Over the years I have heard the comment that Pointers and Setters do not make good retrievers and should not be expected to retrieve. This seems something unique to Australia and the United Kingdom. Pointers and Setters have been retrieving in Europe and elsewhere, including North America, since their introduction in the 1800s. Our close neighbour New Zealand is a case in point where all pointing breeds compete against each other. And there are many hunters in this country that use these breeds as efficient game finders and retrievers.

Apart from getting rid of the knockout system, the best thing that happened in Pointer & Setter field trials in Australia was to introduce retrieving as an alternative to the seek dead. Some people have been opposed to retrieving possibly because they haven't known how to train a Pointer to do it properly. Very few dogs do a seek dead well and fewer still enjoy doing it. This can be easily demonstrated by going to a field trial and seeing that dogs which retrieve usually mark the fall of game better and perform their task quicker than dogs doing a seek dead.

Under the old rules, most Pointers had to be trained not to retrieve. Over the years I have seen handlers on their knees trying with one hand to catch a wounded bird and with the other attempting to stop the dog from grabbing it - because with the seek dead, mouthing the bird is an elimination.

Today while the majority of handlers prefer the retrieving option, some dogs do not always perform it well. With these thoughts in mind I have been prompted to set out how I train Pointers to retrieve with the hope that what has worked for me will assist other handlers interested in the breed, both hunter and field trialler.

A pup should be selected on its breeding and by that I mean that it should come from stock with demonstrated working ability, not necessarily a field trial background because most Pointers, given the chance, are capable of serving their original purpose. An important quality is trainability.

On getting a new pup home I give him time to settle into his new surroundings and spend as much time with him as possible, including playing with him in his run. I make a dummy out of an old glove or something similar and sitting near the entrance to his kennel, I wave it about to get him excited and then throw it toward the end of his run, about three metres. The pup automatically wants to go and fetch it and run back into his box with it. As I am sitting near the door I can gently take it from him, making a big fuss, and repeat the action a couple of times. This is his first lesson - the pup is being conditioned to pick up and carry a dummy. To him it is a game he enjoys and he looks forward to the next session. It is most important that all training is done when the pupil is in a receptive mood or it will be a waste of time. Different types of dummy can be tried until you find one that excites the pup and you can also vary them. This game is played twice a day with no more than four retrieves and no commands given except "here". As time goes on the pup learns what "here" means - that is, coming to you.

I also take the youngster into the field, but that is another story. Here I will concentrate on the retrieving side of things. By the time the pup is four or five months old, retrieving can be taken outside the dog run and a new type of dummy introduced. This dummy is made of hardwood with two pigeon wings attached with strong rubber bands, trimmed so they do not go past the end of the wood, otherwise the pup is likely to grab the protruding ends instead of the centre of the dummy. Again this is waved around to excite the pup and thrown a short distance, four or five metres, and the command "here" is used. As the pup picks up the dummy you squat down and call out "here" a number of times. The pup should come straight in to you as he has been conditioned to do in his run, but always remember to squat down as you give the command. If the weather is right the pup should also be allowed to retrieve from water using the same method, only three or four retrieves at a time, starting at the water's edge and increasing the depth as the pup gains confidence.

Along with allowing him to run in the field doing his own thing, this simple retrieving is all I do for the next three or four months.

When the pup is nine to ten months old and developing nicely mentally and physically, I start control training. I get him to sit on a voice command and then on the whistle. I use only two whistle commands - one is to sit and the other is to turn or come in. I do not consider a dog is trained to control until he will sit on the whistle at least 100 metres out and also turn or come in at that distance.

I get the dog to sit and step back a couple of metres facing him and throw the dummy, keeping my eyes on the dog for of course he will want to break as I throw the dummy. In a sharp voice I say "sit" (tone of voice is important) and because I am facing the dog I am in a position to stop any attempt at breaking. In my opinion the command "sit" is the most important because if taught properly it will give you control of every situation. The command "fetch" is then introduced.

The dog is now conditioned to pick up the dummy, and come to you on the command "here". He knows what "sit" means, so as he comes back to you, squat down and place one hand under his jaw so he can't drop the dummy, give the command to sit and press down gently with your other hand on his rump so that he will sit on delivery to hand. Also the very important command "hold" is introduced at this time, and then "give".

If the dog is reluctant to hand over the dummy, there is no need to use harsh methods. Just place your thumb inside his mouth and push towards the back - this will act as a wedge and he will have to open - using the command "give", "give".

When all the above has been achieved with patience and perseverence, the dog is ready for the next stage.

This involves the use of frozen birds, first pigeons and later quail. I sit the dog and walk out 30-40 paces, put the bird down and walk back, and send him for the retrieve, again only three or four times - no more. After a few days of this exercise, I make the dog carry the frozen bird in his mouth while on the lead, repeating the command "hold". He is being conditioned to hold the bird in his mouth. We then move on to fresh birds doing the same thing. The reason for this exercise is to avoid hard mouth. The procedure is repeated again using quail. (Any gundog can be hard mouthed - and this can be avoided by careful training. It is wise not to take any risk.)

As our quail is so small that it can fit wholly inside a dog's mouth, it is important to take the trouble to follow this procedure if you want your Pointer to be a reliable retriever. This can all be done in a backyard. Fur also can be introduced at this point.

The final stage. Out in the paddock the dog is ranging and quartering nicely, going full gallop, and then slams on point. I walk up to him, order "flush"; as the bird rises he sits as he has been trained to do. Once the bird is down, I put the lead on him, give the command "fetch" and walk him out. He picks the bird up, I say "hold", "hold", "sit" and "give", and make a great fuss of him, telling him how good he is. I then drop the bird on the ground, order "fetch" and walk the dog carrying the bird in his mouth for a distance. I do this with the first few birds because with the dog on the lead I am in full control. If the bird is wounded it means I can make sure that the dog handles it right, avoiding the possibility of hard mouth and also training him not to roll a bird in his mouth.

Some dogs will spit the bird out as they do not like feathers sticking to their tongue or inside their mouth. If this happens, sit the dog and put the bird back in his mouth and walk him around on the lead carrying the bird. Every time he drops it, put it back and continue to do this until he will accept every shot bird and retrieve cleanly to hand.

Training will have its ups and downs, but with patience and perseverance, for the rest of his working life you will have a Pointer that will be a real pleasure to hunt or trial. Retrieving also makes more options available to you outside the game bird and field trial season.

Bruno Pollini has been involved in hunting and fishing since early boyhood. He has trained eight Field Trial Champions and his dogs have won six Victorian Pointer & Setter Championship Stakes.

The above article was published in "Feathers & Fur" -
Issue 30 May/June/July 2002

Go to: FT Ch. & F Ch. Montenero Furey NRD