Transitioning a Dog from Training and Testing to Hunting Wild Birds

“Time’s up! Please turn in your exam,” announced my Biology 101 professor. Are you kidding me? There are time limits on tests? Did I even use the right study guide? Feelings of bewilderment and dejection swelled in me as I sheepishly handed over my first big test failure during my freshman year of college. It was a wake-up call to the fact that I wasn’t in high school anymore. Eventually, I figured out what it took to be successful, and I made my way through the course.

Just like a high schooler entering the real world, an accomplished dog in its testing doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be an accomplished dog on wild game. In fact, I can almost guarantee that there will be an adjustment period. Until the dog bridges the gap from training birds to wild ones, they’ll flounder. This begs the question: why do dogs sometimes struggle to make this transition? Also, what is our part as handlers in helping our dog make the transition? Here’s my reasoning behind why many dogs struggle finding and pointing birds during hunting season and some suggestions to help them transition.