Eyes vs Nose

c_d

c_d

New member
Lately, I've been curious at how good (or bad) the eye sight is for my ESS?

When we get together with my parents' lab, that dog will see the tennis ball on the grass 20-40 yards out and b-line straight for it. My ESS wants to hunt and use her nose for it. It's like she doesn't trust her eyes, or they're just not that good!? I guess the nose knows, but is there any way to help her gain some confidence in this area? Should I even sweat it? as long as she's coming up with the retrieves?

I realize labs are excellent at marking, so perhaps the comparison isn't fair. It just made me wonder...
 
My 14 yr old GSP is 80% deaf and 50% blind in one eye (no his name is not Lucky); however, he sees well enough and the "nose" never fails. He's not as quick as he once was but the nose is as sharp as it ever was.
 
I notice all pups are visual learners, who transition to the nose when the eyes fail them. Pointers sight point from a tender age, but the only see about 20 feet clearly, when exposed to a live quail at that age,they point, at flush they chase but loose sight almost immediately, down goes the nose, and this is where we find out what we have!
With age and experience they learn that the eyes will not find the game in cover like the reliable nose, so they learn to trust the nose first. My current 3 year old britts will lock up with visual on birds even now, and do a walking point at a distance on pheasants running in the snow, when we push them to cover they will hold in, it's the nose that takes over. In one sense you are right, comparison on marking between individuals,regardless of breed, is non conclusive. My guess is you trained your dog,and hunt your dog in cover where the nose is paramount. Dog learns to hunt with the nose first, because the eyes are only of use once the game is located by nose. The marking dog, is sight oriented, and like a lot of retrievers was probably trained to use the eyes first, and relying on the nose only when visual is lost. Neither is superior, neither is wrong, I'd worry only if I started loosing birds in the field!
 
I am not sure of this, but my older lab (10 yrs old) also has a little trouble with tennis balls. Dogs see in black and white, not color. So a bright yellow tennis ball to us, that is easy to see, might be more difficult for them. I know the orange bumpers/dummies are used for blind retrieves. They are easy for us to see, but a black/white one is easier for the dog. See how it picks out a white or black dummy at the same distance. It might be that the dog does have poor eyesight. Like I said my one lab is 10, his nose is still great. I don't recall him having any issues marking birds during hunting season last year or this past spring for snow geese. Just my thoughts.
 
c_d said:
Lately, I've been curious at how good (or bad) the eye sight is for my ESS?

When we get together with my parents' lab, that dog will see the tennis ball on the grass 20-40 yards out and b-line straight for it. My ESS wants to hunt and use her nose for it. It's like she doesn't trust her eyes, or they're just not that good!? I guess the nose knows, but is there any way to help her gain some confidence in this area? Should I even sweat it? as long as she's coming up with the retrieves?

I realize labs are excellent at marking, so perhaps the comparison isn't fair. It just made me wonder...
Click to expand...

How old is your ESS? When my Brittany was younger I was sure the dog had bad eye sight. She just didn't seem to see a lot of things. I believe it was an age thing as her vision was jsut fine as she matured.
 
I agree with zeb i look at it like this a human who can smell and see relies the most on there eyesight to learn things or to find things well a dog or a pup uses there strongest sense the nose wich helps them find things just as we do our eysight and in some dogs they rely on it heavily and use it more than eyesight and others the oposite just my 2 cents
 
While I never questioned the eyesight of my GWPs, I used to cover their eyes as I threw the dummy. I noticed they came to listen for the direction of the fall of the dummy, and often immediately went in that direction when told to fetch.


With Mick, the new, used, dog...a springer...I hup him in the kitchen and hide a pheasant wing in one of the other rooms, then come back and tell him to fetch. I often have to direct him with "no" or "yes" when he is searching.

It is a game for both of us.
 
I had a 4 year old springer that I just gave to my wife's grandpa because he couldn't smell a fart in a paper sack. I have a 3 year old female that has an excellent nose.

When I would throw balls in the yard the male would consistently find them by sight if they both ran past a ball lying there on the upwind side. If there was one in the thick stuff she would always come up with it. I think he just learned to rely on his eyes instead of his crappy nose.
 
tennis balls- my favorite retrieving toys for my Britt's on land or water-

you want to really see excitement of a dog that sees but might not see on it's hard charge run where it has to circle and come back-I would take one that uses it's nose over one that has to see- every time- and you know what really helps- let the dog hold that tennis ball in it's mouth before you throw it

sometimes I make mine sit- and toss 4 tennis balls- as far as I can throw them- making them bounce a time or two- then let them loose- great excitement

got pictures of a bit of lake fun if you'd like-

to me- it's not so much mark and go find- but to realize it's a game- watch and go charge- if one overruns and comes back- send back out- never had a problem with a lost tennis ball- sometimes I think they enjoy the actuall miss and have to search- much like wild bird hunting
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top