Dog started doing a "woodcock shuffle"?

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GSPRook
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Dog started doing a "woodcock shuffle"?

Post by GSPRook » Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:50 pm

I have a 2.5 year old female GSP. This is her second real hunting season (although she did have some wild birds shot over her in her puppy season) and we hunt mainly grouse and woodcock. Last year she had over 30 woodcock shot over her and she was a very steady dog. She was steady enough during training season last summer that she held a woodcock point for a solid 5 minutes of me trying to find her after my gps malfunctioned.

All of the sudden this hunting season she has started pointing woodcock, then "cat walking" around to the other side and pointing, and she continues this over and over. And when she is doing this "shuffle", she is flagging, which she never did before. I am 100% sure that not all of these woodcock are trying to walk out and she is simply relocating because I have literally watched the bird sitting there on the ground multiple times. She is not running in and taking them out, but it looks like she is flaunting the fact that she can move around these birds. But now the flagging really confuses me because I am quite certain that she does indeed know exactly where the bird is. If I do whoa her when she is doing this "shuffle", she will generally settle into a more normal point and look right at where the bird is.

To add another piece to the puzzle, she is doing a great job on grouse. No flagging, no antics, just solid points. And the same thing if I put pigeons out in a launcher; she hits hard points with no shuffle of flagging.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. She is my first pointing dog and I am feeling pretty lost on how to proceed. Thanks in advance for the help!

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bonasa
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Re: Dog started doing a "woodcock shuffle"?

Post by bonasa » Tue Oct 27, 2020 2:33 pm

A lot of them (woodcock) do run from a point. Some let their dogs self relocate, all good if dog doesn’t bump bird. Others want them steady until allowed to relocate, again that’s fine if they don’t bump the bird. Keep to the code and only shoot pointed birds, you will have one heck of a bird dog doing this. Although should you want them standing the flush or flush and shot, that is entirely up to you, however for grouse and woodcock it’s not a necessity. Good luck and have fun.

cjhills
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Re: Dog started doing a "woodcock shuffle"?

Post by cjhills » Tue Oct 27, 2020 3:49 pm

Some dogs seem to have a hard time with woodcock. I think they have very little scent. I have seen dogs nearly run them over. If she has not had many wood cock points this might go away as she gets more experience. If not a quiet caution might help.
I have dogs that flag on hen pheasants........Cj

GSPRook
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Re: Dog started doing a "woodcock shuffle"?

Post by GSPRook » Tue Oct 27, 2020 5:31 pm

Thank you both for the replies. I guess the part that has me so confused is that she did a great job on them in her first season. She never flagged and would stand for as long as it took for me to find her. Her training has remained the same, the only difference is that she now has had way more birds shot over her. There is a part of me that thinks this "shuffle" is her angling to get a better line on the bird for when it does flush.
I just wish I could ask her what the heck she is thinking :lol:
Thanks again for chiming in!

Max2
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Re: Dog started doing a "woodcock shuffle"?

Post by Max2 » Wed Oct 28, 2020 5:18 am

GSPRook wrote:
Tue Oct 27, 2020 5:31 pm

I just wish I could ask her what the heck she is thinking :lol:
Thanks again for chiming in!
I bet she might answer that she is just really reved ! I have always gotten a kick out of how these little athletes change as they age. Myself I wouldn't be all that bothered but stay the course you have been following to this "point " .Pun intended. Still young and I'm thinking she will figure it out .

Again my disclaimer - Just a simple foot hunter from upstate NY Enjoy !

GSPRook
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Re: Dog started doing a "woodcock shuffle"?

Post by GSPRook » Wed Oct 28, 2020 5:56 pm

Max2 wrote:
Wed Oct 28, 2020 5:18 am
GSPRook wrote:
Tue Oct 27, 2020 5:31 pm

I just wish I could ask her what the heck she is thinking :lol:
Thanks again for chiming in!
I bet she might answer that she is just really reved ! I have always gotten a kick out of how these little athletes change as they age. Myself I wouldn't be all that bothered but stay the course you have been following to this "point " .Pun intended. Still young and I'm thinking she will figure it out .

Again my disclaimer - Just a simple foot hunter from upstate NY Enjoy !
Thanks for the input. I would agree that she would probably answer that she is very reved! And I am also just a simple foot hunter from upstate NY!

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