Hi,
I just got my new golden retriever puppy, and have brought her into the woods a couple of times to get her used to it (on a leash however). I recieved her as a gift, and think she was bred as a showdog, so her instincts might not be completly there, however I know she is still trainible as she is very smart, and learns quickly. My question is about her finding birds. She's flushed a rabbit twice, she sniffed out the bush, but when the rabbit flushed she just sat there sniffing the sticks, and showed no interest in pursuing it. Is this a bad sign? She has never found any birds, and I was wondering do dogs just naturally pick up on the scent? I'm worried that because she's most likely a show dog that I will have to do something special to get her keyed in on pheasants etc. Also of note, I am interested in starting her on live birds soon to see how she does, once i get her retrieving down perfectly. I read alot of people use pigeons, but wouldn't this get the dog accustomed to pigeons, and not upland game? Do they really smell similar enough to something like a grouse, or pheasant? Again, thanks for the help and feedback, it's greatly appreciated.
-Larry