Dog points everything

[nj gsp]

OK folks - I've got an older GSP I've recently acquired who has got an amazing nose, lots of hunt talent, dual champion parents, the works.

She's never been really trained, just basic stuff.

However - her amazing nose is an amazing nose for everything! Squirrels, rabbits, pheasants, finches, etc. you name it, she points everything.

So ultimately I'm sort of OK with that - for now. She's got a very powerful desire to hunt. I just need to train her.

We're working on polishing her obedience skills now. She's very bright and does pick things up quickly, although she's also a little hard-headed. I think that's due to her age.

At what point - and how - do I get her to focus on birds? Thanks folks!

[Birdhunter1]

I've got a 5 1/2 year old Brittany that points everything too: Turtles, frogs, snakes, game birds, possums, coons, a skunk once (luckily that didn't turn into a stinky situation), rabbits and even a cat if he gets the chance.

I've had an ongoing conversation with a guy about this the past few months, at one time back in the day these dogs were used to point anything that belonged on the dinner table and we have tried to take that out of them and make them more of a focused dog one the quarry we want.

From what I think the dog is going to point what the dog wants to point, but he'll only bring back what I shoot. If mine ponts a rabbit that is one thing, if he chases it that's a big no no and he'll find out about it via the collar.

[snips]

Do your yard work, showing her what you expect on the Check Cord, then take her to the field on the CC wih birds and worK her there. Start some structured training sessions on birds, quail or pigeons maybe, and show her what she is suppossed to be hunting. Sounds like you have alot of potential there.

[Lab Man]

I had a German Shorthair in for training this past summer that was the same way. I properly introduced birds, and starting planting birds. It did not take this dog long to figure out what the game was. I started to notice that the other animals that it would point was becoming less and less. I suggest you get some good training material and follow a proven program and you will see this dog come around. Good luck

[Wagonmaster]

I do not get too excited about dogs pointing "bleep" birds and other stuff.

Take them out and hunt them. They figure out pretty fast which birds you want and which you do not. Usually if you can read a dog, you will figure which points are on "stuff" and which are on game birds, and you just say "Come on" or "let's go" or some such to get the dog to leave the point.

If you are hunter, and not a trialer or hunt tester, what difference does it make to you if the dog points a sparrow? Only that you would rather not walk a quarter mile up a hill to a point on a sparrow. But it creates no danger or bad situation for you. So it is not a very big deal. Just discourage what you don't want by ignoring the point and telling the dog to move on, encourage what you do want by bagging the birds. Most dogs will figure it out.

With an older dog that is just going through training the reaction you are getting is not uncommon at all. You need that dog to develop all the enthusiasm for hunting that it can, so go easy on discouraging it from "bleep" birds. Just empasize the game birds. A dog that bright is not stupid. It will figure it out over time. You have bigger fish to fry, like getting that dog on some real birds.

[gonehuntin']

What John said is true. What does it matter? It'll lessen as time goes on and experiences in the field increase. I have a great old setter on his last legs now at 13 that still can't resist the odd point on a butterfly. I love it. If it was a totally trained dog, which I realize it is not, you could use gently bumps from an ecollar to urge it on. This works best with planted birds so the dog doesn't become afraid that for everything it points, it'll get a bump. Just ignore it.

[Greg Jennings]

You need that dog to develop all the enthusiasm for hunting that it can, so go easy on discouraging it from "bleep" birds. Just empasize the game birds. A dog that bright is not stupid. It will figure it out over time.

You have bigger fish to fry, like getting that dog on some real birds.

Just distilled down John's contribution. The underline for emphasis is mine.

Best regards,

[nj gsp]

Thanks folks! Yes, I do consider myself lucky! She's a super dog. I have to be careful not to spoil her rotten. :roll: It gets the other dogs jealous.

That's going to be the trick - getting her on birds. I've been looking into getting some pigeons. I think that here in NJ the wild ones are considered songbirds and are protected as a non-game species. I could be wrong.

So I will probably just get some quail. We had a problem with feral housecats, which the dogs have largely taken care of - much to my dismay. The cat always loses, but it's not uncommon for the dog to lose an eye. Luckily for us so far all eyes safe & sound.

However, my last attempt at using a call back pen resulted in one lonely quail in the pen, the rest took off & didn't come back...

But that's a topic for another post.

Thanks again for the help!

[Devils Creek]

John said it all...

With exposure, they will learn to ignore non-game bird species.

Most will still point fur: skunks, rabbits, and the dreaded Saskatchewan porcupine.

Considered a non-event at Trials, just move them on and forget about it.

About porkys - Freddie Rayl told me there are 2 types of dogs when it comes to porkys. There are those that will get a mouth full of quills and avoid them the rest of their lives, and there are those who, once stuck, will try and kill everyone they find. I, unfortunately, have one of the latter. I do not hunt or trial him without needle nose pliers.

If he's pointing them, consider it a blessing.