bright1

3 weeks ago deer hunting a yellow lab jumped in my car.No I didn't steal her.She seams to be a mix of something.I think she is about 6 months old.She has been trained or else is a real natural.duck hunting she doesnt like the water but watches the ducks fly.pheasant hunting she chases the birds if they run. BUT POINTS IF THEY SIT TIGHT.I don't know much about labs but found this unusual.Is it normal for a lab to point.nose to the bird 1 leg in air solid tail.

Doc E

If she is a "mixed breed" who knows?

There are Pointing Labs. They are pure lab, and do everything that all labs do, plus they point.

Roost em 1st

You must have been living right. Did you shoot a B&C that same day?Have a picture for us to see? of the dog

2eagles

I'll reword what Doc E wrote... They do everything Labs do MINUS they point. I'll explain. I had a Lab that started pointing late in his life. It made me so mad because it cost me birds that instead of jumping in to retrieve a cripple, he would sometimes point the bird. By the time I'd kick him under the tail to make the retrieve, the bird would get away. My shorthairs were made to point - my Labs were made to retrieve. Jim

Doc E

Regardless of breed, a pointer should not point dead or point wounded.
If a dog is pointing dead or pointing wounded, he should definitely get the "boot in the butt" correction.

Roost em 1st

Hey, Before you go kicking em how about using the BACK or FETCH command. If you have a retriever that is trained they usually have one of these commands in their vocabulary. If they don't listen then I understand a physical correction. No sense risking a bruised toe if a command gets the job done.
I do agree though pointers point; retrievers retrieve.

Doc E

1. Most correct young grasshopper

2. Does this mean that pointers shouldn't retrieve?[]

Roost em 1st

Sure makes it easier when they do. The GSP I hunt are trained to point, back, and retrieve. This is very usefull when the 28 wings a bird that lands and tries to run to the next county. You won't catch me taking a shorthair to the duck blind though. I have been known to take my Chessie to the Upland field. I used to think she had learned how to point but DOC E wrote something about Holding birds or Standing Birds, maybe that is what she's started doing. All by herself though, nothing I taught her. How do I tell the difference? All I know is it wakes me up when I see her stop which I am grateful for since it affords me a bit of prep time before the bird goes up.

Doc E

My "point" precisely -- there's no reason pointers shouldn't retrieve and no reason that retrievers shouldn't point. The both are best at their respective "primary jobs", but they can both be pretty decent at their "secondary jobs" as well.

Roost em 1st

That's the way I see it too.