frustration screaming pointer pup.

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Trekmoor
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frustration screaming pointer pup.

Post by Trekmoor » Tue Jan 01, 2013 4:09 am

My daughter took on a 6-7 months old Pointer bitch pup a week ago. She is a "rescue" pup and has never done anything or been anywhere. I took her out yesterday for the second time with me and I like her but for one thing. She screams or "yickers" if she gets frustrated or anxious or very excited. She has had no training whatsoever but that does not bother me, I can already recall her to both voice and whistle. The screaming must stop however, I've never had a dog that did that before, do any of you folks have any ideas how to stop it without being too brutal about it ?

This pup shows promise as a worker so I don't want to get too heavy handed with her. She pointed (short duration points) on woodcock and other game when I had her out yesterday . If she had seen the game fly off I am 99% certain she would have chased it which is fine by me with a pup that age but I am also pretty certain she'd have screamed her head off as she chased !

A couple of pics of her....she seems to have all the right ideas .....except for the "yickering !"

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Bill T.
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shags
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Re: frustration screaming pointer pup.

Post by shags » Tue Jan 01, 2013 5:57 am

A chain gang or stakeout and a figure eight, ala Huntsmith method.

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SHORTFAT
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Re: frustration screaming pointer pup.

Post by SHORTFAT » Tue Jan 01, 2013 6:36 am

My pointer was the same and I got her late too... Mine would only do it when the pheasants would run and not pin down... she would start yippin' like a beagle on a bunny... drove me nuts, and I was just about to try a bark collar when I had her hunting, but she stopped on her own... hope yours does too!! Good luck!.. nice lookin pup!
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Vonzeppelinkennels
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Re: frustration screaming pointer pup.

Post by Vonzeppelinkennels » Tue Jan 01, 2013 7:01 am

I have had a couple GSP pups that yipped while chasing but they out grew it.
Good Luck!

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Sharon
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Re: frustration screaming pointer pup.

Post by Sharon » Tue Jan 01, 2013 11:30 am

No matter the age of the dog , when you just start letting it 'go" and start training , it is a pup . Let it be a pup. The screaming will stop soon.
" We are more than our gender, skin color, class, sexuality or age; we are unlimited potential, and can not be defined by one label." quote A. Bartlett

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DonF
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Re: frustration screaming pointer pup.

Post by DonF » Tue Jan 01, 2013 12:54 pm

I don't remember ever working with a pup like that but it is a pup and I suspect it will grow out of it. I say that because the pup you describe has had little or no exposure to anything at this point. I'd bet it's just feeling really good and happily venting.
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Trekmoor
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Re: frustration screaming pointer pup.

Post by Trekmoor » Tue Jan 01, 2013 5:52 pm

Thanks folks, I'll just keep on truckin' and hope for the best whilst curbing the worst of the yickering when I can. She's different to the vizsla I've been training , that's for sure ,at 6-7 months she cannot outpace the vizla yet but she sometimes already does outrange it.

Bill T.
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jcbuttry8
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Re: frustration screaming pointer pup.

Post by jcbuttry8 » Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:36 pm

my pointer did it also but only when she was braced with another dog and was behind. She stopped at a year. Just give the pup time. I suggest you ignore. Hard but necessary.

Joe

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bobman
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Re: frustration screaming pointer pup.

Post by bobman » Wed Jan 02, 2013 8:07 pm

I missed a bunch of pointed pheasants in a row on a trip to ND four weeks ago and a 5 year old dead broke pointer I have started doing this,
I couldn't tell if he was cussing me or the birds lol

It was funny that dogs not barked 5 times in the last 5 years

I need to shoot some clays this year
currently two shorthairs, four english pointers, one Brittany, one SPRINGER a chihuahua and a min pin lol

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Re: frustration screaming pointer pup.

Post by brinks » Thu Jan 03, 2013 11:53 am

I have noticed that certain breeds of pointers just do these kinds of things. Specifically if they get a bird on the run, or you miss one, or its a hen. They are frustrated they can't get the bird and that you didn't shoot it.

Also seen it on a dead bird blind retrieve. The pointers I have hunted with rather find a new bird then find the dead one that is burrowed down in the grass hiding. That is when my lab comes into play.

I think its a breed specific thing. They either grow out of it, or let you know you better shoot better.

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Re: frustration screaming pointer pup.

Post by whoadog » Thu Jan 03, 2013 12:07 pm

I have noticed that certain breeds of pointers just do these kinds of things.
I have had a few that voiced their excitement but never thought about it in terms of breed. I also agree a pointing dog should grow out of it. The interesting part of this thread is why it happens. I have never really considered that before. I have never seen a pointing dog vocalize while pointing, only when chasing. My Dad is a houndsman and a vocal dog is absolutely necessary when hunting fur at night. Dogs in the wild vocalize to communicate during the hunt. Thinking about it logically, it would seem reasonable that bird dogs would also bark during the hunt, but they don't. Any opinions why?

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Re: frustration screaming pointer pup.

Post by Duane M » Thu Jan 03, 2013 4:24 pm

Sharon wrote:No matter the age of the dog , when you just start letting it 'go" and start training , it is a pup . Let it be a pup. The screaming will stop soon.
Agreed, much ado about nothing.

Trekmoor
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Re: frustration screaming pointer pup.

Post by Trekmoor » Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:58 pm

Noisy gundogs of any breed are eliminated from our trials once they are under the judges instructions. A yip or a couple of small whines can be enough to get a dog eliminated .... it is part of our field trial rules. Very seldom is a noisy dog ever bred from just in case it passes on this trait to its puppies. I usually try to curb any noise at an early age just to be safe.

This pup isn't just whining or making an occasional excitement "yip" she is almost screaming with excitement. This is beyond anything I have experienced before, hence my question on here as I don't know of any other British trainer with experience of it .... if any of our trainers have had a dog with this problem they have taken care not to let other trialers know about it ! :wink:

Bill T.
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Re: frustration screaming pointer pup.

Post by marysburg » Sat Jan 05, 2013 6:06 pm

We have three Britts and a Lab, and only one of them has ever made a sound while chasing. As a young dog, she would yipe and scream while chasing a duck over the water during search for duck, but quit vocalizing after she hit age two years. I think it was just youthful exuberance, and she never was noisy in her fieldwork, or in the duckblind, nor in the house. Hope your pup quiets down in time for trials next year.

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