Most of the mornings were from warm to hot, this week. Finally, this morning was in the low sixties and I hid some pigeons and worked all of the dogs. Well, I just turned the puppies out and let them play. I still have 4 here. One will be going to Oklahoma when we can make arrangements. I was going to keep three of the puppies but I have now decided to sell one of the females and the male. On the females, I’m going to keep whichever doesn’t sell. I can’t tell that one is better than the other.
Not just another pretty face. The male that is still for sale.
The two females that one of will be sold. One has a large spot on her left side.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo and Sally have been force broke to retrieve but haven’t made the connection of retrieving just shot birds to me. I’m working on this by putting a frozen quail in the release trap with the pigeon. After I flush the pigeon and shoot the blank pistol I send them to retrieve the frozen quail. When they bring it back to me I throw it for them 3 times. They seem to like retrieving the quail. I hope that this convinces them to bring me just shot birds.
I heeled Tur Bo out with the piggin’ string. He was wearing an e-collar and dragging a long check cord. I heeled him near the 4-wheeler and whoaed him. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and put it in gear before saying, “okay”. He was off like a shot.
When I turn them loose near the kennel they go fast to the bird field. Without the 4-wheeler I wouldn’t be able to tell what they are doing. They would beat me to the bird and could creep and get right on top. If I’m fast enough on the 4-wheeler I can watch them go on point.
There wasn’t much wind and as usual it was whirling. The way the ground lays the wind usually swirls. Tur Bo went down my side. I was right behind him when he hit the scent cone and slammed into a point. I took pictures then walked in front of him, kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He moved a step with his front feet but not his back. I let him stand for a few seconds then tapped his head and said, “fetch”.
He went close to the release trap but didn’t get the frozen quail. I kept saying, “dead. Hunt dead”. I stood on the check cord so he had to stay close to the release trap. When I flush the pigeon the frozen bird doesn’t go very far. One of the times it landed back on the release trap. I kept him close until he picked up the frozen quail and brought it to me. I threw it 3 times and he raced out and back. I released him to hunt.
Mann on point.
He checked out my side then crossed to the neighbor’s side. He went toward the back where he hit the scent cone and slid to a stop. I took more pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took a step but didn’t chase. I told him to hunt dead. He was a little quicker to pick up the frozen quail and bring it to me. I threw it 3 times and he raced out and raced back with it. Tur Bo doesn’t do anything slow. I took him back to the kennel.
After reloading the release traps I heeled Sally out with piggin’ string. She, too, was wearing an e-collar and dragging a long check cord. I whoaed her near the 4-wheeler. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and put it in gear. I said, “okay” and she was gone. I followed on the 4-wheeler.
With the wind swirling she had trouble figuring out where the pigeon was. She pointed looking the wrong way then lost the scent and tried to work into the brush but went away from the pigeon. She came back around, hit the scent cone and pointed. I took some pictures then walked in kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move.
I sent her to retrieve the frozen quail. She touched it with her nose but didn’t bring it back. I wound up sending her 4 or 5 times before she finally picked it up. She would touch it with her nose but not pick it up. Finally, she picked it up and brought it to me. I petted her while she held it for a few seconds. When I said. “give” she dropped it in my hand. I threw it 3 times for her and she retrieved it each time. I released her to hunt.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
She checked my side then crossed to the neighbor’s side. Near the back she went on point. I took pictures then went in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I sent her to retrieve.
This time she grabbed the frozen quail and brought it to me. I petted her for several seconds before telling her to give. She dropped it in my hand. I threw it 3 times for her and she retrieved it each time. I took her back to the kennel.
I reloaded the release traps and brought Luke out wearing an e-collar but I didn’t make him drag the check cord. I heeled him near the 4-wheeler and whoaed him. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and put it in gear. When the 4-wheeler jumped a little when I put it in gear Luke took off. I yelled, “whoa” and he stopped looking at me. I made him stand for half a minute before saying, “okay”.
Luke doesn’t retrieve and I don’t try to make him so I hadn’t put the frozen quail in the release traps. He at nearly 10 years old is still really fast. I was right behind him when he hit the scent cone and went on point. I took pictures and went in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I released him to hunt.
Luke went on toward the back checking the cover. I rode on to the neighbor’s side but Luke was through. He went back to the kennel. Once I decided he had gone back I reloaded the one release trap that we had used and went back to the kennel to put him up.
Babe next to the whoa barrel.
I heeled Mann out with an e-collar around his neck dragging a long check cord. The reason for the check cord on him is, if a pigeon doesn’t fly well and he catches it, I can catch him. I walked him toward the back and whoaed him. I walked about 25 yards in front of him, knelt down and called him to me. He came in a run. I heeled him to the retrieving bench. He jumped onto it.
I petted him in several different spots on the bench. I pried his mouth open and placed a piece of PVC pipe behind his canine teeth. I walked (drug) him a short distance down the bench. The second time I started toward his mouth with the PVC pipe he opened his mouth to take it. He held fine until I started him moving down the bench. He spit the pipe out. I pinched his lip against his teeth and replaced the pipe. When I pinch the lip against the teeth I don’t pinch it hard enough to make him yelp, just hard enough that it’s uncomfortable. He didn’t drop it again and each time I started toward his mouth he opened to take the pipe. I set him on the ground.
When we got close to the training grounds I tapped his head to release him. He didn’t come close to the bird hidden on my side before he crossed to the neighbor’s side. He checked it out as he went toward the back where he hit the scent cone and pointed. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides then heeled him a few yards and released him.
Babe watching a pigeon fly away.
He checked the neighbor’s side then went back to my side. When he got close to the pigeon he slid to a stop. I took more pictures then walked in front, kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon. I was out of primers in my blank pistol but I snapped it several times. He didn’t move. I heeled him a few yards then took him back to the kennel.
To get set up for Babe I put 3 release traps, with pigeons, in front of the whoa barrel. Babe wags her tail when she points like she is the happiest dog in the world. On the barrel she doesn’t wag or even beside the barrel she doesn’t wag. And she likes being on the barrel.
I heeled her out dragging the long check cord and wearing an e-collar. Just out of the kennel I whoaed her and walked about 25 yards in front of her. I knelt down and called her to me. She came in a run. I heeled her on to the whoa barrel where I picked her up and placed her on the barrel.
I styled her up which doesn’t take much. She looks really good and doesn’t move her tail at all. I stroked her up then walked in front of her. I took several pictures then flushed a pigeon. She didn’t move only turned her head to watch it fly away. I stroked her sides but she never let down a bit. I went back in front and flushed another pigeon. She watched it fly away.
I stroked her sides then set her on the ground. I styled her up. I walked in front after taking pictures and flushed the pigeon. She never tried to wag or let down in any way. I heeled her to the retrieving bench where she jumped on.
Mann watching a pigeon fly away.
I walked her around on the bench petting her. I placed the PVC pipe behind her canine teeth. It’s harder to get her mouth open than it is for Mann but she holds the dummies better. I lead her down the bench. I had her hold and walk 5 times on the bench then set her on the ground.
I held her check cord for a little way down the field but decided to see if she hunted with me or went a long way to the west as she has in the past. She got close to the first pigeon and went on point. At first she wasn’t wagging but as I got close she started. I stroked her tail then when she continued to wag I tapped her tail with my hand. She stopped for a few seconds then started again. I tapped it again and she stopped. While she wasn’t wagging I flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I tapped her head to release her.
When she got close to the west edge of my property I thought she might continue to the west but when I called she turned and came back. We went to the neighbor’s side. She checked everything until we got to the back where she hit the scent cone and went on point. I took some pictures. She started wagging and I tapped her tail and she quit. I flushed the pigeon and it flew right over the top of her. She jumped as high as she could and almost caught the pigeon. She followed the bird for a couple of steps but stopped on her own. I stroked her sides then released her to hunt. Before we got back to the kennel I called her to me and held the check cord the rest of the way.
I enjoy my dogs and we went in the back and got 9 points. If Luke would have worked his other bird we would have had 10 points. But it is really nice to be able to go in my backyard and get some points. It’s almost as good as a real hunt. I’m blessed.
Luke pointing a pigeon.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
Babe beside the whoa barrel.