I can tell I will be the red-headed stepchild in this thread. All dogs have a genetic tendency to point, from a bichon to a deerhound. One can watch a coyote pause just before it pounces. Most failures in the field trail dogs when training spaniels fail because the flush isn't hard enough, they PAUSE. Teaching a dog to "stand" game is what one does with pointers. We teach them they can't catch the bird. Conversely, with flushing dogs we teach them they can always catch the bird, or enough to make them think the can. What one teaches with the wing is the dog can't catch the feathers. This is what I did with the release trap. I would bring the dog into the scent cone, whoa him, and if he whoaed I would relaese the bird and shoot it. The retrieve was his "pot of gold". If the dog didn't whoa, I released the bird and let it fly away. This taught the dog he couldn't get the bird. I have seen this method used by pointing dog trainers for generations. Am I missing something here? Aren't we using the predisposed desire to pause, to ingrain a point. I have seen retievers of all breeds stop on the flush and flash point near the end of a long bird season. What is said is the same, gotta start working the clips so the flush gets harder. My pointers and red setters had enough style to win in shooting dog field trials (you know horse back trials), With high head and tails. I think we are enamoured with the pointing instinct but it is not all that different from dog to dog. This is why you will never hear me say the pointing lab movement will ruin the retrieving instinct of the breed. It's just foolishness. One can be thrilled with a sight pointing pup, I never was. I didn't play the wing on a fishing pole game with my pointing dog pups. I thought it taught bad habits, crowding, sight pointing and a longer list than I want to go into. This is why America is so great. WE CAN DISAGREE, which we do. I guess we will have to agree to disagree. I believe one can train a dog to point and not be able to tell the difference between the "natural pointer" and the "stander".

Dr Fatguy