Remote launchers let the birds teach the dog to be steady to flush without putting any pressure on the dog. Steady means how well the dog stands still for a bird. There are different degrees of steady. Steady to flush means the dog is to stand still until the bird is in the air. Steady to wing means the dog is to stand still until the sound of the gunshot. Steady to wing and shot means the dog is to stand still until the handler walks up and releases the dog after the shot. For your average hunter (including myself) steady to flush is just fine.
If a dog could catch a bird everytime they smell one, they would never point. There would simply be no reason to. Our goal is to have the dog stop and stand still the moment he smells a bird. Instead of teaching him to point, we’re going to teach him that he can’t catch or crowd a bird. One of biggest mistakes people make is letting the dog move closer to a bird to establish a point.
Work the dog across the scent cone then launch the bird as soon as he makes a move towards it after he gets wind of it. Moving the dog across the scent cone, makes it very easy to see when he smells game. Don’t wait for him to point!! After a few repetitions, he will figure out that this tactic doesn’t work for him. He learns that his actions caused the bird to go up and the game is over.
Typically what will happen after a few unsuccessful attempts, they will start to point at first scent, then hold for a minute. Sooner or later, he will get antsy and try to take a step, as soon as he does launch the bird. After a few repetitions, most will stay steady until you start to walk in front of them, get antsy and try to take another step, as soon as he does launch the bird and walk him away from it. After a while they learn that taking that one step after making scent doesn’t work.
Here is a clip of Evie from 2007 (sorry about the poor video quality). She had been taught to stop at first scent with launchers. Watch how fast she stops when she smells a bird.
Here is a video of Arlie’s first couple launcher setups. We botched the first clip (didn’t get the bird in it) but you can hear when the bird goes up. Arlie picks up the scent at about the 6 second mark (very noticeable) and I launched the bird at about the 7 second mark when he took a step. In the second clip, my timing was way off! I let him take a couple steps after he made scent. Then I let him take one too many steps after pointing. I should have launched much sooner. Very sloppy on my part. In the third clip, my timing was much better. He stopped at first scent, pointed for a few seconds then took a step. As soon as he took the first step I launched the bird.
Here is a clip of my friend’s GSP, Gunner, learning not to crowd birds. Again, by working him across the scent cone it’s very obvious when he picks up the bird scent. I should have launched a split second sooner.