Posts from — January 2009

It’s funny what we aspire to achieve when we get our new pup.  We know there is a timeline that every pup must travel yet we sometimes forget we are asking too much too soon.

I suppose the most common thing I hear from hunters is “All I want my dog to do is point/back until I get there to flush the birds, then retrieve it to hand”. 

That is actually all 99 percent of us want.  It’s called a trained hunting dog with experience.

The truth of the matter is that if you expose your pup to the proper environment, take it hunting on wild birds frequently and are diligent to properly train and correct your dog, you can look forward to a nice bird dog at about age 3 to 4 years of age.  Yep, 3 to 4.  They are usually awesome and amazing every year thereafter up to age 10 when they are noticably slower due to age.

The above ‘age range abilities’ are what I call “bird dog age range expectations” ™.

There are specific ‘age range expectations’ that a well bred bird dog will usually display.  It is also dependent on the pointing dog breed.  Some are much faster than others.  For example, the English Pointer is usually a faster developing pointing breed compared to say, the Vizsla. Brittanys are generally fast developing and it is not uncommon for them to point / retrieve naturally and be huntable their first year… but not without many mistakes and certainly without the experience expected of an older dog.

Spring is around the corner and pups begin to go home.  Last years pups now have a season under their belt and are headed for more training & polishing for next season.  Seasoned dogs will rest and enjoy the good life and get refresher conditioning / training as next season nears.  No matter the age, there are age specific expecations.  Understanding what is ‘normal’ for your pointing breed is important knowledge for you to understand.  With understanding, you will be patient and do it right.  Without it, you will expect too much too soon.

Happy hunting and give your bird dog a treat for me and tell ‘em “Dave says good dog!”

Most cordially,

Dave

Learning to read a dog and understanding the actions of wild birds is essential for the owner handler to understand what is unfolding in front of their eyes.

In this short article I will offer a tid bit of food for thought.

Scene I: The winds are variable on this day…(they are switching from one direction to another as they do when fronts collide and no front has yet to dominate the other)…The pup runs hard with newly learned skills and suddenly slams on point!  He stands with ears forward, tail erect and body rigid.  Suddenly he relaxes looks around and then moves.  Suddenly an explosion of wild birds flush from his movement and are gone.  Why did my dog move?

Scene II: Same day an experienced dog does the same thing save the latter part where he softens in posture but does not move.  You notice he slowly moves his head first this way then that way, the whole time he quickly inhales with nostrils flaring then lower jaw opening to allow the quick exit of air so he can repeat the sequence.  You walk forward thinking “Whatcha got boy?” then suddenly birds explode from around his body and you nail a nice double.

Scene III: Same day, inexperienced dog again…now the front has pushed through finally and the winds are steady out of the north at 5 to 10.  Your dog is hunting into the wind and hammers a point.  You walk forward and the dog is sure they are there.  You can’t produce a bird.  You release your dog to relocate and he works well forward into the wind.  He loses the scent, goes back to where he started but can’t locate the birds.  What happened?  A false point?

Scene IV: Same day, experienced dog with the front having pushed in as above.  You relocate the dog, he proceeds forward but can’t locate the birds.  Suddenly the experienced dog casts 100 yards wide, perpendicular to the wind then races _down_ wind another 100 yards then turns and runs perpendicular to the wind to your rear.  He hammers down on point again, behind you.  You walk towards him and the running birds are trapped between you and the dog.  No where to run, the big cock pheasant flushes wildly and cackles loudly.  One well placed shot and the dog retrieves your bird to hand.

I have seen all of this happen many, many times in my life.  If you don’t understand what I described, ask questions as this is a place to learn and share your own experiences.

Happy hunting!

BTW, give that dog of yours a treat for me and tell ‘em “Dave says good dog!”

Dave Jones