# Getting a Pup to Point



## BaumGSP (Nov 5, 2010)

I am new to the dog training world. I have hunted upland game my whole life but have yet to train a dog for my own. I have a 15 week old GSP and she is coming along nicely. She learning her obedience and has been out with pigeons 3-4 times now. 

She will point a wing on a string about 30% of the time. The other 70% she just chases it everywhere. One problem I am having is that she isn't pointing the live birds very well..... sometimes not at all. Once she knows they are there she will come crashing in on them like a flushing dog. All the other pointers i know would point from a very young age. Any tips to get her to stop and point them better?


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

Your dog is way too old for wing & string at this point. Stop using that. A dog will point when it believes it can't catch the bird. Do not let your dog catch birds. Also, do not shoot birds for the dog if it doesn't hold point. 
Here are some options that will work:
1. Run the dog on wild birds all the time. Shoot only birds that get pointed solidly. Do not shoot if your dog flushes. The dog will learn that it gets a bird only when it points.
2. Get a launcher and use it to simulate situation #1. Put the pigeon in the launcher, then take the dog hunting for it. If the dog points, release the pigeon and shoot it. If the dog creeps or tries to move in on the pigeon, release the pigeon and watch it fly away. The dog will soon learn that it only gets a bird after holding point over the bird.


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## Sprig Kennels (Jan 13, 2009)

take her for walks out where she can get out and explore. she will get interested in tweety birds and such and start to get interested in birds and exploring. dont discourage her from chasing birds. let her run. the chasing but not catching birds is what builds the point later. eventually you will need some pigeons so you can consistently have birds in front of her but dont worry about that until she is about 6-7 months old. a close flushing bird at this age may or may not spook her so dont worry too much about bird trainng yet but get her out as muchs you can and let her roam and chase tweety birds and just get her looking for things. when she gets a bit older you will add pigeons to the mix and then the point will come


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## sharpshooter25 (Oct 2, 2007)

BirdDogger said:


> Your dog is way too old for wing & string at this point. Stop using that.


Agreed. When a pup is pointing a wing & string they are simply sight pointing. Sure it is fun to see when they are little pups, but you don't want a dog to sight point, but to scent point. Get her out using her nose, and honing in on that skill. It is good to hear that you are doing her obedience training now. Controlling a dog is key, because it is no fun if you can't control her when you are actually hunting. So for now just focus on the ground work, heal and kennel, and let her just explore. As she gets older she will learn to find those birds using her nose and she will naturally point, it will be up to you to teach her to hold that point so she doesn't get the bird. Good luck.


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## bearhntr (Oct 6, 2008)

One other thing when the pup is getting older is to use a check cord. Much like you do for heel and sit you can also use it to correct a dog that flushes instead of points. You can set a bird knowing where it is at and if your dog starts to creep of goes to bolt you pull the check cord and use the command "Hold" if you do this it will get that it is to hold. If you are planning on having it flush as well then teach that command. Have the dog hold and only let if flush with that command. Your pup will get it. Good luck in the training of your best hunting partner you can have.


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

15 weeks? Come back next year when she is old enough to be pointing things... til then just take her on some walks, if she chases a bird great, if not great...
To young yet and give the wingy dingy a huck!


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

TAK said:


> 15 weeks? Come back next year when she is old enough to be pointing things... til then just take her on some walks, if she chases a bird great, if not great...
> To young yet and give the wingy dingy a huck!


Amen! Don't even worry about it till she's at least a year old. Let her be a PUPPY first and have fun. Throw the wing on a string game in the garbage and just work her on wild birds.


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