Pup's first point question

Wolfhillbilly

My shooting partner is training a young GSP (12 months) and has the basics done and is starting to take her out with the gun. She pointed a couple of pheasants last Saturday (I'm in the north in case you're wondering) and he let her be until the pheasant broke. A hen sat for about four minutes and the dog held point. Nothing wrong with that in itself but I offered the opinion that on the next point he should be getting the dog to flush as letting a dog stand too long can encourage stickiness. My point was that a sticky dog is harder cured than a dog that runs in. It's his dog and he'll train it his way of course but I was just wondering what others think.

EPointer=Birdss

I wouldn't be in any rush to get the dog to flush if she's only starting to point.
I would say leave her be as when he shoots a pheasant she should get a bit wilder. At least with a sticky dog you will get the shot more often than not. I am workin on a setter that runs in at the moment & it is frustrating as it gets believe me!:mad: Give her a few weeks of pointing. Drop a bird & see how she reacts...

irish setter

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

I wouldn't be in any rush to get the dog to flush if she's only starting to point.
I would say leave her be as when he shoots a pheasant she should get a bit wilder. At least with a sticky dog you will get the shot more often than not. I am workin on a setter that runs in at the moment & it is frustrating as it gets believe me!:mad: Give her a few weeks of pointing. Drop a bird & see how she reacts...

i agree. in any case i think stickyness is in the dog more than in the way a dog is trained, and you can see this in different breeds tend to be more sticky than others

Wolfhillbilly

My last GSP was an unbelievably sticky dog and I blamed myself for encouraging it when he was a pup by praising him and stroking him when he was a pup and pointing the planted pigeons. He had a great nose but was infuriating to hunt over at times - although as EPOinter syas the opposite isn't much fun either!

EPointer=Birdss

All about striking the balance I think! No dogs are the same.
Let her set for awhile & if she holds train & encourage a command to flush.
If she starts creeping bring her back to holding set!
Most dogs get cute in that they learn to wait for you with time.
Others will stay there for a week without moving.
I think these dogs are candidates for using a Springer to flush. But be warned dogs are competitive & if the setting dog sees a springer he could start flushing! Also springers get cute & if not good on heel will rush in when they see the dog setting!

irish setter

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

All about striking the balance I think! No dogs are the same.
Let her set for awhile & if she holds train & encourage a command to flush.
If she starts creeping bring her back to holding set!
Most dogs get cute in that they learn to wait for you with time.
Others will stay there for a week without moving.
I think these dogs are candidates for using a Springer to flush. But be warned dogs are competitive & if the setting dog sees a springer he could start flushing! Also springers get cute & if not good on heel will rush in when they see the dog setting!

i'm no expert on dog training but i know some of the best in the country and they say stickyness is one of the only faults thats not man made but one of the hardest to cure. running a springer past him on point might help and is prob the only thing you could try.