I would like to be working the older dogs on birds and getting them in shape but the weather is just too warm. This morning when I got up at 6:00 it was already 74 degrees. Yesterday morning was about the same. I may have to go somewhere where it’s cooler. I’ve been working the puppies on retrieving and today I started putting a pigeon in the release trap for them.
My male setter on the stake out.
My female setter on a stake out.
A female that is going to Oklahoma Friday.
All three of these puppies are in the same run. When I let them out for retrieving I let one at a time out and I take them to an empty run. I throw a paint roller cover for them and get really excited when they go after the paint roller. I squat right in front of the gate, to the run we are in. The puppy wants to get away with the roller cover but I’m between him and the gate. The puppy runs to me.
I pet the puppy until the roller cover is dropped. I grab it and throw it again. After a few throws I take this puppy back and get another. Usually, I only throw it 3 to 5 times for each puppy. I want them to quit, wanting more.
Almost, every time the female with the big spot on her side gets out of the kennel run first. Next usually the male comes out. It seemed like the female with two black ears would always be in the wrong place to come out of their run. The first few days I had a real hard time getting her out. For the other two I would push the gate in and they both came right out.
Finally, I pulled the gate out and the little girl that I was wanting came right out. When I pulled the gate it put the other two out of position but let her out. It wasn’t her it was me. I had to learn which way to move the gate.
The puppies really enjoy the retrieving but when I get ready to go get another puppy, in just a few days, each one would go right back to their run and enter without much effort on my part. With enough repetitions dogs will learn anything.
I drove 3 stakes, in the shade, in the yard near a good place to hide pigeons in the release traps. I put some pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler and hid a pigeon, in a release trap in the weeds where all of the puppies, on their stake, could see it. I don’t move the trap between birds. I want the puppy to anticipate a bird being there. Usually, after a few repetitions the puppy will point when he smells the pigeon.
The lone male that is left.
I turned the puppies loose and walked them to the stakes. As they came to me I hooked them to the stakes. I have learned with the chain gang that the puppies don’t think this is punishment. They, even when they get older, will come right to me when I stand by the stakes or chain gang, to be tied up.
I’m going to have to name these puppies, soon. It’s hard to write about them when they don’t have a name. I put a leash on the pup with two black ears and lead her to the area of the trap. She wasn’t sure what we were doing and wasn’t sure about being restrained by the leash. She tried to jump on me but I moved her away with the leash.
The wind wasn’t very strong and it always swirls. Finally, I got her in the right place and she went toward the pigeon. I flushed the bird and she chased a few steps. I tied her leash to a tree, close to the trap, while I reloaded the release trap.
I lead her back to the trap. This time she was expecting a bird, although she still wasn’t sure. The wind wasn’t exactly where I thought it was but when I got her right she pointed. It didn’t last long. When she moved I flushed the pigeon. She chased a few feet. I put her back on the stake.
After reloading the release trap I lead the orange male puppy out with the leash. He too, tried to jump on me and wrap me up with the leash. Finally, I got him in the right place to smell the pigeon in the release trap. He started toward the pigeon and I flushed it. He chased a few feet. I tied him to a limb on a tree while I reloaded the trap.
A couple of puppies.
I lead him back toward the pigeon. When I got him where he could smell the pigeon he flash pointed then tried to go in. I flushed the pigeon. He chased a few steps. I took him back to his stake.
There wasn’t much cover where I had hidden the release trap and we had beat it down a little. I moved the trap to a weedier location.
The spotted female had been watching the other puppies and she knew what was going on, she thought. I lead her toward the pigeon and she was pulling to get at the pigeon, but I had moved it. I lead her toward the pigeon and she flash pointed then went toward the trap. I flushed the pigeon. She chased a few steps. I tied her to a limb.
When I had the trap reloaded I lead her back. She was ready. She pulled me toward the pigeon and when she hit the scent cone she pointed. This time she stayed for several seconds. The puppies are rigid but their tails aren’t up. One of them did have a foot up when they pointed and when they put the foot down I flushed the pigeon. Once they point, any movement on their part, I flush the pigeon. I put her back on the stake.
I think letting dogs think about what they are doing helps them learn. I had three more pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler. I reloaded the trap and lead the puppy with two black ears toward the pigeon. This was a new area for the first two puppies but this puppy smelled the pigeon and went on point. She didn’t stay long but she definitely pointed. At her first movement I flushed the pigeon. She chased a few steps. I put her on the stake.
One of the females.
After the trap was reloaded I lead the male puppy toward the pigeon. Each of these puppies, because of the wind swirling, point in a little different area. He was a little farther away than the first puppy but on past the bird. When he moved I flushed the pigeon. He chased a short distance. I put him back on the stake.
When I had reloaded the trap I lead the spotted girl toward the pigeon. She hit the scent cone in a different area than the other two had but that just shows how the wind swirls. She pointed for a few seconds then when she moved, I flushed the pigeon. She chased a few steps. I turned all of the puppies loose to run.
I put the release trap on the 4-wheeler and thought I would run the pups. I went toward the back of the training grounds slowly, calling the pups. When I got to the back I didn’t have any puppies with me. Since this was the first time I tried to run them off the 4-wheeler, I wasn’t surprised. When I got back close to where I had hidden the pigeons all three pups were there, checking out the cover. They came to me and we went to the back, slowly, then back to the kennel.
I will do this with the puppies for a few days and they should start holding longer and longer. After a few times like this I will start spreading more traps out on the training grounds. This should be the start of a life long habit of pointing birds.
Part of the training grounds.
Another time on the stake outs.
Mann with a frozen quail.