# Thinking Dogs



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I've always know Vizsla's were smart and problem solvers.
I look at them as thinking dogs, not just a dog that does what its told, but one that learns by trial and error.

Cash in all his brilliances, or maybe he was sulking.
Decided he was not going to hunt the other day.
At the Tower shoot I ran my nephews lab, and my husband ran Cash. After the shoot we let the dogs run to hunt up the lost birds. It something we have done many times, and Cash gets to be a pointer, not just a retriever.
I knew the lab would only be able to flush, but thought it would be fun for him. Cash started shorting his range, I told my husband to send him to the front. Cash would immediately shorten his range again. This time it was more of him walking with you. He was not hunting. I checked him over, and found nothing wrong with him. I was fixing to put him up, when I had a thought. I put the lab up. and had my husband sent Cash to the front. Cash went back to hunting at his normal range, I figured it out. That darn dog was refusing to hunt with a lab. He has been hunted plenty of times with other pointers on upland, but only waterfowls with labs, I don't know if he would have acted the same way, if he had not been retrieving birds all morning. I let the lab back out and his range shortened again. I just kept sending him to the front. Once Cash got a nose full of bird and when one point, he was back to being happy as a lark.
It just made me think, and wonder how many times have these dogs outsmarted me.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

I know the feeling. Last two attempts to finish Senior hunter were invalidated by Bailey. He saw no reason to come into an "honor" by my calling him in to the situation when there were birds in other parts of the field he could smell. He wasn't going to interfere with the other dog's bird, but at the same time he wasn't going to stand around while the other dog got a flush and a retrieve.

Something we are working on because we need that last pass. With Ken's help well get it. Ken's plan is to reward the honor with the retrieve in practice. 

These dogs are darn smart!

RBD


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

If it makes you feel any better Cash has done the same thing at a NSTRA trial.
I caught him getting a quick glimpse of the dog on point, and then cutting back the other way. He avoided looking in the direction of the dog on point after that.
I guess him and Bailey see eye to eye. Its better to find your own birds, than watch another dogs point and retrieve. 

Cash will have to get over his "I WON'T HUNT WITH STINKING LAB." Goose, the Lab has all the titles they are going to put on him. My nephew doesn't have time to hunt as much as he use to with his own dogs. So Goose has been running drills most of the hunting season, with only a few hunts thrown in. With him being such a sweetie, his aunt Debbie has decided to take him out on Tower shoots. He absolutely loved it. I got a big wet kiss across my cheek and ear.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

Dredging an old topic, but doing some catch up reading. Astro no longer retrieves bunnies. Zsa Zsa's fast. As such she is normally first to the bunny and thus gets the retrieve 9 times out of 10. Now, even if Astro is first to the bunny, he'll just stand and wait for Zsa Zsa to bring it back. It's not an issue to me, as we hunt deer for the most part. But it was interesting to note. On the odd occasion he does retrieve it, he gets lots of praise.


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

shoot a bird for the backing dog. If your pointing dog is broke, make them both stand the bird through the fall, go and pick up the shot bird and take it to the backing dog and throw it at his feet. Rewarding the dog for standing through all of that in a back.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

I think this pic sums it up...a very glum looking Ruby with my pals labs


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

harrigab said:


> I think this pic sums it up...a very glum looking Ruby with my pals labs


"Why do I have to put up with these jerks?" <G>


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I like labs, but it looks like Ruby and Cash have the same thoughts about them.


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