flushes I believe my pup had another point and bust on the last point my buddies setter made because she was in the same area just before he locked up with no bird. In all I was happy with the day considering we found a honey hole for Grouse today 7 points 5 flushes in one area in about 1 hour is great around here. and I think only 1 of the birds was put up twice. No flagging today

It was hard to keep track of her in this area very heavy wooded so there may have been more. That went unnoticed.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 10:01 pm

I hate to jump in this late but i agree with everyone it could be too many birds. Bailey does the same thing if i put her on too many birds to many times. I fine if i run her where the birds are not so thick every once and a while that she seems less likly to flag.

I also found that when she got a good woft of scent she held that tail tall ( 9 o'clock) but when she is on old scent or the bird is far away she wags that big red tail of hers.