Weak Smell

[96trigger]

This weekend I introduced my pup to a pheasant wing. She got really excited when I showed it to her and of course wanted to knaw on it. I played the hide the wing game with her, I first put the wing in obvious places in different rooms, then I started to hid them in different places throughout the house. The dog didn't use her nose to find the room, and that was fine, but I became concerned when she would walk right by sniffing and wouldn't be able to tell that it was under the bed, or the book case, or behind a boot, etc. In all cases I tried to keep enough of the wing showing to still give off scent, but concealed enough so as to not make it obvious. Sometimes she'd be within two inches and couldn't find it, shouldn't they be able to smell it from there? She's only 4 months,is this normal?

[gundoglily]

I don't think it is as much as the pup having a "weak smeller" as to the fact that the scent is probably gone out of the pheasant wing.

[cyberamish]

I'd have to agree, try buying some of the bottled pheasant scent and adding a few drops of that to it. One thing I have done with my dogs to encourage them to use their nose vs eyes is to play fetch with a scented dummy/tennis ball in the back yard, at night, with no lights on.

[Blackduck]

Post deleted by Blackduck

[96trigger]

Thanks, just wanted to make sure that this wasn't unusual. She's a good dog with tremedous drive. I can't wait to see her in action in the fall. Although I am sure that it will be a huge learning experience. I do have some bottled scent I'll use. I kind of though that there are to many other overpowering smells in the house that it would be hard to pick up on. Thanks again.

Newbie hunting dow owner

[Jackpine Rob]

Age and experience can change things dramatically. My old dog was a real hard charger, and would sometimes run right past the bird a couple of times in his excitement before finally getting it right. I despaired, worrying his nose was bad - sure that he would never "be all he could be". As he matured, those over-run issues disappeared, and he turned into an absolute bloodhound on cripples - during one 3 year stretch we lost a total of 1 duck - and that one I called him off of due to dangerous conditions (ice and current).

The current kennel occupant went through an almost identical learning process - and it was real hard the first time we were out and he trotted right past a partridge, without hardly blinking. Of course, after a few had been shot, he caught on and has no more "scenting" issues.

As for adding scent, 2 years ago the kids had gotten some little super balls at the 4th of July parade, and they were banging them off the shed up at the lake. Before long, all of the balls had been lost in the grass/brush, and try as they might, the kids could only find a couple.

Got the dog over, had the kids toss one of the remaining balls in the general area, and sent the dog for retrieve. He comes back with it, and I continued to send him "back", until he had found all of the balls. I'm sure he was picking up the scent from the kids hands on the rubber stuff.

Give the pup's sniffer some time and experience - and I think you will be amazed at what they can do.

[anchor man]

96

Don't worry, my lab just turned 2 and she now is finally planting her nose on the ground and actually using it to search. She spent a lot of time (a little over a year) looking for her dummy and looking for birds. After some time at a game farm with guaranteed birds and some training at night, she realized that her nose was going to lead her to the jackpot. Again, have no fear...although they have a great instinct to sniff and find, they indeed do need some time to develop.

take care

[Tripleplay]

Although I used a pheasant wing on my GSP when she was little, one of the ways to really get her focused on her nose was suggested by her trainer. Basically I would grill up a few extra hot dogs and get some nice black cooking on the outside. Then I'd take one-half or sometimes even a whole out of the fridge and I'd start a "track" (prep for her NAVHDA Natural Ability track) by dragging that hotdog on a course through the yard. First time I did it I kept her on a leash to keep her focused and ran a pretty short track so that she could find the hot dog. That treat on the end worked wonders for her dropping that head down and almost snorting in the air. Later on I started dragging the wing or a dummy with scent, etc.. She loved the game just as much since she got to find the "treat" at the end only it no longer involved something quite as edible as the hot dog.

[setterguy]

Just like retrieving, scenting should be trained. Both are natural instints, but both will improve with training. Get her excited about birds first, she will learn soon enough what they smell like and try like heck to find some.