The Delmar Smith Method

[ouachita]

Wanted you to see a pic of my GWP. This dog will hunt. He does it all. He has taught me more than i him. I tell him what we want to do and he shows me the best way to go about it.

My question is about my GSP. Both dogs are a year old but this dog won't point. I plant birds for him, he gets the scent and goes crazy. He just wants to chase. I bought a book on the Delmar Smith Method and he says to let the dog get the scent and then tease with the bird flapping in front of him, then release bird and fire 22 blank. Has anyone used this method and what are your comments? He says somewhere between 3 and 300 birds he will get the idea and point.

[Higgins]

You haven't given the dog any reason to point. Teasing him with a bird flapping gets him all fired up and he want to do what comes natural, chase.

Sounds like he is plenty birdy, I would now give him a reason to point. You can't teach him to point, he already knows. Teach him now that he can't catch a bird. When he realizes this, he will point naturally. When I do seminars, most dogs, even those with no experience, will begin pointing in the first session. Many will also show they are beginning to understand being staunch. It all happens when they learn they can't catch the bird. Most dogs begin to get the idea after just a few birds.

Brad Higgins
www.higginsgundogs.com

[Casper]

My take on this is that your GSP has a high prey drive and not enough disipline. Mine is the same way.

I have just turned to the Smiths method myself. Since you already have the book order the dvd and a "command lead" and a good quality nylon check cord. They show you how to use each. If you live near one of their upcoming seminars going to one would prove invaluable. I wish there was one near me

http://www.ricksmithkennels.com/

Its ammazing how well the Command lead works. In just a few short sesions my pup now walks "with" me and havent told him anything. My mouth was getting in the way of any type of training I tryied so this method is realy working for me

Gun Dog had an article last issue that talked about a GSP that had this type of drive but eventualy came around and turned out to be a fine gun dog.

[snips]

If he is that birdy I would put a CC on him and stop him when the bird gets up. No longer allow him to chase. I hav had some dogs I had to make point, but better to figure it out himself and point on his own...

[Britmandogs]

Brad and Brenda are right on . I worked a 2 yr old weim for a couple this past week. The couple stated they had never seen this dog point, even on wild birds, that was hard to believe for me. I put out a couple of carded pigeons and just worked the dog in close cross wind, the first bird he ripped out and I just stopped him with the checkcord which is attached to a blunt studded pinch collar, the next bird he slowed down some, the third bird he started to creep and the fourth bird he locked tight. Sometimes dogs have to figure out that chasing just isn't getting them any where. In this case I was lucky, the dog showed me he has some brains, sometimes it takes much longer for them to figure it out especially gray ones. Also sometimes you get dogs that I think get real high off of ripping the bird out and chasing, these dogs are usualy pretty good dogs because they are full of fire, they just need to be shown a better way.

[Ryan]

Let him chase the birds he will figure out he cant catch them. THen you have to teach him that without you he cant get the bird.