Got a phone call from a viewer and wanted to share it and then get your ideas – this is a new one on me!
John asked about a young dog that runs away from flushing pheasants. I’m trying to get more information, but for the purpose of this post – and your suggestions – maybe less information is better. Open your minds and let me know what you would do!
My response: First, I would wonder about how the dog was introduced to birds – did he get spurred, for example? Or whacked by a launcher? Gunshots too close and too early in the bird introduction?
Next, what happens with dead birds? Is the dog excited to be around them? Pick them up and carry? How about smaller live birds – pigeons, for example? Have any of these been flushed in front of the dog with no ill effect?
Where has an e-collar figured in this situation? Did the dog get “hit” accidentally when a bird flushed? Has too much voltage been applied at some point?
Well, what do you all think?
Scott Linden Outdoors 
HE NEEDS TO GO BACK AND HAVE THE DOG CHASE MORE FLYING BIRDS. THEY HAVE TO BE BIRD CRAZY BEFORE ANY PRESSURE IS DONE. I THROW SEVERAL PIGEONS IN THE AIR AND JUST LET THE DOG HAVE FUN AND CHASE SOME BIRDS. THEN SHOOT ONE AND SEE WHAT HE DOES.(after he has been introduced to gun fire of course) WILL HE GO AND PICK IT UP AND PLAY WITH IT OR BLINK THE DOWN BIRD. SOMETHING HAS STARTLED THE YOUNG DOG WHEN THE BIRD FLUSHES. GUN, E-COLLAR, BIRD LAUNCHER OR THE BIRD ITSELF. THERE IS A BAD EXPERENCE THERE SOMEWHERE. THROW A CLIPED WING OR WING LOCKED PIGEON ON THE GROUND AND SEE WHAT THE DOG DOES AFTER YOU HAVE TEASED HIM WITH IT. HOPE HE PICKS IT UP AND RUNS AROUND AND PLAYS WITH IT. THAT WOULD BE A GOOD START. IF THE DOG DOES NOTHING YOU JUST MIGHT HAVE TO PUT HIM UP FOR AWHILE SO HE CAN FORGET ABOUT WHAT IS CAUSING HIM TO BLINK ON THE FLISHING BIRD. TRY NOT TO DO TOO MUCH TO SOON. SOME DOGS YOU HAVE TO READ THEM AND SET THE TRAINING PAST TO THE DOG, AND TAKE SOME THINGS A LITTLE SLOWER. OTHERS CAN TAKE THE PRESSURE A LOT BETTER THAN SOME. A LOT OF TIMES THE BREED OF THE DOG WILL TELL YOU HOW MUCH PRESSURE AND HOW FAST THE TRAINING SHOULD BE. READ THE YOUNG DOG,. THEY WILL TELL YOU IF YOU ARE MOVING TOO FAST OR IF SOMETHING JUST DID NOT GO RIGHT WITH THE TRAINING YOU ARE DOING. GET IN THEIR HEAD AND BE SMARTER THAN THE DOG. REMEMBER THE DOGS MIND AND NOSE HAS TO BE ON THE SAME TRAINING PAGE THAT YOU ARE.
What ever the cause there was a bad introduction. Without knowing all of the details might be best to go back to the basics. Go back to the last point of confidence that the dog showed. If you have not done it you might consider a force fetch program. I would stay away from any live bird work. Going to have to rebuild the pup’s confidence. Then start with a helper out at 100 yards, throw a dummy with wings attached and shoot a starting pistol. Get the pup all worked up but don’t let him get the retrieve. Do this a couple of times then, when he is all worked up, let him go. Not saying this is the only way, but it’s how I would address it. Please keep us posted on what the owner does, I’m always looking for good training ideas. Wish them good luck from Stormi and I.
Shon Couch
Shoot a Pheasant. Tie dog up just out of reach of Pheasant. Let dog get the taste of some feathers and then process the bird just beyond the dogs reach. Make sure dogs watch as you place bird in baking dish and put in oven. Again make dog watch as you shred the meat and place in the dog’s bowl. Feed dog the pheasant. The whole time doing this keep saying ” bird ” or whatever word you use for birds and a lot of praise. Next time the birds are flushing say bird and hopefully the dog thinks with its stomach. Brind some pheasant feathers and extra cooked meat. WHen the birds flush reward with the meat and feathers.
Like you said Scott. More variables not known then known. I would like to know the bloodline we are talking about?
How this dog was introduced to birds and the outdoors?
Was electricity used?
How old is this dog?
What breed of dog?
Too many unknowns to give an answer at this time. All you would bedoing is opening up a bigger can of worms and be called on the carpet for giving bad advice to a situation that not all the info has been shared about.
Ornithophobia, or fear of birds maybe he watched a re-run of the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds”. All joking aside I think it most likely was a bad introduction to live birds or associating a “hit” with a live flushing bird.
All of your questions are good ones… It is hard to suggest anything when we don’t know the answers to some of those. But if it were simply limited to pheasants I would say it may be the size, sound of them going up… Maybe they could tie or impair some to have more pleasant introductions to them. If you launch them at a distance and then play the rest by ear based on their reactions. It really is based on what may have caused this. I have a feeling it might not be a cheap fix though as it probably will require quite a few birds. Probably requires a mix of types of birds to make the dog want to keep hunting despite the pheasant here or there. Maybe even set up a hunt with the other types of birds being the focus and have some pheasants launched up in the distance.
Keep us posted on this I would like to know more about the problem.
Anna
http://www.akginspiration.com