Am I ruining my dog?

[Nozzer]

Question regarding my 3 year old French Brittany and hunting. These past couple of weekends hunting, my dog has essentially just ran past pheasants or done a poor job even tracking, pinning down and point a flushed pheasant. She is also bumping birds in quite an obnoxious manner when she knows full well to staunch up on point on other birds like planted pigeons or coveys of huns. I have been shooting birds that flush wild around me but none that she has bumped. Usually she's 100 yards off trying to track down something and lo and behold I take a step, birds flush, I shoot then she arrives to retrieve. Is this an ok practice to do, knowing she hasn't bumped it? Or, is going to cause problems with her thinking she doesn't have to point? Thank you for your advice.

[Sharon]

Why would she point if you are shooting wild birds for her? Only shoot what she points. Is it possible she is a little gun shy?

[Nozzer]

She's not gun shy at all but is extremely sensitive to correction from me even when my voice is harsh. I have to shout "whoa" in pure meanness to get her to staunch up on anything. I will admit, I'm hunting her on pen-raised pheasants right now so I'm wondering if this is leading to bad habits since they're less inclined to hold.


Are you suggesting even if she has nothing to do with the bird, is 100+ yards off tracking something else and a bird flush from underneath my foot that I should not shoot? This is teaching bad habits? Thank you.

She is my second Brittany, first Epagneul Breton, ranges a lot closer but is a whole lot more sensitive than my previous American Brittany.

[mask]

Buy a few phes and plant in a launcher and see if that helps. Use a check cord. If this does not work you may need to start over.

[Steve007]

Some dogs have extremely strong pointing instinct, but are reluctant to retrieve. However, in other instances, there are dogs that are fanatical retrievers and that's the reward. They point in order to get the retrieve. If your dog is a strong retriever, she may realize that she doesn't have to point -- or remain staunch-- to get the reward. I think you've got some pretty good suggestions above.

If you have someone that you can hunt with, it would be a pretty good idea for you to just go out without a gun and handle your dog and let him do the shooting. You'll do better at developing your dog if you focus on that alone. But try no shooting -- you or your partner --if the dog doesn't point.