False point?

[DIESELDAN]

Hi new to this site also new to owning a gsp. My previous dogs were labs. My gsp is 1 1/2 old and when hunting she sometimes locks up solid on what looks to be a bird than nothing is there. Is this a case of not being able to distinguish a fresh scent from a older one? Other than this she is doing a great job and seems to have a great nose. Probably the easiest dog to train I have ever seen everything from potty training to things like sitting etc. Anyone seen this before? Could it just be inexperance in the feild?

[rwwong]

My trainer says it's normal. Last season my Vizsla (who was 1 at the time) false pointed all the time. He'd lock up on old roosts and field mice. Like you said, it comes down to inexperience, which I'm hoping he'll figure out this season. We are headed to ND this week so we'll see.

[gspman]

All of the above and it could be running birds too. Those will give a young dog trouble sometimes.

[SORNO]

It just takes experience my GSP is growing out of it. She is 2.

[JConrad]

My 2.5 yr old Griffon had the same trouble until late last season. She will now stop on a previous nest but quickly move on. If it is a running bird she will start to creep forward and figure out that the bird is moving. She will then pick up speed if it's a running bird and lock up on point if the bird stops. They really do figure it out as they mature.

Sound like you are developing a terrific dog!

[jparrucci]

My brittany did the same thing. He still points at EVERYTHING when we aren't hunting. When he was young, I must have shouldered my gun 100 times in a day of pheasant hunting. They do grow out of it quickly, especially when they figure out the whole running bird deal. If you hunt public land and pressured birds, get used to this being the norm for at least a little while. They will figure it out on their own eventually. My brittany has actually gotten to the point that he tries to outrun the running roosters and get the bird between me and him. Many of my birds shot last year were when he was working a bird for a while, I'd see him go sprinting off ahead, and then lock up on point as he was actually working back towards me. Don't know if this is the right way to do it, or if it is something he picked up on his own as we only hunt highly pressued wiley public roosters who run and run.