Tur Bo’s heeling this morning was more like a sled dog, so I found a pinch collar I hadn’t used in years. After 5 minutes with the pinch collar he heeled better than he ever had before. I started heeling him then telling him whoa and walking ahead of him, then back to his side, heeling him again. After a few of these I started going in front, then calling him to me and saying whoa when he started toward me. He’s not perfect but he’s getting better on this exercise. Two times I whoaed him, then called him and when he took 3 or 4 steps I whoaed him, then called him and whoaed him again before he got to me.
I also whoaed him on the whoa board then put him on the barrel. Then we went to the retrieving bench. He really likes the retrieving bench now. He doesn’t hesitate, he jumps on then wants to be petted. After I pet him for awhile, I roll the tennis ball down the bench and he pounces on it. I have to roll the ball real slow. If it goes more than 5 or 6 feet before he catches it, he lets it roll to the ground. But he remembers where it goes and when I put him on the ground he runs and gets it. After playing with the tennis ball I put a retrieving buck in his mouth, place my left hand under his chin to hold his mouth shut and pet his head with my right hand while I talk into his nose telling him what a good boy he is. Then I take the end of the retrieving buck with my right hand and say give letting him move his mouth off the buck. I had him hold and give on the buck 7 or 8 times this morning.
When I put him on the ground he ran to the tennis ball, picked it up and brought it close to me. I said get that ball and he picked it up and brought it closer. Again I said get that ball and he brought it to me. I just started petting him without taking the ball and he rolls on the ground. Sometimes the ball comes out and sometimes he holds it until I say give. It took 3 times to get the ball to me to start with but after that he retrieved it 5 or 6 times. Each time I petted him he rolled on the ground, I think. I let him run for a little while then returned him to his kennel.
Today I felt sorry for Luke so when I loaded Whitey and Blaze I put him in, too. The park workers have closed off some of the roads so there aren’t many places that I can work the dogs and not have to carry the release traps and pigeons for a long ways. I only had 7 pigeons this morning and one of these was setting so I could only take 6 to the park. I tied the dogs to the gate where I parked then took 2 release traps and hid them in the tall grass with a pigeon in each.
Whitey
I heeled Whitey about 50 yards down the trail, put her on whoa then took the leash off, hooked the ends together and tapped her on the head to release her. The grass in this field is real tall and I wasn’t able to see her when she went on point but she was standing about 25 yards from the bird. I took pictures then kicked the cover in front and both sides then flushed the pigeon. She never moved. I released her and before she got close enough to smell the other bird I flushed it. She was farther from the bird than I thought she was but she stopped. I petted her then kicked the cover all around then released her to hunt back to the truck.
Luke
Luke was next. He hadn’t been on birds since February and I didn’t know what to expect. As we went down the trail to the release point he checked to see if I really meant heel. After I made a couple of 180 degree turns he acted like “oh yeah I remember” and he heeled. I turned him loose and I didn’t see him point, either. He was within about 5 yards of the bird when he pointed. After I kicked the cover, I released the bird and it flew over his head real low. He never moved. I kicked the cover then released him. I flushed the second bird when he was about 20 yards from it and he stopped immediately. Not bad for not being worked for awhile.
Blaze usually barks on the stake out so she gets worked last. She’s quiet in the kennel but not when she thinks she should be working birds. I was 3 for 3, I didn’t see Blaze point either. After I kicked all around and took pictures I released her bird. She never moved. I kicked the cover then released her. When I flushed her second bird she put on the brakes. She was about 35 yards from me and she stayed until I walked to her, then kicked the cover, tapped her on the head to release her to hunt back to the truck.
I’m at a point with these young dogs that I need to find another place to train. This time of year it’s hard to find quail to work them on but they need to have some shot over their points. I hope to take them north to the Dakotas or someplace early this fall. They need birds and wild birds are best.