Most of last week I was sick with Covid-19. Luckily, it wasn’t severe as it can be but it was bad enough. I never felt terrible but I had absolutely no energy. I had this same stuff in January. I really don’t want this every 8 months or so. But to shorten a long story I’m back to training my young dogs this week. That makes my days much more enjoyable.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
Boss on whoa with a pigeon asleep in front of him.
This morning I threw the Dokken quail dummy for Mann and Sally. They seldom make a mistake because they know if they spit the dummy out too early or anything else the don’t get a treat or any petting. This keeps them pretty honest. I throw the quail for them usually about 4 times then let them run for a few minutes. I follow on the 4-wheeler.
After Mann and Sally I work the young dogs on retrieving. I had gone to the Dokken quail for them but their retrieving fell off. They don’t seem to like the larger dummies as well as they like the tennis ball. Actually, they both were doing so bad I almost gave up. Then I decided to just go back a step and try the tennis ball and make them jump on the tree stump before I took the ball from them.
It seemed to really help. They both were excited to retrieve again. I had quit requiring them to get on the stump to deliver the dummy but I went back to that, too.
It’s been my experience with the setters when they lose the dummy for some reason they are quick to quit and return to me. Not so with Abby. The first time I noticed her staying in the area and persistently looking, I threw a bumper that bounced into some brush and caught on a limb for a few seconds before it dropped. Abby was almost to it when it bounced into the bush but never noticed it catching in the bush. She looked all around the bush. Finally coming back to the front side where the dummy had dropped. She found it and scooped it up.
The next time was with the tennis ball. I threw the ball and it went under some bushes and into some heavy cover. She was out of my sight for a few minutes searching and didn’t return until she had found the ball. Sally might work this hard for a dummy but I know Boss won’t and Mann might not either.
Abby with a pigeon asleep in front of her.
Yesterday, after the retrieving drills with Abby and Boss I put 1 pigeon in a release trap on the training grounds. I kept 2 pigeons in the bird bag and heeled Abby out of the kennel area. I heeled her toward the front of my house, whoaing her occasionally. I crossed the yard and started toward the back. I whoaed Abby and put a pigeon to sleep right in front of her. I walked around the pigeon, went to her and stroked her sides. After a few seconds I flushed the pigeon.
Abby rushed to catch the pigeon. I have worked her in the past on this exercise and thought she would be steady. The pigeon got away cleanly and I whoaed Abby. It took her about 20 yards to finally stop. I led her back and whoaed her in the exact spot she had been in. I styled her up and petted her before heeling her away.
We went about 50 yards and I whoaed her again. I placed another pigeon in front of her, asleep. I stroked her sides and told her what a good girl she is. I walked around the pigeon. I stroked her some more then holding the Wonder lead I rolled the pigeon over with my foot. The pigeon flew away and Abby didn’t move. I stroked her some more then heeled her away.
When we got close to the 4-wheeler I whoaed her. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear then said, “okay”. Abby was gone like a shot. They all know when there is a bird on the training grounds and it really speeds them up.
The picture of Boss that I put on Facebook.
So the dogs will hunt really hard I always ride both sides of the training grounds. That helps keep them from just following the 4-wheeler tracks. Abby didn’t waste much time on my side but cut across to the neighbor’s side. When I caught up she knew there was a bird close but she kept going over the same area to the north of the bird. After a few passes on the wrong side she hit the scent cone and locked up.
When Vince and I shot some of the pigeons over them Abby moved a couple of times on her birds. Putting the birds to sleep in front of her and working her on the birds in release traps should stop this. On this bird she didn’t move. I stroked her sides then flushed the pigeon. She was steady until the bird was in the air which is all that I require on my hunting dogs. But since I’m making her stand with the pigeon asleep in front of her I will make her stay on pointed birds until I tap her head from here out. I let her run back to the kennel.
I reloaded the bird bag and the one release trap. I heeled Boss toward the front yard. Abby really wants to catch a pigeon or any bird but Boss just wants to point them. Even after not having done this exercise for at least 6 months Boss was steady on his first bird. He may have taken a small step but he didn’t really try to chase. I stroked his sides then heeled him away.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
On his second bird he was more steady. When I awoke it, it flew into a tree just a few feet away. Boss just stood taller and watched the bird. After a few seconds I heeled him away. When we got near the 4-wheeler I whoaed him. He stood for me to get on the 4-wheeler, start it and put it in gear. When I said, “okay” he was gone.
He too, after just a short search on my side went to the neighbor’s side. He was on the north side when we got to the back and as he rimmed the end of the field he hit the scent cone and locked up. He was well off this bird. I took a picture then went to him and stroked his sides. He looked really good and I put this picture of him on Facebook. I flushed the pigeon and he stood for a few seconds before he chased a little way. We will work on them being steady after the flush.
Boss, stretched out, pointing a pigeon.
I will work these two on the pigeons over the next few weeks on being steady to wing and then I will bring the blank pistol. It shouldn’t take long to get them steady to wing and shot on pigeons. In fact they will be steady to wing and shot here but not on wild birds. Or at least that’s how it’s worked for the other dogs that I’ve trained steady to wing and shot.