Smell

[GrouseHunter22]

Can dogs smell a chuckar as well as they can a bobwhite or ruffed grouse? Or should you wait until a dog is more developed before introducing chuckar?

[doublea]

They should be able to smell both equally well. The diference you might be seeing in the scenting could have something to do with the typr and depth of the cover your planting the birds in. Remember Chuckar are a bit bigger than a Quail so it should stand to reason that the bigger the bird the more scent gets through deep grass. I hope that made sense...

[WildRose]

Smell intensity is going to depend greatly on a number of factors. If birds are in a very clean pen like wire bottomed where the feces falls through and get good clean food and water they'll have less body odor than those in dirtier conditions. Pigeons seem to me to be about the easiest bird to start dogs on because they are large and very dirty birds in general so they carry a lot of scent.

All things being equal though you'll find larger birds have more smell, smaller birds have less. I find it therefore easier to start a pup on the larger Chukar and Pigeons, and then move to quail which are much smaller and generally much cleaner birds and therefore harder to smell.

Hope that makes some sense. CR

[bigbyrd97]

How long would you use pigeons before switching to another bird? And what type would you use next? Quail, Chuckar?

[Rusti's Mom]

My trainer used both in the beginning. At the very start of training, he would let them chase the pigeons, as they could not catch them. Then he switched to Chuckar and Quail, which held better, so they were steady on point.

In some tests we have used both Chuckar and Quail as the dogs should be able to smell "bird". I am not sure that they can distinguish between the birds. Just my own opinion.

Pat