It has been cool of the mornings but warms quickly. It does give me time to put some birds out for Gabe and Buck. Last week I hid pigeons in tip up release traps but this week I changed to release traps. Before hiding birds in the electronic traps I put the puppies on stake outs and released some birds, some from my hand and some from the Dogtra releases, real close to them to get them used to the sound of the traps. The didn’t act like they even heard the trap.
The release trap close to the puppies.
After I released them I let them smell the trap.
The puppies like the loose pigeons.
When I put the pigeons in the tip up releases I let the puppies jump in on the birds. This week I started flushing the pigeon as soon as I could tell they smelled the bird, if they didn’t stop and point. Letting them catch a few pigeons built their desire up. Now I want them to think that any movement on their part flushes the bird. We used to train on wild birds but now I have to use pigeons. That is what a wild bird would do.
Monday I had the puppies staked out near the kennel and rode the 4-wheeler down and hid the pigeons then came back and released Buck first. He took off to the training grounds and I didn’t really want him to get to the first bird before I could flush it so I ran. I gave up running many years ago but on this morning I had to run for each puppy. Since that first morning, I take the puppies to a chain gang that is closer, to the training grounds.
I have left long strips of grass to hide birds in on my side and on the neighbor’s side of the training grounds. Lucky for me when I got to where Buck was, he was waiting for me. We went on down the grass strip. I have been hiding the birds in tip ups in this grass so the puppies search them really well.
Buck hit the first scent cone and wheeled around, starting toward the pigeon. I flushed it and he stopped. I encouraged him to chase but he didn’t follow it very far. We went on down the next strip and again he wheeled toward the bird. This time he stopped for a moment. When he moved I flushed the pigeon. They were just 13 weeks old yesterday, so they can’t chase much but they do get excited about the pigeons.
I always go all the way to the back on each side to keep the puppies, I hope, from quitting a cast before they cover the end of the property. We turned and went to the neighbor’s side. As we came up the edge of a strip of grass he hit the scent cone and went toward it. I flushed the pigeon. He followed a few feet. I took him back to his stake.
I replaced the pigeons in the release traps and released Gabe to hunt. Again I had to run to keep close. I almost said to keep up but I didn’t keep up, I just stayed close. Gabe went down the grass strip but he was slinking most of the way. Sometimes they do this until they learn to trust their nose.
Another picture of the puppies on their stakes.
He was going slow when he hit the scent cone and he stopped. I watched him until he moved then flushed the pigeon. We went on down the grass strip until he smelled the next bird. He whirled around and started to the bird and I flushed it. He chased a few feet. After we checked out the very end of my side we went to the neighbor’s side.
When he hit the scent cone on the next bird he pointed. His tail was quivering but he wasn’t moving his feet. I had the transmitter on the wrong number to release this bird when he moved a few feet and went back on point. I changed the transmitter then waited for him to move again. This time when he moved I flushed the pigeon. I wish I never made mistakes but I do. Most of the time the dogs make good bird dogs despite my training. Good blood shows.
I worked both dogs two more days on birds hidden in exactly the same places. I wanted the puppies to anticipate there being a bird in the grass strip in the same place. This caused them to be real cautious but it also caused them to point. Not every time but some of the time. After they found the first bird each time they ran good, without the slinking that they did before they found the first.
Thursday morning I moved the release traps to edges of the clumps of brush. I will only use the strips of grass occasionally now. I also moved the puppies to a chain gang near the training grounds so I didn’t have to run to watch them on their first bird. Actually I moved them to the chain gang on Tuesday. I don’t want to run, ever.
Puppies chained to a stake.
Gabe is quieter on the chain gang than Buck is so I more often turn him loose first. Not always but more often. On Thursday morning I turned Buck loose first. Buck just knew where the birds were and headed for the grass strip. He pointed the place where I had hidden birds 3 mornings in a row. I walked on by him. He jumped into the grass strip then came on with me.
I walked him around a clump of brush that had a pigeon hidden in the edge. As he came through the scent cone he wheeled around and started for the pigeon. I flushed the pigeon but it hit a limb and dropped right beside the trap. Buck was a few yards from the pigeon and he rushed toward it. The pigeon flew away with him following for a short distance. We went on toward the next bird.
The next bird was near the back, along an edge. As we got close he was away from the edge so we went on to the back. As we came back close to the pigeon he hit the scent cone but went straight toward it. I flushed the pigeon. He stopped and watched it fly away. We went to the neighbor’s side.
We walked to the back and started back toward the front. Buck hit the scent cone on the pigeon but again went straight toward it. I flushed the pigeon. I try not to wait to see what will happen. If I flush the bird each time he will soon be more cautious and point. I hope. We went back to the chain gang.
Abby, the mom, watching the puppies play.
I reloaded the traps and turned Gabe loose. He did exactly like Buck. He started sneaking up on the place where I had hidden the bird 3 mornings in a row. I kept walking. He got in front of me after running through where the bird had been hidden. We came around a clump of brush and he hit the scent cone. He stopped with a nice point for about 3 seconds and moved toward the bird. I flushed the pigeon. He stopped and watched the bird fly away.
We went on toward the back. As we went by the scent cone he was checking the grass strip out where I had hidden birds before. We went to the back then turned back toward the front. As we came down the edge he hit the scent cone and went toward the pigeon. I flushed the bird. He chased a short distance. We went to the neighbor’s side.
When we got close to the next bird he didn’t give much indication that he smelled it. He was in the brush getting close to the bird so I flushed it. He watched it fly away. We went to the chain gang and I turned Buck loose to run with Gabe.
I rode the 4-wheeler to pick up the release traps. Buck is usually more bold than Gabe but with the 4-wheeler he isn’t. Gabe ran right in front of the 4-wheeler while Buck followed behind. They stayed that way all the way back to the kennel.
Mann the sire.
Today was the second day with the pigeons hidden in new places in the release traps. I put one pigeon on my side and 2 on the neighbor’s side. I turned Gabe loose from the chain gang first. Now they have more spots to check. Even puppies this young know each spot I have hidden birds for them before.
Gabe didn’t go slinking very long. He started checking the area. When we got where I had hidden the first bird he was on the wrong side of the field. We went on to the back, checked the end and came back. When we started over to the neighbor’s side he smelled the pigeon but wasn’t sure where it was. He started into the clump that held the bird and I flushed it. It was pretty thick and the pigeon came back to the ground. As Gabe went through the clump the bird flew away. He was right behind it for a few feet. We went on to the neighbor’s side.
We went to the back and circled the end. As we started along the edge he hit the scent cone and went toward the pigeon. I flushed it. He watched it fly away. We went on toward the front.
We got close to the front where the last bird was hidden. He started around the edge of the brush and smelled the pigeon. He moved toward it and I flushed it. He watched it fly away. We went back to the chain gang.
Tur Bo, the puppies great grandfather.
I reloaded the release traps and turned Buck loose. Buck smelled the first bird and went into the clump of brush toward it. I flushed the pigeon. He was in the clump and didn’t follow. We went on to the back, circled the end and went across to the neighbor’s side.
Buck went toward the back and when he hit the scent cone pointed. He didn’t stand long and when he took a step I flushed the pigeon. It hit the ground right beside the trap and Buck went after it. The pigeon ran a few feet then flew away with Buck chasing for a few feet. We went on toward the front.
Buck was about 35 yards ahead of me when he hit the scent cone on the next pigeon and pointed. I stopped, got my phone out and started videoing him. I didn’t try to get closer or say anything. I had the transmitter ready to flush the pigeon. He stayed on point for 15 seconds or so before he took a step. I flushed the pigeon. He went to the trap. We went to the chain gang and I released Gabe. They ran until we got back to the kennel.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
I hide these pigeons and the puppies hunt for them. When they point I don’t try to get close to the puppy or say anything. Sometimes doing nothing is the hardest thing to do but it’s exactly what the puppies need. They don’t need someone hollering “whoa” or brushing their tail up. Their mother and father put the tail where it’s going to be. The puppy has to figure out what is going on. They can’t chase very far so the only fun they get is pointing. I want them to think that any movement on their part will cause the bird to fly. They will learn to point for a longer period of time as they are worked on pigeons.