Billinthedesert
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2025
- Messages
- 91
Chatted with a customer at Tractor Supply yesterday who had a young pointer pup with him. He got to talking about his training method — just letting the birds train the dog.
He said the biggest mistake many dog owners make is talking to the dog while it is on a bird. That dog is using his eyes, his ears, his wonderful nose and every cell of his brain trying to solve the problem of hot bird scent. The last thing he needs is some idiot human blabbing at him about "find the bird" or "slow!" and distracting him.
Another dog owner sin: Shooting at a bird that his dog didn’t properly work. A bird in the hand that the dog didn’t earn is a teaching moment wasted. Don't even load your gun, he said, until your dog is on point, otherwise you will turn a fine potential pointer into a flushing dog.
Final advice: All you need with your dog is a lead or an electronic collar, plus about eight inches of duct tape. The collar is for your dog. The duct tape is for your mouth.
I don't know if God will grant me one more dog, but I would surely consider this advice if He ever does.
He said the biggest mistake many dog owners make is talking to the dog while it is on a bird. That dog is using his eyes, his ears, his wonderful nose and every cell of his brain trying to solve the problem of hot bird scent. The last thing he needs is some idiot human blabbing at him about "find the bird" or "slow!" and distracting him.
Another dog owner sin: Shooting at a bird that his dog didn’t properly work. A bird in the hand that the dog didn’t earn is a teaching moment wasted. Don't even load your gun, he said, until your dog is on point, otherwise you will turn a fine potential pointer into a flushing dog.
Final advice: All you need with your dog is a lead or an electronic collar, plus about eight inches of duct tape. The collar is for your dog. The duct tape is for your mouth.
I don't know if God will grant me one more dog, but I would surely consider this advice if He ever does.
