I was going to work dogs every morning this week since it was going to be real cool for August mornings. I worked them Monday on the place boards then after working dogs moved a bunch of stuff. Must have been the wrong thing to do. I could hardly walk on Tuesday even after taking some pain pills. Was much better this morning and after a couple of Ibuprofens kicked in, I worked dogs.
Josie on the place board.
Abby on the place board.
Boss on the place board.
After buying some pigeons and leaving them in their house for about 3 weeks I wanted to see if they would home back to their coop. I worked the dogs Monday, Abby, Josie and Boss, on the place boards without birds.
I heeled Abby out of the kennel with e-collars around her neck and flanks dragging a long check cord. I whoaed her a couple of times before we got to the place board. One time I called her to me with a here command and the other time I kicked the grass in front of her as if I was flushing a bird. When she stepped onto the place board I said, “whoa”. I walked way out front then made a big circle around her. She’s used to this and didn’t move.
I heeled her to two other place boards and whoaed her on each. I want the dogs, before we use birds, to understand that they can’t come off the place board. I heeled her on and off of each board 3 or 4 times.
I heeled her back close to the kennel and placed her on whoa. As I got on the 4-wheeler she took off. Although the last time I had put her on whoa and got on the 4-wheeler she had stayed on whoa until I said, “okay”. Not this time. I let her go and followed on the 4-wheeler. After a couple of laps she was ready to go into her kennel.
I did about the same thing with Josie. Josie, when I say, “here” comes real slow, normally. I have been using the tone on the e-collar to speed her up. Plus, in the field I will use the tone for her to come to me. She may as well get used to it and it does speed her up.
I worked her on all three place boards several times each then let her run. She didn’t wait for me to get on my 4-wheeler either. After one run to the back she went into her kennel. I took the e-collars off and put them on Boss.
Since Boss is just starting the heel and whoa thing I walk him a lot farther. I walked him to the front of my yard then across to the north then toward the back. Ever few feet I whoaed him and walked out in front of him. I hold my hand up like a traffic cop and he stays without moving his feet, most of the time. If he moves I pick him up and set him back.
Josie on the place board with birds.
When we get to the place boards I have him whoa as soon as he is on the board. He understands not to move on the place board, most of time. With him on the place board I can walk way out front and even to his rear. When we first started he wanted to turn and watch me when I walked behind him but I picked him up and set him back, a lot of times. Now he may turn his head but not move his feet.
He’s young and it’s harder to tire him out. I let him run to the back and then we circled the house and to the back again. After several circles I parked the 4-wheeler and went into the kennel. Boss laid down in the shade outside the kennel. He had no desire to come near me because I was going to put him in the kennel.
Abby on the place board with birds on the pigeon poles.
I went into his run and started telling Luke and Josie what good dogs they are. After a little while he couldn’t stand it. He came to me so I could pet him and tell him what a good dog he is. I put him in the kennel after I petted him.
This morning I tied a couple of my old pigeons to the pigeon poles and placed them in release traps under some hay. I had 3 pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler, parked near one of the place boards, in the shade. The new pigeons look young and not as strong as my older pigeons.
I heeled Josie out, wearing the e-collars around her neck and flanks, with the piggin’ string. I whoaed her where I had the long check cord hanging and attached it to her collar after running a half hitch around her flanks.
We went toward the north and I whoaed her. I walked way out front and said, “here”. Just before I said, “here” I hit the tone on the e-collar around her neck. She ran to me in a hurry. I whoaed her one other time before we got to the first place board.
My ladder against the rose bush.
As we passed the 4-wheeler I got a pigeon from the box on the back. I whoaed her on the place board and showed her the pigeon. I have turned pigeons loose in front of them when they were on the place board before. I let the pigeon flap. Without birds they just stop but with birds they look a lot better. I let the pigeon fly away. She didn’t try to chase.
I heeled her to the place board near the pigeon poles. They know the game. As soon as she got on the place board she whoaed. I had a stake in the ground behind the place board and I tied the check cord to it. I walked around her then flushed the farthest pigeon. I wasn’t sure what to expect. The pigeon just flew a few feet then landed. She was animated but didn’t try to come off the place board.
I walked around her then flushed the closer bird. This pigeon made a couple of good flights then landed out front of her. The check cord kept her from getting to this bird. I set her back on the place board with slack in the check cord. I don’t want these dogs leaning against the check cord. They must stand on their on.
I didn’t lose that much blood getting the pigeon out of the rose bush.
I picked the closer pigeon up and let it flap a little. I put it back in the release trap. I stroked her sides then released the pigeon. It only flew a few feet and landed but she didn’t move. After walking out in front of her and letting the bird flap some more I placed the pigeons back in the release traps and covered them with hay.
Josie was still on the place board but she was sitting down. I stood her up and went behind her to untie the check cord. When I turned back around she was off the place board. I set her back and petted her. I took her back to the kennel.
I heeled Abby out with the e-collars around her neck and flanks. I hooked the check cord to her collar after putting a half hitch around her flanks. This is the first time either of these pups has had the check cord around their flanks. I whoaed her a couple of times before we got to the first place board.
Boss on the place boards with birds.
I grabbed a pigeon as we went by the 4-wheeler. She whoaed on the place board and I showed her the pigeon. I let one wing flap a little and she got intense. This was one of the new birds and was really young, I guess. When I turned it loose it flew a few feet and tried to land in a tree. It fell from one limb to another but stopped before it got all the way to the ground. I heeled Abby away.
She didn’t want to leave that bird just a few feet off the ground but I had the piggin’ string on her. I whoaed her on the next place board and tied her check cord to the stake, leaving some slack in the check cord. I stroked her sides then walked in front of her. When I flushed the farther pigeon she got intense but didn’t try to chase.
I stroked her then went in front and flushed the closer pigeon. This bird made a circle and landed in a wild rose bush that was close. Abby came off the place board. I set her back and stroked her up. I went over and tried to pull the pigeon out of the rose bush by pulling on the string. That didn’t work. I went to the farther pigeon and made it fly a couple of times. Abby hit the end of the check cord and stopped.
Abby off the place board but the check cord isn’t real tight.
I set her back with some slack in the cord. Then I got a ladder to get the pigeon out of the rose bush. It was in there pretty good and I didn’t lose much blood getting it. I let it fly a short distance and Abby came off the place board. When the check cord tightened around her flanks she started fighting it. I didn’t say anything or do anything. That was between her and the check cord.
She would hit the end of the check cord and buck like a wild horse, stop then try again. She figured it out after a few times. The only thing that felt good was standing still. I carried her back to the place board and when her feet hit the board I said, “whoa”. She stood still. I flew the pigeons a few times then put them back in the release traps.
As I untied the check cord from the stake she came off the place board but just sat down and watched me. I set her back on the place board, stroked her sides then heeled her back to the kennel.
Josie looking good.
I heeled Boss out of the kennel with the e-collars around his neck and flanks but they were both turned off. I had him drag the long check cord for the first time but it wasn’t around his flanks. I whoaed him several times before we got to the first place board.
I whoaed him on the place board and for the first time had a pigeon in my hand, for him. He wanted that bird. I held him with the piggin’ string. I let the bird flap then let it fly away. He wanted to chase but I held him with the piggin’ string. I heeled him to the next place board.
On the way to the next place board the check cord bothered him a little. He kept looking back to see what was following him.
One of the pigeon poles.
I stroked his sides when he was on the next place board. When I flushed the farther pigeon he got intense but I held him with the piggin string. I held on to the piggin’ string as I walked around him. I flushed the closer bird and he really wanted it. I held him with the piggin’ string.
He figured out he wasn’t coming off the place board so he stayed. He was a lot more intense with the pigeons in sight. I took him back to the kennel.
All of my dogs, I have steady to wing and shot on pigeons. It never transfers to wild quail and I’m okay with that. I think if the dogs get really steady on pigeons they will also hold wild birds until the flush which is all that I require. It works for me.