The best nose

Northwoods Rolls Royce (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2013), owned by Bob Senkler. Photo by Chris Mathan.

A common belief about judging the strength of a bird dog’s nose is how far the birds flush in front of a point. The farther away the dog points the bird supposedly indicates better scenting ability and, conversely, pointing closer indicates a weaker nose.

I think the dog with the best nose does just the opposite.

First of all, the time-tested indicator of a dog’s nose is how many birds it finds. Period. It doesn’t matter, in this evaluation, whether the dog points far or close or simply flushes the birds.

Secondly, a dog can smell birds from far distances but not point them until well located. Many times I have watched a dog throw up its head, stiffen its tail and march 75 yards—or more—before stopping.

A good nose finds a lot of birds but the best nose finds a lot of birds and points them accurately. Further, the most accurate point is as close to the bird as possible without causing it to flush. Distance from dog to bird varies from inches to many yards depending on the species, age of the bird, habitat and time of the year. Often it’s a combination of several.

A dog must have the right genetics and development to accurately point its birds. From genetics, the dog should have boldness towards game with a keen interest to engage the bird. It should not be afraid to jump in on the birds and try to catch them. Also, the dog needs the right amount of the pointing instinct—too much point and the dog stops on the first scent it smells while not enough point and the dog won’t stop at all.

Next, development is crucial. The young dog should be allowed to find, bump and chase birds to learn how close is too close.

A dog with the best nose pays big dividends during the hunting season. Why? The shooting opportunities are better with an accurate point. Walking past the dog’s nose and having birds flush where you expect them is a tremendous advantage in killing birds.

For other posts on nose and bird finding, please visit:

https://northwoodsbirddogs.com/bird-dog-speed-and-scent-ability/

https://northwoodsbirddogs.com/bird-finding-a-few-thoughts/

https://northwoodsbirddogs.com/scenting-ability-a-few-thoughts-2/

https://northwoodsbirddogs.com/pointing-wild-birds-accuracy-of-location/