Wild Bird Help

[theking849]

I have 15 mounth old Poining Lab. This is his first season. When at the park he will come on the whistle 100%. He will stay 100%. He will heel 100%. All with outher dogs people and cars around for distraction. When he gets on a wild bird he will not obey, it is like he is obsessed. Normally he works about 20 to 30 yards out in front of me. When he get on a hot sent he can get out to 50 to 70 yards. I don't want to pull him off the bird, just slow him down so I an keep up. And when he goes on point he wont let me walk past him to flush the bird. Soon as I get even with him he brakes towards the bird. I don' shoot any bird he flushes. Sometimes he gets to close when he points and busts the bird. I don't want to use the e-collar when he is on a hot sent. He has so much prey drive I don't want to reck it. I am thinking about using the check cord in the field. Or should I let the birds teach him. Any suggestions.

[Troy08er]

If he's trained to point and hold on first scent and he starts to move I would nick him with the E-collar.

[birddogger]

Since I don't like to make or read long posts, I will just comment on your first couple of sentences. The fact that he is perfectly obedient in the park, yard or whatever has nothing to do with his behavior in the field. All your commands will have to be transitioned and reinforced in the field because a dog is not smart enough to know that the same standard applies from one environment to the next.........it needs to be trained all over again in the field, although it should be fairly easy since he has already learned the commands in the park. Age and experience should take care of him pointing too close to the bird. As I said, I don't want to type too long of a post, so I will leave it to others to advise you on the steadying process.

Good luck,
Charlie

[Sharon]

more orchestrated bird work with the CC, then transition to the e-collar - welcome to the forum.

[ultracarry]

If you want the dog to be steady until you flush or send him.. he will have to learn how to let you pass him. After you brake the dog and they know what is expected it is common practice to give some Edison medicine . No matter what if my dog breaks as I pass I will light her up till she stops or comes back to heel and stops. But don't hold it against the dog when you haven't taught it.

[helpful_cub]

I originally "broke" mine with an overload of wild birds. At Prado dog park in Chino, CA we stumbled on a few dozen woodcock minding their own business in a muddy field. I let him run and run until he was so tired he would start listening to me. It also taught him, if I'm not there, he won't be catching any birds. We then proceeded to work the birds and refine pointing. Mind you, he was dragging that 10 foot check-cord all over creation in this process and the E-collar was always available if he decides to attempt a break for it. A week later we gave him a real pigeon to point. We then shot it so he could see the connection with pointing and getting a bird. He's been hooked ever since.

He basically doesn't know why he should care about you when he's perfectly capable (in his mind) of catching that bird himself. A point is simply a stalk and pounce technique that stops just short of the pounce.

[theking849]

more orchestrated bird work with the CC, then transition to the e-collar - welcome to the forum.

Thank you for the welcome Sharon.