Northwoods Rob Roy (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis, 2012)
Our good friend and client Chris Bye recently completed a whirlwind, monumental effort for the future of bird dogs. He made a very quick, round trip, solo drive from his home in Wisconsin to Georgia for the express purpose to breed his Northwoods Rob Roy to our Northwoods Minerva.
But while in this Red Hills region of venerable quail plantations, Chris and I took some time to train dogs from horseback on Pinehaven Plantation in north Florida. Chris captured this classic covey rise in slow motion during a workout with pointer Northwoods Audi and setter Northwoods Hercules.
Northwoods Sir Gordon (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2016)
The month of August and into early September has always signified that it’s time to start training on wild birds. The foundation has been laid and reinforced during summer sessions and the dogs have been conditioned so they’re all in great shape.
It’s with pleasure that I get up early, load eight dogs into the trailer and arrive at the sharp-tailed grouse training grounds by sunrise.
In addition to taking photographs, I’ve captured some of the training runs on video. I always run the dogs in braces—usually pairing an older dog with a derby. For young dogs, I often run in groups of three or more.
The first video features our own Northwoods Carly Simon (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2011) and her 19-month-old son Northwoods Sir Gordon (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2016), owned by Ben McKean.
Northwoods Aphrodite (RU-CH Erin’s Three Leaf Shamrock x Southern Grace, 2016)
The next two videos star Northwoods Rolls Royce (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2013), owned by Bob Senkler, and 20-month-old Northwoods Aphrodite (RU-CH Erin’s Three Leaf Shamrock x Southern Grace, 2017), owned by Betsy and me.
In response to a bit of stress from the camera, the puppy on the left yawns and squints its eyes.
Dogs can’t talk yet they constantly communicate using their body. From nature’s perspective, it can be vital. Dogs convey their moods and intentions to others in their pack to avoid conflict but also for communication and cooperation.
Turid Rugaas is a Norwegian dog trainer who called these body expressions “calming signals.” In her fascinating book, On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals, she identified more than 30 calming signals.
Many of these signals are used singly or in a combination and with both people and other dogs. While dogs understand and interpret their meaning, the signals can be misunderstood by people.
Here are some of the more frequent signals Betsy and I see.
Shake off
Dogs shake for various reasons but a shake off is done shortly after the dog has felt stress. For instance, two dogs meet and stand stiff legged, sniffing each other. Once they figure out their relationship, they turn away and shake.
It also happens when puppies are playing and it gets too rough. One puppy yelps and moves away, followed by a shake off.
We also see it during training sessions. Dogs shake off after being released from a command or after the lesson is over. It can be stressful for dogs to learn a new command but once they’re confident in the behavior, they will no longer need to do a shake off.
Yawning
This signal is easily seen when picking up tiny puppies from the whelping nest. Betsy and I had thought we simply woke them up but now we know better!
Ground sniffing and sitting
When dogs are being WHOA trained, they often feel stress and exhibit these two common signals that are extremely undesirable. Knowing the reason for that stress, we now to respond in a more suitable and helpful manner. We shorten the length of time we ask the dogs to stand and then release them before these signals are expressed. (Timing is everything!) Gradually, as the dogs gain confidence, we ask them to stand for longer and longer periods of time.
Laying down with belly against the ground
While submissive dogs often lie with belly up, dogs that lay down on their bellies are exhibiting a calming signal.
Paying attention to what your dog is communicating via body language will lead to a better relationship and will help both in the day–to-day routine and when training and hunting.
Blue Shaquille (Houston x Blue Silk, 2004) was the best grouse dog I’ve owned. He had size, strength, power, gait, grit, composure, instinct, nose, tenacity, temperament and brains. Photo by Chris Mathan.
I’ve been fortunate to own many outstanding dogs. For most, I witnessed their first breath; with all, their last. I gave each a piece of me. But Shaq was different. When he died, it was a huge chunk.
Blue Shaquille was out of a 2004 frozen semen litter by Houston, Paul Hauge’s favorite setter, and our Blue Silk. He was the leftover pup in the litter. Betsy and I passed on him. So did Paul. In the end, without a buyer, he stayed. Luckily.
AS A YOUNG DOG
How many times does this happen? Shaq was the leftover puppy from his litter. Everyone else passed on him so Betsy and I kept him.
It didn’t take me long to see something special. His first scent point at 10 weeks of age was spectacular—exhibiting loftiness and composure that he would display on every point of his life. He knew how to use his nose and his instincts around game were incredible. But, like his sire’s line, he was slow to mature in application. Even during his first summer on the North Dakota prairie, Shaq didn’t light it up. Visitors to our camp questioned my enthusiasm for him and I could only reply, “I just like him.”
We never entered Shaq in 2005 fall trials because of that immaturity in drive and range. But after a winter training on the rolling plains of west Texas, he blossomed. Working bobwhite quail, Shaq grew from a close-working hunting dog to a hard-driving, far-ranging, focused, extraordinary bird finder. By the 2006 spring grouse trial season, Shaq was ready and won both derby and shooting dog stakes.
AS A MATURE DOG
For me, there has been no more chiseled, blocky, handsome head than Shaq’s.
Shaq was all boy—55 lbs. of strong, powerful bird dog. He had a square, chiseled head and dark, gentle eyes. He carried his sire’s traits: majestic and lofty on point and in motion, long, effortless gait, natural backing instincts and staunchness from the get-go. From Silk, he inherited stamina, focus, tenacity and a sweet disposition. He broke out easily and rarely made a mistake around game.
Above all, Shaq’s nose and brain set him apart. He could read grouse cover like few dogs I’ve witnessed and his search was relentless. When Shaq was hunting grouse, he had to be handled. He was going where the birds were and you better turn him or follow him. I learned that it was usually better to follow.
Shaq’s disposition was a 10. He was calm, confident, charismatic, poised and most of all, gentle. Shaq ruled without contact. Visitors to the kennel, invariably, ended up at his run. He leaned his body and head against the kennel wire so he could be petted and scratched. When loose, Shaq sat as close as possible, his eyes catching anyone that looked his way. He was impossible to resist.
AS A WINNER
Shaq stands tall and composed when I found him on point, deep in the grouse woods.
In the fall of his first shooting dog season, Betsy and I entered him in the 2006 Grand National Grouse Championship held in Marienville, Penn. He was just two years old but he put on a tremendous ground performance with a great grouse find, noteworthy enough for reporter John Yates to write in the American Field:
“Shaq, as he is called, has an exceptionally smooth and ground-eating stride. His powerful casts were far reaching and forward throughout and more often than not he was at the very edge of his bell… He was found standing beautifully at 31 facing a log pile at the edge of an older cut. Kolter flushed a grouse about 30 feet in front of his dog and shot and three more grouse lifted from about 10 feet in front of him. The young dog showed perfect composure in the face of the temptation.”
Harold Ray, hall of fame trainer and breeder of the well-known Smith Setters, was one of the judges. Yates wrote: “Ray said he would love to have several of the grouse dogs he saw in his horseback shooting dog string,” and that Shaq “would have great potential in any stake.”
In his short field trial career, Shaq won horseback trials on sharp-tailed grouse, liberated quail stakes and grouse trials. Unfortunately, his opportunities were few as Betsy and I transitioned our business away from competition toward training, breeding and guiding.
AS A GUIDE DOG
Shaq was famous on guided hunts at Bowen Lodge in northern Minnesota where serious grouse hunters from all over the country gather every fall.
By late fall of 2006, Shaq was already unbelievable on ruffed grouse. Among the grouse hunters at Bowen Lodge on Lake Winnibigoshish, his reputation was growing. I remember one hunt when, in addition to two gunners, two others came along just to watch.
A young boy pets Shaq after a grouse hunt in northern Minnesota.
Shaq would point any woodcock he came across but he was always searching for grouse, wherever they might be. Sometimes the finds were close but, more often, you better be ready to walk. Often, my GPS indicated point at 300 yards. I’d turn in his direction and casually say to the hunters, “Let’s go this way for a bit.” When we arrived within 100 yards, I’d say, “Shaq just went on point!”
AS A PRODUCER
Shaq was a producer, especially when bred to Houston’s Belle’s Choice, and Northwoods Chardonnay (2009) was their exceptional daughter. Not only did she inherit the talent and prepotency of her parents but she just might be the most beautiful setter Betsy and I have owned. Photo by Chris Mathan.
Betsy and I bred Shaq seven times and produced many exceptional dogs. The best nick was with Houston’s Belle’s Choice, a daughter of 2X CH/2X RU-CH Houston’s Belle, who was owned by Paul Hauge. It was a breeding we repeated three times, with unusually high litter quality. Notable males in those litters included Northwoods Jeter, Northwoods Rolls Royce, Northwoods Lager, Northwoods Creek, Northwoods Aerosmith and Prairie Lakes Royal Flush.
No sons have been bred but his daughters clearly carry on his traits. Northwoods Chardonnay was the most celebrated and produced winners and champions, no matter the sire.
• RU-CH Northwoods Nirvana (CH Houston’s Blackjack, 2011)
• Northwoods Manhattan (Northwoods Blue Ox, 2012)
• CH Northwoods Charles (CH Ridge Creek Cody, 2013)
• FC/AFC Ridge Creek Piper (CH Ridge Creek Cody, 2013)
• NSTRA CH Ludy’s Northwoods Jack Pot (CH Shadow Oak Bo, 2014)
• MN/WI Derby of the Year Northwoods Gucci (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock, 2015)
• RU-CH Erin’s Three Leaf Shamrock (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock, 2016)
A litter sister to Chardonnay, Northwoods Chablis, was famous in her own right through her five breedings to Northwoods Blue Ox. Among many talented dogs produced, Northwoods Grits, is now a producer.
Northwoods Carly Simon, younger sister of Chardonnay and Chablis, is still producing tremendous dogs, including Northwoods Sir Gordon, Northwoods Minerva, Northwoods Carbon, Northwoods Bizmuth and Northwoods Louis Vuitton.
Shaq’s litter with Houston’s Belle produced FC/AFC Cold Creek Pearl, who in turn produced a generation of winners for owner Ian MacTavish.
When bred to Steve Snyder’s RU-CH Magic’s Climb Kaytoo, Northwoods Blackeyed Susan was produced. Susan is owned by Charles DeCasteja and trained by Tony Bly. Tony calls her a “special dog” and “a bird-finding machine.”
A final testament to his prepotency and significance is in our setter breeding program. Every setter sold today and in our kennel today has Shaq in their pedigree.
IN RETIREMENT
In 2011, Blue Silk is backed by her sons Northwoods Blue Ox (by CH Peace Dale Duke, 2007) and Blue Shaquille (by Houston, 2004).
After nine years of guided grouse hunts, Betsy and I retired Shaq in 2014. Even though it was a tough year for grouse, he pointed plenty. The following two winters he was the star of our Georgia liberated quail hunts –a walk in the park compared to grouse hunts. In late summers, he also tutored young pups in finding woodcock and backing in the cutover aspen behind the kennel.
But mostly, Shaq was my bud. During the day, he had run of the kennel and slept on a bed in the office. He pursued pets as fervently as he had ruffed grouse. He followed me everywhere and trotted happily wherever my chores took me. He always looked for an opportunity to get some attention, especially when I sat down to put on my boots.
So, how do you say goodbye to such a dog?
For me, it’s every day. It’s every day when a blocky head doesn’t appear in the kennel door window as I approach and when there’s quiet instead of tail thumping. It’s every day in the empty spot on the floor next to my chair and and in the silence when there should be comforting, deep snores.
Rest in peace, Shaq…aka Bud, Thumper, Scruffy, Scootcher, Tacker. You moved the bar to new heights.
Betsy and I are fortunate to train our dogs on a premier 6,000-acre plantation in north Florida. It is managed exclusively for wild bobwhite quail which provides exceptional training opportunities.
I have been taking videos of training sessions. Here are three.
Northwoods Nirvana (CH Houston’s Blackjack x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2011) has made the transition to plantation quail dog and does a great job. Here he is with Ridge Creek Pepper, owned by Larry Brutger.
One-year-old Northwoods Aphrodite (RU-CH Erin’s Three Leaf Shamrock x Southern Grace, 2017) is a young female we are excited about. Here she displays her natural staunchness and exceptional pointing posture.
Northwoods Sir Gordon (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2016), owned by Ben McKean, is an outstanding one-year-old male that makes finding and pointing wild quail look easy.
CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock (CH Ridge Creek Cody x Erin’s Skydancer)
Puppies and young dogs bred by Northwoods Bird Dogs are sold to various types of owners scattered across the country. The vast majority are serious upland bird hunters who spend many days and weeks in the woods and fields. Some owners are professional guides who need to put on a top-notch show for their clients. Still other owners have the field trial bug and compete their dogs at different venues.
No matter the buyer, Betsy and I are dedicated to breeding outstanding dogs that have the physical and mental ability to do whatever the owner chooses.
Though we don’t compete in field trials any longer, we are extremely proud to have dogs with Northwoods blood campaigned. Congratulations to these owners for their time, effort and expense to showcase their dogs in public competition.
Merimac’s Westerly Gail (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2009)
Merimac’s Westerly Gail (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2009) placed first for owner/handler Don McKean in the Grand Valley Field Trial walking stake held at Ionia, Mich. Not only is Don a retired Michigan veterinarian, grouse hunter and avid bird dog connoisseur but he’s also the father of our good friend and client, Ben McKean.
CH Northwoods Charles (CH Ridge Creek Cody x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2013) is posed by handler Travis Gelhaus for owner Bill Owen in green hat.
CH Northwoods Charles (CH Ridge Creek Cody x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2013) continues his winning ways for owner Bill Owen of California. Charles was named RU-CH at the Pacific Northwest Open Shooting Dog Championship in Condon, Ore. This placement, along with other wins, qualified him to run in the National Shooting Dog Championship (the foremost field trial for shooting dogs) held this spring on the Sedgefield plantation near Midway, Ala.
Sean Derrig of Illinois is a successful trainer and handler on the horseback all age field trial circuit with many championships. He primarily breeds and competes with his pointers but currently has two setters in his string. The eldest is CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock (photo at top), a male sired by CH Ridge Creek Cody, a dog we co-bred with Paul Hauge, out of Erin’s Skydancer.
Shamrock racked up impressive wins last fall. He won the United States Open Championship held in Alabama and was named RU-CH in the International Pheasant Championship held in Ohio. These wins re-qualified him for the 2018 National Championship (he also qualified and ran in 2017) on the Ames Plantation in Grand Junction, Tenn. This is the foremost all age field trial in the country and requires entrants to compete in three-hour braces.
Sean Derrig, on left, poses his derby winner Erin’s Three Leaf Shamrock (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Chardonnay).
Sean also campaigns Shamrock’s son by Northwoods Chardonnay, Erin’s Three Leaf Shamrock. Three Leaf placed first in the Arlin Nolen Open Derby Classic, held in Booneville, Ark., a one-hour stake judged by all age standards.
CH Ludy’s Northwoods Jack Pot (CH Shadow Oak Bo x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2014)
Chuck Ludolph of Minnesota competes his setters in National Shoot to Retrieve (NSTRA) trials. CH Ludy’s Northwoods Jack Pot (CH Shadow Oak Bo x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2014) placed sixth in a field of 192 dogs at the 2017 NSTRA Dog of the Year trial. In addition, Jack Pot recently earned his first NSTRA champion title.
For the past 11 years, there’s been an orange and white setter in our kennel full of tricolors. But not anymore.
Last week, Betsy and I made the painful but merciful decision for our beloved Northwoods Blue Ox, whom we affectionately called Oscar. What began as a seemingly innocuous skin condition quickly spread and became ferocious and incurable. Even the region’s best specialists in canine pathology and dermatology couldn’t help.
In every sense of the word, Betsy and I are bereft.
Oscar was whelped in the middle of the winter by Blue Silk, the spitting image of her famous dam, 4X CH/4X RU-CH Blue Streak. On the top side was another champion, Peace Dale Duke.
Northwoods Blue Ox (CH Peace Dale Duke x Blue Silk, 2007) Photo by Chris Mathan
Oscar was handsome with an evenly masked, blocky head. As a young dog, his coloration was deep orange that slowly faded. He was powerfully built and always ran with a happy tail.
Even though Oscar was known mainly for his prowess in the woods, we loved him for his temperament and personality. He did everything with gusto but had an extremely calm center and a head full of sense. Oscar was sweet natured and had an incredible desire to please.
As a young dog
Oscar was a precocious pup. He hunted hard and pointed many grouse his first fall. One memorable grouse he pointed—and I flushed—five different times. I finally connected on the last try and he naturally retrieved the bird.
Oscar’s first grouse trial was the West Branch Puppy Stake held near State College, PA. In a field of about 40 starters, he won third. He also placed in several derbies. In one Oklahoma derby stake, he convincingly won with five stone-cold-broke finds in the 30 minutes.
With his verve, speed, flash and bird-finding, Oscar would have been an outstanding field trial dog but the timing was off. Betsy and I didn’t compete at the championship level anymore as our business turned to training and breeding.
While grouse hunting in November, I braced Oscar with his son Northwoods Rob Roy (by Northwoods Chablis, 2012) owned by Chris Bye. We didn’t know at the time how bittersweet that hunt would be. It was Oscar’s last.
As a bird dog
Oscar always hunted hard and fast but adapted to the cover. He was accurate and intense on point and was a strong bird finder with an exceptional nose. It didn’t matter the state or terrain, Oscar found and pointed, sharp-tailed grouse, pheasants, Mearns quail and bobwhite quail, in addition to ruffed grouse and woodcock.
Oscar probably ranged farther than most grouse hunters would like but you couldn’t lose him. If he didn’t check in after a cast, I better start looking because he was on point. And when he was on point, he had the grouse pinned. With no training or expectations from me, Oscar naturally, and softly, retrieved birds to hand — no matter where they fell.
Oscar was a Houdini. He climbed out of exercise pens, our kennel perimeter fence and the kennels at Bowen Lodge… where he also liked to sit on top his dog house. Others in our guiding string are, from left, Vixen, Chardonnay and Shaquille.
As a guide dog
I started guiding grouse hunts over Oscar when he was two and for the next eight seasons he was one of our best and most reliable. Day after day, year after year, hot or cold, wet or dry, he could be counted on to produce grouse for clients at Bowen Lodge. Oscar was strong and durable, too. Most of the grouse hunts were all morning or all afternoon affairs—which he easily managed.
My guiding clients and I have some great memories of Oscar’s finds and some spectacular retrieves from impenetrable thickets.
A real nick for Betsy and me was pairing Oscar and Northwoods Chablis—a breeding we repeated four times. In the summer of 2011, we had six puppies with us for our foundation program: Tia, Grits, Biscuit, Beasley, Tesla and Ice.
As a sire
As good as Oscar was at bird finding, he was even better as a producer. And it didn’t matter which dam—grouse champion Houston’s Belle, her daughter Choice or Chardonnay. But it was a fortuitous match to Northwoods Chablis that was so successful that Betsy and I repeated it four times.
Some of his offspring had opportunities in field trials. Northwoods Highclass Kate (Barry Frieler) was named MN/WI Derby of the Year. Northwoods Axel (Ryan Flair) and Northwoods Rob Roy (Chris Bye) placed in several grouse derby stakes. Northwoods Parmigiano (Paul Hauge) and Northwoods Grits (Bob Senkler) competed and placed in both walking and horseback trials. Beasley (Mike Donovan) and Tesla (Tim and Monica Cunningham) won puppy stakes for their owners who had never even been to a field trial.
Other dogs, including Northwoods Camembert and Northwoods Brie, have been used by professional guides Bill Heig and Scott Berry, respectively. But most of his pups are owned by serious hunters—Knickerbocker (Bart Salisbury), Biscuit (Ryan Gould), Sweet Tea (Ken Balfanz) and Tana (Brad Gudenkauf) to name a few. Merimac’s Blu Monday (Ben McKean) was a stellar south Georgia quail dog.
What Oscar really cared about
While Oscar excelled at whatever he did, he never really cared about all that. What Oscar cared about was Betsy and me—especially when we called his name and he spent Sundays in the house with us. He looked right at us with those warm brown eyes and it was clear what he was telling us: “Pet me. Just keep petting me.”
At the time he died last week, we heard an evocative song on the radio.
You’re in the arms of the angel. ~ Sarah McLachlan
One of my best grouse dogs ever is Blue Shaquille (Houston x Blue Silk, 2004). He has a superb combination of instinct, nose, focus and tenacity which results in pinned grouse and very few unproductives.
It was a championship field trial run on sharp-tailed grouse. Both brace mates stood on point, independently, but in the same area. The handlers flushed extensively, relocated their dogs and flushed more. Neither handler could produce a bird so they released their dogs and continued down the course. As the gallery of riders passed through the exact area the dogs had just pointed, a single sharptail flushed.
I wasn’t competing that day but I was one of the judges. And one of those dogs was a multiple champion on wild birds, CH Centerpiece, owned and handled by seasoned Frank LaNasa.
What is an unproductive point?
When a dog points and no bird is flushed or seen to flush from the area, it is referred to as an unproductive point. Other terms such as unproductive, nonproductive and false point refer to the same situation.
Unproductive points will always occur—even to highly trained, experienced dogs like CH Centerpiece. Hopefully the following information will help with any frustration.
Why do unproductives occur?
Wild birds want to survive. They learn various avoidance techniques, especially when repeatedly pressured. Basically, wild birds are trying everything to outwit the dog.
These evasion tactics are confirmed by a five-year project undertaken by professors H. Lee Stribling and D. Clay Sisson of Auburn University in Alabama. The team used 254 radio-tagged, wild bobwhite quail coveys to determine how they behaved when encountered by dog and hunters.
Their findings on the causes of unproductive points are amazing.
• 58% caused by coveys running away from pointing dogs
• 31% attributed to wild flushes
• 11% sat tight and refused to flush
In addition, unproductives occurred in only 12% of the dogs’ encounters.
Unproductive points vary with the bird. Woodcock let the dog get close before pointing which results in fewer unproductives. Other species, such as ruffed grouse, require the dog to point from farther away, providing the dog with less scent and more opportunities to error. Other factors including age of the birds, cover type and weather conditions can effect on the number of unproductive points.
CH JTH Izzie (Westfall’s Black Ice x Northwoods Prancer, 2011) has successfully pointed hundreds of grouse and woodcock.
Good development is key.
What a dog gains by experience is not what you teach him, but what he teaches himself. ~ Dog Breaking, Major-General W. N. Hutchinson, 1865
While there is no way to avoid unproductive points, there are development and training methods that encourage a dog to point only when it is sure of the bird’s location. Young dogs should have plentiful opportunity to find, follow, point—and flush—birds. In other words, let the young dog learn on its own.
Experience is the best teacher and, in general, the more birds a dog contacts the better it will be. During these encounters, a dog learns invaluable lessons.
• How close to get before the bird flushes.
• How to differentiate where the bird is as opposed to where it has been.
• How to follow running birds.
• What foot and body scent smell like.
Northwoods Chardonnay (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2009) inherited the best from both her parents and was an outstanding grouse dog.
Tips to help with too many unproductives.
If your dog is having excessive unproductive points, here are common reasons and tips to resolve them.
→ Over-cautiousness due to training problems.
Constant talking to the dog while it is working game is distracting and bothersome. Also severe corrections can be a problem. The dog doesn’t want to suffer the consequences of a mistake.
Tip: Be quiet when the dog is working game. Let the dog figure out how to handle birds without interference. Correct the dog only AFTER it flushes the bird and only enough to stop the chase. It might take more time for the dog to learn in this manner but you’ll have a better dog in the end.
→ Over-cautiousness due to genetics.
The dog lacks boldness toward birds because of its genes. Some dogs have too much point and a sub-par nose. Others have soft dispositions which can make them afraid of birds.
Tip: Move the dog (with your command or toot on a whistle) toward the bird. In other words, point it or bump it. Don’t make it a big deal if the dog bumps a few. Give the dog time to learn. This type of dog rarely develops a serious bumping problem. If the dog is young, let it mature a bit before more bird work.
→ Pointing off game.
Dogs can point off game like song birds, rodents, rabbits, deer or turkey. If the off game is flushed in front of the dog’s point, it’s not, technically, an unproductive. If nothing is produced, it can be hard to discern what the dog was pointing. You might see a deer bed or rabbit droppings but those could be coincidences, too.
Tip: If you know the dog is pointing off game, use correction. A verbal correction might be enough or you might need to escalate.
→ Foot scent or old scent.
Some dogs point foot scent or old scent. Under good conditions, dogs can smell ground scent that might be hours or even days old. If a dog is tired, it might put its head down more to where that scent is.
Tip: Move the dog (with your command or toot on a whistle) toward the bird. In other words, point it or bump it. For a tired dog, give it a rest.
→ Bad scenting conditions.
It might just be the scenting conditions that day. Remember the old saying about “wind from the east.”
Tip: Nothing you can do about this one. Be patient.
→ The dog doesn’t want to quit hunting.
I have seen dogs go on point for no reason other than it knows the hunt is ending. Sometimes I think it sees the truck.
Tip: It’s usually an act! Call the dog in and hope it’s not the proverbial truck bird!
Blue Shaquille and Northwoods Chardonnay photos by Chris Mathan, The Sportman’s Cabinet. JTH Izzie photo by Jeff Hintz.
Not much beats a day in the woods when a pretty pointer sticks her grouse and the hunter doesn’t miss.
The ruffed grouse is the wariest of the species hunted by bird dogs, the wisest and hardest to handle. ~ Henry P. Davis, Training Your Own Bird Dog, 1948
The perfect ruffed grouse shooting opportunity occurs when a pointing dog engages the bird so it doesn’t move. Bumping grouse happens when a dog gets too close and the bird flushes. Of all the training problems clients ask me about, this is one of the most common.
A major reason dogs bump grouse is simply the difficulty of the quarry. An occasional bump is part of grouse hunting; but if your dog bumps more than it points, something else might be going on.
Listed below are common causes and tips for improvement and correction.
→ Cover and weather conditions.
In the early part of the season especially, the cover can be thick and conditions can be warm and dry. Both make scenting extremely difficult for less-experienced dogs and challenging even for veteran grouse dogs.
Tip: The hunter can’t do anything about this one. Wait until conditions improve.
→ Lack of experience.
It’s rare that a dog will naturally point grouse with just a few contacts. Most bird dogs need repeated exposure over several seasons.
Tip: This is easy. Hunt more.
→ Lack of training.
The dog doesn’t know it’s supposed to stop and point.
Tip: The dog needs to be trained to stop on WHOA.
→ Seeing grouse on the ground.
Occasionally, a dog will see a grouse on the ground and sometimes the temptation is just too much.
Tip: Reinforce WHOA and steadiness training with a visible bird on the ground.
→ Over-exposure to planted birds.
A dog can get very close to a planted bird before it stops to point. Grouse are just the opposite and will flush if a dog gets too close.
Tip: Stay away from the game farm for awhile and provide more exposure to grouse.
→ Genetics.
The dog lacks the ability to find and point grouse due to a bad nose, poor pointing instincts or other inherited trait.
Tip: Thoroughly check out the breeders and breeding of your next puppy. Make sure the sire and dam—and previous generations—are proven grouse dogs.
→ Stuff happens.
Even an experienced grouse dog with a bold, confident attitude will sometimes bump a grouse.
Tip: Exercise patience and move on.
Puppy Jeter (Blue Riptide x Northwoods Chablis, 2017) had a nose-ful of scent before the quail flushed. But he won’t get that close to many wild birds!
Working young dogs on wild birds takes lots of time and effort. And since, in the end, the goal is to bring out their best and develop them into the best possible grouse dogs, then that commitment is worth it.
Why do wild birds take time and effort?
1. You have to know where to find wild birds.
2. You have to get up early or be there late in the day for the best chances.
3. You still might not find any birds.
4. If you do find birds, it might not be the right opportunity for the dog.
5. You can only work so many dogs in a day due, usually, to weather. It can be too wet, too dry, too hot, too stormy.
Whew! Many days I wish the same training could be accomplished on liberated birds in a 40-acre field. It would be easy but it just can’t be done.
For the past several weeks, I’ve been working several young dogs, varying in age from eight to 18 months, on wild sharp-tailed grouse. They find birds but haven’t pointed any. Yet when I train those same dogs on pen-reared chukars or quail, they find and point almost every bird.
What’s going on?
Her head held high, Northwoods Chardonnay (Blue Shaquille x Houston’ Belle’s Choice, 2009) is perfectly poised to capture just a wisp of sharptail scent on the North Dakota prairie.
While there are several differences between wild and put-out birds, I think the primary distinction is the amount of scent they emit. Put-out birds just smell more. While those birds work well to get young dogs started, eventually, the dogs need to focus on tiny wisps of odor that lead to a bird.
My analogy is that some dogs seem to be searching for a bucket of scent and others are looking for a thimble-ful. As far as I know, the only way for young dogs to learn about finding a thimble-ful is to work them on birds that provide just that small amount—wild birds!
