# "False Point"?



## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

Okay so I'm new to the pointing dog breed, but have been training my WPG for a while now. She has been on pheasants a lot and chukar a three or four times. She will hold a pheasant really well while pointing and is hardly ever wrong. However, the devil birds sure do get her confused. She will end up "false pointing" (this is the best way to put it) a lot when we chukar hunt. It just seems like it is a lot more. Is there anything I can do to help her out a little bit more training wise other than just more chukars? In the end we ended up with three chukars on Monday and had a great time. Thanks for the advice in advance!


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

She sounds young? This is a very common thing with young dogs. They just need to learn to trust their nose and know when it's old scent or if it's really a bird. A lot of times they will point EVERYTHING that smells funky. This can be just as frustrating. She'll grow out of it. It just takes time and LOTS of encounters with WILD birds.


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

Yeah, she is only 5 1/2 months old. I'll keep taking her out on those pesky chukars. She does show improvement each time.

Thanks


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## bwhntr (Sep 12, 2007)

I would rather have a young dog hunt on the "careful" side and have several false points, than one that ignores it's nose and blows through every covey. IMO the dog that false points is trying to be extremely careful as to not bust up your birds. Eventually it will figure it out and know when to point and when it can move.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

bwhntr said:


> I would rather have a young dog hunt on the "careful" side and have several false points, than one that ignores it's nose and blows through every covey. IMO the dog that false points is trying to be extremely careful as to not bust up your birds. Eventually it will figure it out and know when to point and when it can move.


+1

bwhntr's right. This is NOT a _problem_. It's just a young dog learning to trust her nose. Praise her every time she points even if it turns up unproductive.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

I agree with Tex and bwhntr. 

I would also add that with time you will learn to read her body language. Sometimes a point is kind of hesitant or the tail is wagging, head or eyes are looking around, etc. That usually indicates that the dog is smelling scent but hasn't located a bird. When the dog knows it is on a bird it will be all tightened up, stretched hard, eyes focused and intense. 
It will take some time as well to deal with running birds because they leave scent as they go. Younger dogs often lose the trail. Older, more experienced dogs learn to follow the trail to the end of the line. All dogs lose the trail sometimes and they have to figure out how to quarter back and forth to find the scent trail again.


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## Sprig Kennels (Jan 13, 2009)

if she is pointing well at 5 months old she is doing great as a pup. as the dog gets more experience and hunts under her belt she will figure things out. take her out and run her on the chuckars as much as you can so she can work through it. this is a very common thing with young pointing dogs so nothing to worry about and alot to be excited about as it sounds like she is doing well for such a young pup.


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

Thanks guys. I just want to make sure I'm doing all I can to help her out. Sounds like she is doing just fine and I need to be a little more patient as a hunting partner!


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

> Thanks guys. I just want to make sure I'm doing all I can to help her out. Sounds like she is doing just fine and I need to be a little more patient as a hunting partner!


 :lol: We all get antsy with our pups.

To quote one of my favorite sayings from Tex: "A hunting dog isn't worth a $&_^ until it's five years old."

Right now you have a 5 month old puppy. In a human comparison you have a 4 year old. Would you complain if your kid miscounted change at four years old, or would you be tickled pink that your four year old could actually count correctly sometimes? Would you expect your four year old to be a concert pianist, or would those hopes only be fulfilled with years of practice? Dogs are no different. They have the instinct; you provide the exposure and practice sessions. It takes time.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

> To quote one of my favorite sayings from Tex: "A hunting dog isn't worth a $h*t until it's five years old."


It's true! I really dont think a dog fully understands the game until they've had three or four good seasons under their belt. Usually by then all you have to do is shut your mouth and load yer gun...Plus, I'll add this, you can have the most broke, steady, staunch, rock solid pointing dog on the planet. You can have a dog that is so trained up with obedience that it can deal cards. But if that dog has no wild bird experience betwixt it's ears, it aint gonna be worth spit in the field. That kind of savvy is only learned by the school of wild bird hunting. You're doin it right, just keep it up and keep her honest. By that I mean don't shoot birds she doesn't point. If she points and they just dont hold, that's not her fault. Blaze away!!! But if she blunders through a covey or bum rushes a covey to try to catch them, keep your thumb off the safety button. Keeping her honest and polite will make her a better dog in her later years.


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## Sprig Kennels (Jan 13, 2009)

i would agree with that. it takes several years of hunting for a dog to really come together and also for the owner to learn how to read the dog as well.


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

JuddCT said:


> Okay so I'm new to the pointing dog breed, but have been training my WPG for a while now. She has been on pheasants a lot and chukar a three or four times. She will hold a pheasant really well while pointing and is hardly ever wrong. However, the devil birds sure do get her confused. She will end up "false pointing" (this is the best way to put it) a lot when we chukar hunt. It just seems like it is a lot more. Is there anything I can do to help her out a little bit more training wise other than just more chukars? In the end we ended up with three chukars on Monday and had a great time. Thanks for the advice in advance!


First you need to be programed... It is not a FALSE point! It is a none productive point, there is a reason the dog pointed, or slowed the game down. In my opinion you have a smart dog that is not trying to bring birds to the air, but rather get the birds location the best it can. Few times you will have a dog hunting wild birds just swap ends and point them like you see in trials. Reason Y is that them birds have and will be moving, leaving the scent that we hope our hounds are following, air or ground scent!

Be happy you have a dog that slowes up when working the birds, read the dog and know when it has target lock or just telling ya that there is something up yonder!

Also some more advise don't be the normal and see your dog is pointing and yell WHOA! If the bird is there the dog will stay. Then you shoot it! If your out there yelling WHOA every time the dog stops, scent or otherwise you going to make a problem you really don't want.


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