# Dove hunting with a pointer pup, good idea?



## KrisC (Jul 27, 2012)

I was wondering, wanting opinions, on wheither or not it is a good idea to take a GSP puppy(10month) dove hunting? She has never been quail/pheasant hunting so this would be her first time hunting. I don't have much experience with pointing dogs and wonder if it will mess up her pointing upland birds if the first thing she hunts are doves. She points my quial pen, launcher and birds in the yard pretty good. She is also whoa trained and retrieves like a machine. I have worked with her daily since 8wks of age but I am now at the point where I need to take her hunting and I want to be careful not to ruin all the training I have done thus far.

any advice/opinions/experiences would be greatly appreciated,

KC


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## keenansnyder (Jan 25, 2006)

i would be hesitant to do so with doves. Doves have a "fright molt." that means they will lose a lot of feathers when shot. This leaves your dogs mouth full of feathers and that can turn a dog off to retrieving it.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Another issue may be that doves generally won't hold so the dog would be constantly flushing the birds with little opportunity to point them.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

I would avoid it like the plague until the dog has atleast one year of gunning pheasants.... my fear would be the dog not understand why the shooting is going on and getting gunshy...I've had to fix several gun shy dogs that got that way at a dove shoot.


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

I hunted my GWP Remy on doves at 4 months. Didn't seem to wreck him at all. Of course I first made sure he wasn't gun shy, and he'd had some prior bird contact with pigeons, just to build the drive.

I think if you go out there just to give him bird contacts, and make sure you keep the day fun and expectations low, I see no problem with it. Just bring lots of water to wash your dog's mouth of feathers, and because it's probably going to be hot as blazes, anyway.


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