How does your dog handle runners?

[Idaho Ron]

Some discussion on another thread prompted me to ask this question. How does your dog handle runners? Also what kind of birds are these runners?
I hunt a lot of Chukar. My pup will lock solid at first scent from a long way out. Whe she is a long way out she will turn her head to look for me. I know then the birds are way out in front. When I get up to her her tail will be slowly wagging, and when I am next to her she will start to relocate. If the scent is hot she will creep until she gets to 25 to 30 yards away from the birds. If the birds are trying to end run us and head for the canyon she will try to circle them and cut them off. This keeps them away from the canyon, and keeps them on top for better shooting.
Like I said at about 25 to 30 yards her tail is not moving at all. She is locked solid and will not move from there even through the flush. Once the shooting begins she goes after the retrieve.
Do some of you let your dogs flush? Why?
Do you make the dog stay on point even if the birds are gone? Why?
Thanks Ron

 

[Ithaca 37]

No, I never let the dog flush the birds. If I know the birds have walked or run away I sometimes make her stay on point until I get there and then release her to re-locate on the birds. If they're going up a steep hill I might even not release her until I'm way ahead of her up the hill, so I'll be closer when she finds them again.

Running birds are tough to deal with and lots of things can go wrong. For instance, if one bird decides to hunker down and hide and the dog is concentrating on the birds running up ahead and bumps the one that hid, the rest might get nervous and flush when the first one does. Lots of scent spread around from lots of chukars running can make a tough mess for a dog to figure out. Inadvertant bumps can't be helped sometimes.

 

[T Bone]

My GSP will lock, then creep until she is close to the bird then lock again. I love watching her when they run. All her senses are focused.

When she is close to a bird, her tail stops moving. When they are a ways out her tail wags.

I wish to heck I could smell elk like she can smell birds.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

My best shorthair would work far out in front of me and work her way back. She usually managed to trap quail or chukar between us, and she would do the same thing if she found out that pheasant were running ahead of us. Being whistle-trained, I would blow, she'd look back at me and I would wave the direction for her to go, or to come back.

I could tell by her tail how far the birds were in front of her - if they were up close or a whole covey under her nose, her tail would bristle like a bottle brush. If her tail was smooth, then the bird(s) were a little ways in front of her.

Damn, I miss that dog.

 

[Quick Draw]

Well my dogs run up and down the fence barking and raising cane. One of them has a basket ball that he has in his mouth while he shakes his head back and forth and growling. Its fun ot watch...LOL
Quick Draw

 

[Idaho Ron]

Real funny QD, Real funny. Leave it up to a kid to find a different interpretation.

Ron