# Pointing?



## GrayWolf (Feb 19, 2006)

Erin is a resue and appears to be a full shep _but_ she has an odd play behavior. When she stalks birds, she stands stock still, lifts up her front paw and her tail is straight as a clothsline! Has anyone observed similiar behavior in their pups?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Yes and that was that dog that drove me crazy with breaking her from chasing and trying to kill critters.

The point is a normal part of the predatory sequence. So is the stare (border collies), the point (pointers), the chase, the bite, and the shake/kill


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## rebelsgirl (May 19, 2005)

Duke and Zoe both will point. It strange to watch. Mostly it's with birds on the fence.


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## GrayWolf (Feb 19, 2006)

I'm relieved to know Erin is within a "normal range." I believe she may've acquired this habit to entertain herself while she was found wandering in a rural area. My other shepherds "pointed," but didn't resemble a "pointer."


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

Niko has only ever done this once, if this is what you mean. He was looking at Rosa who was hiding behind some bushes hoping he would try to chase her.  He's probably not "pointing", I think I just caught him "pausing", LOL!


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## GrayWolf (Feb 19, 2006)

That's a gorgeous photo! The pose is almost identical, Erin actually held her tail straight out - not curled which I thought was odd.

I see by the photo you got a healthy dose of that winter storm too! Even though I'm in the city(Bronx) iI'm right off the Long Island Sound and Eastchester Bay and we caught ****! I shot some video with Erin. My backyard drifts were 8' - 10 ' high!


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

Thank you, that was taken on April 7th of this year, the last snow fall we had here that amounted to anything. Of course since then we've had nothing but rain! My brother lives in NYC and he was quite shocked at how much snow you guys got.

I've never seen Niko put his tail out straight like you describe. He's either relaxed and down, or excited and curled. He was excited in the picture, obviously.  I wonder if the straight tail is a pointer thing? I don't know anything about any breed other than GSDs.


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