Gun Dog Forum

iv got a english pointer who started out great she is five years old now last year she started pointing everthing and nothing its like she thinks thers a bird behind ever bush she will still point birds but she goes 50 yards or so and points when you get to her she releases and moves ahead 20 yards and points again i thought i had got her out of that but we took her hunting yesterday and she pointed a woodcock within a min. and started doing the same thing point move ahead point again in 45 mins maybe 15 or 20 points today pointed a grouse and same thing pointing evertime she gets 50 yards or so .shes a soft dog you cant get to ruff with with her she shuts down preety easy i work her befour in a field where i knew there were no birds and she improved a lot but soon as she pointed that one woodcock she was right back where she was as i said she just started this last year this dog has had no ruff treetnent at all .i dont know how to fix this behaver

you should move this tread to the training section... probably get help there.

It has been a long time ago, but I once had a dog also do this same thing. It was a German Shorthair, so this is not just in your breed. How I got Chap out of it was to forget hunting for nearly a whole season. When he pointed I would just keep walking in a different direction and ignore him. This was hard because I was never sure if he had a bird or not. After a while he would catch up with me and we would walk on. Eventually I figured out if he quickly left his point and caught up with me it was a false point, but if he would not move it was a bird. Like I said it took most of the hunting season before he figured out that I just did not come over to him because he was pointing, but it had to be a bird.

I hope this helps.

Hello Setterpoint,

What are you doing while she is working? Also, is it possible she is stalking moving birds?

Higgins

I have seen dogs with this fault a few times. I felt it was caused by the handler continually praising the dog when it pointed. For some dogs that liking of being praised can lead to non productive or to false points.

Bill T.

I have seen quite a few dogs false point when we first start a hunt. I think it comes from being so agree to find a bird. They point old scent or anything that looks like a bird or might be a bird. Generally I either ignore them and go on or give them a command to go on. I can usually tell I they actually have a Bird or they will usually ignore my command if they do have one. it has never been much of a issue with me.........Cj

This dog may just have an exceptional nose. You might try releasing the dog until you are sure it is really an unproductive you might be surprised when you finally kick up birds. I have a gyp that has the best nose of any dog I have ever seen that I thought was false pointing, by releasing her sometimes more than once, she proved she knew what she was doing and the birds were there.

Trekmoor wrote:I have seen dogs with this fault a few times. I felt it was caused by the handler continually praising the dog when it pointed. For some dogs that liking of being praised can lead to non productive or to false points.

Bill T.

Now that is an interesting thought. We really need to keep or mouths shut.

'Sticking' on residual scent to gain praise or reward , Sharon you have gone all Red !

thanks for the reply guys you bring up some good points ill try and use this in it might help me if i ever get this under controll she can be a great bird dog and she dose have a cannon nose and hunt hard all day wants to please

polmaise wrote:'Sticking' on residual scent to gain praise or reward , Sharon you have gone all Red !

Shhhhhhh.

hunted her yesterday afternoon not so many false points she pointed a grouse and a woodcock three or four points i could tell those points were not near as solid as when the bird was there i would get where i could see her and wait her out if she moved we would move on but when she held point after a min. i would go in i never said any thing just let her work it out