When you go to pick up a pup, take along a fishin? rod and a bird wing. With maybe two pups at a time, toss the bird wing in the grass, and with a quiver, watch the reaction of the pups. So help me, I once saw a three week old pup lock up in a quivering leaf - only a couple of seconds at a time due to a very short attention span. What this reveals is the strength of the pointing instinct. While this is only a single element in the making of a future hunting companion, it is a step in the right direction. It has served us well.
Don?t get me wrong. A pup which does not ?sight point? as described above might turn out to be the dog of a lifetime ? it is just an indicator. It is certainly not a failure that would eliminate a pup.
This is an opinion, based on over 60 years of experience with bird dogs, interrupted by WWII, college, and a period of poverty thereafter. And you know what they say about opinions-------
Don?t get me wrong. A pup which does not ?sight point? as described above might turn out to be the dog of a lifetime ? it is just an indicator. It is certainly not a failure that would eliminate a pup.
This is an opinion, based on over 60 years of experience with bird dogs, interrupted by WWII, college, and a period of poverty thereafter. And you know what they say about opinions-------
