When I train, I have been putting the e-collars on these puppies. I haven’t turned the e-collars on. Just had them wear them to get used to the collars. Monday morning I turned the e-collar around their neck on.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
I put the e-collars on their neck and flanks, hook a check cord to their collar and heel them out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. I’m still teaching heel and whoa when I bring the puppies out. I heel them a short distance then whoa them. I walk out front sometimes pulling on the piggin’ string and sometimes walking a long way in front then to their rear. I pick up sticks and throw them. I whoa them near the highway in front of my house and the cars zipping by are an added distraction.
There is a whoa board near the retrieving bench that I whoa them on, also. Monday morning, I worked Babe first, and when we got near the air line crate that I have been using to train them to kennel, I whoaed her. I took the piggin’ string off and grabbed the check cord. I’ve been working these puppies for quite a while on kennel and they do it well. I pressed the button on the transmitter, on 1 low, and told her to kennel. She kenneled and I called her to me. We made a game out of kenneling.
After she kenneled 7 or 8 times I put her on the retrieving bench and petted her. I like to spend several minutes just petting and talking to the puppies. They like to smell your breath when you are happy. I put her on the chain gang.
I brought Mann out and heeled him around whoaing him every few yards. When we got close to the air line crate I whoaed him and removed the piggin’ string. After a couple of practice runs I held the button down, on 1 low, and told him to kennel. Both of these puppies are kenneling real well and adding the e-collar to the exercise made no difference. When I can hit the button and they kennel before I can say anything I will know they know how to turn the e-collar off.
After 7 or 8 kennels I put him on the retrieving bench, petted him then put him on the chain gang.
I hid two pigeons on the training grounds. It’s hard to find places that I’ve never hid birds for these puppies but I keep trying. I always ride the 4-wheeler from front to back on both sides of the training grounds so the puppies don’t learn to follow the 4-wheeler tracks to find birds.
To get the puppies used to having the e-collars and check cord on I take them off when they are on the chain gang and put them back on when I take them off the chain gang. I put the e-collars and check cord on Babe and heeled her to the edge of the training grounds.
Babe doesn’t do a solid point on her birds. I’ve tried several things. I decided that since she was dragging a check cord maybe I should try to check cord her in and stop her when she smelled the bird.
She wasn’t real crazy about me holding the check cord but soon started hunting. I had hidden a pigeon on the north side at the very back of my side. When we got near the back she went on point as soon as she hit the scent cone. She would have moved but I stopped her and stroked her sides. As long as I stroked her and told her what a good dog she is she stood on point. She is real rigid but her tail is down and wagging. There was almost no wind and I stepped off the distance and she was 25 steps from that pigeon.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
She ran without me holding the check cord, for a few minutes after I flushed the pigeon. I grabbed the check cord and check corded her into the next pigeon that was on the other side of the training grounds. She hit the scent cone, pointed then came to me. I carried her back and set her up where she originally had pointed. I stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is.
After a few minutes stroking her I flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance then went back to hunting. When we got back close to the chain gang I worked her on kenneling with the e-collar a few times. I put her on the chain gang.
After reloading the release traps and I put the e-collars on Mann and turned him loose dragging the check cord. He’s so fast I have trouble keeping up even on the 4-wheeler. When I tapped his head I jumped onto the 4-wheeler and followed him.
He ran down one side of my place then back on the other and crossed to the neighbor’s side. He went toward the back and I followed. He hunted each clump until we got to the back and started back to the front. He was close to the pigeon when he hit the scent cone and slid to a point. I took pictures then walked in front of him. I have been kicking several times in front of him before flushing the pigeon but on this one he was close so on the second kick I flushed the pigeon. He chased for a few feet then went back to hunting.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
He checked the neighbor’s side out then went back to my side. I followed him. He went down the side then hit the scent cone and pointed. The wind is tricky on my training grounds. The way the land lies it causes the wind to swirl and only during a strong wind does it blow true. He pointed on the opposite side than what Babe had. He was off this bird a few yards so I kicked the cover 6 or 7 times without him moving until I flushed the pigeon. He chased a short distance then went back to hunting.
When we got back close to the air line crate I worked him on kenneling with the e-collar. Before I started with the e-collar these puppies were kenneling about 95% of the time when I told them to. I worked him several times then put him on the chain gang.
After reloading the release traps and I brought Babe back out. I had moved the traps to a new area. I worked her toward the training grounds with me holding the check cord. What little wind we had had changed again. I walked her by the hidden pigeon without her getting enough scent to point. She knew there was a bird close but she couldn’t locate it. I turned her loose as she went into the brush. She worked her way through then as she came close to me she got the scent and pointed. I went to her and started stroking her. She got rigid with her tail curled down and wagging. I stroked her for a few seconds then went in front of her kicking the cover. That made her more rigid. After a few kicks I flushed the pigeon. She chased then went back to hunting.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
I let her hunt without me holding the check cord. When she hit the scent cone on the next pigeon she pointed then started to me. I carried her back and stroked her sides. As the scent came to her she got real rigid. I stroked her for a while then walked in front of her kicking the cover. After a few kicks she took a step and I flushed the pigeon. It came out low right over her head and she chased a long way. I put her back on the chain gang.
After reloading the release traps and I brought Mann out. There are two openings onto the neighbor’s side and I had hidden the first pigeon on the more westerly opening and Mann went through the eastern opening. He was going all out but must have got a little scent from the pigeon because he circled around to the other opening and went on point. He was several yards off this bird so I took pictures then went in front of him kicking the cover. He had a foot up and when he set his foot down I flushed the pigeon. Any movement on his part flushes the bird. He chased a short distance then went back to hunting.
On the neighbor’s side there are a lot of clumps of brush that the dogs have to check out. We went to the back then back toward the front. Mann hit enough scent to know there was a bird close but not enough to know where. He went into the brush then as he came out he went on point. I took pictures then went in front kicking the cover. After a few kicks I flushed the pigeon. He chased then went back to hunting.
Luke
When I turned Babe loose she joined Mann who had a pigeon treed. After going back near the kennel I got a pigeon from the pigeon coop. Both puppies came close and as I held the bird in my hand they pointed. Babes tail is good and there is no wagging. Is this because she knows the birds in the release traps are a game and when I hold one it’s serious business? I don’t know.
These puppies are only about 5 months old. Both of them are really smart and learn most things easily. It sometimes seems like I’m really worried about Babe but I know she will come around. Not all dogs start as early as I want them to.
Mann on point.
Babe on point.
Mann pointing a pigeon.