Tur Bo
Blaze
Lucky
The last time I worked Tur Bo on pigeons he came up lame. At the end of the work out he was carrying his left rear leg. I never thought much about it. Dogs do this from time to time. Saturday when I cleaned pens I turned all of the dogs into a big pen that surrounds my kennels. All of the dogs were running back and forth in pen. Tur Bo ran toward the back and I heard him yelp then start carrying his left rear leg. By the time I finished cleaning pens and filling feed pans he was no longer carrying the leg. I stopped at his kennel before returning to the house and he stood on his hind legs as I petted him.
On Sunday I turned them into the big pen as I cleaned kennels and he was just fine. He ran back and forth with the other dogs with no discomfort. Monday afternoon I decided to run him to see if there was any problems. I turned him loose and we went to the retrieving bench. He jumped onto the bench and I had him hold a retrieving dummy. He hasn’t been force broke but I’ve worked him on hold and give. He ran up and down the bench with no problem. I put him on the ground and he jumped back on the retrieving bench before I could take a step. I put him back on the ground and we started toward the back of my yard. He had only gone about 50 yards when he yelped and started carrying his rear leg.
I put him in the truck and started to the Independence Animal Hospital. As I drove I thought about a friend of mine’s dog that had to have an operation on his ACL. I figured that was what Tur Bo had. My friend spent a lot of money getting his dog fixed.
Dr. Becker checked Tur Bo then had me lead him around as he watched him move. By this time he was using all 4 legs just fine. Dr. Becker said he just had a pulled muscle. I said he jumps on and off his house all day long. He should be in really good shape. Dr. Becker said that’s who pulls muscles. Athletes. Old guys don’t pull muscles. I got to thinking about it and I haven’t pulled a muscle in a long time. He told me not to run him for a while so I’m going to work the young dogs on the retrieving bench.
I put the e-collar around Tur Bo’s neck and heeled him to the retrieving bench. After he jumped onto the bench I walked him up and down the bench petting him. I want all of the dogs to enjoy being on the bench so I do a lot of petting. I have worked with Tur Bo a little while on the hold and give commands. He is a natural retriever and learning the hold and give commands gets him to not drop the bird before he gets to me and he drops it when I say give.
I opened his mouth and put a retrieving dummy behind his canine teeth. I held his mouth shut telling him to hold. After I few seconds I said give and held the end of the retrieving dummy until he moved his head away from it. I went through several repetitions with three different bumpers. I set him back on the ground and heeled him back to the kennel. I don’t let my dogs jump to the ground. This way I get to say when the session is over not them jumping down and running around.
I put the e-collar on Blaze’s neck and heeled her to the retrieving bench. She jumped onto the bench and I went through my petting ritual. Blaze has been worked on the bench before so I placed 3 bumpers on the other end of the retrieving bench. I put the dogs on whoa while I place the bumpers. I pointed and said fetch. Blaze moved down the bench but her mouth wouldn’t open wide enough to pick up the first bumper until I tapped her with the e-collar on level 3. Her mouth flew open and she picked it up and trotted down the bench to me. We went through several repetitions while I tried to get pictures. She had no trouble getting her mouth around any of the bumpers after the first one. I set her on the ground and let her run to the back of the training grounds then back to the kennel.
I put the e-collar on Luke and heeled him to the retrieving bench. He jumped onto the bench and we went up and down with me stopping him and petting every few feet. I put him on whoa and placed 3 bumpers on the other end of the bench. Luke does every thing fast. Really fast. I pointed and said fetch. He ran down the bench and was back in an instant. I got some pictures but it was hard. The bench is only 16 feet long so I don’t have much time. Once a round bumper rolled down the bench until it hit another bumper. He ran down and tried to pick them up and lost them both when he whirled to come back. I petted him anyway. He tried. I set him on the ground then let him run to the back then back to the kennel.
Lucky and Dolly don’t get to play as often as the young dogs do so I put the e-collar on Lucky and heeled him to the retrieving bench. He’s been force broke so this is old hat to him. I walked him up and down the bench petting him every few feet. I put him on whoa and placed the bumpers at the other end of the bench. I pointed and said fetch. He trotted down the bench and retrieved them as he had been trained to do. It was easier to get pictures of him than it was of Luke. He’s not as fast. After several repetitions I set him on the ground and let him run for a while then took him back to the kennel.
Dolly could hardly contain herself while I put the e-collar on her. I heeled her to the retrieving bench. After she jumped onto the retrieving bench I walked her up and down it petting her every few feet. Dolly is not as fast as Luke but she runs when I say fetch. She’s been force broke so she knew what we were doing. After running through several repetitions I put her on the ground and let her run before going back to the kennel.
Lucky and Dolly have been force broke to retrieve and they still enjoy getting on the bench because I do a lot of petting. I have started Luke and Blaze but for some reason it didn’t transfer to picking up birds. I’m going to work on that with them and Tur Bo this summer and hope I have 5 good retrievers by next season.
I don’t like to force break dogs to retrieve but it’s sometimes necessary. I will help friends with about anything when it comes to training dogs but I won’t help with force breaking. I will loan training DVD’s or bumpers but I won’t help.
Tur Bo
Luke
Dolly