We have been using carded pigeons for years, especially when introducing young dogs to birds. While visiting a pro trainer this past week I learned why homing pigeons are crucial for bird dog training. They fly away and can’t be caught. If you are lucky enough to have wild birds nearby, then you can get the chase out of your young puppy the natural way. The late Bob Wehle would take his young english pointers for hundreds of walks in the quail woods. The puppies would quickly learn that they cannot catch those birds. Then they start to stand and hold point more staunchly.

For us folks that don’t have wild quail in the backyard, we make do with good ol’ homers. With a small pigeon loft and a good flock of homing pigeons you can teach the same thing effectively. The best part is they fly home and get back in the loft to do it all again the next day. With strong flying birds your dogs can chase till their blue in the face. Eventually, the dogs learn two things. First, they are never going to catch the bird so why try. Second, and most importantly if they check back in with you there always seems to be more birds. These two lessons are the foundation for building a reliable hunting buddy.

Your pigeon loft doesn’t need to be fancy. An old shed or barn can be converted easily to hold 20-30 birds. Pigeons can last for years if you keep them healthy and meet their basic needs. Many racing pigeon lofts will gladly sell you birds that have not been flown yet. Then you can imprint them to your loft and get them homing in no time. For pigeon loft plans check in with the pigeon loft experts. Below is a simple shed conversion my pro trainer Ben Garcia uses at Hideaway Kennels in Colorado.

I had the opportunity last week to visit with Ben Garcia of Hideaway Kennels. He has an amazing bird dog training operation in Colorado. I was dropping a female brittany puppy Sis off to continue field trialing with Ben. Also, I was able to watch and meet a few potential stud dogs that he has at his kennels. It was nice to meet these stud dogs in person and get a feel for their temperament and personalities. You get a lot better feel for a dog when you can watch him run on birds and point.

I was able to spend a couple of days with Ben and watch him work. He is a very accomplished bird dog trainer and field trial handler. We will be having him out again this fall to teach a bird dog training seminar in Utah. He is one of those rare trainers that has a natural feel for dogs and what they are thinking. His training methods and systems provide the dogs with the best opportunity for success. I really enjoy training bird dogs, but watching a pro is very humbling. It was fun to learn some tips and tricks to help me with my own bird dog training.

Had a fun time this week training my English Setter Jess. She is doing really well and stands her birds nicely. She has a great nose and runs a nice gun dog pattern. She opens up at times to the edge of All Age. We are to the point where we need to switch to bobwhites and no more pigeons. She is ready to go to the next level.

In the video you will see that she marks the bird, goes to and picks it up. Then she proceeds to take her bird and run off with it. Some would think this is a big problem. I think it will be pretty easy to get her turned back to bring the bird in. The main thing is she likes to carry the bird. A little encouragement and a few retrieving drills will get her coming in. One thing at a time.

In regards to pointing dogs, I asked my training buddy the other day. “Would you rather have a dog that points and doesn’t retrieve well, or a good retriever that does not point well?” He answered wisely that if the breeding is sound, both pointing and retrieving will come quite naturally. But if he had to choose, he would take the pointer that doesn’t retrieve well. The thinking that you can always force fetch or teach the trained retrieve.

Brings up a great point in selecting a bird dog. When you see the dog that performs all the tasks with precision. You don’t really know if it is natural or if there was a lot of time and training put into the dog. As a breeder I want the dog that has all the tools genetically present. The more natural the easier the training will be.

Jared Moss and I have been training bird dogs together for nearly 2 years now. One of the things that brought us together was the Dave Walker training methods we learned at one of Dave Walker’s training seminars. We were both in awe when we saw the way Dave silently communicated with the dogs at the seminar. Perhaps after training thousands of bird dogs we will finally possess that uncanny ability of reading a dog’s thoughts. Dave Walker has that ability and by so doing he can bring dog’s a long way in a short time. One of the keys is reading the bird dog’s body language in a training situation. As we learned quickly in bird dog training, timing is everything.

One of the things that Jared is getting very good at is the “Stand Up, Stand Still” part of Dave Walker’s training method. Dave believes that before a bird dog can become great, he must first learn to stand up (meaning head high and tail high) and stand still (Whoa). We have been working with Sis on this part of training. She is a firecracker and is full of energy. She trembles when you make her stand still, but once she settles down she is able to learn and focus much better. Dave teaches “Stand Up, Stand Still” while walking the dog around the yard (away from birds). It is more a lesson of focus and attention than a matter of obedience. Once they do this consistently, he transitions to bird work.

I have had the opportunity to attend several of Dave Walker’s bird dog training seminars and also stud his book “The Bird Dog Training Manual”. I have learned so much by just watching him work with other people and their bird dogs. He has a natural talent for both and can communicate a lot of information in very few words. We are pleased to host a Dave Walker Training Seminar in Utah on May 11 and 12, 2012. You and your bird dog are invited to attend with us and learn from a hall of fame, professional bird dog trainer. The cost is $250 for two full days of training, including meals and lesson materials. 90% of the time will be spent working dogs on live birds. This is something you do not want to miss. You can signup here.

Often I get to watch other pointing breeds and learn from other trainers. Jared Moss is working with this young english setter male “Jimmy”. I was able to watch Jared work with this dog this week at our weekly training day. I must admit that English Setters are starting to grow on me. Jimmy looked great on point and had plenty of style. He had a great temperament and was pleasant to be around. I was equally impressed by his nose and the distance at which he would point.

There are many fine pointing breeds out there today. But, if you research the pointing breeds back to the beginning it comes to two main breeds (English Setters and English Pointers). These two pointing breeds date all the way back to around 1650. Originally they were used to set the birds so they could be netted. Today these two breeds are alive and well and are quite popular in the USA. Some consider them to  be the very best of the pointing breeds. If you get the chance to watch them work you may tend to agree.

Sometimes I get a little hunting done with my own dogs. Wild birds are few and far between but we do have a good Chukar population in Utah. The terrain that they prefer is steep and rocky and you better have some good hiking boots. One of the things I like about Chukar hunting terrain is that it really can’t be done from a truck or ATV. This helps to keep the sport fairly pure as the “limit hunters” feel its too much work for a full bag of chukars. If you run into any fellow chukar hunters in Utah they usually have some nice pointing dogs along side.

Chukar hunting is also nice to stretch your dogs range a bit. The objectives are not so obvious as a ditch bank or fence row as when pheasant hunting for example. The terrain all looks the same in chukar territory. Rocks and rock slides, lots of sage brush and some assorted grasses. The lack of objectives forces your dog to use their nose more than their brain at times. It is really a joy to watch supposed close-working dogs stretch out and run big to cover the terrain. Lizzy is pictured above checking in.

The daunting thing about chukar hunting is that you often find the covey at the top of a steep hillside or outcrop. Typically you only get one or two shots when they flush and fly fast to the very bottom of the hill you just painstakingly climbed. You are left with no other choice but to follow and hike back to the bottom for another chance to shoot. This process seems to be repeated over and over. Up and down, up and down until your feet are blistered and/or you finally give up until the next time. That is Utah chukar hunting.

Often I meet or read about a fellow breeder that is just flat doing it right. My friend Allen Davis in Wyoming is one of those guys. His bird dogs get to see more wild birds in a single season than most will see in a lifetime. The secret, he takes his bird dogs hunting every chance he gets. The results? He has some amazing bird dogs with intelligence and wild-bird prowess to spare. He hunts his dogs annually on several species across several western states. And when hunting season ends, he competes in a few field trials to see how his dogs stack up. Yep, his bird dogs (Setters and Brittanys) have won their share of ribbons too. Take a look at his dogs at Table Mountain Kennels website. He has some nice hunting photos on his website and sometimes has puppies for sale.

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We have been working with this young brittany puppy. He is about seven months old and is starting to hold his points better. Once you get a dog pointing you can introduce the gunfire. We use a blank pistol to simulate gunfire, you can work up to a 12 gauge shotgun as your dog progresses. You can see in the video above that we like to make sure the dog is intent on chasing the bird. Wait until he is a good distance away from the gun and intent on chasing the bird. Then you can fire once or twice. Watch carefully to see if your dog flinches or turns to the noise. You can see Turbo does not even blink. We use a carded pigeon so the bird flies and then eventually drops, simulating a dead bird. You want to have the gunfire before the bird hits so it will be a natural transition when you shoot a real bird for your dog.

After Turbo gets to the downed bird you can see he picks it up and naturally wants to bring it back to us. If you are quick you can head him off and gather him in for some praise. A long lead helps with this so you can grab it if he tries to shy away with his bird. Most young dogs will want to run away so you don’t take their bird. Try not to let this happen. Be sure to pet them and praise them good before you take the bird with your chosen command “Give”or “Release”. If you take the bird right away, they will not enjoy the retrieving as much. I know some trainers that don’t give praise until the bird is released to hand. I don’t get hung up on this with young dogs. They brought the bird back, praise them up big. Simple.

Like automobiles and trucks people seem to almost naturally drift to one make or another. Some are drawn by looks, some by fit and finish while others want power and reliability. Even though I drive a Ford, I am a self proclaimed Chevy/GMC man. But, this is not a post about cars and trucks. This is an exploration of a few of the pointing breeds that I have had personal experience with. Often this is the first choice folks are faced with when entering the wonderful world of bird dogs.

German Shorthaired Pointers seem to be the state bird dog in my home state of Utah. Open the classified ads in the local paper and you will find several litters of pups to choose from anytime of year. In Utah, shorthairs are everywhere and for good reason – they are nice dogs. The GSP was my first bird dog and is a fine example of the versatile hunting dog. They point hard, have good noses and are a very durable dog for hunting quail and chukar in this desert climate. They can be very energetic and are one of the larger pointing breeds. I no longer have a shorthair in my kennel.

The American Brittany was the next dog to become a part of my hunting life. I grew up with a brittany and was anxious to have one again especially since I have a family of my own now. I think the brittany really excels in a family environment and is a great fit for small children. Some don’t care for the thicker coat of fur, but I don’t mind the extra grooming and brushing burs out. Several times when hunting quail my brittany went into thick brambles that my shorthair wouldn’t even try. The thick coat and smaller size can have their advantages. The result, we shot more birds that day. I think their noses are every bit as good and their temperment a cut above.

English Pointers are one of the original bird dogs when the kings had kennels full of fine hunting dogs. I think they are one of the most beautiful bird dogs and I consider them the Aston Martin of bird dogs. I had to try one and see how they were as pets and companions. The female we had was an easy keeper, no barking and really gentle with my kids. Found her to be an excellent bird dog and an intelligent hunting partner. For nice style and brag dog instincts you just can’t beat the english pointer. I sold her to a friend so I could try another breed.

That brings me to the English Setter. In the photo above is the sire “FC/AFC Riley’s Runnin Hideaway MH” to our english setter female Jess. We bought Jess from Ben Garcia at Hideaway Kennels. She has been a surprise at every turn. A few trainers had told me they found setters to be late bloomers and slow learners. Not Jess. She is sharp as a tack and is blowing me away with her big running nature. She points with style and has the people skills of a brittany. So far I am really liking my english setter. But, I remain a brittany guy.

There are several other pointing breeds that are worth a second look. I have a hunting partner that swears by his German Wirehaired Pointers, the ugly dogs. There is another buddy of mine that has a trained yellow lab that hunts upland game like none other. I’ve seen Vizslas, Weimers, Griffons, Frenchies and Braques of all kinds. There is a pointing dog for every personality and hunting style out there. What breed is your breed?

Had a fun training day with our young male brittany “Turbo”. He had plenty of prey drive but I was having a hard time getting him to point the birds. We had plenty of wide open space so I got a strong flying pigeon and carded it. The idea was the bird could flush and fly but not more than 70-100 yards. I planted the bird and then walked Turbo into the scent cone. As I expected he went right in to try to grab the bird.

This was a wary pigeon and a strong flyer and he wanted nothing to do with Turbo and flushed fast and far. Well, Turbo gave chase but did not see where the bird landed due to the heavy cover and brush. After a few minutes he scented the bird and went right in again to grab it. The bird flushed and flew. Turbo gave chase. This happened 5 times in succession. At this point I was having a hard time keeping up. The above picture is how I found him. He finally got the idea that he had to point the bird. The light came on.