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labs backing pointers?

4K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  Oscar Chavez 
#1 ·
This past weekend I went out chasin Mr. Bobwhite with a couple of guys I know who have some decent pointing dogs and it was almost painful to watch these dogs "retrieve" shot birds. My question is this, do any of you teach your non pointing labs to back a dog on point? I'd like to get my girl to the point where we could run her with the pointers and let her do some flushing and retriever work. I know this is common practice just wasn't sure where to start.
Jim
 
#2 ·
Teach her to whoa on command ,then when another dog points,whoa her.Or easier just sit her.
My labs back,but they are of the confused type.
 
#3 ·
Ditto, Beamer was backing GSP's his first full season, now even if one dog goes on point and the other doesn't see it, A quick whoa or sit whistle does the trick.....
 
#4 ·
I ran one of mine with a GSP and when there was a point I would work her into the scent cone for the flush and retrieve. It's pretty cool to watch. Not only are both dogs covering more field but are working together as a team. She did start picking up a bad habit when she would scent a bird she would point for a second then go in on the flush. She's great to work with the youth.
 
#7 ·
There ya go. I train the dogs to honor point with a quick toot of the sit whistle. If we are hunting with one of those mesmerized by the scent pointing dogs, I release the Labs for the flush and retrieve once the other hunters decide to amble into position.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the suggestions. They are right along the lines of what i had in mind. I am hoping that by teaching her to back she won't get into the habit of flash pointing when i run her on pheasants. Though I doubt that would be too big a problem. Thanks again
Jim
 
G
#8 ·
I usually hunt quail with a friend's English Setter - very birdy dog but he doesn't do retrieving. I never really thought about having my dog run with the setter. Out of some safety concerns I hunted him at heel. The guy with the gundog picks up the downed birds while the others follow the dog to the covey... Gotta be quick catching up sometimes.
 
#10 ·
What Rick said,is what I thought I said,when I said,,,,,"Or easier just sit her".
He just said it better than I said it,know what I'm saying.
----------------------------------Paco
 
#14 ·
Very stylish pointers.and nice looking Lab..:D
 
#15 ·
I hunt my Curly Coated Retriever and my Wirehair together. When my CCR gets really birdy and her tail starts wagging, my Wirehair goes on a honor point until the bird is flushed. If my Wirehair goes on point, she allows my CCR to get up front and flush the bird and stays steady on point. That said we need to work on the retrieving part as both want to retriever the bird. I've had Chessies and CCR's and my Wirehair will retrieve anything they would.

Joe
 
#18 ·
Or Pointer backing Retriever?



 
#20 ·
For the record I don't have anything against a retriever that flashpoints, my buddys lab has some PL in his pedigree and he will flash point and I think its neat to watch him. I just don't want my dog to do it. The reason for the thread is that we are starting to get more quail in my neck of the woods and I'd like to have some pointers or setters, but I've seen people use spaniels and retrievers to do the flushing and retrieving in front of their pointing dogs and it seems to produce the type of results I'm after. Thanks for the advice and those are some awsome pictures.
Jim
 
#21 ·
I hunting my lab like a non slip dog , he no flushing because I like points ( no flash point ) beautifully elegant points !!! only.

Intensity is very important and class and is fot that I like a class pointer dog , 12 clock tail . If you lab flush in front pointer your dog lost intentisity .


My pointer only point no retriever, like theme here, and my lab no flushing bird. They to know his work. Word class only.

Oscar CHávez
 
#22 ·
I want my lab to honor a pointing dog just like a pointer would but to flush the covey when I send her, rather than have to kick around in the brush till they decide to fly. We've actually been using our labs as flushing dogs with more or less good results but for quail around here its slim pickins and a person really needs some wide rangin pointin dogs to have consistant results. Though those flushin dogs were perfect in a standing milo field yesterday.
Jim
I won't argue with the class of your dogs Oscar they are beautiful
 
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