Dog Training On A Cool Morning 7/29/17

Posted on July 29, 2017 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

Finally, I got a cool morning for dog training. I haven’t worked with the dogs for quite a while because of the oppressive heat. This morning the temperature was in the low to mid 60’s when I started and it was 72 by the time I was through. Still too warm for the dogs but they were wanting more when I put them up.

Sally pointing a pigeon.

Betsy pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo after the pigeon has flown.

I rebuilt a couple of my release traps so I now have 4 quail and pigeon sized traps. I put two traps about 10 yards apart in two different places on the training grounds. I have been working with three traps and putting all three in one area. The idea is to have two different places for the dogs to point and flush whichever bird that they aren’t pointing then lead them away.

I led Sally out with the piggin’ string, with the e-collars around her neck and flanks. I had a pigeon in the bird bag. Usually, the dogs lead pretty well but they haven’t been out for a while and they wanted to drag me. After I made a few 180 degree turns they remembered how to heel. I whoaed Sally, walked out front and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move.

The dogs know me better than I know them. The next time I whoaed her she was more intense. She knew I was going to fly a pigeon from my hand. I took the pigeon from the bird bag and held it by the feet, letting it flap. I set it on the ground and as it flew away I shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move.

I whoaed her at the edge of the training grounds. I ride the 4-wheeler to the back on both sides of the training grounds when I hide the pigeons so the dogs have to hunt not just follow the 4-wheeler tracks. Sally hunted to the back on my side then crossed over to the neighbor’s side. There was almost no wind this morning and when she pointed she was within about 3 yards of the pigeon. I took pictures then stroked her sides. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon that was 10 or 12 yards away, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She raised her head to watch the pigeon fly but didn’t move her feet. I stroked her sides then walked in front of her again. I went back to her, stroked her sides and led her away. After about 25 yards I turned her loose.



She went in front of me and when I saw her the next time she was on point in between the two pigeons I had hidden. There was no doubt as to which bird she was pointing though. I took pictures then stroked her sides without saying anything. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon that she wasn’t pointing, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move other than to turn her head. I led her about 25 yards away and turned her loose.

Sally was hunting on the way back to the kennel and when she was about 35 yards from me I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She stopped before I could say whoa. She’s starting to understand. I took her back to the kennel.

I reloaded the release traps and heeled Betsy out with the piggin’ string. She had e-collars on her neck and flanks. She, too, thought she could drag me to the pigeons but after a couple of 180 degree turns she decided that she would heel. I whoaed her, walked out front, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.”. She moved forward about half a body length. I went to her and set her back. I went back in front and shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” This time she didn’t move. I stroked her sides then heeled her away.

A good head shot of Betsy.

I whoaed her after about 25 yards. I walked in front and took a pigeon from the bird bag by the feet. After it flapped for a few seconds I put it on the ground in front of me. As it flew away I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She turned sideways to watch the pigeon fly but didn’t try to chase. I picked her up and set her back. I walked back in front, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.

I released her at the edge of the training grounds. She hunted to the back on my side then crossed over to the neighbor’s side. She pointed in almost the same spot that Sally had, earlier. She was only about 3 yards from the bird. I took pictures then stroked her sides. I went in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon that was about 10 or 12 yards away, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She raised her head but didn’t move her feet. I stroked her sides and led her away. After about 25 yards I released her.

When I got close to the next birds I saw her on point. She was looking at one of the pigeons and the other was directly behind her. I took pictures and stroked her sides. I went in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon that was behind her, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She turned to watch that pigeon fly but didn’t try to chase. I set her back. I kicked the cover in front of her then went to her and stroked her sides. I led her away.

For some reason if I whoa Betsy too many times she won’t leave my side so I didn’t do any whoa work with her on the way back to the kennel.

A raccoon got into my pigeon coop and almost wiped one coop out so I’m short on birds. I had to go to the house and drink a cup of coffee to wait on my pigeons to return. The pigeons are even kind of smart. As long as I stay outside they won’t come back. They know I will use them again. Dogs learn by repetition and evidently so do pigeons. Thirty or forty minutes later I had birds.

Tur Bo’s head.

I brought Tur Bo out with the piggin’ string. He had the e-collars on his neck and flanks. After half a dozen 180 degree turns he started heeling. I whoaed him, walked in front, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He moved his front feet. I set him back, went back out front, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” This time he didn’t move. I stroked his sides and led him away.

After about 25 yards I whoaed him. I went in front, took a pigeon from the bird bag by the feet and let it flap. I set it at my feet and turned it loose. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” The pigeon flew low right over Tur Bo’s head. He turned to watch it but took a couple of steps. I turned him back around and set him back. I went out front, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He didn’t move. I led him away.

When I turned him loose he went to the back on my side and crossed to the neighbor’s side. He too, pointed in almost the same spot the other two had on this pigeon. I took pictures then went to him and stroked his sides. I went back in front kicking the cover. I flushed the bird that was 10 or 12 yards away, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He watched the pigeon fly away but didn’t move his feet. I went to him and stroked his sides and led him away. When we were 20 yards away I released the pigeon that he had been pointing. I led him a little farther then released him.

He circled around behind me going to check on the bird that he didn’t think had been flushed. I walked on a ways and he didn’t come. I circled back and saw him with a pigeon. Evidently, the pigeon hadn’t flown when I released it. It must have landed right beside the trap. I knelt down and called him to me. He came just as proud as he could be. I petted him and told him what a good dog he was for about 30 seconds then I said, “give.” He dropped the pigeon in my hand.

We went on through the field. I came around a thicket and saw him on point. I took pictures then stroked his sides. He was in between these two birds but I knew which one he was pointing. I flushed the other one, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He just barely moved his head. He knew that wasn’t the bird he was pointing. I stroked his sides then went back in front. I knew he would circle back if I didn’t flush this bird so I did. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He charged the pigeon as it came out of the trap (he didn’t catch it) and I held the button on the flank e-collar down until he stopped moving. I picked him up and set him back.

I walked in front of him, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He didn’t move. I walked back by him and as I came past him he started following me. I whoaed him again and set him back. I walked all around him without him moving. I released him.



On the way back to the kennel I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He didn’t slam into a stop but he did stop. I walked to him and then on by. He didn’t move until I tapped him on the head. He may learn that I’m the one that says when whoa is over not him. Maybe not too. I took him back to the kennel.

Dog training is fun when you’re making progress. I think I’m at a point now I need wild birds to work the dogs. As hot as it is here it will be a while before we can run dogs. From what I’m reading about North and South Dakota it may be hard to find wild birds to work dogs on. Oh well, may just have to drive farther.

Sally pointing a pigeon.

Betsy pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.



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It’s too Hot For Dog Training

Posted on July 16, 2017 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

I was going to run some dogs yesterday because it was supposed to be in the low to mid 60’s. It was 72 at daylight and by the time I was ready it was 74 degrees. I didn’t do any dog training.

Luke on point and Lucky, on the left, honoring.

Luke pointing a quail.

Sally pointing a pigeon.

Lucky is 13 years old and nearly deaf. Yesterday when I cleaned pens he came back into his kennel as I filled his water bucket. He enjoys the attention but I wondered if he thinks I quit talking to him. I talk to all of the dogs. (I even talk to the pigeons.) A few days ago I came up from the back on the lawn mower and Lucky was lying on the concrete floor of his kennel. He heard the mower when I got close, jumped up and looked the wrong way at first.

Last hunting season, he hunted with us for a couple of hours then got separated. I beeped his e-collar but he wasn’t sure where I was or he never heard the beeps. I had a Garmin GPS on him so I knew where he was hunting. When I got back to the truck I drove as close to him as I could then walked. He was tired and stayed in front of me back to the truck.

A few years ago I had a female pointer named Angel. She was a daughter of Lester’s Snowatch. A friend, Gailen Cooper wanted to run her in a shooting dog trial. She was still a derby. We entered her in the Missouri Open Derby. There were 21 or 22 dogs entered.

When it came time for her to run, no dog had pointed a bird. At about 20 minutes into her 30 minute run she went on point. She looked really good as Gailen went in front of her to flush. A small covey got up. She didn’t move. As he walked to her another 3 or 4 birds flushed. He stroked her up and led her away.

He turned her loose and she went about 50 yards and went on point again. I thought it was probably a single but this time another covey flushed. She was steady to wing and shot. He stroked her and led her away. He turned her loose and she was well out front at the end of time.



At the end of her run Gailen rode up beside me and said, “You know what I did to her. What did you do, I asked. I talked to her just like you do”.

A long way from where Angel had pointed the two coveys another dog pointed a single quail later in the trial. The only birds found in the trial. The dog that found the single got third. Angel got second and a dog that didn’t see a bird took first.

I ran her in an Open Shooting Dog, walking trial later, while she was still a derby. In the walking trial they had scouts that were on horses. Angel stayed in front of me most of the time but I had to send the scout two different times because when she got on a hedge row or fence row she took it to the end. She hadn’t found a bird and at the end just as the judge called time I rounded a clump of brush and saw her on point. Had I seen her on point before time was called, the point would have counted. In this trial they placed her third. A young man had a dog that pointed a quail in this trial that didn’t get a placement.

I’m not trying to say that trials are unfair or bad. I don’t understand them. Judges are looking for certain things. The dog that won the horse back trial went on to win several championships. I sold Angel to a guy in Canada that I thought would field trial her. She didn’t do that well for him but she had several pups that are winning.

I have registered Tur Bo and Sally Joe in both AKC and American Field. I have run them both in AKC Junior Hunter tests. In Junior Hunter, I think, they only have to point a quail and stay on point for a few seconds. Tur Bo ran in two tests and qualified in both. Sally ran in two but only qualified in one. To be a Junior Hunter they must qualify in four tests and then AKC will put the Junior Hunter designation on their registration.



Senior Hunter and Master Hunter get progressively harder. For Senior Hunter, I think, they have to be steady to wing and shot and retrieve to hand. They also must honor a brace mate. A Master Hunter must be steady to wing, shot and fall. The Master Hunter must also stay steady as the brace mate retrieves. Although I don’t see very many AKC hunt tests around I may continue to run in them. All of the dogs can qualify in their tests so it’s not as competitive as the field trials.

Usually, this really hot weather only lasts a couple of weeks. I hope that is the case, then I will be back to training dogs.

Betsy pointing a quail.

Tur Bo

Dolly pointing Tur Bo backing.



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A Cool Morning Dog Training Session

Posted on July 9, 2017 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

It was in the low 60’s, when I got up this morning, so I decided to do some dog training. This will be the last cool morning for quite a while. The forecast is for really high temperatures the next week and maybe longer.

Sally pointing a pigeon.

Betsy pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.

I hid three pigeons, in release traps, in the tall weeds on the training grounds. Each release trap was about 10 yards from the others in a diamond pattern. I had 2 pigeons in the bird bag, with me.

I put the e-collars around Sally’s neck and flanks and heeled her out with the piggin’ string. I quit using the check cord the last training session. The only difference I could see, the dogs ran better without the check cord.

About 20 yards from the kennel I whoaed her and walked in front. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.

After another 20 yards I whoaed her again. I walked out front, took a pigeon from the bird bag by it’s feet and let it flap for about 20 seconds. Instead of just letting the bird fly away I placed it on the ground. It, immediately, flushed. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.

Another 20 yards and I whoaed her again. I walked out in front, taking a pigeon from the bird bag by the feet. After it flapped for a few seconds I placed it on the ground in front of me. This pigeon walked toward the fence row to the north. I kept an eye on Sally and she didn’t move. I took a couple of steps toward the pigeon and it flew, landing in a tree in the fence row. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.

When we passed the retrieving bench I whoaed her. I tapped her head and released her to hunt. She ran the edge to the back of my side and when she came back close to me I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She stopped. I walked to her and tapped her head.



There was not much wind blowing and she was about 6 or 7 yards from the pigeon when she went on point. The way she was looking there were 2 pigeons in front of her. One about 7 yards and another about 17 yards. I walked in front of her, kicking the cover, flushed the pigeon that was to her left, about 15 yards away. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She turned her head to watch the pigeon fly away but didn’t move. I stroked her sides.

I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon that was about 17 yards in front of her. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She moved up one step. I whoaed her and she only took the one step. I set her back, went in front of her, kicking the cover. I slipped the piggin’ string on her and heeled her away.

On the way back to the kennel, when she came close I shot the blank pistol and she stopped before I could say, “whoa.” I took her back to the kennel.

Betsy pointing a pigeon.

I reloaded the release traps and put a couple of pigeons in the bird bag. I put the e-collars on Betsy and heeled her out with the piggin’ string. After about 20 yards I whoaed her, walked in front, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.

Another 20 yards I whoaed her. I walked in front of her, taking a pigeon from the bird bag by the feet. After it flapped for a few seconds I placed it on the ground in front of me. It flushed immediately. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She turned sideways to watch the bird fly away but didn’t try to follow. I set her back. I went back in front, kicking the cover. I stroked her sides and heeled her on.

After another 20 yards I whoaed her. I walked in front kicking the cover. I took a pigeon from the bird bag by the feet. After it flapped for a few seconds I placed it on the ground in front of me. It flushed and I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She turned and watched the pigeon fly away. I set her back and walked in front her kicking the cover. I went back to her, stroked her sides and heeled her away.

Tur Bo just styles up when I get the camera out.

After we passed the retrieving bench I whoaed her. I stroked her sides then tapped her head for the release. Taking the check cord off helped her more than the other dogs. She runs a lot better without it. When she came close to me I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She stopped. I went to her, stroked her sides then tapped her on the head.

Sally had been on the south side of the birds when she pointed but Betsy was on the north. Betsy was about 15 yards from the closest pigeon. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed a pigeon that was about 25 yards away and to her right. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and went back in front.

There was a pigeon about 25 yards right in front of her. I continued to kick the cover then flushed it. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I stroked her sides then went back in front.

She was far enough from the pigeon that she was pointing that I decided to flush it for her. She hadn’t moved on the first two I had flushed. I kicked the cover, flushed the pigeon, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” The pigeon came out low right by her. She made a quarter turn to watch the pigeon. I set her back. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.

Sally after the pigeons have flown.

On the way back to the kennel when she came close I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She stopped. I stroked her sides and tapped her on the head. She ran to the pigeon coop and pointed the birds on top. When I got there I slipped the piggin’ string on her and took her to the kennel.

Since the raccoons killed some of my pigeons I’m a few birds short. I reloaded the release traps but I only had one pigeon in the bird bag. I put the e-collars on Tur Bo and heeled him out with the piggin’ string. About 20 yards out of the kennel I whoaed him. I walked in front, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He didn’t move. I stroked his sides then heeled him away.

Another 20 yards I whoaed him again. This time as I walked in front I took the pigeon from the bird bag holding it by the feet. After it flapped for a few seconds I placed it on the ground in front of me. It flushed and I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” His front feet did their dance but his back feet didn’t move. I set him back. I walked in front of him then went back and stroked his sides. I heeled him away.

When we passed the retrieving bench I whoaed him. I stroked his sides then tapped him on the head. He ran to the back on my side and when he came back close to me I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” It took him a few steps but he stopped. I stroked his sides then released him.

Sally on pen reared quail.

He pointed on the north side of the birds but he was within about 3 yards of a pigeon. I walked in front of him kicking the cover. He was in line with another pigeon that was less than 15 yards from him. I flushed that pigeon, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He just knew he could catch the pigeon right in front of him. He ran in but that was not the pigeon I flushed. I picked him up by his regular collar and the flank e-collar. I set him back after shaking him about 3 times. I only said, “whoa” once and that was after I set him back.

I continued to kick the cover and flushed another pigeon that was 15 yards away. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He didn’t move. I went to him and stroked his sides. He still had a pigeon about 3 yards from him and he knew it. I slipped the piggin’ string on him and heeled him away.

When we were about 30 yards from the pigeon that he had pointed I flushed it and kept walking. He didn’t notice the bird flying away. I heeled him a little farther and whoaed him. I tapped him on the head to release him. He went behind me going back to where he just knew there was a pigeon. I just kept walking toward the kennel. In just a few seconds he was in front of me.



As we went back to the kennel I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He stopped after a couple of steps. He’s getting better.

I’ve been saying, “whoa” after each shot of the blank pistol so the dogs will know that after the shot there will be a whoa command. I’m not putting a lot of pressure on them but they are starting to stop on the shot. Hopefully, this will help them be steady to wing and shot. We have a long time until bird seasons open. We just need a lot of cool mornings.

Sally with evil eyes.

A good head shot of Betsy.

Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.



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Rainy Days Dogs, 7/4/17

Posted on July 4, 2017 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

It’s been raining most of the day. I wanted to work some dogs today but it’s not to be. I’ve been thinking about some of the things we do to train our dogs.

A friend, Bob Eades, lives on several acres and had some chickens that the raccoons were killing. When they got into his hen house they would kill most of the chickens but eat only a few. The hen house was far enough away from the house that he didn’t hear anything when the raccoons got in.

Betsy pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo watching a pigeon fly away.

Sally after the pigeon has flown away.

He took some cans, put rocks inside and tied them to the fence. He had a couple of Labradors that ran loose on his place. He took some treats to the chicken pen, rattled the cans and called his dogs. When they got to him he fed them some treats. The dogs learned to come when the cans rattled.

A few days later when Bob went to take care of his chickens he found a dead raccoon near the pen. The dogs had learned the lesson well.

A few days ago a friend, Stan Arnold and his grandson Jake, came over to work Jake’s dog on my pigeons. As we worked around the kennel area and pigeon pens Stan asked how I kept my dogs from barking. I have put it on the blog before but it may be time to do it again.

I have 6 dogs in my kennel from the age of one year to thirteen years old. If most of the dogs are barking there is something for them to bark at. If just one dog is barking I take anything that will make noise and walk to the kennel and start beating on the chain link. I scream and shout, “hush”, at the dog.

The dogs bark because they want to see you but they don’t want to see you when you’re crazy. When you first do this you must go to the kennel each time that a dog continues to bark. After a while you can yell, “hush” and they will quit barking. If you have to go to the pen because of a dog barking you can always tell the guilty one. It will be standing with it’s head down and the other dogs will be standing looking at him like they are saying, “see I told you he would come down and he would be crazy.”

A few years ago I had a dog barking about 2:00 am. I yelled at him a couple of times and he wouldn’t stop. I was about half asleep as I grabbed a dust mop and went to the kennel. There was a full moon and it was almost as light as day. The guilty dog didn’t even slow up barking, as he stood in his house barking.



I hit the chain link fence with the dust mop and yelled, “hush”. I thought, in my half awake state, that the head of the dust mop came off and went through the chain link. It went all of the way to the other end then started back to me. When it started over the top of the six foot chain link it dawned on me that this was an animal. A young bob cat was eating out of the dogs self feeder. He was afraid to come out of his house so he just stood there and barked.

When I first started bird hunting my dogs wouldn’t load in the dog box very well. Most of the time the dogs weren’t ready to quit when I tried to get them in the box. I just caught them and forced them into the box. After a few years I saw a guy say, “load up” to his dog and it jumped onto the tail gate then walked into the box. I thought, “I can train my dog to do that”.

Before I started training them to load, Dennis Garrison and I were hunting in Kansas. We hunted a small place and decided to go to another. I called my dog and he came close but saw that we were going to load up. He went back to hunting. I went after him. When I got a few hundred yards away he came right to me. I grabbed his collar and started back.

He was pulling back when we got close to the truck. Dennis was standing by the box and the dog’s door was open. I picked him up by the collar and a hand in front of his back legs. I had him heading for the open door at about 90 miles an hour when Dennis reached over and shut the door. The dog hit the door really hard. Dennis said he didn’t know why he shut the door. The rest of the day that dog would try to beat Dennis getting in the truck.



If your dog is doing something you don’t like or if you see someone’s dog doing something you would like for your dog to do, train for it. My dogs now load when I tell them to, “load up”. I spend quite a bit of time teaching, here, heel, whoa and up. The dogs don’t always do them when I give the command but they do most of the time.

Luke on point and Lucky, on the left, honoring.

Tur Bo pointing a single quail.

Sally on pen raised quail.



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