False pointing?

Luke's Guide · Post by **Luke's Guide** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:19 pm

Hey folks,

My 5 year old GSP just started false pointing. I don' tknow if that is what you really call it.

I took her out to a game preserve today just to get her onto some birds. The first two birds she pointed and held just like always. Then she started pointing with a little twitch in her tail and some head movement. Not at all characteristic of her. And with no bird.

As far as I know we were the only ones in the food plot today. So there shouldn't have been much scent in there besides the released birds for us. She hasn't done this on wild birds that were running and leaving a scent trail.

It was warm here in IL today. Around 50 degrees. Could penned birds leave that much residual scent to confuse her?

I want to enter some timed hunt competitions in the near future and wasting time on points that do not produce a bird won't help me. Is there something I can to do to stop this? Do I really need to worry about this?

Bob

AHGSP · Post by **AHGSP** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:35 pm

Phez running on her.....

just my thought, as I've seen this before with some of my own dogs. It could have been a scratch bird from a previous day(s).

Luke's Guide · Post by **Luke's Guide** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:46 pm

AHGSP

Could have been a runner but I don't think so as she has not done this when hunting wild birds. We did pick up a scratch chucker though.

I thouroughly stomped all around where she was pointing and looking and I can be as certain as I can that there was no bird there. Her false points were not as staunch as her 'real' points either.

Maybe with the temp there was a lot of residual scent. She has not done this before.

snips · Post by **snips** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:49 pm

Is this the first day she has done this? I tend to agree with Bruce about the bird running. False pointing and also be manmade, by reinforcing a dogs point and not allowing them to work out scent on their own.

ohiogsp · Post by **ohiogsp** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:59 pm

Could still be left over scent from other birds maybe straglers from the previos day that took off before you got there. Sometime this happens near the game house because if this is where the bird pens are "pheasants do return home".

Luke's Guide · Post by **Luke's Guide** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:01 pm

Snips,

Yeah. First time she has done this.

I don't have a ton of experience on dog training but I did think about what you wrote as far as being a manmade problem. I don't think I have done anything to encourage this.

I don't whoa her as soon as she startes to go on point or anything like that that I can think of. The only time I reenforce her point is as I am walking in on her to flush. And then very softly and I only say whoa once maybe twice. And then only if she looks like she is thinking of breaking.

Good thought. I'll have to think more about it. Thanks.

Bob

Luke's Guide · Post by **Luke's Guide** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:06 pm

ohiogsp,

Yeah. We weren't too far from where I saw the guy pick up the birds.

As warm as it was here today maybe the scent was sticking around.

After about 20 minutes today I was down to a long sleeve t-shirt and my vest.

Post by **ezzy333** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:40 pm

Where were you hunting ?

Ezzy

Birdhunter1 · Post by **Birdhunter1** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 11:00 pm

Yeah where were you hunting, we had a guy from somewhere in Northern IL down at our place with a GSP, didn't get to meet him or even see him as i was to busy setting birds and hunting with my 11 year old nephew, but I did see his name on the sign in list.

Were you in So IL today?

Luke's Guide · Post by **Luke's Guide** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 7:39 am

I was in Forrest. At Rooster Heaven. First time there. Nice people and a nice lodge. Someone from work told me about the place.

Post by **ezzy333** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 9:45 am

I'm not sure where you live but there are several clubs here in north central IL you might like also. I hunt one that near the little town of Shannon and another one near Morrison.

Ezzy

Luke's Guide · Post by **Luke's Guide** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 11:50 am

ezzy,

I am always open to suggestions of new places to go. I'll drop you a pm.

Bob