It sounds like a contradiction, but the best way to develop a young dog’s point is to let him chase birds. Every time a young dog chases birds, he is learning to point. He is learning his movements cause them to fly, and he cannot catch them. Once he realizes he cannot be successful, he begins to chase less. He becomes more cautious and begins to creep. This creeping is like a cat stalking a mouse, and eventually, he freezes into a point.
Continue reading →
Developing Point in a Young Dog
What is a Balanced Dog?
Have you ever heard a dog trainer talk about a balanced dog or wondered what this expression meant? The first time I heard the word balance was when a horseback pro-trainer told me my derby dog was not balanced. Continue reading →
The Tale of Two Pups
This summer, I acquired two new pups. Red was a nicely put together female with lots of color. Whitey was a big white male. They came from different breeders and different lines of dogs. Red arrived in June and was 9 weeks old. Whitey arrived in late July and was twelve weeks old. These pups were well-bred and had lots of natural ability, but both had weak links, and their weak links determined how each pup was started. Continue reading →
Martha Greenlee: Mark---it is a tough lesson most of us have to learn. Bill West starte...
Mark Coleman: The single biggest mistake I made with my first bird dog was lack of p...
Dale Parker: Martha,
I have a lazy dog. He's a 2 yr old Pudelpointer. I call him m...
