(Question)
Last Saturday was successful for our first time going to NAHVDA training. Our puppy was on the chain gang for the first time.
I was told he is a bold pup. He flash pointed, and then did a point on a pigeon. The guys say he is ready for remote pigeon release.


(Answer)
I'm so happy to hear your first NAVHDA experience is a positive one. There's a wealth of knowledge there and I'm sure they'll give you lots of good mentoring. If you have the only Small Munsterlander in your Chapter, you'll need to be sure to tell the people you're working with that SM's don't have as strong a pointing instinct as do Shorthairs and many of the other pointing breeds. Therefore, it's extremely important that your puppy not catch many birds, or he'll likely stop pointing and then you'll have to correct that problem, which takes time. Also, you can't put a lot of pressure on him when he's young to be steady, or he may stop pointing (he might even start lying down in front of birds). And generally, running your young SM on a checkcord while searching for birds isn't a good idea, because it can weaken his point (lose staunchness and intensity).