running birds - how does your dog handle them?

[JasonM]

ok,

wet snowy weather, 1/2" on ground....pen raised birds....absolutely will not fly.....how would your dog handle them......

went out sat. w/ Rocco 2.5yr old GSP.....he WAS holding great all season so far on grouse and woodcock.....very steady......my buddy talks me into hunting these pen raised released birds (Game Commission stocks them) and now Rocco will not point...he busts in on everything, grouse, woodcock.....so I set up some launcher yesterday w/ pigeons, and that's exactly what he's doing....picking up scent and charging in....after pigeon 6 he finally points and holds until I walk in to flush....

I'm thinking in the future to steer clear of any all pen raised birds....he chased one for at least 500 yards......I didnt want to correct w/ the e collar but what do you do?

Frustrating.....I'm going to keep popping pigeons until he re-gets it.......nothing like starting from square one...in the middle of the season...eh....

[ohiogsp]

This is normal. If the dog catches birds it will remember it for a long time. Once your dog is just dead broke it won't happen. My finished dog would just keep pointing and relocating and would never take the bird out in that situation. If you run HT's you learn to train for stuff like this cause it will happen. I would do all kinds of stuff to mine like throw multiple pigeons right towards him. Or wake them up and try to get them to walk right by him. I would try to get him to break so I could correct it. You are doing the right thing he need lots of birds he won't catch now.

[gonehuntin']

It's frustrating because when you analyze it, the dog is doing what he's supposed to and bred to do; tracking the bird to conclusion. Thing is, if he's tracking the bird downwind or crosswind, there really is nothing you can do. It's something else if the bird's upwind or the bird is running crisswind, then turns, runs upwind, and sits. Those the dog should handle. Wild pheasant are much the same. We just got back from hunting the public lands of SD and ran into the same thing. The birds would run and the slightest noise for 70-100 yards then flush wild with no provocation. It's frustrating on the wild ones too.

There's only one way I know of the train for these things. You can do it in two ways, both of which involve laying a track. Take about a 40' rope with a 2' dropper of the center at 20'. Drop a line and harness a live bird to it. Get a friend and each of you take an end then drag a birdupwind for 50-70 yards or so. Now put a bird in a launcher, pick up the drag bird, and go back and get the dog via a different route. Let him start tracking and it he goes boiling into the trap, pop the bird and correct the dog. Try it again. If he becomes cautious, that' good.

Now do one crosswind. Same deal, drag a bird out crosswind about 50-70 yards. When at the end of the drag, have the outside man swind around in a 90 degree arc and drag the bird another 20 yards upwind. Trap a bird there. If the dog trails in, turns upwind, and doesn't stop, launch the bird. Do it until he gets it. I run these drills only 2-3 times a day and no more than twice a week. It's the only way I know of to actually train a dog to stop and point while trailing. Or, you can just let wild bird's teach him.

[Higgins]

Jason,

A lot of problems can be created by using bad birds. If you get those kind of birds in the future, it might be better to hold off training till you can get better birds.

Here is a test you can do to see just how steady your dog really is. Put a pigeon in your launcher and hide it in the field. Now work your dog upwind of the launcher (no scent). When the dog gets in the area of the launcher, launch the bird. If your dog sees it, will he stop?

I think one of the most important parts of training is in getting the dog good at "stop to flush" (the bird giving the "whoa" command).

Here is a video of a dog managing a moving pheasant. Some might say this is creeping on point. Not true. The dogs intent is to stop the moving bird by staying in contact. There is no intent to flush or catch the bird.

http://www.higginsgundogs.com/Managinga ... easant.htm

Brad Higgins
www.higgindgundogs.com

[adogslife]

If the bird is moving so should your dog. A useless dog points where a bird was.A smart dog tracks that bird. If that bird does not fly the dog is correct at retrieving it to you.(if possible)
The bad thing is your dog has stopped pointing.A few birds popped on him ought to get his point back.
My guess is this is his first experience with runners.