Not Using Nose

[britspan]

My brit is now almost a year and half. She's been going on some dove shoots with me and she clearly isn't using her nose. She will pass right over a dead dove wagging her tail as if she smells it but she can't pinpoint the scent. I tried walking her into a retrieve so the wind was at her nose etc. and it still took her a bit to find the dove. Does anybody have any tips on improving this?

[kninebirddog]

what happened the first time she retrieved a dove...if she got a mouth full of feathers and didn't like it, she is more then likely trying to avoid the dove and blinking it

I would just go to game birds and until her desire to retrieve is stronger..I wouldn't mess with the doves JMHO

[britspan]

Thanks for the tip.. She has been on doves since she was about 4 months old, and has a really high desire to retrieve them. I train her on pointing with pigeons and quail, but it beats any purpose if I can't get her to use her nose. If she hasn't found out to retrieve by her nose, then I really am worried about her using her nose pointing and not site pointing. Do you think this will just come with time seeing that she is still young? I think all pups have to learn to use there nose, I'm just seeing if you guys have any tips that you have done to speed it up?

[Sharon]

My brit is now almost a year and half. She's been going on some dove shoots with me and she clearly isn't using her nose. She will pass right over a dead dove wagging her tail as if she smells it but she can't pinpoint the scent. I tried walking her into a retrieve so the wind was at her nose etc. and it still took her a bit to find the dove. Does anybody have any tips on improving this?

I would bet money that it isn't a nose problem. She doesn't want to pick up dead birds for one of 20 possible reason. Your task is to figure out the reason based what you know of what has gone before.
In one way or enough , dove shoots seem to "hurt' a dog's progress.

[DonF]

I'd bet it isn't a nose problem myself. How does she do on the birds you train on? I've seen a lot of dogs that would not retrieve doves, loose feathers.

[britspan]

She uses her nose on other birds and usually will point a dove if we walk up on one, I just don't understand why she wouldn't want to retrieve it but she will point it. I guess now that I think about it, it probably is the loose feathers on the doves..

[DonF]

You just told us she uses her nose. The problem is the dove. I haven't hunted doves in years and when I did, I did not use a dog. Loose feathers! By the way, I do know that there are dogs that will retrieve them.