Upland Birddog Q

[rimrock]

Here’s the question: How much of a problem is it to shoot birds your dog doesn’t point?

Let me give some more background. For flushing dogs I see no issue with shooting birds that flush on their own, their job isn’t really searching and holding birds out of gun range to begin with. But this relates to any of the pointing breeds. Of course you never shoot a mishandled bird where the dog presses too much, flushes them intentionally… I’m speaking about the birds that just come up on their own without being scented or bumped by the dog, do you shoot or no??? If you do will it affect your dog’s staunchness?

What ya think???

[1eyed]

It depends on the situation.

My dog is also trained to stop to flush, If I see a flushed bird and my dog stops, then it is shootable, if he does not stop and continues to run then he needs to be stopped.

The main reason I do this is I run the dog in hunt test and field trails and it is required.

I do think that over time if you shoot birds he does not point or does not stop to flush then you might end up with a dog that thinks its OK.

If he does not stop I would not shoot the bird.

[billc_sbio]

Rimrock,

What I "think" might not be what actually happens.

Every instance and every dog being different...

I'd say it depends on the dog to a certain degree.

Some of them just have pointing bred so strongly into them that it's not going to change much.

Others, those that had to be trained and conditioned more to whoaing on birds might lose their staunchness.

I guess from a 100% accademic standpoint you'd NEVER shoot birds that weren't pointed over a dog that was holding rock solid.

But then in the real world of hunting you might never GET any birds!

[clearwaterfun]

I have trained hunting dogs and not a trial dogs. Trial guys tend to be more strict. When a dog is young and still figuring out what its role is while hunting with you I only shoot the birds the dog points. Usually the first year depending on how much you hunt. Once the dog is holding its points and listenning to my commands I don't have a problem shooting an incidental flush. Once my dogs are hunting well I will hunt with groups or other guys that shoot anything thats legal and in range and it has never screwed any of my dogs up.

[clearwaterfun]

I would say that if you are going to just shoot birds your dog points you need buy some birds to shoot over your dog if you aren't in an area that you can get a couple solid point and shoot opportunities a day. If you only see 2 birds in a day and your dog doesn't get a solid point so you didn't shoot, then what have you taught your dog? He will only learn when he does it right and gets rewarded and that needs to happen consistently for the message to become permanent.