Pointing lab questions

[WI ditch chicken]

So I had noticed this past weekend while doing some training on a game farm that my black lab had a... I'll call it hesitation... when she was right on top of a bird. My brother and uncle were the ones to point it out to me. When she had done this I had always told her to ''get'em'' or flush it was so slight that after they had said something the next time we came up on a bird I didn't say any thing and she stopped almost looking like a point for about 10 to 15 seconds before she flushed the bird. She is alittle over a year and a 1/2 old.

Here are my questions...
1. Is the pointing in a lab an instinct?
2. Would it be possible to train to her ''point''?
3. How difficult would it be to do so?

Thanks for any help and advice,
Scott

 

[Banjo Boy]

I'm no expert, but I do have some experience with pointing labs. Yes, the "hesitation" or "point" is an instinct that some labs are born with. Not all, and even labs that are bred to be "pointing labs" sometimes do not point. Here is where the lingo throws a lot of birddog guys off. You can't train a lab or any dog to point (instinct, they are born with it). You can train them to stand game that is you teach them the instant (without initial hesitation) they see or detect game to stop. that is "standing game". So a lot of guys think pointing labs are just labs that are standing game (not true). Just as with all pointing breeds, pointing labs are taught the "whoa" command. That is teaching the dog that once they hesitate or point, their feet stop moving and they stand still, holding their point (as opposed to creeping and eventually flushing the bird). So with your dog, yes you probably could enhance her natural point by teaching her the "whoa" command and eventually with lots of bird exposure, have a dog who points and holds point for you to flush the game. Sounds so easy right?
BB

 

[WI ditch chicken]

BB,

LQTM, Yes sounds very easy!Well maybe I'll have to spend alittle money and hang out at the game farm more with her. Thanks for the advice and extra knowledge.
This should be fun!
Scott