pointer pup eating birds

[ctn830]

I have a 4 month old pointer that loves to search and use it's nose. It's got a lot of potential. But a few times it found a very small dead bird on my lawn and ate it. How bad is this since it's purpose will be to point the birds not eat them,lol? And what do I do?

[birddog3412]

I certainly would not encourage it, but not a big deal with a young pup.

[ctn830]

Thank you. I guess I need to teach the pup to steady? Or point first? How do I do this?

[birddog3412]

Put a wing (or rag) on a string. Let him chase it, but not catch it.

[ctn830]

been doing it but it still hasn't caught on to stop rather than keep chasing it. i'll give him some time. thanks!!!!

[jodis girls]

Use a check cord and a pidgeon. When the dog scents the bird gently snap the cord not allowing the dog to advance and give a gentle whoa command. Keep this gental and calming not gruff. 4 months is a perfect age for this work. Do not let the dog chase or catch birds anymore or you will end up with a large problem.

[birddog3412]

Originally Posted by jodis girls

Use a check cord and a pidgeon. When the dog scents the bird gently snap the cord not allowing the dog to advance and give a gentle whoa command. Keep this gental and calming not gruff. 4 months is a perfect age for this work. Do not let the dog chase or catch birds anymore or you will end up with a large problem.

I know there are alot of different ways to train a dog, but I would never say whoa to a pup or dog around birds until they know what whoa means. At only 4 months old I would still not have a problem with him chasing birds, this is just increasing his prey drive. I would not let him catch birds. A pidgeon on a string will teach hime to point with his nose (scent) instead of sight pointing a wing.

[Mite]

I wouldn't worry about your pup eating birds. My first dog ate the heads off birds we shot once in awhile out of boredom while riding in the truck. It never effected her hunting but it did surprise a friend who wanted his prize bird mounted. He shouldn't placed the bird near my dog in the first place. Perhaps, that was her way of taking her share in the bounty?

[aharley1]

Use a quail wing on a fishing rod and work the dog, not letting him catch the wing. Not to worry, he will outsmart you occasionally, but keep working him. As far as hard mouthing goes, take a wooden dowl & drive finishing nails thru it so points are sticking out both sides, all around. Then wrap it in quail wings. Toss it & let him retrieve it. He'll learn to have a soft mouth quickly.

[elkmtngear]

I have trained a few pointers over the years, this has always worked for me:

Puppies love their food.....use a mini check collar, and when he runs for the food dish, stop him and stroke him, repeating the "whoah" command. Do this every time you feed him, this will teach the command, and when he gets a face full of scent, it will reinforce the instinct to freeze.

I wouldn't worry too much about him chewing a little when he's just a little pup. Pretty natural for pups to do that.

Best of Luck,
Jeff