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Subject: That dog doesn't Point????

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The Big Dog User is Offline

Posts:3

10/24/2009 4:50 PM
I have a 12 month GSP that won't point. I took the dog to a Trainer (just because I don't have access to live birds). She has been a full time trainer for about a decade and has a good reputation as a trainer. She is saying he isn't pointing. She actually told me to come and pick him up four weeks early (saving me about $450). She claims the dog too immature and won't focus. (BTW he has a strong prey drive, chasing cats, rabbits, and song birds) Has anyone else had problems with a dog this old not pointing?

Texas Belle User is Offline

Austin, TX

MH
Posts:4852

10/24/2009 5:21 PM
Has he ever pointed? What does he do if you plant a bird? My boy pointed beautifully from puppy to about 8 months when he discovered he could catch birds. At that point if he found a bird in the field he didn't even hesitate, but busted in on the bird and flushed it, chased and caught it most of the time and brought it back to me. Three things we did to fix it: 1) Let him work birdless fields and when working birds, put him on a check cord, 2) continued obedience training and 3) let him grow up. He had a month with a trainer where he worked whoa and ran fields and occasionally put him on a bird (dog was always on a check cord). After that month he came home to me and I continued the obedience work and added in some focus exercises. This fall I ran him again in JH and he was a hunting and pointing maniac. From about 10 months to 16 months though I never knew which dog I would get when we trained, sometimes he was fantastic and sometimes a knothead. I don't know if that is what you mean when you say he won't point though which is why I had questions in the initial part of this post.

Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo) and the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) Yellow Rose GSPs "A dog has the soul of a philosopher." --Plato "..It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.." --Samuel Adams

The Big Dog User is Offline

Posts:3

10/24/2009 5:54 PM
When he was 3 -5 months old, he sight pointed a quail wing on a fishing pole. I was only able to do this a couple of times before my other dog found the wing and destroyed it. The Trainer had him for four weeks and couldn't get him to point. She used check cords and other techniques. She said he wouldn't even hesitate, he would just go in and flush them up.

stlbirddogs User is Offline

Missouri

MH
Posts:118

10/24/2009 7:08 PM
Some pups mature slower than others, some lines mature slower than others. I have one that had tremendous prey drive but didn't point until she was 8 months. Once she started pointing she had great style and held for you to flush the bird. We worked with another that didn't point until she was 14 months. I have seen some that never pointed but they didn't have any prey drive either.... I don't like the wing on a string much, I think it encourages them to use their eyes rather than nose. Used it with my pups when they were around 5 weeks, got some cute pictures and then put it away. At least the trainer sent the dog home to mature rather than take your money. Did the trainer give you any advice on things to do with the pup? If you are close enough to the her, is she willing to let you bring the pup periodically to reevaluate?

Breeze - GSP Dusty - Vizsla & the wild bunch!

Texas Belle User is Offline

Austin, TX

MH
Posts:4852

10/24/2009 7:09 PM
I am no expert as Ringo, my boy, is my first dog to train for HT, but I think I would back up and work on obedience some and let him grow up a bit. Does he catch the birds he chases? If he isn't catching them, then I wouldn't worry about it right now. Work on obedience and let him have fun, after all he is only 7 months old.

Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo) and the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) Yellow Rose GSPs "A dog has the soul of a philosopher." --Plato "..It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.." --Samuel Adams

The Big Dog User is Offline

Posts:3

10/24/2009 7:37 PM
He is not 7 months, he is 12 months and he obeys most of the standard commands (come, sit, stay, halt, and no). The Trainer puts the training birds (pigeons) in a bird launcher. When Boss would get too close, she would release them. He jumped on the launcher a couple of times, but he didn't catch /kill the bird. She said some dogs just take a little longer to figure it out. Also, she said not to take him out to hunt pen raise birds, only wild birds. In three weeks, he will get to see real wild pheasants.

RyanGSP

MH
Posts:288

10/24/2009 11:33 PM
Scrap planted birds. Get that dog on the real deal, wild birds. There is no chance he is going to catch wild birds and this is what you want. Those birds will teach him he cant catch them and to start stalking in on them. Then he will start pausing, milleseconds at first but eventually you will get to the point where u can walk up to him. When you can walk up to him then the training begins, until then only wild birds. It doesnt matter if you can put him on wild birds every day or even every weekend. One afternoon every other weekend is more than enough. In the mean time there is lots of work that can be done in the backyard. This may take 1 day this may take 24 weeks it doesnt matter. Boss need to learn, BY HIMSELF, that he cannot catch birds and needs to start pointing.

pixie bee

MH
Posts:2504

10/26/2009 5:29 AM
Your trainer did not use the launcher correctly. Seek out a more capable pro who knows how to properly use a launcher. Francine

Be the type of woman that when you wake up each morning and put your feet on the floor the Devil says - "Oh Crap, She's Up!" http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genedit.php?id=2229 http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genedit.php?id=2230

snips

n.ga.

MH
Posts:294

10/27/2009 6:45 AM
Sounds like your dog has the prey drive, just needs proper exposure. Where are you located that they have access to wild birds? Wild birds would be great if you have them. Other than that the launchers should do it. The launchers should be popped the second the dog hits scent, they should not be allowed to get close. Sometimes too much wing or if people are hiding scented things for dogs to find or frozen birds can make a dog impossible to get pointing. But you have not done anything like that?

brenda

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