Training Young Dogs 9/12/14

Another cool morning. At 7:30 it was in the low 50’s. My kind of summer morning. I still haven’t built anything for the quail that I have in one of my pigeon coops. I have about 6 pigeons I can use in the other one, so I work all 3 young dogs on 2 birds each. I try each time to put the birds where the dogs have to hunt for them. I don’t have many new places to hide birds but I try to vary the places.

I worked Tur Bo last yesterday so I brought him out first this morning. He still wants to lead most mornings so I have to take the long way around to the 4-wheeler. When he gets ahead of me I go in the opposite direction. I started the 4-wheeler and released him with an okay.

I stayed on the main trail trying to get Tur Bo to run a little more before he pointed but he was checking all of the cover, as he should have, and pointed the first bird. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I kicked the cover then went to him and stroked his sides. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and released him.

He went straight to the next bird and was on point when I got there. I took more pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon he took 4 or 5 steps then stopped. I picked him up and carried him back. I kicked the cover and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and shoot the blank pistol. I shot 4 more times while I was kicking the cover and he didn’t move again. I went to him, stroked his sides and released him with a tap on the head. I let him run for a while before going back to the kennel.

I put the e-collars on Blaze and heeled her to the 4-wheeler. I started the 4-wheeler and released her with an okay. I thought she had missed the first bird but she had the scent from behind a tree that made her hard to see from my position. I walked in front of her kicking the cover then remembered that I had emptied the blank pistol with Tur Bo. She didn’t move while I reloaded then went back to kicking the cover. I shot the blank pistol without flushing the bird. Then I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I went to her and stroked her sides. I started the 4-wheeler and released her to hunt.

The wind had changed between dogs and she pointed the next one on the opposite side than Tur Bo had. I took more pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I shot the blank pistol and continued to kick the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I kicked the cover then went to her and stroked her sides. I tapped her on the head to release her. We went from the back to the front then to the back on my side and then to the kennel.

I put the e-collars on Luke and heeled him out near the 4-wheeler. Luke reminds me of a sprinter in the starting blocks. He stands still but he is poised to be the first one down the field. It doesn’t matter how many you turn out he’s going to be the first down the field. If I tried I think I could run the 4-wheeler fast enough to beat him to the first bird but I’m not sure. Most times when I get to the first bird he’s already on point. This morning was no exception. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. the pigeon had flown a short distance and lit in a tree. He was watching it as I kicked the cover. After I shot the second time the pigeon flew out of the tree. He still didn’t move. I stroked his sides then started the 4-wheeler and released him.

He hunted to the back and pointed the second bird. I took more pictures then walked in front of him. I kicked the cover and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. The pigeon flew right over his head real low and the only thing that moved was his head. It came up sharply but his feet never moved. I stroked his sides and tapped him on the head to release him. I let him run for a while before returning to the kennel.

I have said this before but these may be the most photographed dogs in existence. I took 25 pictures this morning and 35 yesterday. But it’s fun to do. Blaze found the quail in the pigeon coop this morning. There is a wire cage on the side of the pigeon coop. The quail were in the wire cage when Blaze came back to the kennel and I had to drag her away. She tried to go back to the pigeon coop on the way into the kennel. Pigeons are okay but they are nothing compared to quail. It won’t be long until we can hunt the real thing. I’m almost as anxious as the dogs are.