Where I live my house backs up to a whole bunch of acres of open land with lots of quail in it. Its like a private wild quail training area for me as I've never seen another person working hunting dogs there.
I run my pup there daily. She is now 8 months old. Today we came across one of the coveys, she winded the birds, pointed until I got close, then they flushed. I estimate I saw 14 or so birds flush. She chased a pair that went in the opposite direction of the bulk of them so I let her be until she returned on her own.
I was hoping to see her work the immediate area of the original flush because I could here some calling but once she returned she started searching again into the wind instead of trying to locate the rest of the covey which flew down wind.
Since she's young I didn't want to badger her so I just let her do her thing. What I'm wondering is if I should have brought her to heel, circled far enough around down wind and sent her again OR should I expect a dog to do that on their own when they bust a covey.
I run my pup there daily. She is now 8 months old. Today we came across one of the coveys, she winded the birds, pointed until I got close, then they flushed. I estimate I saw 14 or so birds flush. She chased a pair that went in the opposite direction of the bulk of them so I let her be until she returned on her own.
I was hoping to see her work the immediate area of the original flush because I could here some calling but once she returned she started searching again into the wind instead of trying to locate the rest of the covey which flew down wind.
Since she's young I didn't want to badger her so I just let her do her thing. What I'm wondering is if I should have brought her to heel, circled far enough around down wind and sent her again OR should I expect a dog to do that on their own when they bust a covey.
