Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If you want access to members only forums on HSO, you will gain access only when you Sign-in or Sign-Up .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member. ?

Pointer Not Pointing


TProGuy

Recommended Posts

I've got a GSP that is almost 18 months old now. The issue I have is his lack of pointing. This is my first pointer, so exactly how to handle this is where I need everyone's help. A relative of mine has one of his sisters, and she points like a champ.

He will point a grouse wing, both visually and by scent when working with him out in the yard...probably 90% of the time. I have done many training sessions with chukkars out in fields and in wooded areas, and he won't point them. I've had him out grouse hunting each of the last 3 weekends without a single point. He gets "birdy" and finds both the grouse and chukkars right away, so obviously his nose works, and he knows how to find them...this is what gets frustrating.

Is this something he will grow out of (lack of pointing) and start to change as he gets older, or is there something I should be doing to help him along. Money has been tight lately, so time spent with a professional trainer has been out of the question. I am seriously thinking about saving up and getting him some time with a professional over the winter or next spring.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you may have over did it with the wing instead of using live

birds, especially if your using the wing on a string method. You could try using a check cord and working him into planted birds and using that to correct him for not pointing.

is your dog getting birdy and not locking up and just going in to flush or picking up the bird?

when you are planting the chuckars what type of grass and terrain are you planting them in (tall or short)? Are you using a bird launcher to launch the bird and get it to fly well?

how is this dogs prey drive? does he chase and notice other birds or game?

this is my opinion but most chuckars I buy and train with dont fly well. I would try using some pigeons or something else and see if you notice a difference.

there is alot of variables here with your dog, but you should be seeing good solid points by now at its age.

again ditch the wing and use live birds, at your dogs age the wing is probably only going to make things worse and cause it to creep and chase instead of locking up

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have pretty much quit the grouse wing...maybe once or twice in the last several months, and it wasn't a real staple earlier either...just once in a while. In the last several months, the few times I have used it, I take it and plant it in taller grass or in bushes, not on a string.

His drive is great...he is always noticing and wanting to pursue other birds, squirrels, etc. When he gets birdy and finds the birds, he doesn't lock up at all, he just goes in after them.

I have been using the check cord lately when we have been practicing, to control him as he approaches the birds. He just wants to chase them when he gets a whiff of them. Desire and effort don't seem to be an issue...everything he does seems to be at 100 MPH. I have tried to get him to slow down, thinking it may help, but that definitely is easier said than done.

The chukkars have been planted in a variety of cover...short grass, taller grass, thick brush, etc. When they get up, they seem to fly really well...but once in a while getting them up in the air is an issue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With out knowing all that was done it could be that it was inadvertently trained not to point or it just isn't a strong poitner. By 18 months this dog should be pointing birds. I'd get rid of the wing on a string. It's more of a gimmic than anything. If you want this dog to point do not shoot any bird that this dog does not handle properly.

If you are using planted birds for training under no circumstances should you allow the dog to catch a bird. Use a checkcord or a remote launcher. If you have a launcher bring the dog in cross wind on a check cord and the instant it smells the bird and reacts launch the bird. If no launcher is available you'll need to make the dog point by stopping it with the cord and making it stand there. Also for training it helps to have a partner to train with.

At this point I'd forget about retrieving until you get this dog pointing.

It could be a long hunting season but the only way to get this dog on track is to not shoot birds it does not point.

Good luck,

gspman

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, guys...

Obviously this is a frustrating time for me and my hunting buddy. Grooming a good hunting dog certainly is a never ending process, and it seems that I still have a lot of work on my hands. One thing is for sure, I know it all cannot be fixed quickly, but I will definitely find myself leaving my bow in the truck a bit more than planned this fall and getting a lot more work in with the pooch, both in the practice fields and in the woods, especially in areas that I know the birds are. He is so incredibly intelligent, eager to please, and an amazingly well behaved dog, especially for his age, so I'd hate to see it all go for nothing.

Please feel free to add any more suggestions, and I will try to post updates from time to time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Again, thanks for all the info!

I have one more thing to ask...

I just found out that I am going to have an opportunity to go grouse hunting for 5 days with some friends, starting on Tuesday.

Knowing what I have told you guys on here about the problem I have been having, what would you do? Should I bring the dog with to get him more field experience, hoping that the time afield will help him figure things out? Or, should I leave him at home, because the opportunity to continue hunting without properly handling birds could possibly further complicate the problem at hand?

I desperately want to bring him with, as I love being with him and hunting grouse with dogs, but the latter question keeps popping into my mind, and with this being as frustrating as it has been, I really don't want to make matters worse, either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a young female gsp pup who is acting similarly. She's only 7 months old and full of energy. She does have a natural instinct to stop when she scents a planted pigeon, but does not lock up solidly like my other pups did at this age. One thing I would add to what others have said is to use your "whoa" command. My female is whoa broke very well, and has been since a young age. Now, when I first recognize that she smells a bird, I give her the "whoa", and she stops...immediately. After she stops, as I walk in she'll often work into the point as she fine tunes the location of the scent. So, my advice: if this dog isn't completely whoa broke, it may be time for some more yard work.

As for the grouse hunting trip, if it were me, I'd take her along and maybe control the when and where she goes out. And like others have said, don't shoot a bird she doesn't point.

NWBuck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.


  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • By The way that didn't work either!! Screw it I'll just use the cellular. 
    • It’s done automatically.  You might need an actual person to clear that log in stuff up.   Trash your laptop history if you haven’t tried that already.
    • 😂 yea pretty amazing how b o o b i e s gets flagged, but they can't respond or tell me why I  can't get logged in here on my laptop but I can on my cellular  😪
    • I grilled some brats yesterday, maybe next weekend will the next round...  
    • You got word censored cuz you said        B o o b ies….. haha.   Yeah, no… grilling is on hiatus for a bit.
    • Chicken mine,  melded in Mccormick poultry seasoning for 24 hours.  Grill will get a break till the frigid temps go away!
    • we had some nice weather yesterday and this conundrum was driving me crazy  so I drove up to the house to take another look. I got a bunch of goodies via ups yesterday (cables,  winch ratchet parts, handles, leaf springs etc).   I wanted to make sure the new leaf springs I got fit. I got everything laid out and ready to go. Will be busy this weekend with kids stuff and too cold to fish anyway, but I will try to get back up there again next weekend and get it done. I don't think it will be bad once I get it lifted up.    For anyone in the google verse, the leaf springs are 4 leafs and measure 25 1/4" eye  to eye per Yetti. I didnt want to pay their markup so just got something else comparable rated for the same weight.   I am a first time wheel house owner, this is all new to me. My house didn't come with any handles for the rear cables? I was told this week by someone in the industry that cordless drills do not have enough brake to lower it slow enough and it can damage the cables and the ratchets in the winches.  I put on a handle last night and it is 100% better than using a drill, unfortatenly I found out the hard way lol and will only use the ICNutz to raise the house now.
    • I haven’t done any leaf springs for a long time and I can’t completely see the connections in your pics BUT I I’d be rounding up: PB Blaster, torch, 3 lb hammer, chisel, cut off tool, breaker bar, Jack stands or blocks.   This kind of stuff usually isn’t the easiest.   I would think you would be able to get at what you need by keeping the house up with Jack stands and getting the pressure off that suspension, then attack the hardware.  But again, I don’t feel like I can see everything going on there.
    • reviving an old thread due to running into the same issue with the same year of house. not expecting anything from yetti and I already have replacement parts ordered and on the way.   I am looking for some input or feedback on how to replace the leaf springs themselves.    If I jack the house up and remove the tire, is it possible to pivot the axel assembly low enough to get to the other end of the leaf spring and remove that one bolt?   Or do I have to remove the entire pivot arm to get to it? Then I also have to factor in brake wire as well then. What a mess   My house is currently an hour away from my home at a relatives, going to go back up and look it over again and try to figure out a game plan.           Above pic is with house lowered on ice, the other end of that leaf is what I need to get to.   above pic is side that middle bolt broke and bottom 2 leafs fell out here is other side that didnt break but you can see bottom half of leaf already did but atleast bolt is still in there here is hub assembly in my garage with house lowered and tires off when I put new tires on it a couple months ago. hopefully I can raise house high enough that it can drop down far enough and not snap brake cable there so I can get to that other end of the leaf spring.
  • Topics

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.