I wouldn't worry about it. Go take Toby out and enjoy him. Sometimes when a dog like a springer will get on a ground scent, they won't let go. And if its old scent - someone flushed it recently, it can be frustrating.

Last Saturday was a test of my patience. Hunting partner has a brit and hunts very thoroughly. Problem was he was stuck in a small area which my dog already ran through - again and again. But his dog kept sniffing the ground. I mean its one thing to trust his dog but another to beat an area to death. All the while, I was watching other hunters walk the entire field ahead of us. We spent - me standing in one place, at least a half hour in an area of about 50' square.

Update on my bird hunting with Rusty.. We have had a great year so far with a score of 22 to grouse to date several misses and 1 wood****.. Man I have a hard time hitting those little things... LOL But, they are fun to try and hit anyways.. We were hitting them good for a while with 4,4,4,4, and then 2,2,2.. The birds are still plentifull but are flying way to far a head on us. They simply will not hold up very good.. I am thinking they are used to being hunted and shot at by now..

Also my knee has been bothering me more at times.. Maybe I am over doing it some.. After my season is over I will check into getting a shot in it..

I'm glad you're having fun this season. I'm having mix emotions. Yesterday, I got my limit of two birds in about 20 mins. The first bird was in an area which someone's lab stomped over. My dog briefly tracked it before it flushed wild. Got the second soon after - pointed I flushed. So, I walked back to the car and put away the gun and went back to see if anyone was dog-less (also to get my dog more exercise). I stayed away from the fields so as not to bother other hunters and not wanting to flush birds.

Well, I was standing in an area which half a dozen hunters walked through when my dog goes on point on the edge of a half football sized field. I walk over and flush one bird - the other one my dog caught. Ugh. I'm thinking at least she's finding birds where everyone's lab is missing.

Then this afternoon, I'm walking a nearby field when in front of me is a rooster with its eyes half closed. Wounded? I call my dog over and she runs past it! Call her again and she runs towards it but at five feet away, turns left and takes off. She gets to about two feet then the bird flushes, surprising both of us. Just when I'm thinking my dog has a good nose, she pulls a bonehead move like this one.

you guys have great bird hunting,we dont.we did ,boy grouse we had years ago but not now.

toby is still sick,he is on baytril/amoxacillin.he has blood in his urine.
vet thinks it may be kidney infection,we hope and not tumor in kidneys.
he lost 13 pds in about 11 months.down to 67 pds which is very low for male lab.
his waist is very thin .

i hope pills work but its been 4 weeks and still he has blood in his urine.

anyone run into this?

Never ran into that Sproulman - but I hope it's not a tumor and that the antibiotics work, and your dog gets well.

Sometimes mine will do something along those lines as well. I think it is more of a game they want to play or something. Mine will retrieve part time and other times runs to it and just stands and looks at it. Then takes off looking for another bird until I call him back to help me find the down bird again..

I am sorry to hear about toby sproul.. I hope all it is, is a kidney infection and nothing more than that. Did you have him checked for kidney stones? That can be simular to what you are discribing. Although I still hope it is just an infection..