Inherited talent and ample exposure to opportunity are crucial elements to a pointing dog’s bird-finding skills. (Northwoods Nickel, CH Shadow Oak Bo x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2014)
“That dog’ll hunt!” exclaimed Bobby, dog trainer on a large Georgia quail plantation, while we were out working puppies last week.
Bobby was referring to the bird-finding ability of his young pointer—a dog that was focused exclusively on finding quail. Bobby has been training bird dogs for more than 20 years and knows what’s essential.
“They’ll all point,” he said, “but give me the one that finds the most.”
Bobby is right. You can’t teach a dog to find birds. You can teach it to heel, come and whoa but if it doesn’t have the inherited talent to search for and to find birds, all you have is a well-trained dog. Those instincts, however, will never be maximized without opportunity—and plenty of it. Even then, some dogs given equal opportunity will be better at finding birds. No one really knows what produces that proficiency. Is it above-average scenting capability, intelligence, ability to focus? Or a combination? Or something else?
The degree of difficulty to finding birds depends on the birds. Non-wild birds such as put-out quail or game farm pheasants are generally easy to find. They usually have little idea of where they are or where to go and so, unknowingly, they become exposed.
Working puppies in groups is a fun, productive way to provide bird-finding opportunities because the puppies learn from each other. (Three females out of CH Shadow Oak Bo x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2014)
Wild birds are the most difficult to find. They know every square foot of their own territory—from exactly where they are to exactly where they’re going. They move a lot during the day—to find food, loaf, dust and avoid predators—and most of that movement is done by walking. Their scent is left on the ground by their feet, droppings and feathers and on plants by brushing against them.
Finding wild birds is easiest when the bird is stationary and the dog hunts by that exact spot. Most of the time, though, the dog smells leftover scent. It learns to follow that little wisp of scent until it becomes progressively stronger, ultimately leading to the location of the bird.
Another experienced plantation dog trainer, Phillip, would agree. A man wanted to sell him a young dog, pointing out conformation, markings and other physical qualities and boasting about all the champions in its pedigree. Phillip wasn’t impressed. Instead, he looked the man straight in the eye and asked, “Yeah, but can it find a bird?”
Desire is another inherited trait that will lead to ample bird finding. (Northwoods Nickel, CH Shadow Oak Bo x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2014)
On the North Dakota prairie, Frank LaNasa flushes for brace mates True Confidence, on left, and Northwoods Grits on a divided find.
Any sportsman will tell you that two dogs find more birds than one dog. ~ Er M. Shelley, Bird Dog Training Today and Tomorrow, 1921
It seems that hunters and field trialers have commonly had two dogs on the ground at the same time for a long, long time. And for good reasons. Not only is the whole thing more productive but it truly is the epitome in working pointing dogs. Finding a bird dog on point while another backs is a beautiful sight.
Even though the noun “brace” has many meanings—from clamp and support beam, to things medical, mathematical, musical and nautical—for us, the key definition is “a pair of like things.” Hunting two or more bird dogs together is a brace.
Whether handled by the same or a different person, there are several considerations when bracing dogs. Chief among them is that not just any two dogs will make a good brace.
In the thick grouse woods, it’s memorable to come upon a fine piece of bird work by brace mates Northwoods Blue Ox on point, backed by Northwoods Carly Simon.
Good brace mates.
• The dogs should hunt independently yet be cognizant of what the other is doing so both can get in on any bird work.
• It’s perfect if one dog ranges wider and one is closer so more ground is covered more thoroughly.
• Easy handling dogs are best. At a minimum, one should be an experienced, almost automatic dog.
• The dogs must back their brace mates on point.
Bad brace mates.
• Competitive dogs are difficult in a brace. Some dogs are even more competitive to a specific dog.
• Two young males braced together can become quite a kerfuffle.
• Some dogs pay more attention to the other dog than to their task.
• When the same dogs are hunted together frequently, one might depend on the other to find birds and is content to back.
Another consideration.
Two dogs will not only cover more ground but they’ll usually do it at a faster pace than if run singly. They might tire more quickly—which then might require more dogs to hunt the same amount of time.
Finally…
How to know what dogs brace well together? Try them!
Jerry works one-year-old Northwoods Vixen on her pattern. She looks good in this shot–hunting forward at a good distance–but Jerry is constantly watching and will nick her if she strays too far past the 2 o’clock position.
During a hunt, a bird dog’s place is in front of me. I want to see what it’s doing. My ideal pattern is when a dog covers the ground in a crossing pattern at the right distance while hitting likely bird areas. It must also keep track of me.
Many handlers use the clock analogy. A dog should spend most of its time in a pocket between 9 – 10 o’clock position on the left and the 2 -3 o’clock position on the right.
Good dogs seem to have a compass that keeps them oriented to my whereabouts, i.e., they can hunt and pay attention to me. The worst don’t have that capability and spend much of their time behind me or, something that really drives me crazy—yo-yo in and out.
Right- or left-handed dogs.
When a bird dog completes a cast to either side, it should turn forward. Due to terrain or wind direction, a forward movement isn’t always possible or practical and the dog should be given some leeway. I’ve noticed that dogs seem to be either right- or left-handed in their pattern. They’ll naturally turn out on one side of me and in (and back) on the other side. The pattern becomes a large clockwise or counterclockwise loop.
Wind and patterning.
Wind direction plays a big role in patterning—and rightly so from the dog’s point of view. Most dogs pattern wider and more laterally in a headwind because they tend to not want to run directly into it. In a tail wind, most dogs will run farther forward and work back towards me.
How to develop a pattern.
When dogs are puppies, many owners focus on bird work but this is also best time to develop a hunting pattern. Good habits are formed young!
Betsy and I begin patterning with our puppies’ first walks in the field. (They always wear short check cords.) We move slowly so puppies can stay in front. Often we change directions and call/sing to get their attention. Occasionally, a subtle and gentle tug on the check cord becomes necessary if a puppy wants to go behind or on either side.
Other tips.
• Don’t go back to get a puppy. It needs to learn a tough lesson—to pay attention to the handler and find the handler when it gets out of touch.
• Begin calling/singing when the puppy gets at the 10 and 2 o’clock positions. Don’t wait until the puppy is too lateral.
• Keep the walks/pattern work short when puppies are young. Consider their short attention spans.
When the puppy matures and becomes ecollar conditioned, pattern work can be continued (if necessary) with nicks and/or continuous stimulation.
In the end…
The goal is to find birds, not run the perfect pattern. In general, though, they’re not mutually exclusive. Over time, a dog that runs a good pattern will cover the ground more effectively, be easier to handle and, in the end, find more birds.
A decades-old electronic training collar left behind by a previous dog trainer. I found it in the office of our Georgia kennel.
That is a frightening-looking unit that seems more suitable for a Frankenstein movie than for dog training.
But that’s exactly what it is—a TX electronic training collar made by Sensitronix in 1969. I found it in the kennel office of our Georgia training grounds.
The first electronic training collars, often called shock collars, were developed in the 1950s. They were big, bulky and unreliable and could deliver only one, hot level of shock. Their primary use was to break bad habits such as chasing off-game but they were also used as a last resort to bring in a run-off. The high voltage could just as easily ruin a dog as fix a problem.
The electronic training collars of today are as different from older models as are the earliest mobile phones from current, sleek Apple and android devices. Commonly called “ecollars” now, they are extremely reliable and much smaller in size. Most provide two types of stimulation—continuous and momentary—and some offer vibration or tone options. Most importantly, the level of stimulation is highly adjustable and can be modified to the dog’s sensitivity and training situation. The lowest levels are imperceptible to most dogs.
Unfortunately, a stigma remains about the use of ecollars. Some people still believe they are cruel and prefer to train the “old-fashioned way.” Well, that quaint way incorporated some brutal treatment: jerking a dog around on a very long check cord, dragging a dog behind a horse to bring it back where it knocked birds, using a flushing whip, throwing objects and/or peppering the dog with rat shot or 9-shot from a shotgun.
Used properly, today’s ecollars are, by far, the safest, most humane and most effective training tool available. They provide the ability to correct a dog the second it makes a mistake with the lowest level of stimulation necessary and the impersonal capability to correct a dog when working at a distance. Too, at a higher level, a dog learns it has control of the ecollar through its behavior.
As with any tool, though, an ecollar is only as good as the person wielding it. The dog must understand what is expected and must be properly introduced to ecollar stimulation. And the person still must learn the basics of dog training before using an ecollar.
Ears flying, Northwoods Vixen (CH Westfall’s Black Ice x Northwoods Prancer, 2011) shows plenty of speed. Photo by Chris Mathan.
A dog that covers a great deal more country sure speeds the process of finding these (ruffed grouse) birds, whatever the density. ~ Gordon Gullion
Basically, I agree with Gullion. But I would add that a dog’s range isn’t nearly as important as its speed. To cover more ground in a given period of time, a dog needs to be fast.
And there’s one more piece. Speed just carries the dog to likely areas. It’s the nose that finds birds. A dog must have a nose capable of scenting birds before they’re passed or flushed.
In other words: I think a bird dog should run at 10 mph but have a 15-mph nose.
As the 10-mph dog with the 15-mph nose detects game, it shifts gears from a fast, searching speed to a slower, intense pace. Its body becomes rigid as it checks and follows scent. Its pointing posture is usually well balanced and composed and often one foot is raised in the classic style.
Another type of dog hunts at 15 mph but has 10-mph nose. I call this a “whack” pointer. The dog never seems to slow down and make game; instead it slams into point from a full-speed run. Often, it ends up in a twisted or crouched posture. Unfortunately, and just as likely, this dog will miss the bird or bump it.
How fast should a bird dog hunt? My answer: fast enough. The dog should hunt fast enough to cover as much ground as possible but not so fast as to outrun its nose.
Jerry softly commands, “Whoa,” to Northwoods Chardonnay while stroking her.
Every now and then, I meet pointing dog owners who don’t use WHOA as the command for their dogs to stop and stand still. They prefer HOLD, STAY or HUP instead. They further explain that they use NO to tell their dogs to stop an unwanted behavior and since WHOA sounds similar, they don’t want to confuse their dogs.
The theory is good and the explanation reasonable. The last thing pointing dog owners want to do is impart a negative association with birds. Even George Bird Evans, author, grouse hunter and breeder of the “Old Hemlock” line of setters, used HOLD for the same reason.
But I have another idea. Since the vast majority of owners use WHOA, choose another word—other than NO—to stop unwanted behavior.
Betsy and I like QUIT. A little wordier is STOP IT. Cesar Millan uses TSSSST.
Photo above by Chris Mathan, The Sportsman’s Cabinet.
A bird dog can never be too good at bird finding. In general, better bird finders have greater desire and focus to find a bird. That said, however, listed below are some random thoughts on bird finding.
→ Some dogs find more birds than others due to a combination of good genes and plenty of opportunities. I have known many hunters who have owned few bird dogs but each became an outstanding bird finder. These owners maximize—and maybe even over-achieve—the genetic potential of their dogs.
→ There are both “bird pointers” and “bird finders.” The former look like they’re hunting but usually point only those birds they come upon while “bird finders” are totally focused on looking for birds and purposely go where they think the bird will be. When birds are plentiful in early season, in the peak of a grouse cycle or with boom bobwhite quail , it can be hard to distinguish the two. But when those birds thin out in late season or in low population years, it will be obvious which dog is the “bird finder.”
→ Some bird dogs just have a knack. They always seem to know what direction the handler is headed, continually show up in front and hunt the right areas, all at the same time, without, seemingly, undue effort.
→ While desire to find birds and wider range frequently go hand-in-hand, it’s not always so. Some dogs have a tremendous desire to hunt for birds—just at a closer range.
→ Dogs that are hunting and want to find birds adapt their range to the terrain. In open or sparse terrain, these dogs run fast to a good spot, slow down to hunt the cover and then speed up to hunt the next likely looking area. In dense terrain, they’ll naturally hunt closer.
→ There are dogs that, when turned loose to hunt, just go to birds. Dogs like this seem to know where birds are even if they’ve never been on that ground before. Whether it’s exceptional scenting ability, intelligence, experience or a combination of them all, I’m not sure of the reason. Maybe there’s even some aura birds put out that good dogs sense. Or maybe the dogs have associated the smell of certain vegetation preferred by specific birds with the scent of the birds themselves. This talent isn’t necessarily associated with experience because I’ve had dogs with only one or two hunting seasons exhibit this ability. One certainty is that these dogs can be harder to handle because their desire to find birds is stronger than their desire to keep track of handlers….which also, though, doesn’t mean they are self hunters. Rather these dogs check in with handlers less frequently than might be comfortable.
→ Dogs remember areas where they’ve found birds. One time might do it. I think this ability is deeply rooted in their genes and is associated with the finding of food, the most basic survival instinct. When starting puppies we put pigeons out in the field for them to find. At the following session, the pups commonly go to the exact place from the time before. This happens with adult dogs, too, when hunting the same coverts multiple times.
→ All birds run to escape predators. It takes time for dogs to correctly follow birds. Inexperienced dogs usually follow the trail into the wind…which might be the bird’s back trail instead of the direction it was headed.
→ Hunting into the wind is always best as dogs get the most efficient use of their scenting ability. Hunting into the wind is also more important in open country with low vegetation. There are many obstacles in the woods to deter the wind.
During a training session, young Tana pointed the pigeon but then moved in and caused it to flush. This is a knock. (Photo by Brad Gudenkauf.)
Proper work around game by a pointing dog involves accurate location of the bird before it points. Sometimes, though, things go awry. There are two possible explanations: a bump or a knock.
When a dog accidentally causes a bird to flush, that’s a bump. It usually happens when the dog is in motion and, as long as the dog stops at the flush, no violation has taken place. In my opinion, the occasional bump is similar to the occasional unproductive—not preferable but also not a serious problem.
On the other hand, when a dog is fully aware of the location of the bird and intentionally causes the bird to flush, that’s a knock. This is a not acceptable and the dog should be corrected.
How does a handler tell a bump from a knock?
If the dog is on point, jumps in and causes the bird to flush, that is definitely a knock.
A knock is when a dog speeds up towards the source of bird scent and puts the bird in the air.
Even if a dog slowly creeps in on the bird and puts the bird in the air, it’s still a knock.
If birds are put in the air more frequently than they’re pointed, those are probably knocks.
Knowledge also comes from experience. A handler who knows his/her dog, understands subtle body language and remembers previous bird encounters should soon be able to discern the difference.
Northwoods Parmigiano shows lofty style and precise bird location on point along a fence row.
The ability to find game is directly related to the scenting powers of the dog. It’s the most important natural quality. You can train a dog to come when called, point, back and retrieve but you can’t teach a dog to have a better nose.
There are a lot of dogs with a good nose and occasionally one with what may be called a “superb” nose. Of course, such a dog is a rarity. ~Er M. Shelley, 1921
Shelley was a bird dog trainer in the early 20th century. He also spent five years in Africa hunting lions and leopards with hounds and game dogs and knew about scenting ability. The hounds were hunted in packs of 20 to 30 and comparisons were simple. It was easy to determine which dogs had the best noses.
Often though, it’s difficult to differentiate between a good nose and a great one unless dogs are hunted in pairs. Too, one outing doesn’t prove anything. But if, over a period of time, certain dogs just find more birds than their bracemates, it’s logical to conclude that they have better noses.
The dog that points his birds with exact location, always going to them at a fast pace with his head up into the wind and getting as close as possible to the birds without flushing them, indicates that he has the better nose. ~ Earl C. Crangle, 2000
Some think a dog that points from the farthest distance has the best nose. I agree with Crangle. It’s just the opposite. The dog with the best nose points its birds as close as possible without flushing them. This dog smells the birds from afar but discerns the distance and then pinpoints their locations.
To be most useful, the scenting ability should work with the rate of speed at which the dog hunts. The faster the dog hunts, the better its scenting should be. In other words, I’d always prefer a 5 mph dog with a 10 mph nose. This also explains why, as some young dogs mature, they begin to find more birds. They finally hunt at a pace that allows their noses to work out ahead of them.
Another common belief is that certain weather conditions affect a dog’s scenting ability. Actually, bird movement, or lack thereof, is the culprit. Studies of radio-marked bobwhite quail show that high winds, high temperatures, low humidity, rain and the proverbial east wind cause quail to be less active.
Hard-core dog people and serious bird hunters know which end of the dog points the birds. They will always choose to live with other, perhaps minor faults in their dog if it has exceptional scenting ability.
The purpose of a pointing dog is to hunt, find birds and point them until the shooter arrives. Unlike flushing dogs, they are supposed to hunt outside of shotgun range and find birds the hunter would not have found otherwise
…And range, although it is partly governed by training, is basically in the blood. Anything you do to alter it requires continued effort. ~ George Bird Evans, Troubles With Bird Dogs
The distance a dog hunts, or makes casts, from its handler is referred to as its range. Range is a genetic quality that can be selectively bred just as square heads, long legs and desire for birds. Consequently, a dog is born with a tendency to hunt at a certain range. If two wide-ranging dogs are bred, odds are the offspring will also be wide ranging. The same can be said for close- and medium-ranging dogs. This inherited range can be modified through training, but trying to make drastic changes can have a negative impact on a dog’s hunting ability.
Range is somewhat difficult to describe because dogs don’t consistently hunt at a specific distance from the handler. While a dog hunts, it is either going away or checking in with the handler. A dog that will willingly make contact, either visually or by sound, at frequent intervals during the hunt is said to be handling. This checking, to a large extent, determines the dog’s range.
In open country, the dog might see the handler from several hundred yards away but in tight cover that distance might be less than 20 yards. Making contact confirms the whereabouts of the dog and that it is hunting in the right direction. Our grouse dogs may make casts of 100 – 200 yards through the woods—depending on the density of the cover—but at the end of each cast, they hunt their way forward and make eye contact as they cross in front. As an alternative, they might stop and listen for our whereabouts before continuing to hunt.
Good hunting dogs are divided into three classes: wide, medium and close ranging. It is not practical to try to make a close-ranging dog out of either of the two other classes. You positively cannot make a wide ranging dog out of a close-in hunting dog. The wide and medium range dogs should be trained so that they will hunt close in under restraint. After the restraint is lifted, they will revert to their natural range. ~ Er Shelley, Bird Dog Training Today and Tomorrow, 1921
A common thought is that a wide-ranging dog finds more birds because it covers more territory. Actually, though, two dogs hunting at the same speed can only hunt the same amount of ground. The difference lies in what ground was hunted. This is where coverage of ground comes into play.
A wide-ranging dog may cover more linear distance, but it doesn’t cover that ground as thoroughly as a closer-ranging dog. Depending on the nature of the terrain being hunted, this could make a difference in which type of dog finds the most birds.
At Northwoods Bird Dogs, we favor a well-conformed, athletic dog with a strong desire to find birds; and one that has the ability to adapt its range using intelligence as opposed to one with circumscribed range because it is physically inferior or lacks desire. Our type of dog will naturally adjust its range and speed depending on the terrain being hunted and the pace of the handler. This dog will hunt wider in prairie, desert or field edges, but shorten up its range in thick or wooded areas. Along with increasing their range, they will also increase their speed when hunted in open areas.
Some dogs have the ability to adapt their range to different types of country and handle themselves properly no matter what type of terrain they are asked to work. But this quality is unusual and valuable, indeed, when a dog possesses it in a marked degree. ~ Henry P. Davis, Training Your Own Bird Dog, 1948
For a dog to have such an adjustable range, it must not only be intelligent but must have a strong desire to work with and please its handler. The latter quality falls under the broad category of “trainability” and is one of the most important traits in a dog. A trainable dog will allow its range, and other habits, to be more easily modified and without the side effects of one that is less trainable.
Top photo of Northwoods Vixen taken by Chris Mathan, The Sportsman’s Cabinet.
