I haven’t had a chance to go hunting for a while but I did work all of my dogs, some on retrieving and some on pigeons. I want the older dogs to enjoy retrieving and hunting dead. I put a pile of retrieving dummies, some home made and some I have bought. Also, I put a few frozen quail in the pile with the dummies.
My pile of retrieving dummies.
Sally with a frozen quail.
Mann with a frozen quail.
After cleaning pens and feeding the puppies, Abby and Josie, I played with them in an empty kennel with a tennis ball. I started them, as little puppies, by throwing a paint roller cover. Abby is pretty good about bringing the tennis ball back to me. Josie not so much. Josie has never done very well with retrieving. It doesn’t matter. I will force break them this year, maybe.
I had my pile of retrieving dummies out so I put the e-collar on Sally and heeled her out with the piggin’ string. I had a frozen quail in my pocket and when we got about 10 yards from the circle of dummies I whoaed her. I tossed the frozen quail near the spot with the other dummies and said, “fetch”.
In the past when they retrieved a frozen quail or dummy I tossed it right behind me. The dogs saw the frozen quail that was right behind me and wanted to get them instead of going back to the pile. This morning I tossed the dummies and frozen quail about 10 yards behind me when the dogs brought them to me. I had to toss them when the dog was going away from me toward the pile.
All of the dogs like the frozen quail best, followed by the Dokken quail, chukar and dove. The homemade dummies, a couple of dowel rods that I have put smaller dowels through the ends and one 1 1/2″ PVC pipe that I’ve wrapped duct tape around, are left until last. Part of the time both, Sally and Mann, act like they can’t see the homemade ones. When I bump them with the e-collars their eye sight greatly improves. I have Garmin Pro 500 e-collars and usually use 2 low for both dogs. They know what to do but they check to see if I know, what they are supposed to do, every once in a while.
I have worked these two on the pile of dummies a few times, maybe 4 times. Both of them are starting to understand it really well. We were down to the last two dummies. One of the dowel rods and the PVC pipe when Sally couldn’t see them lying where all the rest had been lying. I held the button on the transmitter down on 2 low. She was coming toward me when I hit the button. She reversed direction and when she picked up the dowel rod bumper I let off the button. She came to me in a run, wagging all the way. I sent her for the other bumper and she ran out, scooped it up and returned to me.
Mann was about the same way. He did them all except for one of the canvas covered ones and the PVC. But his eye sight failed him, too. I held the button on the transmitter down on low 2 and he raced to the pile and grabbed the PVC pipe and came back. When I sent him for the next he raced to it and back. Mann was force broke by Lyon’s Den Kennel in Kingsville Missouri and he’s faster than Sally. But they both are doing a good job on their retrieving.
Sally with one of the Dokken dummies.
Luke has been retired but I brought him out for a little retrieving work, too. I just led him to the pile of dummies and tossed a frozen quail for him a couple of times. I only tossed it about 10 yards and he dropped it at my feet but we both kind of went through the motions. After two retrieves Luke went to check on the pigeons. I took him back to the kennel.
I put Abby and Josie on my chain gang near the retrieving bench. I put 8 pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler and hid 4 of them for Josie. I had also worked the puppies yesterday and had worked Abby first. So it was Josie’s turn. Yesterday I had hidden 2 pigeons on my side of the training grounds and 2 on my neighbor’s side. Today I rode the 4-wheeler to the back on my side but I hid all 4 pigeons on the neighbor’s side.
To keep the puppies from just following the tracks of the 4-wheeler I always ride to the back on each of the sides I use. I try to hide the birds in different places but as much as I work these puppies I soon run out of new places to hide them.
Josie started down my side and she always starts checking almost every place I have ever hidden a bird for her. She starts slinking down the field instead of running with a high head. It doesn’t take long for her to go to hunting. The more she gets to where she trusts her nose the better she will hunt.
We went all the way to the back on my side then crossed over to the neighbor’s side. Josie came close to one of the middle birds but we had a strong north east wind and she didn’t hit the scent cone. We made it to the back and started into the wind. She hit the scent cone on a pigeon and locked up. Yesterday when she pointed she would look really good for 20 seconds or so then start wagging. Today I was watching her close and after getting a couple of pictures I was ready. As soon as her tail started to move I flushed the bird. The pigeon came out right over her head and she chased for a long way then came back.
Mann with one of the Dokken’s.
We started toward the front and she pointed the second pigeon. I took pictures but kept my eye on her. As soon as her tail started to move I flushed the pigeon. I want her to think that any movement she makes, make the bird fly.
She pointed the third bird and I watched closely. Her tail was not moving. I kept an eye on her for any movement. After a good thirty seconds her back foot moved and I flushed the pigeon. She acts like she’s trying to figure out what makes that bird fly.
We went toward the last bird. When we got close I had to go around a clump of brush to see her and she was, maybe, not getting the scent, good. Anyway, she was wagging and going into the clump where I had hidden the bird. I flushed it and she chased a few feet then went back to hunting. I put her on the chain gang.
When I first started bird hunting there were enough birds that we would just take the pups hunting. They would learn to work the birds because wild birds will flush at the first movement of the dogs just like I’m doing now with the pigeons.
Josie pointing a pigeon.
I reloaded the release traps and brought Abby out. These pups aren’t pulling a check cord and there is no e-collars. When they point I wait for several seconds then I try to walk in front of them. I don’t shout, “WHOA” or say anything to them. And I don’t hurry to the front. I try to walk toward their face, stop and let the pup get used to me being there, then walk a few more feet.
Abby and I went all the way to the back on my side then crossed over to the neighbor’s side. When we crossed over she got real close to the second bird but didn’t point. Then I didn’t see her. I walked back and checked the second bird and she wasn’t there. I went on back a little farther where I could see the first bird but she wasn’t there, either.
I started toward the back and saw her on point on the third bird. She had already been on point for, probably, a minute. She was a good distance from the bird and she looked good. I took pictures with my camera then took a couple with my phone. I moved in front of her a little way and took another picture or two. I moved up again and she moved. I flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance then went back to hunting.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
The bird at the back was in a bad place with the wind we had but she got on the right side and pointed. On this bird I just stood and watched. When she took a step I flushed the pigeon. She doesn’t chase much but she does a little then went back to hunting.
I had found a place, for the second bird, that I had never hid a bird for these pups before. Abby checked several places I had hidden birds for her before as we went toward the front. It’s fun to watch the pups slow down to check the places. She checked a place on one side then as she crossed the opening to check another she hit the scent cone and slammed on the brakes. I stood behind her taking pictures. I just waited on her to move. When she took a step I flushed the pigeon. She chased then went back to hunting.
The wind must have been really swirling on the bird closest to the front. Josie had been moving in on it when I saw her. Now Abby pointed from way back then moved in a half circle. Then pointed again. She was going to move again without going toward the pigeon but I flushed the bird. She chased a little then went to hunting.
Sally pointing a covey of quail.
I turned Josie loose so they could run and play. They followed the 4-wheeler as I picked up the traps then we went back to the kennel.
This hasn’t been the best of seasons for me. I have had several trials that are unusual for me. But when I can go in my back yard and get several points and even work my dogs on retrieving it’s fun. Not as much fun as a good bird hunt but it’s lots better than sitting in the house.