I have had the fever for some time to add to my pointing dog string. Through the years I have owned Setters, Pointers, Brittany's, German Shorthairs, Labs, Fox Hounds, and Beagles. Retrievers retrieve, Hounds chase and bark, but Pointing dogs are special in my book. They find game and hold it until you get there and then bring it to you if you are agile enough to shoot it. All we have to do is walk and shoot! They are the brains of the operation so to speak. Bird dogs have been a part of our family well before I was born. The first dog I remember from my childhood was my dads English Setter Charlie. Charlie was the family mascot and a heck of a bird hunter I am told. That was 40 plus years ago and the image of Charlie sharing my popsicle on a hot Summers day is etched in my memory as if it happened yesterday.
I knew what I wanted in a Bird Dog. I have been experiencing a sense of nostalgia as of late, and wanted to embrace the traditions of my upbringing in this era of change. After all, I guess I am the epitome of those folks recently referred to as "clinging to their guns and religion". Tradition is so much a part of the Southern culture, as are bird dogs and bird hunting. The English Pointer has dominated the field trial circuit for years, has the attributes that I require for my style of hunting, and many of the best breeders reside in the Southern states of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The Pointer's short coat is well suited for the warm temperatures I usually encounter during early season hunts in Kansas and the Dakotas. The field bred Pointers have unbelievable natural instinct and ability, they make great family pets, and are quick learners. I have recently speculated that the combination of the German Shorthair and the English Pointer may very well be the ultimate bird finding team. The Shorthair tends to run with its nose to the ground making it excellent for relocating running birds, and typically they are closer ranging dogs. The field trial bred Pointers certainly have the ability to stretch out the range and run with their heads up, helping them to catch scent from a distance.
My research and reading led me to the Elhew strain of Pointers, mainly because I appreciate low impact training and the Elhew line tends to have a little softer temperament which suits my demeanor. I knew that my selection would come from field trial lineage even though I do not field trial. These field trial animals have the genetics and natural ability to be shaped into what ever type of dog you desire. Genetics, I believe, contributes to at least 80% of your chance of having a bragging rights bird dog. Gigi's lineage going back 4 generations includes 10 field trial champions, 2 of which were national champions and in the
Field Trial Hall of Fame (Dunns Fearless Bud,
Elhew Snakefoot). I have posted a link under my Gun Dog and Bird Hunting section to an interesting article about
Elhew Swami and Elhew Sunflower, both great champions and both in Gigi's lineage. Gigi looks very much like her Grandmother Elhew Swami.
I purchased Gigi at 5 1/2 months of age because she fit my expectations for genetics and color, and she will be just over 1 year old next season which means she will be very well exposed to birds and guns by the time the 09/10 season opens. The down side to purchasing at that age is that the dog is well into if not past the most important socialization imprinting stage. What I have noticed with Gigi is that she is somewhat timid around new things such as the vacuum cleaner, or any unfamiliar item. On the other side of the coin, she is obsessed with birds and the field, and has progressed through her first month of training beyond my wildest expectations. She has been exposed to about 30 of my pen raised Chukar to date and is now scent pointing, holding point for flush, and accepting the .32 caliber blank pistol to be shot over her.
As to the training regime I have been using with Gigi, my observation is that all successful trainers Like
Bob Wehle(founder of Elhew Kennels), Ferrell Miller (Miller strain of Pointers and in the Bird Dog Hall Of Fame), Scott Miller (9 time Walking Field Trial Champion), and
George Hickox (developed the best training system I have seen), all utilize variations of the same basic concepts for introducing birds, holding point, and retrieving. These training methods have withstood the test of time and there is no reason in my view to reinvent the wheel. The one area in training which is new to me and just being accepted by the hunting dog fraternity is clicker training. This is by far the most successful and effective training method for teaching yard work that I have ever seen. It is essentially a low to no pressure method of developing reliable habits in any animal. I will not go into all the details of clicker training but I am posting a Link in my Gun Dog and Bird Hunting section to a web site for
Karen Pryor. Karen developed the clicker training system during her work with Bottle Nose Dolphins. Be forewarned that the training material she distributes has no reference to hunting dogs. Because the system can be used on any animal from birds to dolphins, her basic concepts can be adapted to teaching many of the skills we require of our bird dogs.
I look forward to a Summer of field training and the start of the new season in September with a young and energetic addition to the pack. Enthusiasm is contagious and bringing a young ball of fire into the string has me fired up for the coming season!
