# Always something to work on



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Cash did something he hasn't done in years.
Point a bird that I want him to retrieve.
We did a tower shoot on Saturday and even though some of the birds where not actually shot, I can release Cash and he will chase them down and retrieve them. He marked the bird and took off, over 100 yards out he locks up on point around 15 feet from the bird in the open field.
If the bird walks he will relocate, but kept the same distance from it. I can't nick him because he will understand that as a whoa command. I wasn't to happy to make the 100 yard walk to tap him on his side to release him. Wind was to strong to yell Cash fetch across the field, and I don't care for yelling anyway. How would ya'll have handled it? He did it twice out of the 30 or so birds he retrieved.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

My only thought is to work on more retriever drills in the off season, but my ears are open to others thoughts on fixing the problem.


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## SuperV (Oct 18, 2011)

T'Red -just for clarification... so Cash was sent to retrieve a live bird, but pointed it instead.

interesting debacle....

maybe do some drills with pigeons with their wings locked? to simulate a cripple? start at close range? 

Is Cash force fetched? if so, maybe at close range fetching you can apply "pressure" to make sure he picks up the bird? 

Another thought, not to worry about it, unless it becomes routine...no dog is 100% all the time...maybe he got confused and thought it was a "new" bird and pointed it like he thought he was supposed to do....

Just tossing some ideas out there....

Nate


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## WillowyndRanch (Apr 3, 2012)

Intellectual Property removed by Author.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Thank you both for your comments.
Yes Cash is force fetched, and cripples are his favorite to retrieve. Sending him on a bird that has not actually been shot, just makes you loose less birds for the shooters. 
The pheasant is out of the shooters shooting range when I send him, but still in flight. He can be on the bird just after it lands, and can snatch it as it tries to take flight. I'm going try more retriever work with the whistle included, then start T work.

We took a different truck out to the field that morning, and I didn't even have a whistle on me.


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

TexasRed said:


> ... Sending him on a bird that has not actually been shot, just makes you loose less birds for the shooters.
> The pheasant is out of the shooters shooting range when I send him, but still in flight. He can be on the bird just after it lands, and can snatch it as it tries to take flight. ...


Disclaimer: I'm not a hunter

Is this right: you want him to bring back a live bird that hasn't been hit? If so, why?

Curious,
Bob


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

Bob said:


> TexasRed said:
> 
> 
> > ... Sending him on a bird that has not actually been shot, just makes you loose less birds for the shooters.
> ...


quite often Bob, runners can "teach" other birds to become runners and not flyers, makes for unhappy guns.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Harrigab
That could be true if these were wild birds.
Bob
It was a tower shoot, so the pheasants used are raised and will not live to long in the wild. Hawks, coyotes and even your common house cats will kill them.

I know we work long and hard getting these dogs to understand the rules of hunting as a pointer for us. then I change the rules to accommodate different situations.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

PIKE is my 4th V - the 3 B4 did the same thing - a cripple in the water is history ! on land - a cripple or unshot bird - he points !!!!!!!!! would I change this ? NO !!!! this is what they R bred 4 - my command is GET-UM-UP - if they do not fly - they R history - feathers in the mouth & birds in the BAG !!!!!! the reason I loVe V's !!!!!!


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

TexasRed said:


> It was a tower shoot, so the pheasants used are raised and will not live to long in the wild. ...


Got it. If I had just looked up "tower shoot" 1st I wouldn't have needed to ask.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Cash has been getting a work out on the tower shoots.
We were going to scout a few fields for geese, but one of the handlers was a no show. Cash filled in and more than earned his keep. His corner of the field was a hot spot for the birds to fly, and he was dog tired when it was over.
He only locked up, and pointed one of the long flyers.

I thought I posted this pic of the toy decorated with birds from a couple of weeks ago, but I guess I missed doing it.


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

SO... When is the pheasant fry????
YUM YUM!!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

That would have been a mess of birds. They were split up between 10 shooters. I won't be buying much meat for awhile. My freezer is full. My son shot a nice white fallow, a hog 2 weeks later, and we have duck, goose, crane, dove and pheasant, chukar, and a few quail.
Its time to start fishing.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Yesterday Cash had the guys thinking he was one smart dog at first. There was a pheasant that didn't want to fly out real far. He cleared the tree line but landed in-between two shooters. Nether shot due to safety reasons. My husband sent Cash to go get the bird up. Cash took off, but then made a circle so he would be coming up behind the bird. About 10 feet from it, the bird turn his head to looked toward Cash. Cash froze in perfect pointer style.
Each time the bird looked away and took a step, Cash matched his step. All the guys were rolling laughing as this went on for the next 5 minutes. Finally the bird felt to much pressure and crouched low to take flight. Cash did the same and caught it in the air a few feet off the ground.
These dogs are pure entertainment.
Me and Cash will have plenty to work on in the off season.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

On a side note, most pheasant suppliers in Texas are out of birds right now. These were brought in from Ohio.
Cash bringing in one heavy bird.


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