Dog barking on track.

[Agross]

I had a question that I posted on another site and will post it hear. I have a 3 1/2 yr old gsp. First year was a little NAVHDA work but not much else do to work commitments. Last year he did well with preserve birds and pigeons. No wild birds shot out to him yet. This year working even better when I hunted the opener this past weekend in New York.

My question was, this year, first afternoon he got up real close on a grouse in real thick cover, must have been within 10 feet when a grouse flushed from his seat on top of a blown over stump. My dog got a real good whiff of grouse, as there was poop all over the log with the scenting conditions cool and moist from earlier rain and mist. No shots as I didnt get a glimpse of the bird but heard him flush. I praised him a lot and he was smelling that log like crazy and his tail was going a mile a minute.

After that flush, on the same day at another location and 3 other times this past weekend while hunting, he let out very excited 2 to 3 barks while running in a small circle area of maybe 10 to 20 yards, with his nose to the ground smelling something. It wasn't deer as two of the areas I could see real well and saw no white flags and actually on the fourth day I caught him bump a deer and he run it silent until he got a little juice from me and returned. I didn't say anything when he bumped the deer I just let the e-collar do the talking.

Could it possibly be grouse that are causing him to bark. First time he has ever done it and the only reason that I think it could have been grouse (other than being extremely optimistic) was the way he acted when he got that nose full of grouse scent, which he never got before this date. Last year we flushed birds but he more or less ran through them and they flushed.

Curious as to any suggestions or input from anyone. Also, as someone else posted on the other site, how would you even try to correct that trait if it is grouse.

Thanks

[Sharon]

Grouse. As you said, these are his first wild birds. He's so happy! He'll stop barking when he has more experience.

[CDN_Cocker]

Yep it happens. He'll get over it