German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America

[rf]

I have a 1 year old male GWP. What is your opinion on letting him chase ducks and geese off the beach at our cabin. They poop constantly and make a mess. We trained and hunted him last fall. Would chasing geese be bad for a pointing dog ? I appreciate your expierience and input.

RF

[Jon]

As long as it is on command. This will require you to teach the dog to be obedient in the presence of game (in this case the geese). The dog should also be trained to recall on your command. In other words, this is something you orchestrate, when you want...the dog is not free to chase at will.

[york_rotch]

For me, I don't allow chasing of anything after the first year. In the uplands you want the dog to learn it can't catch birds. For waterfowl, you don't ever want your dog to think it can't catch ducks and geese. This from a waterfowl hunters perspective.
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[Jon]

York,
I understand your position...but we all train our dogs to know when and where and what we want. I have heard many discussions about teaching a dog to flush on command and this would be no different. I do agree with you that the dog must be steady first before any advanced training like flush on command...which is why I suggested the dog first be obedient in the presence of game. It has been my experience that most stable dogs realize they can't catch healthy wild game and after a while show little interest in such. Its only the knuckleheads that persist.

I had 1 dozen geese land on the water 30 yds behind a dog during a Utility Test last year and she ignored them and went and found the duck. Dogs with a little experience know what can be retrieved and what can't.