My GSP is breaking at flush on pheasants - tried everything!
My 4-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer has been steady to wing and shot on quail and chukar, but when we switched to wild pheasants this season, he's breaking hard at the flush. I've tried check cords, e-collar conditioning at low levels, and even went back to basic whoa training. He's hunting over a Beretta A400 Xtreme with Federal Premium 3" #5s at 1450 fps. Anyone else deal with this specific transition?
1 Answer
That's a classic problem with high-drive GSPs on wild birds - pheasants just get them too amped up. What worked for me was using a remote launcher with pheasant wings during training sessions, focusing on the flush as the trigger point for reinforcement. Keep the e-collar on a low continuous setting (like a 2 on a Dogtra 280C) during actual hunts as a reminder, and be ready to nick if he even thinks about moving. Have you tried working him with a buddy's steady dog to show him the ropes? Sometimes seeing another dog hold point through the chaos is the best lesson.
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