Eleven-month-old Northwoods Snow Swept (CH Northwoods Sir Gordon x Northwoods Valencia, 2023) is ready for steadiness training because she stays on point until Jerry flushes.
Steadiness in a bird dog means the dog stays where it points until either a shot is fired, or, after the shot is fired and the dog is released by the handler. The former is called steady to wing and the latter is steady to shot.
Since either type of steadiness isn’t a natural behavior, dogs need to be trained to be steady. Done well, steadiness training is the epitome of bird dog polish. Done poorly, it can create problems around game ranging from over-cautiousness to blinking birds.
But before all that, you need to know when to start steadiness training.
Steadiness training, started too soon, gets in the dog’s head and distracts it from focusing on how to properly point birds. Started too late, the dog can develop habits that make training difficult. The best time to steady a dog is when it will point and stay on point until you flush the bird. However, there are nuances involved and it’s crucial to understand the dog’s genetics and experience.
The important genetic component is the pointing instinct. That instinct varies on a continuum from wanting to point everything to not wanting to point at all.
These dogs are cautious by nature and are prone to pointing where the birds were and not where they actually are.
Young dogs with lots of instinct will point the first bird scent they encounter and let the handler flush. But those points are motivated by instinct alone. The dogs have no idea what they’re doing, are unsure of what to do next and so they stay on point.
These dogs are cautious by nature and are prone to pointing where the birds were and not where they actually are. They need to learn to use their their intellect and experience to determine when to point. They have to develop boldness to jump in and see if the bird is really there. To encourage the dogs to figure that out, don’t flush in front of them. Instead, wait until they either move on or move in. You should only begin to flush in front of the dogs when you’re pretty sure the dogs have a bird pointed.
These dogs are usually bold towards birds and have no qualms about rushing in towards scent and flushing the bird.
For young dogs that have little pointing instinct, the development is different. These dogs are usually bold towards birds and have no qualms about rushing in towards scent and flushing the bird. They need to be exposed to birds until they learn they can’t catch them. They’ll use their intellect and experience to eventually slow down, stalk and point which then allows you to flush the bird.
Once either type of dog points only when birds are present and allows you to flush the birds, steadiness training can begin. However, there is an additional behavior to look for—reduced desire to chase the bird. After finding and pointing enough birds, most young dogs begin to show more interest in the scent of birds rather than the sight of them and so chase less.
The pointing instinct of most young dogs lies somewhere between these two extremes. Determine where your dog is before you begin steadiness training. For all dogs, it will take not only ample bird exposure but also time for them to mature. Most young dogs will be well into their second season before they’re ready for steadiness training.
Mama, an 18-month-old female setter, shows excellent style and composure due to training the Natural Way.
No old-fashioned equipment such as boards, barrels, posts or rope slings. Also, no yard training. Other key elements include no dominance, no talking and no pressure on the dog as indicated by licking, swallowing or looking away.
These are all parts of our Natural Way to teach steadiness.
In the field, I plant pigeons and use low-level, linear ecollar stimulation on the flank and as a motivator. For bird dogs, that motivation is birds.
Combining dog psychology, birds and ecollar stimulation, the dog is taught a behavior without knowing it’s being trained and, therefore, no pressure.
The Natural Way works for the toughest and softest dogs; there are no failures.
In July, I trained Mama the Natural Way. Mama is an 18-month-old female setter owned by Josh Matel of Minnesota. Mama is a sensitive young dog with lots of desire but when trained with our method, her composure and confidence on birds is outstanding.
*** The Natural Way is a term Betsy and I dreamed up to describe the method of training I developed over decades in the field. We introduced the concept in a March 2, 2023, blog post, “A Different Approach to Steady Your Dog.” On July 26, 2023, we followed with The Natural Way: Puppy Development. This post includes videos of marker training, first bird encounters and letting puppies learn on their own how to cross a creek.
That was the title of the half-hour talk given by Ronnie and Susanna Smith of Ronnie Smith Kennels at the recently held Pheasant Fest in downtown Minneapolis. Because Betsy and I have usually been somewhere in the South at this time of year, we’d never been to this exhibition sponsored by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. But feeling a touch of cabin fever and being intrigued by this talk, we decided to venture out and hear what they had to say.
What we heard was a short course on a way of training that was new for the Smith’s. The basic premise is to give the dog the freedom to decide how to act when it smells a bird.
After planting a pigeon in a launcher, lead the dog on a check cord, directing it to the area downwind of the bird. When the dog scents the bird, let it decide how to act instead of physically stopping it. If the dog points the bird, praise it. If the dog gets too close, launch the bird and stop the chase.
While this method is new to the Smith’s, it’s not new to me.
I’ve used it for the past 20 years and call it the Natural Way. I first became familiar with the basics when I went to Bill Gibbon’s place in Arizona to learn the West/Gibbons Method. Their method was vastly different from how most handlers trained.
Over time, I’ve tweaked and modified the technique and now find it to be, by far, the best way to train steadiness. The results are eye opening. The dog is bold around birds. It exudes confidence. And it points birds independently, without being micro-managed by its handler.
For Ronnie and Susanna, whose training method had been based on controlling the dog around birds, this is a fundamentally different approach. But, as Ronnie said, times and dogs change. Kudos to them for recognizing the need to modify their method.
A reward for our efforts was a stop at Brit’s Pub, which was a short walk from Pheasant Fest. The Fuller’s ESB on tap is Betsy’s favorite beer and was perfect with an order of fish and chips.
P.S. Please stay tuned for a future post featuring more details about my Natural Way of steadiness training.
Many years ago, a friend and I attended an all age field trial held near Mortlach, Sask. A highlight for me was riding the brace when Ferrel Miller handled his 2002 National Champion, a liver-and-white pointer male named Miller’s True Spirit.
Ferrel is well-known in the bird dog field trial world. He was highly successful as an amateur handler who also bred a string of mostly white pointers. He was honored by the sport when he was elected to the Field Trial Hall of Fame in 1993. But his penchant for bending ownership rules and falsifying pedigrees for dogs he bred cost him dearly. Ferrel was banned for life from competing in American Field trials and from registering any dogs in the Field Dog Stud Book.
Ferrel Miller and CH Miller’s Happy Jack (from dogsanddoubles.com)
The brace broke away in late morning on a course of sparse, slightly rolling, short-grass fields and cattle pastures, bordered by brushy tree lines.
Twenty minutes into the heat, as we all passed through a barbed wire pasture gate, True Spirit stopped. He was directly ahead about 30 yards, but on the opposite side of the fence. We rode parallel to the fence line and stopped to watch. The other handler and his judge continued across the pasture.
True Spirit stood amid that short grass—little cover for a bird—but Ferrel dismounted, crawled through the fence strands and did his best to flush. The birds weren’t there. Ferrel walked back to his dog and released him to relocate. True Spirit moved cautiously down the tree line 50 yards and stopped again.
This time Ferrel vigorously and thoroughly kicked the grass far in front of True Spirit in his attempt to flush the birds. But again, nothing flew. And again, Ferrel tapped his dog to release him.
By now, the gallery had ridden off to catch up to the other handler and judge, which left only Ferrel, his judge and me.
We watched True Spirit continue to work the tree line. About 60 yards ahead, almost to the last of the scrubby trees, True Spirit pointed. Ferrell hustled to flush and, this time, a nervous covey of Hungarian partridge lifted about 40 yards out.
Ferrel fired his gun, walked back to the still-composed True Spirit, patted him a couple times on the side and then led him through the barbed wire fence and released him.
As Ferrel mounted his horse, he turned to us, smiled knowingly and said, “Trust your dog.”
Trust your dog. That’s a great line. What does it mean?
Trust in a bird dog means the handler intimately knows the dog and is confident in its ability to do its job. When the dog smells game and points, the handler trusts there are birds. When the dog makes a far cast around some distant objective, the handler trusts the dog will check back or be found on point. When another dog is on point, the handler trusts his dog will back. And yes, when the dog is working running birds, the handler trusts it will get them pointed.
But trust in your dog doesn’t just happen. Trust is earned by the dog but created by the handler. Trust starts when the dog is a puppy.
The puppy needs to be developed properly, exposed to different situation and allowed to exercise judgement. Trust grows by letting the dog make mistakes without constant fear of reprisal. Trust matures by consistent expectations, more exposure and coaching. Trust does not develop with micro-management, reprimand and intimidation.
Northwoods Vixen (CH Westfall’s Black Ice x Northwoods Prancer, 2011) is backed expertly by Northwoods Gucci (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2015) while bobwhite quail hunting in northern Florida.
Even though there are countless heart-thumping sights an upland bird hunter encounters, there is something at once classic and captivating, mannerly and marvelous about seeing one dog backing another dog’s point.
Backing point, also called honoring or, simply, backing, is when one dog sees another dog on point, stops and points that dog. A back doesn’t involve scent; rather it’s strictly by sight. According to C.B. Whitford, author of the 1908 book Training the Bird Dog, “Backing is another form of expression for the pointing instinct.”
Like the ideal point, the ideal back isn’t either too far away from or too near to the dog that is pointing. The backing dog should be close enough so it can mark where the birds fly and find dead birds.
Backing point is genetic. Dogs that inherit a strong instinct might back perfectly the first time they see a dog on point while it might take several opportunities for dogs with less. Still others might have to be trained to back.
Backing point is important—and at times essential or crucial—when two or more dogs are hunted together. Not only does backing keep one dog from flushing birds pointed by another but it keeps the hunt safe and dogs out of shooting lanes.
Backing point is complex. Over the last 35 years, I’ve seen many unusual backing situations while hunting and guiding. There have also been interesting circumstances in field trials whether I’ve been competing or just watching a brace.
A heart-thumping site! During a training run on bobwhite quail, Jerry and his horse come upon three setters—one pointing and two backing.
Patch, one of my first setters, had lots of instinct to point, but when braced with Adrienne, my veteran Brittany, he waited for her to find the birds and then backed.
I’ve observed dogs refuse to back a bracemate after that bracemate had several unproductive points in a row. Sometimes bracemates become competitive and refuse to honor the other’s point.
Occasionally, a dog doesn’t see another dog on point, even though it seems obvious. While walking a brace during the Lake States Grouse Championship many years ago, I watched a setter, nose to the ground, run circles around a dog on point. The setter was so intent following his nose that he didn’t see the other dog. When he finally raised his head, he immediately backed, but by then it was too late and he was ordered up.
I’ve also seen a dog that doesn’t stop until alongside another dog on point. While not considered good behavior, it isn’t a major offence as long as the dog doesn’t flush the birds. But the situation can degenerate if a dog points in front of the other dog on point (stealing point) or flushes the birds (bumping). In a hunting situation, the hunting companion might become alienated and in a field trial, the offender will be picked up.
With e-collar in place, Northwoods Super Nova (Northwoods Rob Roy x Northwoods Minerva, 2019) backs the dog silhouette.
Training to back point is incorporated into my sessions at the same time I teach steadiness around birds. Ideally, the dog is ready after a season of hunting wild birds and when it holds point long for me to flush the birds. The dog is usually between 8 and 12 months of age.
The first step of steadiness training is teaching the dog to stop and stand still when it feels e-collar stimulation on its flank. Once the dog masters that association, I move to the next step which is to create an association between birds and a dog on point.
For this, I use a dog silhouette, a life-sized cutout of a dog on point that I made out of plywood and painted. I place the silhouette in the field with a pigeon in a remote bird launcher behind it. I lead the dog into the field and, if it doesn’t back as soon as it sees the silhouette, I flush the pigeon and stop the dog with e-collar stimulation on the flank. If the dog does back, I walk in and flush the bird, stopping the dog if it starts to chase. Once the bird is gone, I lay the silhouette on its side.
When teaching a young dog the essentials of backing point, Jerry uses his handmade dog silhouette which he cut out from plywood and painted.
At this stage, I don’t use any verbal commands. I want the dog to learn with minimal distraction.
When the dog backs, I physically reward it with light strokes against the grain along the top of its back. I also say, “Whoa,” in a soft but firm tone. After this praising, I walk in, flush the bird, tip the silhouette on its side and release the dog to move on.
I keep the sessions short and mix them up. I have the dog back once and point its own birds once or twice but I also have a session or two without requiring a back at all. The silhouette is moved to different locations, too. It’s important not to overdue this phase.
Once the dog backs reliably in the training field, it is ready for wilds birds with a bracemate.
Since dogs learn behavior in context, I don’t expect the dog to back the first time on wild birds. Initially, I use a reliable bracemate, one not prone to unproductive points. Once that dog points, I let the inexperienced dog decide what to do. If it doesn’t back, I let it go past the pointing dog until it causes the birds to flush and then stop it with flank e-collar stimulation, again without any verbal distraction.
When the dog backs, I physically praise it and say, “Whoa,” just as in the training field. Repetition, time and maturity will still be necessary before the dog becomes dependable.
But even with training, experience and maturity, backing point is never 100% reliable. There are just too many circumstances with endless possibilities.
The best bird dogs I’ve trained, owned or competed against occasionally made mistakes.
Flint (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis, 2015) is owned by Ben Kurtz of Colorado. They are the epitome of Wes Siler’s “good dog” and “good dog owner.”
Minnesota neighbor and good friend Jeff Hintz frequently emails links to various dog-related pieces he’s discovered on the Internet. Some are strictly about bird dogs; others concern canine medical issues such as a recent in-depth article about Lyme’s disease. He also sends comics which are good for anything from a smile to a guffaw.
Not too long ago, Jeff shared a post that Jerry and I thought worthy of passing on. “There’s No Such Thing as a Good Dog,” subtitled “Only a good dog owner,” was written by Wes Siler and first published on April 25, 2017, in Outside magazine. We think the message is excellent for both new puppy buyers and seasoned dog owners. https://getpocket.com/explore/item/there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-good-dog
As a young puppy, Ben exposed Flint to camping in the mountains.
On socialization: “A big reason Wiley is calm around other dogs, kids, loud motorcycles, gunfire, parties, and you name it is because I put a lot of effort into exposing him to those things during the critical first few weeks after he came home. And because I continue to allow him to explore those circumstances on his own terms.”
Ben exposed Flint to all sorts of situations, including loud airplanes, different people and new places.
In addition to the socialization his dog receives, Siler believes a good dog should be “well-trained” and “exhausted.” It’s also clear that he loves his dog with “unwavering devotion.” He notes: “Wiley is as important a part of my life as my job, family, or friends.”
Flint was brought along on fishing trips, too.
While Jerry and I agree with Siler on almost everything, there is one contentious issue. In a concluding paragraph, Siley writes: “What makes him a good dog in people’s minds isn’t the product of some genetic lottery—it’s not luck.”
After being around hundreds of dogs in all kinds of different situations, we know that genetics do matter. If nothing else, good breeding makes everything about owning a dog easier.
Photos above of Flint (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis, 2015), owned by Ben Kurtz of Colorado. Ben and Flint clearly epitomize Siler’s themes through exposure, training and exercise whether hunting, camping, fishing or traveling.
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.
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:
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.
