I have to ask...

[Double Shot Banks]

Okay,
I am not here to argue, but i always wondered why people never train pointing dogs to sit, i understand why they teach them to "Woah" but why NOT sit?
All the old timers say you "never teach a pointer to sit" why is that?
Thanks
Isaac and Banks

[SetterNut]

They are afraid that the dog under pressure will sit.

[EvanG]

There is what I believe an archaic, unfounded, but pervasive belief that obedience to command will negate, or at least reduce an independent hunt in a pointing dog. That would only be so if the training was unbalanced or over done. But I believe that is the rationale. I've hunted over many obedient pointing dogs with great independent hunt to believe that, but of course they were appropriately trained.

EvanG

[deseeker]

If your pointing dog sits in a trial, they order him picked up. If he sits it a hunt test, you won't get a passing score. SetterNut is right, it is usually due to pressure or taking too long to get a bird flushed.

[SHORTFAT]

Is that why they call them "Setters"???

[birddog1968]

I;ve got no problem teaching them to sit or heel after they are birddogs thru and thru....but not before.


That said i've never seen a reason to teach a pointing dog sit or formal heel. It's a control thing and i don't feel the need. After all they know Whoa, if i want them
to stand still, why would i need them to sit?

[brad27]

That said i've never seen a reason to teach a pointing dog sit or formal heel. It's a control thing and i don't feel the need. After all they know Whoa, if i want them
to stand still, why would i need them to sit?

+1

[Double Shot Banks]

Thanks for explaining things guys!
Isaac and Banks

[Qwernt]

Is that why they call them "Setters"???

Risking going on a tangent...
Setting is actually crouching to the point of laying down, just doing so very intensely. It was bread into the setting breeds (and most of the original brittany lines) so that the hunter could net the prey without getting the dog involved. Why a net? most of the smaller hunting breeds were owned by people who didn't own land.