I was able to train dogs, again on Wednesday. The temperature was in the low 60’s for the second morning in a row. I can’t go to the northern prairies to train but these mornings are almost as good. The dogs are always ready but with the cooler weather it’s easier on them.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
Sally on point.
Luke on point.
I hid 2 release traps, with a pigeon and a frozen quail in each, on the training grounds. I worked Sally and Tur Bo on retrieving the frozen quail the last time. The release trap doesn’t throw the frozen quail very far but I hope that it will get them used to retrieving. They have both been force broke but I can’t shoot here so I wasn’t able to work them on just killed birds. They work fine on thrown, frozen quail but they haven’t made the connection to hunting.
I put an e-collar and a long check cord on Tur Bo and heeled him out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. I put him on whoa and got on the 4-wheeler. I had him stand on whoa while I started the 4-wheeler and put it in gear. After a few seconds I said, “okay”. He raced toward the training grounds.
I had hidden one release trap on my side and the other on the neighbor’s side. There was almost no wind and he was close to the first one when he hit the scent cone but he slammed into a point. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol the frozen quail went about 2 feet high and 2 feet away from the release trap. He took his usual one step. I stroked his sides then said, “fetch”.
He’s used to dead birds being farther from where they flushed from than 2 feet. I reeled him in with the check cord and said, “dead bird, dead bird”. He found the quail and brought it to me. I petted him then took the frozen quail and tossed it 10 yards away a couple of times. He raced out and hurried back with it each time. He seems to enjoy retrieving the frozen quail. Enough repetitions and he may retrieve dead birds in the field. I released him to hunt.
What little wind we had was out of the north west and he was going with the wind when he caught a little scent and whirled into a point. I took some pictures then walked in front kicking the cover. This release trap was in some high weeds and when I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol the frozen quail went into the tall weeds.
Tur Bo must have seen the quail and went straight to it. He scooped it up and came to me in a dead run. I petted him then told him to give. He dropped it into my hand. I tossed it twice for him and he retrieved each time. I took him back to the kennel.
After reloading the traps I brought Sally out and put her on whoa near the 4-wheeler. When I started the 4-wheeler and put it in gear I released her with an, “okay”. These dogs know when I have birds out and they are in a hurry to get to the training grounds. The 4-wheeler has to go pretty fast to keep them in sight.
She pointed the bird on my side of the training grounds and I took pictures. I walked in front of her, kicking the cover. When the pigeon was flushed and I shot the blank pistol, the frozen quail didn’t go very far. Sally didn’t move. I stroked her sides and told her to fetch. She went straight to the quail, grabbed it and came back. I stroked for a few seconds then tossed it two times for her. She also likes to retrieve the frozen bird. I think this may carry over to hunting season if I do it enough.
We covered my side then went through to the neighbor’s side. All the way to the back, she pointed. I took some pictures then walked in front kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol the frozen quail landed in the tall weeds close to the release trap. Sally went straight to it, grabbed it and came back. I petted her for a few seconds before taking the quail. I tossed it two times for her then took her back to the kennel.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
Luke was next. I don’t even try to get him to retrieve. He’s nine years old and set in his ways. I brought him out and put him on whoa. After I started the 4-wheeler and put it in gear I released him to hunt. He is faster than the others.
Just as I came around the brush pile I saw him go on point at the back of the property. I walked in front of him kicking the cover after taking pictures. He wasn’t getting much of the scent but he had enough to stop but not enough to look really good. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move just watched the pigeon fly away. I released him to hunt.
He checked my side out then went back to the kennel. I rode the neighbor’s side without finding him and when I got to the kennels he was waiting. He has the seniority. If he’s through who am I to argue. I put him up.
I’ve been working Babe on her pointing without wagging her tail. I don’t have a problem with a little wag but she has been wagging like she’s the happiest dog in the world. Other dogs don’t recognize her as being on point. The last time I worked her she didn’t wag much. I had high hopes.
When I brought her out I whoaed her once before we got to the retrieving bench, walked about 25 yards in front of her, knelt down and called her to me. She came in a run. We went on to the retrieving bench. She jumped onto the bench and I petted her.
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I placed the dummy in her mouth and walked her down the bench. She started out being reluctant to walk but she’s getting better. I had her walk down the bench holding the bumper. As she walks I say, “hold”. Hold and whoa sound a lot alike. I should come up with another word but these come to me naturally and she will figure it out. After she carried it several times I set her on the ground.
As we went to the training grounds I held the end of the long check cord. If I don’t she will go to the west a long way. When we got near the first hidden pigeon I turned loose of the check cord. She went a little faster but didn’t try to go off the training grounds. She hit the scent cone and went on point. She was wagging a little but not much. I walked in front of her, aggressively kicking the cover. She stopped wagging and I flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move, just watched it fly away. I stroked her sides, grabbed the check cord and released her.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
Again, about 75 yards from the next pigeon I turned loose of the check cord. She hit the scent cone and pointed. She wasn’t getting a lot of scent so I tapped her head and said, “okay”. She moved a couple of steps and went back on point, with more intensity. I took some pictures. Most of the time her tail wasn’t wagging. Once in a while it made a little movement. I waited for her to quit wagging and flushed the pigeon. She watched it fly away. I held the end of the check cord until we got close to the kennel. I put her up.
When I walked Mann toward the retrieving bench I whoaed him and walked about 25 yards ahead of him then called him to me. He came in a run. We went on to the retrieving bench.
He jumped onto the retrieving bench when I said, “up”. I petted him then placed a dummy behind his canine teeth. He’s not as far along, on the bench, as Babe. He walks but I really have to drag him. I think the “hold” and “whoa” sounding similar is his problem. With enough reps we will get through it. After he carried the dummy a few times I set him on the ground.
He’s hard to keep up with. I turned him loose and he checked my side out then went to the neighbor’s side. He hit the scent cone at the back of the neighbor’s side and went on point. I walked in kicking the cover after taking some pictures. When I flushed the pigeon it flew right over his head and he turned around to watch it. He never tried to chase. I stroked his sides then released him.
He checked all of the neighbor’s side out then went back to my side. He had checked it before but missed hitting the scent cone. This time he found the pigeon and went on point. I took some pictures then walked in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides then took him back to the kennel.
Luke on point.
Although he has had a lot of birds shot over his points, for a 15 month old dog, I haven’t worked him but a few times with the blank pistol. He doesn’t try to move when I shoot it. The first time he took one step. Since then he’s been steady. Just what he does, I guess.
Sally’s litter of puppies are going to be old enough to start working them on some birds real soon. I have been turning a few loose as the puppies play close to me. When I grab a pigeon and call, they come to me, quickly. I’m also throwing some dog food in the grass by my chair in the shade. When the puppies get close they smell the food and eat. I think, this wakes up their nose. The earlier they use it the more they rely on their nose. Anything I do with the dogs is fun for me and them.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
Mann pointing a pigeon.