German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America

[Josh]

i recieved an 8 month old gwp last fall and he points quail realy well but a little shy around noise but what i would realy like to know is the best method to get him to spot and retrieve dove any input will be nice

[whiskerdog1]

I dont see anyone jumping in, so here goes from a DD guy.
I use dove hunts as a mock duck hunt. Its a perfect scenario. Calm in the blind or field, steady to shot, mark and command retrieve with fetch. If a blind-use back-line him and send off.
Bring water, as its probably hot, and doves have alot of feathers so I rinse out alot. Have fun, theyre great to eat and fun to shoot. Its a blast. We open Sept 1, and Im chomping at the bit. Good luck.
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Real men hunt Wire Dogs

[Jon]

Preparing for a dove hunt would be a great opportunity to teach your pup steady to flush and shot.

Pull a few flight feathers from a pigeon and have a helper throw the pigeon 30-40 yds out in front of your dog while you sit next to the pup and steady him to the bird flying and landing in the distance. Choose an area with higher grass so the pigeon will land softly and can be "flown" several times. Make sure you bring the bird to the dog, and let the dog sniff the bird at the end of the exercise (there has to be some reward).
To be successful, your dog will need to know and respect the whoa command.

Teach the pup steady to shot by "overlaying" the shot on the whoa command. If a gun is fired, the dog should whoa and wait for the release.
I then combine steady to wing and shot with dummies. A thrown dummy means whoa and wait for the retrieve. Then add a shot. Don't let the pup retrieve every time or it will start to break in anticipation. ALWAYS use a tap on the head to release your dog and this will become yet another control on steadiness.

Now your ready-you've taught the dog that a flush (flying bird) means whoa and that a shot means whoa. Let the dog retrieve one third of the birds the first season so that it doesn't anticipate and break. Main thing is to cultivate calmness and control while keeping it fun.

Your dog will also know the "Dead Bird" command by the time dove season is over. They can be hard to find in the grassy or hedge cover. Great training opportunity-enjoy!!! Be careful that your dog is retrieving properly. Doves are small birds and can encourage bad habits, especially if they are flopping around on the ground. If you see any biting or squeezing, might be best go back to force retrieve or use a check cord.