Increasing Dog’s Energy Level

[Cast2Way]

Maybe it is just in the genetics, but curious if anyone has some ideas how to increase the drive and energy in a pointer dog? Energy pills maybe? LOL

I have an almost 3 yr old short hair pointer. She is a birdy girl and finds her share of birds. At the dog park, she is absolute speed demon with endless energy. Hunting, at slower pace she wears out after a few hours and rarely busts the brush, prefers staying on paths and naturally hangs within gun range (Velcro Vizsla). When a bird is shot, she is an absolute rocket to locate and pin it down (not a fetcher except quail and chukar).

In the last month, she has twice literally quit on me after 30-45 minutes - not energy related. They were slow days, no birds located. We rarely hunt consecutive days. Maybe she knows it’s fruitless and telling me we are wasting time. LOL But it almost feels like she loses interest.

It could be conditioning but I don’t think so. I wasn’t able to give her the amount of road work with my bike before season as I wanted because she tore the skin on her pads twice so had to wait for healing. Next summer, she will have booties.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[birddude]

Has she had a checkup? I had one do that once. Turned out to be Hook worms. A buddy of mine bought a setter from a good line. She was kind of shy and wouldn't hunt. He asked me to go out with them and give him my expert opinion. We went out twice. Once she wouldn't hunt once she went back to the truck. After some considerable thought and observation. I ask him if he wanted a written report or just my oral explanation. I had some time in on the subject, so I made sure he knew I expected some form of payment. He agreed and I told him that she didn't want to be there. Charged him 2 beers. Ps she now is the one and only house dog he's ever had!!

 

[Weimdogman]

It takes birds to make a bird dogs. Some dogs need way more birds then others. PK uses lots of birds/bird contacts to get dogs over gunshyness.

In your case start out with birds in light cover and keep increasing the cover until the dog is hunting close because of how heavy the cover is. As the dogs drive increases you can use fewer birds .

 

[LCR10A]

Barring illness I’d guess that it’s the dog’s genetic makeup.

 

[Cast2Way]

Has she had a checkup? I had one do that once. Turned out to be Hook worms. A buddy of mine bought a setter from a good line. She was kind of shy and wouldn't hunt. He asked me to go out with them and give him my expert opinion. We went out twice. Once she wouldn't hunt once she went back to the truck. After some considerable thought and observation. I ask him if he wanted a written report or just my oral explanation. I had some time in on the subject, so I made sure he knew I expected some form of payment. He agreed and I told him that she didn't want to be there. Charged him 2 beers. Ps she now is the one and only house dog he's ever had!!

She just had checkup awhile back and all good. I figured out the “quit” part today. See post below. I think she is also a more open field dog as she goes full tilt. Being really thin haired, the sharp edged grasses and briars we have over here in western WA do a number on her even wearing a good vest chest protector.

 

[Cast2Way]

It takes birds to make a bird dogs. Some dogs need way more birds then others. PK uses lots of birds/bird contacts to get dogs over gunshyness.

In your case start out with birds in light cover and keep increasing the cover until the dog is hunting close because of how heavy the cover is. As the dogs drive increases you can use fewer birds .

Not at all gun shy - she is more like gun crazy. Hears one even in distance and starts looking for falling birds. July 4 is very confusing for her as it is like WW3 here with all the big boomers thanks to tribes being able to sell aerial ordnance.

 

[gim]

It takes birds to make a bird dogs.

This. If there are no birds, they lose interest.

I've never encountered this while pheasant hunting, but I did a couple times while waterfowl hunting. The dog loses interest if birds aren't part of the equation regularly.

 

[Cast2Way]

Today, I figured out the “quit” topart. It is my tendency to cuss like a sailor when I fall thanks to some of the nasty low growing briars we have here in western WA that are literally like hidden trip wires. It happened today and I went down hard, cussing up a storm. She quit and started following instead of hunting, I realized then that is what started it the last time. I just used patience and a some loving - and fortunately we found another bird and she was back to normal hunt mode after. (all sins forgiven daddy if I get to find birds). She found 5 pheasant after that so like Weimdogman and Gim said, she needs birds to stay in her groove. And I need to both learn to not trip and not cuss madly. Neither of which is likely at my age or degree of klutziness.

 

[Weimdogman]

Not at all gun shy - she is more like gun crazy. Hears one even in distance and starts looking for falling birds. July 4 is very confusing for her as it is like WW3 here with all the big boomers thanks to tribes being able to sell aerial ordnance.

I am glad she isn't gunshy. I never thought she was my point is gunshy is very hard to cure but done properly with many birds it is possible. If that can be cured with many birds so can other things.