"pointing lab"
 

Well I'm helping a friend of mine train his yellow lab. We are working on the basics right now. A couple of days ago he ran up to me and try'd to tell me that his lab is pointing. I scoffed at his statement see'ing as how I'v worked closely with GSP's. He kept on going about how his dog points. So I went over and checked out how the dog "points". So were walking though the feild where we placed some quail. As we aproached the spot the dog got birdy and when he got close he stopped and raised his head. My buddy bursts out, he's pointing look lright there. I saw nothing of the sort. I saw a dog that stopped and had his head up. I didnt see a straight tail (it was wagging) and no paw raised. Would you guys consider what his dog was doing as pointing?

RE: "pointing lab"
 

No.

RE: "pointing lab"
 

If the dog dose it all the time ,great. It may not be a true "point" but big deal. I have a POINTING lab but his tail go's from slowly wagging as he works the feild to a wagg that looks like windsheild wipers on overdrive. He dosn't always raise his leg but he holds the "point" till he is told to flush . Labs are not a true pointing breed it's just now being bread into some .

RE: "pointing lab"
 

I agree its great that its doing it that way, But my friend believes that his dog is doing true pointing.

RE: "pointing lab"
 

When a dog (of any breed) is truly pointing, it is frozen like a statue -- nothing moves and the dog nearly quits breathing. A dog does not necessarily have to go "tripod" to be pointing, but if your friend's dog does what you describe, he isn't really pointing, he's just pausing before the flush (or "standing game"). Standing game is not the same thing as pointing.

RE: "pointing lab"
 

I agree 100% with Doc.

A dog can be trained to stop and stand game once they have scented a bird, but "pointing" is what defines an entire class of dog that instinctively locks its body once a bird has been pinned down.

You can teach a lab, springer or even a golden retriever to stop moving when they detect game, but it isn't a true point.

Now that doesn't mean they aren't good hunting dogs!!!!! Just not "pointers" or pointing when they find game.

RE: "pointing lab"
 

thats what i call preparing for a piss

RE: "pointing lab"
 

I've heard of some non pointing breeds doing this but have never witnessed personally. My four year old lab is a flusher and he's in his element in thick brush for sure.

Good luck