Question: My German Wire-hair has taken to biting people. He first nipped a neighbor when he was eighteen months old. He's now three and I'm afraid he may hurt someone. He's fine with the family but is very aggressive around friends or neighbors, and guards my house and truck. What can I do to stop this behavior?

Art P., Marquette.

Answer: The Wire-hair was bred to guard as well as hunt. You apparently have a dog that has the old instincts bred into the breed years ago. I have owned many Wires and love the breed for what it is, but the fact is that many of them have social problems. I found an old book one time that described the different hunting breeds and their characteristics. The German Wire-haired Pointer was described as a sound hunter and tracker, reliable with the family but needing to be removed and contained when guests were over. The book described the breed as not to be trusted around strangers.

American breeders have been working to improve the temperament of the Wire-haired Pointers.

You might try a basket muzzle, containing the dog around strangers and leashing when outside of the house. It has been my experience that once a dog starts biting people, there is no returning to normal. There seems to be a mental barrier to biting people. Once the dog has crossed this line, I never trust them again. It is my opinion that the dog should be put down.

Charlie Linblade

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Question: I am having trouble working my German Short-haired Pointer on hand signals and blind retrieves. He will not take lines, preferring to hunt his way out to where I send him. I have tried leading him out in a straight line with no results and have taught him to stop on a whistle blast so that I can redirect him, but then he goes right back to hunting when released. Any suggestions on how to straighten out his lines?

Glen D., Royal Oak.

Answer: Interesting question... You sound like a retriever man with his first pointing dog. What you are struggling with are the basic differences between a “retriever” and a “pointer”. Pointers are bred to busily search for game with their scenting powers. Of course, a good “pointer” will use their eyes and ears as well, but their nose is their primary tool. Retrievers, on the other hand, are bred to visually spot and mark flying objects, namely birds. Of course, a good retriever will use its nose when need, as with wounded game that may be trying to avoid capture.

I have had similar problems with my own pointing dogs when waterfowling. I have owned and hunted waterfowl with German Short-hairs, German Wire-hairs, and Wire-haired Pointing Griffons. Most of the time, I allow the dog to get to the mark in its preferred fashion, usually by quartering a hunting pattern. A few of the dogs were capable of taking straight-line casts once I established a pattern with them of going straight away until I blew the stop whistle. This would be done when the dog was just short of the object to be retrieved. I would then direct the dog into the dead bird. Do this with the wind to your back so that the do doesn't smell the dead bird.

To train for the initial cast, have a helper angle the bird away about ten to fifteen yards. Now send the dog, stop it at the helper, and direct the dog to the fallen bird. When the dog is able to do the fifty-yard drill well, lengthen the distance by about twenty-five yard. Practice, then lengthen it gradually until you are at about a hundred-and-fifty yards. This may take several weeks. Now the concept has been built with the dog. Have your helper go back to the fifty yard mark and hide the bird fifteen yards behind where the helper is standing at the fifty yard mark. Send the dog, stop him at the helper, and direct him to the bird. Lengthen this drill out and remember that the helper will have to hide the bird each time without the dog seeing each time. Once this has been done satisfactorily, start the drill over at the fifty yard line without the helper. I have found that dead birds instead of dummies will keep the dog's interest up. I also rotate in a fresh dead bird every three to four retrieves.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

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Question: I'm working with my five-month-old English Pointer pup on retrieving birds. The problem I'm having is that she doesn't want to bring me the birds and she'll sometimes run off and bury the bird. Is this normal and what can I do to change this behavior?

Andy T., Adrian.

Answer: I'm not sure that this could be called normal, but I've seen this type of reaction many times before. I believe it is based in a deep desire for birds, which is a good thing, and a possessiveness for this treasure makes them unwilling to share it with you. To correct this reaction to game, you must not run this dog with other dogs when birds are to be shot. By having another dog present, you'll only increase the possessiveness. I recommend using a check cord of at least twenty feet on the pup when working on retrieving. Throw a dead bird for the pup and allow it to pick up the bird while you hang on to the cord. Once the pup has the bird in its mouth, cheerfully tell the bird ‘fetch' and then ‘come'. Praise the pup while you reel it in to you, even it is struggles against the cord. Once you have the pup back to your side, continue to praise it while you hold the bird. Allow the pup to mouth and sniff the bird while you hold it. Now throw the bird about ten feet away and tell the pup to fetch again, repeating the process. Do so several times, and do this for three to four days in a row, then go out without the check cord. Usually, more bird contact will ease the problem. Don't become harsh or cross with the pup, for fear it'll stop retrieving all together.

Question: I cannot get my German Wire-hair to point birds. She is eighteen months old and was hunted last season, but did not point any of the birds we shot. What should I do?

Craig R., Traverse City.

Answer: Usually with this type of problem, a professional trainer should be called upon for help. But please don't call me. I know the breeder you purchased the dog from and he has been selling problem dogs for many years. His dogs have a multitude of different problems, from being timid to being overly aggressive to the point of biting their owners. I will not work with any dogs from his kennel.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Question: I have purchased an electronic collar to train my German Short-haired Pointer with. He is fourteen months old and getting harder and harder to control in the field. Some days he will not come to me or let me catch him. Last week, my wife let him out and he ran away for four hours. Can you give me any advice to stop this? My vet says to neuter him.

Tracy D., Saginaw.

Answer: Take the money you were going to spend on neutering and buy an invisible fence system. This is a buried cable that, in conjunction with an electronic collar, will give the dog a warning buzzer when he reaches your property boundaries. If he does not heed the warning, he will be given a pre-determined electronic stimulus to make him avoid the boundaries and stay in your yard. This will allow you and your family to let the dog out without the fear of him running away, and might very well save his life. Then, you need to buy a separate electronic collar that will administer similar stimulus when you press a button, to enforce the ‘come back' in the field. Don't fret, this is very common in dogs his age. I would also recommend using a collar that has a remote beeper feature. This way, when you are in the field with him, you can press the remote beeper button to get an audible tone and determine where he is. These two systems will be useful throughout the dog's life. I recommend you set up an appointment with me for instruction on how to properly use the collar in the field. 

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Question: I read and enjoy your articles in Woods N Waters magazine. I wondered if you could help me with a problem that I have with our new puppy. We have a five-year-old male Lab that is the best dog I've ever had or hunted over. Five weeks ago, we got a seven-week-old female lab. At twelve weeks, she is learning the basics; sit, stay, come. She has her own crate to be kept in throughout the day when we aren't home.

    My daughter is the first one home. She lets her outside to do her business, but when I get home and both dogs meet me at the door, happy to see me as usual, the puppy always relieves herself when I bend down to greet her. She does have the house training down pretty good. Why does she do this and will it stop? I don't remember any of the dogs I've had doing this. What should I do?

Dean S.

Answer: I would see your vet for a check-up to make sure that there are no health issues first. Your pup is going through a submissive period and sees you as the dominate one in your house. You should let her outside when you get home and pet her there. I think that this will go away with age, but recommend that you take her outside alone for some rough-housing and physical play on a regular basis. She needs to gain confidence. Also, try using a higher-pitched voice with her for a while.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Question: I have a four-year-old Golden Retriever who has been gun shy for a couple of years. I am wondering if he can be broke of it or it is too late?

Ricard C.

Answer: Gun shyness is a created problem with most dogs, usually created by mistakes made by the owner. Not knowing the background of the problem, the breeding of the dog, or the circumstances involved, I'm sorry, but I cannot help you, sight unseen.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training

Question: I have an eight-month-old female English Setter. My problem is that she hunts too close to me and acts timid at new places. She doesn't hit the cover when we are out but instead stays on the trail with me. I hate to get rid of her but I would like a dog with more fire. What can I do?

Question: Is there a cure for gun shy dogs?

Toni R., Allen Park.

Answer: Sometimes. I don't think there is a cure for every case. First, it needs to be determined if the dog is truly gun shy, normally a man-made condition, or simply noise-sensitive. Some dogs don't like loud noises and need to be conditioned to them. Some dogs have been improperly introduced to gunfire and were scared by the exposure. Some dogs are afraid of storms or fire crackers and then mistakenly labeled ‘gun shy.'

The bottom line with either case is, does the dog have desire for game? If so, it has a chance at recovery. My four-year-old Chessie was noise-sensitive as a pup. Even the sound of a 22 caliber blank gun would scare him. It took months of exposure to game before his desire for game overcame his fear of noises. First, peak the dog's desire for game with no rules. Allow it to chase and catch birds for a while. It make take weeks or even months. Once it's pumped for birds, start introducing noise after the flush and while the dog is chasing. I use a .410 shotgun and I only shoot once per session, in the beginning. Your timing and ability to under the dog's reactions are critical. Most times, this is better off left to a professional.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training