When I can catch some cooler weather I work Mann and Babe, my 14 month old English setters. This morning, 7/11/19, it was 65 degrees when I went out about 7:00 am. That’s not very cool but for this time of year it’s about all I can expect. It did seem cool on the 4-wheeler.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
Babe next to the whoa barrel.
Babe next to the whoa barrel.
I put two pigeons, in release traps, next to the whoa barrel and another four pigeons were hidden on the training grounds, in release traps. I heeled Babe out of the kennel with an e-collar around her neck and flanks. She was also dragging the long check cord. I would like to run her without the check cord but she will go a minimum of half a mile to the west as soon as we get near the back of my place. I have to hold the end of the check cord.
I heeled her to the whoa barrel. When we get close to the barrel she tries to jump onto it. You would think she wouldn’t like the whoa barrel but she loves it. It’s slick and hard to stand on but if she doesn’t move she’s fine. She looks good on the barrel or beside it. I whoaed her next to the barrel. I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the grass. I flushed a pigeon. She didn’t move other than turning her head to watch it fly away.
I stroked her sides and told her what a good girl she is. I went back in front kicking the grass. I flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides then heeled her to the retrieving bench. She jumped onto it. I petted her as she walked up and down the bench.
Babe has been doing real well with the hold and give commands. I placed a retrieving dummy behind her canine teeth and told her to hold. I pulled on her collar and made her walk a few feet. I have her hold at the first of the bench, at the middle and the end on both sides. Each time I had her walk a few feet. She held and gave like she should have and even walked with the dummy. I petted her then set her on the ground.
I held the end of the long check cord and released her to hunt. I have left a long strip of unmown grass, down the training grounds. I had hidden one of the pigeons in this strip and she knew there was a bird close but with the swirling wind it was hard to pinpoint. She pointed then moved down the strip a couple of steps and went back on point. I dropped the check cord then walked in front of her. She was wagging her tail, rapidly. I held the button on the transmitter down, on low 2, on the e-collar around her flanks, until she stopped wagging. When I let off the button she went back to wagging. I held the button down until she stopped. I stroked her sides when she wasn’t wagging. I flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I tapped her head.
We went on toward the back of the property where I had left a strip of grass in some scattered walnut trees. She caught the scent of this bird with no problem and went on point. But she was wagging. Not just a little, a lot. For a bird hunter that’s not a bad deal but the other dogs don’t even know she’s pointing. They think she’s just a stopped, happy dog.
Babe on point.
I held the button down on the transmitter, on level 2 low. She quit wagging but as soon as I let off the button she started again. I hit the button. She quit. I let off, she started wagging. I think, she was trying to see what I really wanted. We went through this several times. Once started I couldn’t quit or she would win. I don’t know how many times I hit the button but a lot. Finally, she quit wagging. I flushed the pigeon. She watched it fly away without moving. I tapped her head.
We checked the rest of my side then went to the neighbor’s side. She drug me to the back and when she hit the scent cone, she pointed. She was wagging a little but stopped when I hit the button on the transmitter. I started in front and she started wagging. She looked happy. I held the button down until she quit wagging. I kicked the cover then flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I tapped her on the head to release her.
There was one more pigeon near the front of the neighbor’s side. When she hit the scent cone she pointed. She didn’t wag. Her tail wasn’t real high but it wasn’t moving. I hurried in front of her, kicking the cover and flushed the pigeon. She watched it fly away then slowly wagged her tail. I stroked her sides then tapped her head. I took her back to the kennel.
Babe with the pigeon asleep on the barrel.
I reloaded the release traps and brought Mann out with the e-collars around his flanks and neck. I hooked the long check cord to him but he only has to drag it to the retrieving bench. He doesn’t run off. I use the check cord teaching here with him. I whoa him a time or two before we get to the whoa barrel. A couple of times he tried to pass me and go on to the training grounds. With the long check cord I can stop him when he comes by. He hasn’t tried for a long while.
I whoaed him next to the whoa barrel where he could see the release traps. I walked in front of him kicking the grass. I flushed a pigeon and he acted bored. He really doesn’t like this exercise. I flushed the second pigeon and we went on to the retrieving bench. He jumped onto it.
We walked on both sides of the retrieving bench with me petting him several different places on the bench. I opened his mouth and placed the retrieving dummy behind his canine teeth. He opens his mouth easier than Babe but she holds the dummy better. Today he held the dummy in 6 different spots without dropping it. I set him on the ground.
I heeled him to the training grounds and tapped his head to release him. He hit the scent cone on the first pigeon and went on point. I took some pictures and walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and it flew right to him and tried to light. He caught it before it hit the ground. I called him but he headed to the woods with the pigeon. I called him a couple of times then quit. I walked to the edge of the woods, then went to where he was lying with the pigeon. The pigeon was in front of him and I picked it up and tossed it a few feet. He grabbed it and I petted him then said, “give”. He dropped it in my hand. I put the pigeon in my pouch. It was still alive. And it was fine 24 hours later.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
As soon as I put the pigeon in the pouch he went back to hunting. He went on to the back and pointed the pigeon hidden in the grass. After him catching the first bird I thought he might move on his birds so I kicked the cover more than usual. I flushed the pigeon and he never moved. I tapped him on the head to release him.
Mann checked all of my side out before going to the neighbor’s side. He pointed both of the birds hidden over there with no problem. He never moved when I flushed them. I let him run while I picked up the release traps then took him back to the kennel.
One of the things I thought of on the way back to the kennel. If instead of trying to call Mann to me, when he had the pigeon, I should have told him to whoa. He would have stopped. Then I could have walked to him, petted him and then took the pigeon. I did that during the season and it worked. Calling him to me when he has a bird in his mouth has never worked. Sometimes I need retraining, also.
Babe with the retriving dummy.
Babe near the whoa barrel.
Mann watching a pigeon fly away.