Dogs first flush

[Joe15]

Okay so were were walking some cattails today and my young lab flushed two roosters and I shot one. Well it folded up and fell into the cattails. But the dog never went to get it and we could't find it. Is it normal for a dog to not know what to do at first. In training he always did fine.

[rwwong]

Could be that he never saw it come down, cattails can be tough for a seasoned dog, let alone a pup. He'll be fine, just be happy that he was on birds, they flushed, they were roosters, and that you shot one!

How are you training him?

[SpringerGuy]

When you where training did you only use dummies or did you shoot a few live birds over him?

[brittman]

Even when they appear dead, they can hit the ground running (had the dog grab them long ways away from where they hit) or burrow deep into a clump (dog pins them, but cannot pull them out). Likewise if the bird fold dead the scent cone around the dead bird is not big.

Did you get in there with him?

If the dog is not on the dead bird immediately then I always walk to where I thought the bird hit the ground and let the dog work around me. The dog will keep looking longer than if I remain 30 - 50 yards away from dead bird, young dogs especially will want to return to the owner.

Keep the dog interested in looking or "hunting" around you.

[QueticoTim]

You are lucky the first bird I shot over my dog she ran over by my side, shivered, and wouldn't hunt the rest of the day. Now she is a champ. Others gave good advice---dog has a different view than you and even though it may be obvious to you where the bird landed the dog may have not seen it land. Dead birds can be borrowed into the grass and be hard for a young dog to find---also that bird may still be running.

Today had two roosters the shooters thought were dead were found by the dogs 50 and 80 yards away from where they landed---alive and a running. Ya just never know. Takes dogs about 2 years in my opinion to really mature into hunting.