Gun Dog Forum

What are the best drills you like to do to get your puppy to stop moving in on birds and instead start pointing? I have lots of barn pigeons and a bird launcher. What's your preferred methods?

Bluesky2012 wrote:What are the best drills you like to do to get your puppy to stop moving in on birds and instead start pointing? I have lots of barn pigeons and a bird launcher. What's your preferred methods?

wild birds

Let me add to it there aren't wild birds readily available to train with.

I start with my pups at about 4 months old. I do heel/whoa drills after the manner of Paul Long(Training Bird Dogs) except that I use a Smith wonder lead. when the pup begins to stop somewhat reliably, I will reach down asn stroke the pup up. When the pup is standing nicely, I will extend that further by walking out front, the walking around, pushing the envelope ever so slightly frther as the dog permits.

I also set the puppy up on its kennel, on a bench, on a table, on my lap...wherever... and stroke it up and style it up.

All of this is done in the yard, without birds and also without words.

I will take the youngster into birdless field for runs and every so often will toss a pigeon, to see what the dog does. I may set up a couple of remote traps, again with pigeons, and when the dog is somewhere in the vicinity, pop the trap, again watching to see what the dogh does.

I very much prefer pigeons for the dogs early work for a variety of reasons, chief among which is the fact that they will not land back on the ground... so there is almost no way a dog can catch one. Wild birds will work also and in the long run might yield a better dog in some ways, but it will almost certainly take the dog longer to get from here to there in its training. However, since most of us live in places where wild birds are either scarce, unavailable or non-existent, that is not much of an issue any longer.

When the dog see the pigeon taking wing and takes a step or two and then "assumes the position" and watches the bird fly away...it is probably ready to be staunched or steadied as you prefer.

There is more, but that is the general idea.

RayG

I just walk the pup in a field with remote traps out. Know exactly where the traps are and where the wind is. Dog is to close, say 10 yds, up wind, pop the trap. Dog is down wind and shows it's scented the bird, pop the trap. The idea is to act like a wild bird and teach the pup that whats moving the bird is it's own movement. If you have a field with "bleep" birds flying around, let the pup run and chase the "bleep" birds. Put a few out in traps and read above. "bleep" birds will get your pup hunting, let them. Once you get over to pigeons, it'll quit the "bleep" birds pretty soon. Chasing "bleep" birds is a good thing for a pup.

Ok sounds good and thanks a lot.

When you are launching the birds, don't say anything. This is not between you and the dog, its between the dog and the bird.
A check cord is a valuable tool here. It gives you some control.

Not knowing how old your pup is, all birds at this stage are good, wild birds and pigeons. The pup will learn from the exposure they all chase let them have some FUN before you get to tuff on they little one ......

Birds that they can not catch are good for a young dog, just tossing pigeons to chase and never catch are also good, the chase will get shorter and shorter, dont say anything. He will also learn to come to you, cause you the fun guy !

My pup is just over 4 months old. Thanks for all the tips guys.

I'd watch how close you let the pup get before triggering the launcher. Some of them are noisy and can freak a pup out, or just make them launcher-wise. I have 1 dog that won't point a launcher anymore because he knows it's BS.
And yes, I know I created that problem myself, no need to be lectured on the subject.

phermes1 wrote:I'd watch how close you let the pup get before triggering the launcher. Some of them are noisy and can freak a pup out, or just make them launcher-wise. I have 1 dog that won't point a launcher anymore because he knows it's BS.
And yes, I know I created that problem myself, no need to be lectured on the subject.

No lecture here for you!!

For others, if you have a noisy launcher, most can be "tuned" by changing out the springs to lighter ones. Just take yours off and head to the hardware store and you'll find a variety of sizes. I've heard of folks who essentially turn their launcher into a "releaser" by using very light springs - just strong enough to enable the trap to open up.

phermes1 wrote:I'd watch how close you let the pup get before triggering the launcher. Some of them are noisy and can freak a pup out, or just make them launcher-wise. I have 1 dog that won't point a launcher anymore because he knows it's BS.
And yes, I know I created that problem myself, no need to be lectured on the subject.

You might not have "created" it. My older pointer NEVER would point a launcher, put the bird down next to it, she'd point it. She wasn't afraid of the launcher and she has/had a fantastic nose, I just think she didn't like the smell of the launcher. Some dogs just don't - in those cases, you just need to have an assistant to put the birds up in the air for you.