GSP not pointing

[csflores]

My friend has a 5 yr old GSP that will not point. She searches for birds but when she finds them, she flushes them. The only time we've got her to point was after we found my dog on point and led her in slowly on a leash.

Any advise on how we can work with her to correct this?

[ultracarry]

Start off like you would a puppy. Get a method and stick to it.

[DonF]

Quit planting birds she can scoup. Get a hold of a re-mote trap somewhere and use pigeon's. See how long it take's till you can't launch the pigeon after you see her make game. I've seen a bunch of dogs like that, a few older. They are a piece of cake but you, YOU, have to make a pigeon in a trap act like a wild bird. If you lived closer I'd have you bring her over for a while.

[A_LOTA_NOTA]

I am currently working with a dog in a similar situation. Mine is a little younger (3yrs old) and had never seen game until the first of this year. When I first got him he did not show a lot of interest in birds at all. Now, after I’m not sure how many planted birds, he chases song birds or anything else that moves just like a puppy would and is excited to find game. He has started to point but will not hold point for me to flush. He still thinks he can catch them and it is a competition to beat me to the bird. I am working with launchers now, releasing the bird as soon as he moves after getting scent of the bird. I do not get as much time to work with him as needed so it is slow going but he is getting there.

[Buckeye_V]

Be very careful here. I had a dog just like this and she still does not point for me.

First, keep her on a check cord. Put a good flying bird down (in a trap wouldl be best). Work her in at a right angle to the scent cone. You will see the dogs body language change when they smell the bird. Have a helper pop the bird at first site of the body language change. Keep repeating the process but change locations so the dog does not get wise. If you can do multiple in one session, do it.

You should get to the point where the dog will start to stop, even if only momentarily. When this happens and they start to point at all, pop the bird after they move a muscle.

DO NOT LET THEM CHASE.

Keep repeating until the points get longer and longer until you can put slcak in the cord and kind of work the bird, etc. Once you get her to where she can stand through the flush, I would shoot a bird for her and let her know that when she stands through all of that "stuff" she gets a reward. Don't shoot every bird after that, but just every once in a while.

If youhave acccess to homers and launchers, this would be what I would try.


Good luck!

[csflores]

Thanks for all the advice. Got some birds for this weekend so my buddy and I are going to work on her. I wish we had a launcher but since there will be two of us, we'll make it work without one.

[tompetey]

I have aquired a year old gsp that is a litter mate to mine, took her out today after a few days of trying to get her to run and she finaly did start to run I put a bird in a launcher out and I was not very happy she didnt point when she finaly found it and when I went up to her she cowared down, so I grabbed the bird and got her excited and tossed it so she coukld chase and have fun I hope I can get her excited about birds and work on the point to going to be slow! so I will take some advise too!

[DonF]

Thanks for all the advice. Got some birds for this weekend so my buddy and I are going to work on her. I wish we had a launcher but since there will be two of us, we'll make it work without one.

I have been noticing the dog in your avatar. That is one beautiful dog!

[csflores]

Thanks for all the advice. Got some birds for this weekend so my buddy and I are going to work on her. I wish we had a launcher but since there will be two of us, we'll make it work without one.

I have been noticing the dog in your avatar. That is one beautiful dog!

Thank you. He is our eldest GSP, a good hunter and a great pet. Hopefully, he'll help us get my buddy's dog on the right path this weekend.

[Buckeye_V]

For the guy with the 1 year old dog, take that bird out of the launcher. Get it excited about birds first. How much bird exposure has the dog had? Was that the first one?

I typically start them by getting a look at the bird I am holding. Let them get a big nose full. Let the wing flap a bit - but not in their face. You can see the dog get amped up with the smell. It s a drug to them!

Take a couple homers and let them see the bird and drop it on the ground and let them do whatever, the bird will probably fly away when the dog tries to pounce. Let them chase ( I believe in this to get them excited about birds). They will soon realize they cannot catch a pigeon.

Sometimes I go to the step of securing a pigeon to a pigeon pole and getting the dog to work the bird on the end of the string (I use elastic string). When the dog dives for the bird, move it. Repeat. You should start to see that natural pointing instinct get stronger and stronger.

This is kind of like the Perfect Start method. I love their process.

Then and only then would I put birds back in the launcher. Pop the bird when the dog moves from an established point. Let them chase. That is something easy to fix down the road. You can gradually put the brakes on that. If your dog is timid around birds you have GOT to build that drive up.

[h&t]

read this
viewtopic.php?f=89&t=28781#p263773

[DonF]

I have aquired a year old gsp that is a litter mate to mine, took her out today after a few days of trying to get her to run and she finaly did start to run I put a bird in a launcher out and I was not very happy she didnt point when she finaly found it and when I went up to her she cowared down, so I grabbed the bird and got her excited and tossed it so she coukld chase and have fun I hope I can get her excited about birds and work on the point to going to be slow! so I will take some advise too!

Sounds to me like someone really strong armed that pup around birds. Keep letting it fool with fly away's. You might take a couple wing clipped birds out and just throw them on the ground for her. She get's to do whaqtever she wants. That sounds like creating a problem but sometimes to fix one problem you have to create another. Is this pup gun shy also?