I’ve been working the puppies, on pigeons, in release traps, for a while now and Babe seems afraid of the release traps. Vince Dye had some Dogtra release traps sent to my house because he wasn’t going to be home. He had told me they were quieter than the one’s I was using. He told me to go ahead and try them. I did and they were quieter. I ordered some and they were delivered on Saturday afternoon. I usually give my dogs the day off on Sunday so I was ready to work puppies this morning on the new traps.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
Mann on another pigeon.
Mann in the brush, pointing a pigeon.
On the Dogtra release traps there is an adjustment to make them even quieter than they way they were shipped. I adjusted one and tried them both. The one I had adjusted was quieter so I adjusted the other before I used them.
Before I hid birds for the puppies I walked them to teach them heel and whoa. I put an e-collar on Babe, hooked a check cord to her collar and led her out with the piggin’ string. I don’t turn the e-collar on and I don’t have the transmitter with me. I just want them to get used to wearing the e-collar. We went to the east to the highway, north to the driveway then back toward the retrieving bench. I have a whoa board on the way to the retrieving bench and we stop off and work on it. I whoa each of the puppies about 5 or 6 times on the whoa board.
After the whoa board and as we near the retrieving bench I have an airline kennel. I had Babe kennel several times then set her on the retrieving bench. I walked back and forth petting her and telling her what a good girl she is. I took her off the retrieving bench and put her on the chain gang.
I put an e-collar on Mann, hooked a check cord to his collar and led him out with the piggin’ string. I took him through the exact same thing that I did with Babe. Mann kennels better than Babe but Babe works better on the whoa board than Mann. Babe, also, comes back to be hooked to the chain gang better than Mann. Although they have been trained exactly the same there is a difference in how they learn.
I hid two pigeons on the training grounds, in the Dogtra release traps. I heeled Babe away from the chain gang, whoaing her several times before turning her loose to hunt. I followed Babe on foot. She ran by the first bird and whirled around when she hit the scent cone. She pointed then moved back toward the pigeon. I hit the button to release the pigeon but I released the bird in the other trap. She pointed again then moved again. This time I released the bird in front of her. She chased then went back to hunting.
We crossed to the other side and she found the empty release trap. She tried to point and I just stood about 35 yards from her and let her work it out. After a couple of points she moved in, smelled the trap then went back to hunting. When we got back I hooked her to the chain gang.
I reloaded the release traps and brought Mann out. He’s too fast to walk behind so I heeled him close to the 4-wheeler and turned him loose. I followed as he went down my side then crossed over to the other side. He pointed at the back and I took some pictures then walked in front of him. I kicked the cover 4 or 5 times then released the pigeon. He stood and watched the bird fly away, then went back to hunting.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
I didn’t see where he went but rode the 4-wheeler on the neighbor’s side then crossed to mine. Mann wasn’t in sight. I rode down my side then when I got close to where I had hidden the pigeon I saw him on point deep in the cover. I took a couple of pictures then kicked the cover. He stood, on point, while I kicked the cover and didn’t move until I flushed the pigeon. He chased a short distance then went back to hunting.
I rode the 4-wheeler back near the chain gang. Mann has been staying away from me when I get close to the chain gang but today he came right to me. I petted him a bunch then had him kennel several times so I would have more reason to pet him then put him on the chain gang.
I reloaded the release traps and turned Babe loose. She raced down the field but went on the wrong side of the first pigeon. She knew a bird was close but lost the little bit of scent she had and went back to hunting. I followed her across to the other side. She checked out the back then started toward the front. She hit the scent cone and pointed. Her tail was up but the end was curled backwards. I think this is lack of confidence. She held the point for about 30 seconds then took a step toward the bird. I flushed the pigeon. She chased then went back to hunting.
She checked the cover then went back to the other side. She went to the back on my side then came back. She was real close to the next pigeon when she hit the scent cone. She went on point and knew she was close. I stood without moving or talking. She pointed for about 20 seconds then went toward the bird. I flushed the pigeon. She had been close when she pointed and she was even closer when she took the step. She didn’t seem phased by the bird coming up right in her face. She chased then went back to hunting.
I took her back to the chain gang, reloaded the release traps and turned Mann loose. I followed him on the 4-wheeler. He pointed the first pigeon on my side but he wasn’t getting much scent. Normally he points with a straight tail but his was up but had a bend in it. I took some pictures then kicked the bushes and flushed the pigeon. He chased then went back to hunting.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
He hunted my side then crossed to the other side. He went on point with the wind in his face. This time his tail was twelve o’clock. I took some pictures then kicked the cover and flushed the pigeon. He chased then went back to hunting. I rode back to the chain gang and he came to me.
I petted him then turned Babe loose. I rode the 4-wheeler toward the back and Mann came with me. A hen turkey and about a dozen 3/4 grown babies were in the very back. I stopped the 4-wheeler but encouraged Mann to chase. He started toward the turkeys, stopped then as they ran ahead of him he chased. They flew off to the west and he came back.
I picked up the release traps then rode back to the kennel area. Usually, I let the puppies play for a while before I put them up. It was 82 degrees. They got a drink and laid down in the shade. I waited for a while and they didn’t act like they wanted to play so I put them in the kennel.
I don’t know whether Babe is really afraid of the other release traps but I’m going to work her for a while on the new release traps. They hardly make any noise so if it’s fear of the sound we will be able to work through it, I hope. One of her birds today was real close to her and she didn’t show any fear. We may be going in the right direction.
Mann on point but not getting a lot of scent.
Puppies lying in the shade cooling.
Babe on the chain gang waiting her turn.