Traveling Pointing Dogs

Wednesday morning was a little cooler than normal so I trained dogs, Betsy and Sally. By the time I finished with these 2 it was already back into the 70’s. But that’s the way it usually is this time of year.

Sally after the pigeon has flown away.

Betsy pointing a pigeon.

Sally, really concentrating.

I put the e-collars on Sally’s neck and flanks, put a half hitch around her flanks and snapped the check cord to her collar and heeled her away with the piggin’ string. I had 3 pigeons hidden in release traps on the training grounds and a couple of pigeons in a bird bag over my shoulder. I whoaed her a couple of times as we walked around the yard. When we got about even with the pigeon coops but on the other side of the yard I whoaed her, pushed the stake into the ground and tied her check cord to it and walked about 15 yards in front of her. I took a pigeon from the bird bag and placed it on the ground. When the pigeon flushed I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She watched the pigeon but didn’t move her feet. I pulled the stake, untied the check cord, stroked her sides and heeled her away.

I had a pigeon in a release trap hidden before we got to the retrieving bench. There was almost no wind and Sally was within about 5 yards of the pigeon when she pointed. I walked around kicking the cover and dropped a pigeon in front of her. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon from the release trap. It came out low and flew right above her head. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She whirled around and watched the bird fly away. I picked her up and turned her back where she was. When the bird comes over them I don’t blame them for turning. At least she didn’t chase. I untied the check cord, stroked her sides and tapped her head to release her to hunt.

I usually hide the birds near the back of the property but today I had hidden one about 30 yards from where I turned her loose to hunt. She was going all out when she hit the scent cone, slid and whirled into a point. I reached for the stake and I had not pulled it at the last bird but her check cord was long enough to tie to a tree. After tying the check cord to the tree I walked in front of her kicking the cover. To put a little more pressure on her I really kicked some small bushes in front of her. She would jump each time but not move her feet. I shot the blank pistol without flushing the pigeon and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I flushed the pigeon, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She still didn’t move. I untied her check cord, stroked her sides and released her.

We crossed over to the neighbor’s side of the training grounds and went all the way to the back turned and went toward the front. I came around a patch of brush and Sally was on point. I started to her and she moved up a couple of steps. I whoaed her, picked her up and set her back. I tied her check cord to a bush and walked in front of her kicking the cover. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I flushed the pigeon, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She started to chase but the half hitch around her flanks cinched down and stopped her. I went to her and set her back. I walked around in front of her and shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. This time she didn’t move. I untied her check cord and took her back to the kennel.

Betsy on point.

I put the e-collars and check cord on Betsy and heeled her out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. I whoaed her a couple of times then whoaed her, pushed the stake into the ground and tied the check cord to it. I walked in front of her about 15 yards, and set a pigeon on the ground, from the bird bag. When the bird flew I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. Her back feet stayed in place but she does a little dance with her front feet. I shot the blank pistol, again and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I untied the check cord, stroked her sides and released her.

She ran by on the other side of the property from where the first pigeon was hidden. I called her to the other side and she was only about 25 yards ahead of me when she went on point. I pushed the stake in the ground and tied the check cord to it. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I dropped a pigeon from the bird bag, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon in the release trap, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I pulled the stake, untied the check cord and released her.

She rounded a corner and hit the scent cone. She slammed on the brakes and went on point. I pushed the stake into the ground and tied the check cord to it. I walked in front of her, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover. I flushed the pigeon in the release trap, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I pulled the stake, untied the check cord, stroked her sides and released her to hunt.

We crossed to the other side and she hunted all of the cover. she was well ahead of me and was on point when I came around a clump of brush. I pushed the stake into the ground, tied the check cord to the stake and walked in front of her. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon in the release trap, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I pulled the stake, untied the check cord, stroked her sides and released her.

As we went back to the kennel I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. Instead of stopping she wanted to come to me. I held the button down on the flank e-collar on level 1 until she stopped. I picked her up and carried her back to where she was when I told her to whoa. I walked around her then tapped her head for the release. As we continued to the kennel I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She stopped. I walked around her then tapped her head. We went back to the kennel.

Betsy looked good this morning.

By this time it was in the 70’s so I didn’t work Tur Bo. It’s hard to remember when I shot the blank pistol as I write this post but I shot 12 times with Sally and 20 times with Betsy. I may have over did it with Betsy because she wouldn’t get more than 10 or 15 yards away from me on the way to the kennel.

When I taught whoa I held the button on their flank e-collar down on a real light setting then said, “whoa”. After just a few times they started stopping as soon as they felt the stimulation and would stop before I could say, “whoa”. Now I’m shooting the blank pistol and saying, “whoa”. Soon they should think of the blank pistol as a whoa command, I hope.

Most of these posts about training dogs will sound almost the same because they are the same. Training dogs is repeating the same thing until you get a conditioned response. The really hot time of the year is coming up but if I can catch a few cool mornings I will continue training dogs.

Sally after the pigeon has flown.

Betsy looks like a ghost.

Betsy watching a pigeon fly away.

I had a whole bunch of stuff to do this morning but when I woke up I decided to do a little dog training. It never got very cool but the dogs are always ready to get out. I put pigeons in release traps. Two of them were hidden on the training grounds and one was hidden in the north fence line.

Sally pointing a pigeon.

Betsy watching a pigeon that landed in a tree right beside her.

Tur Bo after the pigeon has flown.

I put the e-collars on Sally’s neck and flanks, snapped a long check cord to her regular collar and heeled her out of the kennel with a piggin’ string. Today, I was going to use the blank pistol. Sally and the rest of my dogs have had birds killed over them so the sound of the gun isn’t an issue. I’m going to shoot the pistol and say, “whoa” until the dogs start stopping when they hear the blank pistol go off.

I whoaed Sally a few times, walked out in front of her then heeled her away. Before we got to the first hidden pigeon I whoaed her and walked out front. I held the blank pistol behind me, shot the pistol and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move but there was more excitement.

I heeled her near to the bird hidden in the north fence line. I said, “whoa”, pushed a stake into the ground behind her and tied the check cord to it. I walked in front of her, dropped a pigeon from the bird bag, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I continued to walk back and forth in front of her, kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon in the release trap, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She still didn’t move. I pulled the stake, untied the check cord and heeled her away after stroking her sides and telling her what a good girl she is.

I heeled her near the retrieving bench, stopped and tapped her head to release her. There was almost no wind and she had trouble finding the first pigeon. She pointed within a few feet of the release trap but it was across the fence. I pushed the stake in the ground behind her and tied her check cord to it. I couldn’t get in front of her but I walked down the fence row kicking the cover. I dropped a pigeon from my hand, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover in the fence row, flushed the pigeon in the release trap, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I pulled the stake, untied the check cord, told her what a good girl she is and released her to run.

She was way ahead of me when she pointed the next bird. I came around a point and saw her on point. I got my stake out to put in the ground behind her and she moved up a step. I whoaed her and started to her and she moved again. By the time I got around the cover, the pigeon was in, she was standing right over the top of the release trap. Instead of picking her up and setting her back I grabbed the check cord and drug her out of the cover. I set her where she was on point at first. I pushed the stake in the ground behind her and tied the check cord to it. I walked in front of her and shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She hit the end of the check cord moving forward. I set her back. I kicked the cover and shot the blank pistol. This time she didn’t move. I let her run back to the kennel.

I reloaded the release traps, put a couple of pigeons in the bird bag, and heeled Betsy out of the kennels. I whoaed her a couple of times before we got close to the pigeon in the fence row. One of the times I put her on whoa I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. For her, that put a lot more excitement into the training. She wanted to move her front feet. I stroked her sides after setting her back then heeled her away.

When we got close to the bird hidden in the fence row I whoaed her. I pushed the stake in behind her and tied the check cord to it. I walked in front of her, dropped a pigeon from my hand, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. The blank pistol puts more excitement for her and her front feet did a little dance. I continue to walk around kicking the cover. I shot the blank pistol and she didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. Her front feet did their dance. I untied the check cord after pulling the stake and heeled her away.

Sally watching the pigeon in my hand.

When we got near the retrieving bench I released her to hunt. Sally had had trouble with the next pigeon hidden in the fence row so I had moved this one to another clump of cover on my place. Betsy ran by and whirled into a point. I went behind her and tied her check cord to the stake after pushing it into the ground. I walked in front, kicking the cover, dropped a pigeon from my hand, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. The pigeon flew to a tree about 3 yards behind Betsy. She turned and went on point. The pigeon was real low in the tree and I tried to make it fly. It just went higher in the tree. I turned her back around. She went back to pointing the bird in the release trap. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. When the pigeon from the release trap flushed the bird in the tree flew away, too. I untied her and released her to hunt.

The next pigeon was on the other side of the training grounds and near the back. Betsy was checking every clump and went on point well off the next pigeon. I pushed the stake into the ground and tied the check cord to it. I walked in front of her and shot the blank pistol. I said, “whoa” and she didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon in the release trap, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I untied her check cord and let her run back to the kennel.

I put the e-collars on Tur Bo, snapped the check cord to his collar with a half hitch around his flanks and heeled him out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. Tur Bo is 4 years old and has quite a few birds shot over his points. I used him some as a guide dog, also. He’s used to moving when the bird flushes. Now I’m asking him to not move. Sally is just a year old and Betsy is two. Neither of them have had that many birds killed over them. It’s easier for them to give to this dog training. I know this going in but I’m still going to try to train him.

I whoaed him a couple of times then whoaed him and shot the blank pistol. He moved a couple of steps. I heeled him near the pigeon in the fence row, whoaed him, pushed the stake into the ground and tied him to it. I walked out front of him, dropped a pigeon from the bird bag in front of him, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. He hit the end of the rope and it tightened the half hitch around his flanks and he stopped. I went to him and set him back. I walked in front of him, dropped another pigeon from my hand, shot the blank gun and said, “whoa”. He hit the end of the rope, again, tightening the check cord around his flanks. I set him back again.

I walked around in front of him, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. He moved his front feet. I set him back. I walked around in front of him, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. Finally, he didn’t move. I walked down the fence row kicking the cover. He was farther from the pigeon in the release trap than either of the other two had been. I think this helped. I flushed the pigeon, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. He didn’t move. When I went back to the stake it was almost out of the ground. Had he hit it one more time he would have been free. I petted him then heeled him away.

The stake was almost out.

I heeled him near the retrieving bench, whoaed him then tapped his head for the release. He slid to a stop when he hit the scent of the first pigeon. I pushed the stake into the ground behind him and tied the check cord to it. I walked in front of him, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. He took the slack out of the check cord but didn’t make it tighten around his flanks. I set him back and shot the blank pistol a couple more times telling him to whoa after each shot. I pulled the stake, untied the check cord and released him to hunt.

He was way in front of me and was already on point when I came around a point and saw him. I pushed the stake into the ground and tied his check cord to it. I walked in front of him, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. He moved up with his front feet but didn’t take all of the slack out of the check cord. I set him back. I shot the blank pistol a couple more times telling him to whoa after each shot. I released him to hunt back to the kennel.

Dog training is a lot of repetition. I try to be as accurate as possible when I write the blog but I can’t keep track of all the times I shot the blank pistol for any of these dogs. I think, I shot the blank pistol at least 23 times for Tur Bo. It could have been more. I didn’t shoot that many times for the other two.

When I taught these dogs to “whoa” I hit the e-collar around their flanks with a real light stimulation until they were stopping as soon as they felt the stimulation. This should become the same thing. They will learn that when they hear the blank pistol I’m going to say, “whoa” so they will stop automatically. I don’t know how many repetitions it will take but I know it will take more for Tur Bo.

Sally on a pigeon.

Betsy pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.

I haven’t been training dogs with all of the rain that we have been getting. It’s, also, starting to be pretty warm even early in the morning but this morning I worked Sally, Betsy and Tur Bo. I hid 3 pigeons in release traps on my training grounds. I also had 2 pigeons in a bird bag that I had slung around my neck.

Sally on whoa with a check cord tied to a tree.

Betsy on whoa with her check cord tied to a tree.

Tur Bo on whoa with his check cord tied to a tree.

I put the e-collars around Sally’s neck and flanks, hooked a long check cord to her collar with a half hitch around her flanks and led her out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. I heeled her toward the front of my yard then across to the other side and started toward the back. I had to drag her past where I had hidden a pigeon a couple of times before. I whoaed her several times as we went along. When we got on the north side of my house I whoaed her and tied the check cord to a tree. I had hidden the pigeon in the fence row. I walked down the fence row kicking the cover and the posts. I walked back across in front of her and kicked around a tree. I went back to the fence line and kicked the cover some more. I flushed the pigeon and Sally didn’t move.

I untied the check cord and went to her and stroked her sides telling her what a good dog she is. I heeled her on toward the back. When we got past the retrieving bench I whoaed her and took the piggin’ string off. I tapped her head to release her to hunt. She was at least 20 yards from a pigeon when she went on point. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. She was too far from anything to tie her check cord. I took one of the pigeons from the bird bag and let it fly. She never moved. She knew her bird was still there. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon. The bird came out and flew right over the top of her. Her back feet didn’t move but she turned to watch it fly off. I tapped her head to release her after telling her what a good girl she is.

The next pigeon was a problem for her. She was close on 3 sides of it before coming back around and going on point. She was pretty close to it but I wanted to see what she would do. I kicked the cover and threw a pigeon from the bird bag. Her head didn’t move, she didn’t even blink. She knew where her bird was. I flushed her bird and she turned to watch it fly away but didn’t try to chase or even take a step. I stroked her sides then tapped her head to release her. I took her back to the kennel.

I put the e-collars on Betsy’s neck and flanks, snapped the check cord to her collar with a half hitch around her flanks and heeled her out of the kennel. I heeled her around the south side of my house, across to the north fence line then back toward the rear. I had whoaed her several times as we came around the house. As we got to the fence line I whoaed her and tied the check cord to the tree. I walked around in front of her kicking the cover. I walked down the fence row and flushed the pigeon. Betsy never moved. I untied the check cord and stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is. I heeled her away.

I heeled her back past the retrieving bench and turned her loose to hunt. If anything she was farther away than Sally was from the pigeon when she pointed. She was far enough away I could tie her check cord to a tree. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I took a bird from the bag and let it fly away. She turned her head then right back to the bird she had pointed. I kicked the cover and flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I untied her and stroked her sides. I released her.

Sally after the pigeons have flown.

She too had trouble with the next bird. She was real close when she finally got it pointed. I walked in front of her and dropped a pigeon from my hand. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and let her hunt back to the kennel.

I put all of the stuff on Tur Bo and heeled him out of the kennel. Tur Bo is older than either of the others and should do this exercise better. I put him on whoa and tied him to the tree. I kicked the cover in the fence row and I went back across in front of him and kicked another tree. I went back to the fence row and kicked the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he turned sideways to watch it fly away. I set him back and stroked him. I heeled him toward the back.

After we passed the retrieving bench I released him to hunt. He was closer to the next bird when he pointed than the other two were. I walked in front of him and dropped a pigeon from my hand. He watched it without moving then went back to pointing the bird in the trap. I flushed the pigeon from the trap. He moved toward the pigeon. I whoaed him and he stopped. I picked him up and set him back. Evidently I didn’t get the bird bag closed because and I set him back and said, “whoa” a pigeon flew out of the bird bag. I still had my hands on him so he couldn’t chase. I made him stand for a while then tapped his head to release him.

Betsy after the pigeon has flown away.

He was a long way ahead of me when he pointed the next bird. Because of both of the other dogs having trouble with this bird I thought about moving it but I didn’t. I was watching him pretty close and saw him take a step. I flushed the pigeon and he tried to catch it. I yelled, “whoa” and he stopped. I went to him and set him back. I made him stand for a long time as I walked back and forth in front of him. I released him to run on the way back to the kennel.

Putting a half hitch around the dogs flanks and tying it to a tree or something solid makes the dog think someone is behind them. I’m in front kicking and flushing the bird. Sally and Betsy have both hit the end of the check cord. I will continue working with them on this and I think they will get really solid.

In a week or so I’m going to start using the blank pistol, too. I will shoot the pistol then say, “whoa”. They should start stopping after a while before I can say, “whoa”. They are getting pretty good, all except Tur Bo, on stopping to flush and if the sound of the blank pistol is another whoa command they will be really solid, I hope. That’s what training dogs is all about, trying different things to see what works.

Sally pointing a pigeon.

Betsy pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo on whoa and tied to a tree.

I did some dog training this morning after over an inch of rain last night. I believe every mosquito egg in the country hatched and were at the back of my training grounds waiting on me to get there. I took a picture of Betsy’s nose. There were about 10 mosquitoes on it but by the time I got the camera focused some had flown off but there were still a bunch on her nose and face.

Those blacks specks on Betsy’s nose and face are mosquitoes.

Sally after the pigeon has flown away.

Tur Bo watching a pigeon fly away.

I hid a pigeon in a release trap on the south side of my house and another one across the fence on the north property line. I took a third pigeon to the very back of my training grounds and hid it in the edge of some brush. I had two pigeons in a bird bag when I put the e-collars on Sally’s neck and flanks. She, also, was dragging a long check cord when I heeled her out of the kennel with the piggin’ string.

We started to the east with her at heel. I whoaed her a couple of times before we got to the first pigeon in the release trap. When we got close but before she could smell the pigeon I released it and said, “whoa”. She stopped and watched it fly away. I walked ahead of her and kicked the cover near where the trap was hidden. I walked back to her, tapped her head and heeled her away.

We went on to the highway, turned to the north then back to the west. I whoaed her. The check cord had a half hitch around her flanks and I tied it to a tree with just a little slack. I walked around about 10 yards in front of her and dropped a pigeon. She didn’t move. I untied the check cord from the tree, tapped her head and heeled her away.

I whoaed her a couple of times then when we got close to the second pigeon, in the release trap, I whoaed her and tied the check cord to a tree. I walked down the fence, kicking the tall grass and each fence post I walked past. I kicked a fence post and flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I kicked the cover then untied the check cord. I went to her and heeled her away after stroking her sides and telling her what a good girl she is.

I still had a pigeon in the bird bag and as we went toward the back I said, “whoa’ and threw the pigeon in front of her. She stopped and watched it fly away. I walked around her then heeled her to the retrieving bench.

She jumped onto the bench and I walked her back and forth feeding her hot dog chunks. I opened her mouth, put a retrieving dummy behind her canines and told her to hold. I said, “give” and she spit the dummy out. I gave her a chunk of hot dog. I had her hold the dummy and walk with it on the bench then set her on the ground. I put the dummy in her mouth and heeled her around. She spit the dummy out without me saying, “give”. I put some pressure on her lips and put the dummy behind her canines. When she held the dummy until I told her to give she got a chunk of hot dog. When she spit it out before I told her to she got her lip pinched. She figured out pretty quick that the hot dog was better than getting her lip pinched.

After she carried the dummy 3 times without spitting it out, before she was told, I released her to hunt. There was very little wind. She was pretty close to the bird in the release trap when she went on point. I tied her check cord to a tree. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon. She’s always been allowed to chase when she pointed a bird but the check cord stopped her. I picked her up and set her back where she had originally been on point. I walked around her kicking the cover. I untied the check cord, tapped her on the head to release her to hunt. We went back to the kennel.

I got more pigeons, reloaded the release traps and brought Betsy out with the e-collars on her neck and flanks, dragging the check cord. I whoaed her a couple of times before we got to the first pigeon. When we got close I flushed the pigeon and said, “whoa”. She stopped and watched the bird fly away.

Betsy watching a pigeon fly away.

We went on toward the highway then across the front and back toward the back. I whoaed her and tied the check cord to a tree. I walked in front of her and dropped a pigeon. She watched it fly away. I untied the check cord and we went on toward the back.

I whoaed her a couple of times then when we got close to the second pigeon hidden in the release trap I whoaed her and tied the check cord to a tree. I walked down the fence row kicking the tall grass and each fence post I went past. I flushed the pigeon and she never moved. I untied the check cord and heeled her away after petting her and telling her what a good girl she is.

I had a pigeon in the bird bag. I whoaed her and walked in front of her. I threw the pigeon in front of her and she didn’t move. I petted her then heeled her to the retrieving bench.

She jumped onto the bench. Dog training is fun when the dogs start to understand what you want. I fed her some hot dog chunks then had her hold the dummy and give. I didn’t have her hold on the ground because we were getting swarmed by mosquitoes. I released her to hunt.

We went on to the back and she pointed the pigeon that was hidden in the weeds. I tied her check cord to a tree and walked in front of her. I kicked the cover and flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is after I untied the check cord. I tapped her head to release her. We went toward the kennel.

Sally watching a pigeon.

She got about a 100 yards ahead of me and I hit the tone on her e-collar that was around her neck. She turned and raced back to me. I fed her some hot dog. She likes to point the pigeons on their coop. She ran to the coop and when she got close a pigeon flew off the roof. She stopped. I whoaed her just to tell her she was right to stop. When I got to her I, petted her, then, tapped her head to release her. I put her in the kennel.

Tur Bo has been doing most of this since he was a small pup and should be doing this perfectly. He’s not. He does most of it great but he still thinks he’s in charge. I can whoa him and he will stand for a long time unless he decides to do something else. Or he will point a bird and not take a step when it’s flushed when he wants to but most of the time his front feet will move. Sometimes all 4 feet will move.

I heeled him out of the kennel wearing e-collars, check cords with the piggin’ string. I whoaed him a couple of times before we got to the first pigeon. I flushed the pigeon and said, “whoa”. He stopped. I kicked the cover where the bird had flushed from. I tapped his head and heeled him away.

We went to the highway, across the front and started toward the back. I whoaed him and tied the check cord to a tree. I walked in front of him and dropped a pigeon. He didn’t move. I untied the check cord and heeled him away.

I whoaed him a couple of times then when we got close to the second pigeon, in a release trap, I whoaed him and tied the check cord to a tree. I walked down the fence row kicking the tall grass and each fence post. When I flushed the pigeon he moved toward the pigeon but was stopped by the check cord. I set him back where he was on point, originally. I walked back down the fence row kicking the cover and posts. I dropped a pigeon that I had in the bird bag. He didn’t move this time. I petted him and heeled him to the retrieving bench.

Sally after the pigeons have flown.

He jumped onto the bench but I just fed him some hot dogs and put him back on the ground. More mosquitoes had hatched since I had been down here earlier. I tapped his head to release him to hunt. He was real close to the pigeon when he pointed so I set him back a few more feet. I tied his check cord to a tree. I walked in front of him and flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move. I tapped his head to release him to run. We went toward the kennels.

When we got close to the kennels 3 or 4 pigeons flew off the pigeon coop. Tur Bo stopped. I whoaed him and when I got close I picked up the end of the check cord to keep it from tangling on the coops. When I bent over to pick up the check cord Tur Bo came to me to see what I was doing. I whoaed him and set him back. Dang dog. To him whoa means don’t move unless you want to. I put him in his kennel.

Tur Bo is a good bird dog but he does things his way more often than not. To me dog training is about getting the dogs to do what you want without putting a lot of pressure on them. Maybe I should put more pressure on Tur Bo but I probably won’t. Most of the time his way will work too.

Betsy looked good this morning.

Sally is really concentrating.

Tur Bo watching a pigeon fly away.