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As most know, I'm picking up a pup around the middle of July. It's a griff, and will be used to point rails and snipe, and occasionally quail, but mostly retrieving. That being said, I don't want to limit the dog, and I've never trained any sort of upland bird dog before.

Here is my question:

We have chickens, which roam the yard. I need to figure out how to "no" him off chickens, but not screw him up on any other birds. Is this something I shouldn't worry about, and that he will "know" the difference when he's in the field? I know in regards to OB the same response is expected in all situations, so (I may be overthinking this) does the same hold true for birds? If he is "no'd" off the chickens, how can I ensure he won't carry that behavior into the field? I could care less if he points them all day, and it may even be some sort of training "bonus", but a running flapping chicken looks remarkably like a crippled bird in the field. If he kills one here or there, that's fine if it's the price I have to pay for him performing in the field, but I'd rather NOT have that happen. And while he's young, there is a good possibility that a rooster will fuck him up.

Any input? I've googled and searched, but really can't find any advice on this one.

Teach him/her chickens are off limits as a pup and should be no problem.

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jarbo03 wrote:Teach him/her chickens are off limits as a pup and should be no problem.

Sent from a gnarly phone with a kickstand

Yup. Lots of people have chickens and dogs. The dogs pay no attention.

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So they can distinguish the difference between game and non-game critters?

assateague wrote:So they can distinguish the difference between game and non-game critters?

when taught too

assateague wrote:So they can distinguish the difference between game and non-game critters?

yep, even chach that wasn't brought up around chickens could go to jguns and roam around the chickens and tame ducks without a bloodbath, he wanted to but he seemed to understand that they were "property" if you will

Redbeard wrote:

assateague wrote:So they can distinguish the difference between game and non-game critters?

when taught too

That's the thing- it seems like a foreign concept to me. Do they start off pointing EVERYTHING they smell, and then learning after being "no'd" off of certain things? For instance, the first rail the pup sees will more than likely be in the marsh when it jumps and I shoot it. How the hell do they know to point that but not a robin in the backyard?

I never taught chach, he read what was up, I don't think you'll have any problems with the pup, is let him chase and play with the chickens, just no him if he gets one and has a hard mouth

assateague wrote:

Redbeard wrote:

assateague wrote:So they can distinguish the difference between game and non-game critters?

when taught too

That's the thing- it seems like a foreign concept to me. Do they start off pointing EVERYTHING they smell, and then learning after being "no'd" off of certain things? For instance, the first rail the pup sees will more than likely be in the marsh when it jumps and I shoot it. How the hell do they know to point that but not a robin in the backyard?

They learn what they are after. Taz started pointing everything, when a meadowlark or other bird flushed, I would say leave it. Now he pays little attention to them, even while upland hunting. He ignores the robins in the yard, when dove are in the yard, it is full hunt mode

Sent from a gnarly phone with a kickstand

assateague wrote:

Redbeard wrote:

assateague wrote:So they can distinguish the difference between game and non-game critters?

when taught too

That's the thing- it seems like a foreign concept to me. Do they start off pointing EVERYTHING they smell, and then learning after being "no'd" off of certain things? For instance, the first rail the pup sees will more than likely be in the marsh when it jumps and I shoot it. How the hell do they know to point that but not a robin in the backyard?

dogs are much smarter than you think. They'll be able differentiate between the two. Like John said, my Charlie couldnt give two shits about anything in the backyard, well other than a coon. But a switch comes on when we're hunting

assateague wrote:

Redbeard wrote:

assateague wrote:So they can distinguish the difference between game and non-game critters?

when taught too

That's the thing- it seems like a foreign concept to me. Do they start off pointing EVERYTHING they smell, and then learning after being "no'd" off of certain things? For instance, the first rail the pup sees will more than likely be in the marsh when it jumps and I shoot it. How the hell do they know to point that but not a robin in the backyard?

He will point a robin.

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jarbo03 wrote: He ignores the robins in the yard, when dove are in the yard, it is full hunt mode

I bet that provides you endless entertainment

Leave it is a good command

jehler wrote:Leave it is a good command

I prefer "Do not touch that bird!"

Redbeard wrote:

jarbo03 wrote: He ignores the robins in the yard, when dove are in the yard, it is full hunt mode

I bet that provides you endless entertainment

These birds are always in this spot, have seen many solid points from the garage.

Sent from a gnarly phone with a kickstand

assateague wrote:

Redbeard wrote:

assateague wrote:So they can distinguish the difference between game and non-game critters?

when taught too

That's the thing- it seems like a foreign concept to me. Do they start off pointing EVERYTHING they smell, and then learning after being "no'd" off of certain things? For instance, the first rail the pup sees will more than likely be in the marsh when it jumps and I shoot it. How the hell do they know to point that but not a robin in the backyard?

trust in the natural instinct of the dog. they learn quick. do you carry a shotgun with you in the backyard when the robins are there? oh, wait, I forgot who I was talking to. Anyway, the dog will learn the difference quick enough. Gun=get the bird....No gun=leave the chicken alone.

Thanks for the confidence boosters. This will be my first time around a dog which is bred to point as well. It's a whole 'nother world, and one I know absolutely nothing about. But at least I know that I don't know, I suppose.

assateague wrote: But at least I know that I don't know, I suppose.

that won't last long. You'll be an NAVHDA know it all soon

No, I'm pretty dumb when it comes to dogs and training. I can't even make too much sense out of the NAVHDA book

Don't panic if your pup isn't interested in pointing everything with wings. Some will point most anything that twitches, others just stuff that smells like birds (including box turtles due to some common ancestor), and some pups won't instinctively point anything but gallinaceous birds, the taxonomic family that includes most upland game like quail, pheasants, grouse and so forth. Also includes chickens.

Which doesn't mean thousands of folks in your situation haven't managed to work around that connection. Just a quirk I've found interesting. A pup that does its level best to tackle pigeons, which aren't gallinaceous, is apt point the very first quail or chukar it encounters, because they are. And a pup that has to be taught that pigeons are something to point will most likely start pointing doves, thereafter, too, because of their family connection. Also common for pointing pups with a gallinaceous-only imprint to ignore woodcock, because they're in the shorebird family. But teach them to point woodcock, and they'll little doubt start pointing snipe for you, too.

Again, though, pointing one gallinaceous species doesn't mean they can't be taught to ignore another. Or those of the same species in different situations. They're both situational learners and gifted with incredible noses to help sort the possibilities. (Something like separating pen raised from wild quail is a snap for the good ones.)

Thanks for the advice. I'm looking forward to it, and want to do all I can to not mess up the dog.

Rick wrote:Also common for pointing pups with a gallinaceous-only imprint to ignore ****, because they're in the shorebird family. But teach them to point ****, and they'll little doubt start pointing snipe for you, too.

Sorry assed auto-censor won't let me write woodc*ock on a hunting board.

Ha!

Rick wrote:

Rick wrote:Also common for pointing pups with a gallinaceous-only imprint to ignore ****, because they're in the shorebird family. But teach them to point ****, and they'll little doubt start pointing snipe for you, too.

Sorry assed auto-censor won't let me write woodc*ock on a hunting board.

Need to go into user settings, and turn off the bad word filter. It showed up as "woodcock" when I read your original post, but apparently it filtered it out for you. Which sort of cracks me up.

Thanks. Woodcock, woodcock, woodcock. I'm free!

(There's almost a sig line in there.)