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May 17, 2012
Pointing Dog Pointers
September 2007
Bustin' Birds
Part One – The Young Dog
by Bob & Jody Iler
ith bird season just around the corner, let’s focus on the common problems that pop up as you and your dog head into the field. Problems that, if left unchecked, can become major issues. One of these is the pointing dog that doesn’t point – the one that jumps in and “busts the bird.” Whether you have a started pup or an older dog that’s been hunted a season or two, this can cost you birds – and hunting buddies!
This month, let’s concentrate on the young dog. It’s normal for puppies to bump, chase, and catch training birds, but as time passes and your pup doesn’t point, you’ll want to identify the cause. Genetics plays a major role in how staunchly your dog will point or whether he’ll even point at all. Nose is another hereditary factor. A poor nose can cause a pup to be almost on top of the bird before he realizes it’s there – making him bust it. Many pups with desire and hunt will overrun their noses at first and bump birds. As they mature, they learn caution and start to point. Other pups may flag on point; some will sit, lie down, or pounce when they find the bird.
Don’t overuse the “wing and fish pole” test on your pup – once or twice is enough to indicate his pointing instinct; he’s only sight pointing, not using his nose. And don’t hide wings or dead birds in cover for your pup to find; he’ll learn to jump in and catch them. These things won’t ruin the young pup; the goal of early training is to develop confidence and enthusiasm for birds. Early on, letting pups catch the occasional quail or pigeon whets their appetite for more.
But once the fire has been lit, your training and hunting methods should change. As the point starts to come, don’t use poor-flying birds when training or allow him to catch birds anymore. Some pups don’t readily turn on to pigeons and don’t point them well. Overuse of pigeons and traps can also create jumping-in problems. Consistently shooting bumped birds over a pup can worsen the problem – this rewards him for undesirable behavior. In fact, shooting too many birds over the green dog, at any one time, can create busting problems. He decides that the prize is more important than the point. And running your pup with other dogs in his first season is a sure bet for a train wreck.
So…what should you do?
You may have overlooked your most valuable and inexpensive tool for developing point and control on your pup: the checkcord. Put that checkcord back on and begin some new training sessions on birds. Help your pup out by working him into the wind, and when he makes contact with bird scent, restrain him with the cord. Be gentle and silent. Yelling “Whoa” or tugging sharply will distract him. If he understands the whoa command, you can add it softly – but only after he has made scent and pointed on his own. Don’t allow him to see any planted birds or traps.
Make sure you have someone to flush the bird for you while you restrain your pup. Keep him under control as the bird flies off. Repeat these sessions on a regular basis, and your dog should soon be pointing. Don’t overdo – one or two birds are enough each time. Then let him think about it for a while. Next, start planting the quail “lightly” – the pup will learn that if he gets too close, the spooky bird will flush. But use good-flying gamebirds. The dog that flags or is loose on point will often tighten up when switched from pigeons to gamebirds. Make your training scenario as close as possible to hunting conditions. Use a neighbor’s field, utilize your local bird dog club or Pheasants Forever grounds or check out game preserves for this training.
Wild birds are next on your agenda. Pheasants, though, are running birds compared to tighter-sitting quail or chukars – and can be more difficult for your young dog to point. Now you can let him drag the checkcord -- you’ll have it for control when you need it -- but if he does bust the bird, he won’t catch it. He’ll learn to approach with care and start pointing. Should you skip the aforementioned training sessions and just go directly to wild birds? NO. We’ve had many clients who’ve hunted their dogs for several seasons with no prior training and have a host of resulting problems – which we’ll cover in future columns. Suffice to say that you should start your dog properly first, then hunt him.
And don’t get discouraged. Time, maturity, and patience normally resolve the issue of young dogs “bustin’ birds.”
But…maybe you have an older dog, say two or three, that is still jumping birds.
What can youdo?
Next month, we’ll discuss some solutions for him.
Pointing Dog Pointers features monthly training tips by Bob and Jody Iler, who own Green Valley Kennels in Dubuque, Iowa. Bob and Jody have trained pointing dogs for over 35 years and have written many articles for Pointing Dog Journal. You can look up their website at www.greenvalleykennels.com. 