gsp, advice

[Jack 2 Rat 0]

I have a gsp she's touching 2 years old now, i have her since she was 9 months, she won't point or hold on point , she just keeps flushing the birds every time... some help please as she's my first gsp and gun dog,, thanks

[butcherboy 68]

I have a gsp she's touching 2 years old now, i have her since she was 9 months, she won't point or hold on point , she just keeps flushing the birds every time... some help please as she's my first gsp and gun dog,, thanks

 

 

Have you tried steadying her up on a lead? Use a collar & lead (not a slip lead)

 

Easier with caged game. Walk dog towards bird (remember wind direction) and when she goes on point, gently hold her on the lead. Just keep reassuring her that she's doing right while you hold her.

 

For the 1st few times Id then pick her up & carry her away from the game. Once she gets the hang you can then flush the birds yourself & sit the dog to flush.

[Mickey Finn 3,014]

I have a gsp she's touching 2 years old now, i have her since she was 9 months, she won't point or hold on point , she just keeps flushing the birds every time... some help please as she's my first gsp and gun dog,, thanks

 

 

Have you tried steadying her up on a lead? Use a collar & lead (not a slip lead)

 

Easier with caged game. Walk dog towards bird (remember wind direction) and when she goes on point, gently hold her on the lead. Just keep reassuring her that she's doing right while you hold her.

 

For the 1st few times Id then pick her up & carry her away from the game. Once she gets the hang you can then flush the birds yourself & sit the dog to flush.

 

Good advice. I have to wonder if she has ever shown you any pointing instinct? If she's been chasing birds for her whole life and worst of all caught a few. You'll have your work cut out for you. You might want to start butcher boys plan away from birds on a table. Teach her the whoa command and be sure she has it down before moving on to birds. Then you'll have that tool in your kit. She'll be used to standing still. This is half the battle.

 

You can do this on a whoa table http://www.navhda.org/table.html which is about two feet tall. eight to sixteen feet long.Don't know the metric off hand sorry. Honestly the shakyer the better. Just as long as it doesn't collapse on you.

Place a mat or piece of plywood about as long and wide as her stance on the table. Lead her up on the lead and when her paws are all on the mat/board. Give a leash pop and say whoa. When she is still. release her by calling her name and moving her with the lead. Next time do it longer and so-on. All through this. If she moves a paw verbally correct her and put the paw back where it was, exactly. This is very important. If she moves the paw again after you correct her correct harder. Stronger voice may not be as effective as a leash pop. The key is to not frighten her and cause her to move. Everything has to be calm. Especially when she is doing it right. No over exuberant praise here. Just soothing words. When you have to correct. Correct and forget. Just that fast.

 

Then move off the table to the yard and repeat with the same standards. No movement of the paws is to be allowed. Then use your longer lead. Then finally off lead. I'm sure you have a strong recall at this point. But always release the dog.(bitch) while standing beside her. This is how it should go mostly when hunting. You approach, shoot the bird then release the dog (bitch)

 

Once she has whoa down then you can introduce distractions. Toys, bumpers, then finally a bird either in a mesh bag or a harness. Which we lower down into her field of vision. After she has this down. We'll let a harnessed bird walk around in front of her. This proceeds like above. First on the table then ground then long lead, then off lead. You will be very proud when your dog stops cold in a dead run on your command.

 

The basic tactic behind getting a dog to hold a point is...

1. Show it enough birds so it's convinced it wants them in it's mouth.

2. Let it chase enough birds so it learns that it has no chance of catching birds.

3. Teaching it to hold a point or a close facsimile of one. See Butcherboys advice above!

4. Shooting birds over it to show that this is how it gets birds in it's mouth.

 

When this light bulb goes off. Your home free with a yearly refresher course.

 

Good luck!

[Jack 2 Rat 0]

Butcherboy Micky, thanks for the advice,

A bit more info and a few more questions ! !

 

She has never been shot over, she has shown some pointing instinct, she will pick up the scent track and when she locates her quarry, freeze ie point for maybe 2 or 3 seconds and then just pounce an flush the bird she doesnt chase them doh, she knows she hasnt a hope....

Her recall aint bad still workin on it.. Like i said in my last post i got her at nine months old, she had never been trained before, wouldnt do a thing not even sit, so she came on heeps and bounds in the last year and im proud of what i done with her so far.

 

 

I have never tried her on cage game, ive been wanting to but dont know how to go about getting a bird to do it.. Your prob gonna laugh but would a chicken or hen work the same ? as i can get my hands on one, my mate has loads of them...

 

Lads thanks for the advice, and micky thanks for the link im gonna make a table lookf simple enough..

[Mickey Finn 3,014]

Butcherboy Micky, thanks for the advice,

A bit more info and a few more questions ! !

 

She has never been shot over, she has shown some pointing instinct, she will pick up the scent track and when she locates her quarry, freeze ie point for maybe 2 or 3 seconds and then just pounce an flush the bird she doesnt chase them doh, she knows she hasnt a hope....

Her recall aint bad still workin on it.. Like i said in my last post i got her at nine months old, she had never been trained before, wouldnt do a thing not even sit, so she came on heeps and bounds in the last year and im proud of what i done with her so far.

 

 

I have never tried her on cage game, ive been wanting to but dont know how to go about getting a bird to do it.. Your prob gonna laugh but would a chicken or hen work the same ? as i can get my hands on one, my mate has loads of them...

 

Lads thanks for the advice, and micky thanks for the link im gonna make a table lookf simple enough..

 

Hi Jack. I don't know if Butcherboy agrees or not. But I would just buy some game birds. Chickens might work. But then you'll have a dog that wants to hunt chickens. Otherwise as long as your already working on her. Butcherboys advice and whoa training should get you along pretty well. I think it helps to keep teaching the dog knew things as time goes on. It'll keep you both sharper.

 

ATB

[liftboy1 0]

By the way, I would not do any hard training with a gsp until 9 months anyway. They are too hyper. I would recommend a dvd tom brechney hpr training available from paul french dvds. It shows you how to do the pointing with a racing pigeon, washing line to steady the dog and also to flush and make a bang with a starting pistol. Hope this helps!

[butcherboy 68]

I wouldn't use a chicken unless you plan on shooting them later.

 

I'd use a pigeon though a few use quail.

 

Both are easy to get and keep. They can both be trained to home so when you flush them later in the training you'll get your birds back

[stroller 341]

i used caged pigeons planted around a meadow and held the dog on a long leash i think it was a long training rein for horses. he caught on pretty quick