For us in Missouri, winter hung on for ever and now to make up for it summer won’t end. It was in the seventies when I got up at 5:30 am this morning and now as I write this it’s 91 degrees. Our average high for this day is 79 and the average low is 59 degrees. I only worked the puppies today because when they get hot they will lie in the shade. The older dogs, I’m afraid, wouldn’t know when to quit.
New puppy, at 8 weeks old, pointing by scent.
Puppies on stakes, waiting.
Mann with a frozen quail.
I put 9 pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler, got a release trap from the shed and turned the 3 left over pups from Sally’s litter loose. They run in front of the 4-wheeer but they do a lot of playing. I have to really watch for them. They knock each other down and they really don’t fear the 4-wheeler. They will slow down or stop right in front.
I have 3 stakes near the back on the training grounds. I have done this exercise twice before with these puppies. Each of the stakes has a short chain to attach the pups. When I get ready to take them off the stake I don’t get near them until they quit jumping. They must either stand or sit before I will release them. They want off so they learn, quickly. Also, when I drop the chain, that’s attached to the stake, I pet them for several seconds so they won’t learn that when the chain hits the ground they can leave.
I put a pigeon, from the box on the 4-wheeler, in the Dogtra release trap and hid it in the tall grass. The Dogtra release trap, makes almost no noise when it releases a pigeon. That makes it really good for young dogs.
As I put out the pigeon the puppy with the two black ears (I really need to name these puppies) started barking so I started with the spotted pup. I walked to her and waited on her to calm down before snapping a leash to her collar. I dropped the chain attached to the stake and petted her for a few seconds. I led her toward the hidden pigeon. When she indicated that she smelled the pigeon I flushed it. I let her chase a few steps. I took her back to the stake.
I reloaded the trap without moving it. I want them to anticipate a bird being there. I brought her back and when she smelled the pigeon she pointed. She only pointed for a few seconds and went toward the release trap. I flushed the pigeon. She chased a few steps and I put her back on the stake.
I reloaded the release trap and went to the male that was staked out in the middle. He tried to jump on me but quickly sat. I attached the leash to his collar and dropped the chain from the stake. After petting him a few seconds I led him away. There was hardly any breeze. I wound up leading him all the way around the pigeon before he smelled it. He didn’t slow. He went right toward the pigeon. I flushed it and encouraged him to chase. I put him back on the stake.
I reloaded the trap and brought the male back toward the pigeon. This time he pointed for a few seconds then went toward the pigeon. I flushed it and encouraged him to chase. I put him back on the stake.
The spotted female on the stake.
Most of the time as I worked these two pups the other one was barking. I yelled, “hush” a couple of times but it didn’t help. Finally, after getting frustrated with her, I walked toward her swinging my arms as if I was angry. She quit barking. I reloaded the trap.
When I went to get her off the stake she still wasn’t barking. I waited for her to quit jumping, then put the leash on her and dropped the chain from the stake. I petted her a few seconds and led her away. When she got close to the pigeon she pointed for a second then took a step. I flushed the pigeon. She chased a few steps. I put her back on the stake.
I reloaded the trap and covered it with grass. Each time when I put the pigeon in the trap it was well hidden with grass. The pup with two black ears hadn’t barked since I had walked angrily toward her. I led her toward the trap. She got close then pointed. The wind must have changed because she dropped her head and took a step. I flushed the pigeon. She chased. I put her back on the stake.
I had worked each pup on two pigeons then let them wait. I like to let the puppies think about what they are doing. I had one more pigeon for each of them. I reloaded the release trap.
I led the spotted puppy back close to the pigeon. I had to lead her half way around the pigeon before she got the smell. She stopped when she hit the scent cone. She took a step after just a few seconds and I flushed the pigeon. I put her back on her stake.
I reloaded the trap and led the male puppy near the pigeon. It was getting warmer and almost no wind. He was almost all the way around the pigeon when he pointed. He pointed then turned toward me. I flushed the pigeon. He chased a few steps. I put him back on the stake.
Sally, the mother of the puppies, on point.
The puppy that had been barking was still quiet. I reloaded the trap and led her toward the pigeon. She got some smell and pointed. He tail even came up a little. I waited until she made a move and I flushed the pigeon. She chased. I released the puppies and I rode the 4-wheeler back to the kennel with the puppies running in front.
I had been saving the female with two black ears for my cousin, Jim Smith. He had given me Mann and Babe and I owed him a couple of pups. I’ve been working Babe for quite a while and not getting through to her. He called and asked if he could have Babe instead of the puppy. That worked for me. Babe wasn’t going to make a bird dog for me but she might for him. He might do something a little different and get through to her. I hope so. But now instead of two puppies from Sally’s litter I have three.
And I had a pick of the litter coming from a female that Tur Bo bred for Troy Smith. Last Friday, Vince Dye and I met Jim in Wichita Kansas and we went to Troy Smith’s to pick up my puppy. I took Babe along for Jim.
It was late when we got home and the puppy was out of her element. I fed and watered her and put her in a kennel by herself. She had been used to 7 other brothers and sisters. It had to be hard on her.
The next morning, Saturday, I locked the wings on a pigeon and tossed it in front of her. I thought she would be a little shy. Not so. She was so aggressive with the lock wing I turned it loose. She chased it when it flew away.
Tur Bo, the sire of the latest puppy, pointing a pigeon.
I flew a few pigeons for her. Then Sunday I put a pigeon on a stout cord I had on a fishing rod. I flipped it in front of her and she tried to catch it twice then when I moved it away she pointed it. She held the point for quite a while for a puppy.
Monday morning when I turned her out there was a pigeon close to the coop on the ground. When she saw it she pointed with a high tail. She held the point for quite a while. Finally, her attention span faltered. She went on to something else.
This morning after working the other puppies I decided I would work her. I put 4 pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler. Since she’s barely 8 weeks old she can’t run to the back where I worked the other puppies. I put a collar on her so I could stake her out. I scooped her up and gave her a ride to the back. I attached her to a stake.
She had never had a collar on, never ridden on a 4-wheeler, never been staked out and never asked to point a pigeon in a release trap by smell. Plus this was only the fifth day that she had been in my life. And she handled it great.
While I hid the pigeon in the release trap she fought the stake. When I came to unhook her I waited until she calmed down before taking her off the stake. She had never been led with a leash but she went along. When she smelled the pigeon I flushed it. I took her back to the stake.
While I put another pigeon in the release trap she fought the stake. I led her back toward the pigeon and this time went almost around it before she indicated she smelled it. She started toward the trap and I flushed the pigeon. I put her back on the stake.
Luke pointing a pigeon.
As I loaded the trap she fought the stake but not as hard as before. I led her toward the pigeon. She whirled around and started toward the pigeon. I flushed it. I took her back to the stake.
She was still fighting the stake but she may have been getting hot and tired. The fight was less. I led her toward the pigeon and farther away than she had ever indicated before, she went on point. I took a couple of pictures with my camera then put it up and took a couple with my phone then some video. Her tail was up and she knew that bird was there and she wasn’t moving. As I watched her tail twitched and I knew she was going to move something. She moved her left back leg and I flushed the pigeon. When the bird flew off she turned and looked at me. She didn’t even chase or move for a few seconds. I picked up the trap and she rode with me back to the kennel.
I really enjoy starting puppies on pointing but I’m also working them on retrieving. I have a couple of paint roller covers that I’m using for retrieving dummies. I take the puppies one at a time to an empty kennel and throw the roller cover. It’s light and furry. The puppies all seem to enjoy retrieving it. I’m doing that twice a day with them. Even the new puppy is retrieving the roller cover. Maybe this will carry over and they won’t have to be force broke to retrieve.
Another picture of the new puppy pointing.
My male setter on the stake out.
The female with the two black ears.