Question: My two-year-old German Short-hair hunts well and points nicely. The problem I'm having is that when he gets to the shot bird, his first reaction is to chomp on it, drop it, and leave it alone. I've hunted grouse and pheasants with him and he acts the same with either bird. What should I do?

Sean G., Port Huron.

Answer: This isn't an unusual problem and I've dealt with it many times. In my opinion, the dog is killing the bird and then leaves it to find another. What you need to do is communicate that you want him to be gentle and to bring the bird back to you to share it. You'll need about a dozen live birds to work the dog on. First, kill one of the birds and put the dog on a long line. Show the dog the dead bird and toss is about five feet for the dog to fetch.

Since your dog isn't retrieving at all, it'll more than likely chomp on the bird and leave it. If he picks up the bird, praise him and try to coax him back to you. The praise will show him that picking up the bird is a good thing and that bringing the bird back to you is even better. If he doesn't pick up the bird, stop him from chewing it up. After his first bite, move closer to the dog and hang on to the long line. Try to pick up the bird, which may also get him to pick it up. If so, praise him.

Once you've got the bird in-hand, present it back to the dog and praise him. When he goes to bite the bird, react as if he's hurting you. This reaction isn't violent, and don't hit the dog. Your reaction should be similar to how you're react if the dog was playing too rough with you, such as mouthing your hand. Keep presenting the dead bird to the dog while telling him to ‘be nice,' ‘gentle.' When he bites it, react with pain again and pull the bird away. You may want to wear a glove in the beginning. You may also need a fresh bird after a while if the bird is bloody. Do this for five to ten minutes a day.

As he gets less aggressive with the bird, you can try a live bird, but don't throw it. Keep the bird in your hand. Remember, if the dog looks as if he's using too much force, react as if it hurts you and tell him to be nice or gentle. Pheasants can be very tough birds for dogs. An injured rooster will spur, peck, and wing-beat a dog. With this in mind, you may need to be a little more forgiving of the dog when pheasants are involved. One good bite is all the dog will need to dispatch a pheasant, and any more than that is abuse and should be discouraged. Don't have any other dogs around when working this out.

Charlie Linblade

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