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Barking on point

I have a 14mth old GSP I use to mainly hunt deer. He hunts very close to me in thick bush and cover. I have him pointing deer for me once he scents them yards of us. The problem is he often barks on point (especially once he sights them) alerting every deer in the area of our where-a-bouts. The most frustrating bit is when he points other fur such as opossums and then barks when I try to call him off. How do I stop this barking on point? I'm worried that if I correct him (with say an electric collar) he will associate the correction with the deer. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Carl Slade

Carl,

This is the hound side of your shorthair coming out. As you are aware, the shorthair was created by combining hounds and pointers. I have never heard of anyone trying to hunt the way you are, but the shorthair is a versatile dog so I don't see why it shouldn't work as long as it's legal where you hunt. What you're going to have to do is teach the dog a "quiet" command, and then set him up in training so you can correct him. In other words, try to create situations in training where he will bark using animal skins, dead critters or such. Give him the command to quiet, and then if he barks again, try using a squirt bottle. Be creative and try as many ways to work the command as you can think of. It will take some patience, but I think you'll see him catch on. Then, after he knows the command, you can probably use the collar in the field if necessary. He will know the correction is for disobeying the command, not the animal.

good luck,

Jack


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