Meet Tess

[Highlander]

AverageGuy

I would say I am teaching the fundamental that moving towards the scent scares the bird away, pointing does not.

I keep learning new things, which is very interesting to me.
I come from hunting school/tradition where a bird dog's creeping towards the bird is a desired trait. In fact it is a gradable trait and often evaluated on test/trails.

[Hink]

Who is the breeder of Tess, what breading?

[AverageGuy]

Canyon Creek is the Breeder who raised the litter. His bitch came from Claddaugh and the Sire is from WiresWest and also owned by Claddaugh.

[orhunter]

I thought Tess was a WiresWest pup from Meg herself???

[AverageGuy]

Her Sire is a Wireswest dog from one of Megs litters and Meg pointed me at this litter. Meg raised a litter from a littermate bitch to Tess’s Sire and a littermate Sire to Tess’s Dam. She is very high on that litter so she pointed me at this one. Pup seems to have very nice genetic tools and I enjoy her a lot.

[AverageGuy]

19 weeks old now. Working a pigeon today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_68PmA4cfyY

Earlier this week. Forecast for next week is into the 80s. She will get that stroke down very soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBNkW8A7ZuI

[jlw034]

AG,

Great videos! Love the puppy paddle...you wonder what all that splashing looks like to the little dog haha.

I really want to share your video on our NAVHDA FB page on how a CC can be used to great effectiveness. Dog worked into an intense point, bird flushed, dog was restrained, and the CC allowed the dog to be redirected to the thrown bird, effectively making the training scenario even more productive. I'm not going to share it as it would just stir the pot.

I am NOT critiquing here, just wondering what your thoughts are on the flagging? Worried? Working on it? Let it be?

[AverageGuy]

AG,

Great videos! Love the puppy paddle...you wonder what all that splashing looks like to the little dog haha.

I really want to share your video on our NAVHDA FB page on how a CC can be used to great effectiveness. Dog worked into an intense point, bird flushed, dog was restrained, and the CC allowed the dog to be redirected to the thrown bird, effectively making the training scenario even more productive. I'm not going to share it as it would just stir the pot.

I am NOT critiquing here, just wondering what your thoughts are on the flagging? Worried? Working on it? Let it be?

Yes this pup enjoys the chase so much that I am making more use of a check cord than I did with some prior dogs.

Flagging - I don't like it. She settled in, stopped flagging and got staunch so that is good. I think that flag moving in the wind off to the side might be the source of the flagging there as I have seen her hit points hard and not flag at all.

I am going to ditch that waving orange flag set off to the side of the launcher and figure out a different way to keep track of the location. The launcher has a beeper as well as the clump of grass I was using to hide it was obvious. Going commando the next session and see what happens.

If she still flags any (with no waving orange flag in the area), I will launch the bird immediately and try teach more caution to not move at all once she hits the scent cone.

I am guilty of wanting to see the puppy point to some degree but was also trying gauge how much of it is her learning when she has enough scent. My number 1 theory is it will go away when I take the waving flag beside the launcher away, but I need to try it and see.

[orhunter]

JLW.... Go ahead, stir the pot. Look at it as a form of recreation.

[jlw034]

AG,

Great videos! Love the puppy paddle...you wonder what all that splashing looks like to the little dog haha.

I really want to share your video on our NAVHDA FB page on how a CC can be used to great effectiveness. Dog worked into an intense point, bird flushed, dog was restrained, and the CC allowed the dog to be redirected to the thrown bird, effectively making the training scenario even more productive. I'm not going to share it as it would just stir the pot.

I am NOT critiquing here, just wondering what your thoughts are on the flagging? Worried? Working on it? Let it be?

Yes this pup enjoys the chase so much that I am making more use of a check cord than I did with some prior dogs.

Flagging - I don't like it. She settled in, stopped flagging and got staunch so that is good. I think that flag moving in the wind off to the side might be the source of the flagging there as I have seen her hit points hard and not flag at all.

I am going to ditch that waving orange flag set off to the side of the launcher and figure out a different way to keep track of the location. The launcher has a beeper as well as the clump of grass I was using to hide it was obvious. Going commando the next session and see what happens.

If she still flags any (with no waving orange flag in the area), I will launch the bird immediately and try teach more caution to not move at all once she hits the scent cone.

I am guilty of wanting to see the puppy point to some degree but was also trying gauge how much of it is her learning when she has enough scent. My number 1 theory is it will go away when I take the waving flag beside the launcher away, but I need to try it and see.

All good thoughts. It was almost a reverse flagging...I see most dogs start intense then flag as the handler gets close. If removing the flag doesn't fix it, I have a hunch free planted birds will... eventually.

I use clothesline clips painted blaze orange. Can't see em from a mile away, but they get the job done.

[jlw034]

JLW.... Go ahead, stir the pot. Look at it as a form of recreation.

Bahahahah ok now I think I fully understand you!

[orhunter]

JLW... You are catching on. Some things I say just to get folks to think about things from another angle. Sometimes a conflict arises between traditional methods and logic and an adjustment in perspective is in order. It may not change the results, just the method. Think through the dog, not for the dog.

I never worried about flagging. Going from pen raised/pigeons to wild birds always worked for me.

[ryanr]

AG, I've observed in my two that if they flag it usually means they don't have the scent solidly and are unsure (swirling wind, etc. Otherwise they're locked up tight. Qhen in see flagging I'm cautious for a bird to flush from anywhere at anytime.

[Coveyrise64]

I use clothesline clips painted blaze orange. Can't see em from a mile away, but they get the job done.

I've used the painted clothes pins but still had trouble locating planted birds. I try to set birds near structure but when in an open area I settled on these. Hotwire stakes I painted with camo paint. Really nice when the grass get tall or running the dog off lead. I never place any type of marker next to my planted birds, normally several feet away so I know I'm in the general area and watch for the dog to acknowledge scent.

Scroll down to see the entire picture.....

pointing stake3.jpg (105.68 KiB) Viewed 1998 times

cr

[AverageGuy]

AG, I've observed in my two that if they flag it usually means they don't have the scent solidly and are unsure (swirling wind, etc. Otherwise they're locked up tight. Qhen in see flagging I'm cautious for a bird to flush from anywhere at anytime.

I think that is what was going on there. She is only 19 weeks old. I think she was trying to figure out if she had enough scent and when she decided she did, got very staunch and remained that way til the bird flew. She is a pretty good distance off that bird and very staunch while I walked a complete circle around her. The check cord is completely slack with the wife applying no pressure but being ready to use it to not allow a full chase when I popped the bird. This pup will chase a bird to the horizon and I have watched it enough to think that she is the type that using this approach might be for the best.

Terry,

Your stake setup will be great in taller cover but is too obvious in this shorter cover field until it grows up considerably. I am going to go with nothing the next time and see how that goes.