Grouse hunting with a GSP Pup

[Hammertime]

I have an 8 month old GSP pup that I have had out grouse hunting with me the last 2 weekends. I had her profesionally started, 7 weeks of yard work and bird and gun intro. I picked her up from my trainer a week and a half ago. He showed me some things and she was awesome on quail and pigeons (which she was trained over). Pointed every bird that we planted and held her point real well. All scent points. I bring her out to the grouse trails and she works the trails really well. I shot one without her this weekend when I was checking deer stands, brought it back and let her smell it, than I through it in the woods to see what she would do. I let her back out and she was definatley smelling something in the air, but not pointing. She was really birdy and ran about 5 feet from it and never pointed. She eventually pointed it. This weekend she got really birdy a couple of times and grouse flushed, but she never pointed. She did sight point one that we came across on the trail. I shot that one. My question is what is everyones experience with grouse hunting and GSPs not pointing on scent? I know it is a different kind of hunting but what do i need to do to get her to hunt grouse and point them like she was the quail and pigeons at training? THe next endeavor will be the pheasant fields. She is working the woods by the trail really well, maybe the "switch" just hasnt gone off with her yet? she is still young and I am just trying to get her out there to have fun this season. The positive is tht she does recall and listen well when we are out hunting.

[mwal]

She is still young and she can tell that the grouse you threw out there was dead and uninteresting. The quail and pigeons were alive. My trainer said that pointing comes from smelling the birds breath. He said tracking was more ground scent related. I did see a demonstration on ESPN years ago where they kept English pointer in box with no view of a quail and flew it across field . Then released dog and it smelled the scent trail in the air and relocated bird. Grouse are the most difficult bird for pointers to deal with. You need to expose to as many grouse as you can and do not shot anything she does not point otherwise you are reinforcing flushing or bumping birds at this critical age. You should report what is happening to the trainer for advice. When my dog kept bumping birds we restarted her on quail in a launcher. If she did not hold the bird was launched and no shot was taken. She quickly got back on track in 2 sessions. Some pointers never figure out grouse they are very skittish and don't leave much scent. The best grouse dogs seem to point them from longer distance than pheasant or quail. YOu may want to seek a trainer with grouse experience.

MWal