Traveling Pointing Dogs

I’m working Betsy and Sally on more things than the other dogs but all of them are being run for at least a few minutes several times a week. When I got Betsy she had never been taught to go with someone. She learned to self hunt because she was allowed to run with no supervision. I’m trying to get her to think that she must go with me because I know where the birds are. Sally is only 8 months old so she needs to be worked on all of the same things.

Sally pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo after I flushed a pigeon.

Betsy pointing a pigeon at their house.

I put the e-collars on Betsy’s flanks and neck, snapped the check cord to her regular collar and heeled her out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. We headed to the east for about 150 yards then went north for about 50 yards then started back west. As we walked along I would say, “whoa”, drop the piggin’ string and keep walking. She would stop and not move. I walked to her front then all the way around.

To the east of my house is a highway so after we were away from the highway and were well started to the west I would say, “whoa”, drop the piggin’ string and walk way out front. I would kneel down then wait for about 30 seconds then call her to me. When she got to me I would give her a chunk of hot dog. Today she waited until I called her each time but the last time we worked on this she ran to me before I called her. When she did she didn’t get a hot dog. I picked her up and carried her back where she was. I set her down and said “whoa”. I heeled her away without her getting a hot dog. After a couple of times she waited until I called. She will work hard for a hot dog.

When we got to the retrieving bench she jumped to the top. I walked her back and forth petting her but also giving her a chunk of hot dog every once in a while. I took a bumper, opened her mouth and placed it behind the canines. I held her mouth shut telling her to “hold”. When she was holding the bumper without mouthing it I said, “give”, had her move her head away from the bumper and gave her a chunk of hot dog. We only did this about 5 or 6 times then I set her on the ground.

I put a half hitch around her flanks with the check cord and heeled her away from the bench. I whoaed her and took the piggin’ string off. I tapped her head to release her. When she drags a check cord she doesn’t run as hard as she does without it until she finds her first bird. She checked my side of the training grounds then went over to the neighbor’s side.

We crossed about the middle of the field so we went toward the back. She circled the edge of a clump of brush, smelled the pigeon and went on point. I stroked her sides then walked in front of her kicking the cover after taking some pictures. I let her stand for 45 seconds or so as I kicked the cover then flushed the pigeon. The bird didn’t even flap it’s wings. It went about 5 feet in the air then lit right beside the trap. Betsy didn’t move although she seemed to stand a little taller. The pigeon flew back over the top of Betsy. When it went over her she turned and watched it fly away. I stroked her sides then released her by tapping her on the head.

She hunted to the very back then we turned and started back. She missed the other pigeon I had hidden and when I found her she was pointing the pigeons that had flown back to the coop. I took a few pictures then led her away. We went back to the training field.

3 hot dogs cut into pieces.

She pointed the pigeon. She was standing in some short grass and I had to walk in front of her to flush the pigeon. Last week I tied the check cord to a tree with just a little slack but the check cord wasn’t long enough to reach anything. I stroked her sides then walked in front after taking pictures. I kicked the cover and flushed the pigeon. The bird flew straight away and she never moved. I went to her and stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is. I released her and we went back to the kennel.

I put the e-collars on Sally, snapped the check cord to her regular collar and heeled her away with the piggin’ string. We went toward the highway, across the front then back toward the west. The first time I said, “whoa” and walked in front of her she turned sideways and started smelling the ground. When I saw her I held the button on the transmitter down on 1 low, picked her up and set her back where she had started from. She looked at me like, “oh, when you say whoa I can’t move anything”. The rest of the time she did fine.

When we got to the retrieving bench she jumped to the top. I walked her back and forth, petting her and feeding her hot dog chunks. I placed a retrieving dummy behind her canine teeth and told her to hold. I have done this with her 5 or 6 times so she opens her mouth with just a little help from me. Most of the time she holds until I tell her to give. When I tell her to give I have a hot dog chunk ready for her as soon as she moves her head away from the dummy. I have her hold the dummy 5 or 6 times then put her on the ground. I heel her away from the table then release her to hunt.

We got to the very back of the neighbor’s side of the training grounds and my wife, June called. She was teaching a line dance class and had left some of her stuff at home. It was time for the class to start so she needed me to bring it to her. Sally and I started back to the kennels. Sally hit the scent cone on one of the pigeons and went on point. I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and she chased a short distance. We went on back to the kennel.

Sally on point.

After I came back from delivering the stuff to June I got Sally out again. I still had a pigeon in the release trap. The wind was really blowing and Sally was across a clump of brush from the pigeon when she went on point. I took pictures then went around to the other side of the clump kicking the cover. There must be a power saver on the release trap. When I hit the button to release the bird the trap had turned off. As I started into the clump to turn the release trap on Sally moved up a step. I whoaed her. She stopped so I turned the trap back on. She moved up to about 3 feet from the trap and pointed again. I went back around the clump, picked her up and set her back where she had originally pointed. I went back around the clump and kicked the cover then flushed the pigeon. She chased then came back and hunted through the clump. We hunted back to the kennel.

After I ate lunch I put the e-collars on Tur Bo, hooked the check cord to his collar and led him out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. Tur Bo has to take a little step when the bird flushes. His back feet don’t always move but the front ones do. He, also, thinks he can release his self when I whoa him. He only did that once during bird season but that is once too often.

I heeled him to the highway, turned north then back to the west. When we were well away from the highway I whoaed him, walked about 30 yards in front of him, knelt down and called him to me. When he got to me I gave him a chunk of hot dog. The second time I whoaed him and walked ahead he self released. (He came before I called him.) I picked him up, carried him back and set him where he was originally. I walked around him then heeled him away.

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

I whoaed him again. I walked about 30 yards, knelt down and waited. This time I was ready. I held my hand on the button on the transmitter. He took a step and I held the button down on the flank e-collar on 2 low. He stopped and I went to him. I led him away. I whoaed him again and walked about 30 yards in front of him. I knelt down watching him. After about 45 seconds I called him and gave him a chunk of hot dog. He did this 3 more times with no mistakes.

He jumped onto the retrieving bench and I petted him. I put 3 dummies on the other end and when he retrieved them I gave him a chunk of hot dog. I put him on the ground and released him to hunt.

I had 3 pigeons in release traps about 5 yards from each other so that whichever one he pointed I would flush the other two before the one he was pointing. I took some pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. The way he was pointing put him in line with a bird just the other side of the pigeon he was pointing. I flushed the farthest bird. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then flushed a pigeon to the right. Again, he watched the bird fly away without moving. When he looked back at the bird he was pointing I flushed it. His back feet didn’t move but his front ones did. I set him back and walked around him, making him stay on point. I released him and we went back to the kennel.

I also worked Luke and Dolly on some retrieves after running for a few minutes. Lucky just got to run for a few minutes then I fed him some hot dogs. At 13 years old he doesn’t have to work for his hot dogs.

Tur Bo moving after the bird flushes doesn’t bother me a bit but him thinking he can move once I tell him whoa does. During the season a dog that he couldn’t see was on point and I whoaed him then waited on my hunting partner to get there. Tur Bo didn’t see anything happening so he wanted to go back to hunting. He stopped when I whoaed him again but he shouldn’t have moved. We have a long time to work on this.

Sally pointing a pigeon.

Head shot of Betsy.

Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.

Since the season has ended I have been working young dogs on pigeons as well as doing yard work with all of the dogs. Sally pointed wild birds fine but some of the time when I walked in to flush she flushed for me. She also picks up the dead birds but doesn’t bring them all the way back to me. So I have been working her on heel and whoa. Then I put her on the retrieving bench and we start the trained retrieve by working on the hold command. Then I turn her loose to point a couple of pigeons I have hidden on the training grounds.

Sally pointing a pigeon.

Betsy is older but she has had less training. When I turn her loose she runs until she’s exhausted before she returns. I’ve also been working her on here and whoa. I always get my dogs on the retrieving bench to more or less use it as a loving bench. I decided since she’s jumping on the bench I may as well train her on the hold command as well. Then she gets to point a couple of pigeons.

Betsy on whoa.

Tur Bo after I threw a pigeon in front of him.

All of the dogs need work on retrieving. Dolly does a good job on retrieving but the rest either don’t retrieve or they don’t do it correctly. I have started getting each of the dogs out most days and working on retrieving. Except for Lucky. He will be 13 years old in a couple of months. He will retrieve but at his age the only thing I do with him is let him run for a few minutes and give him some hot dogs. He can’t hear me very well but he can still smell the hot dogs.

A typical day for us starts with me hiding the pigeons. Then I put the e-collars on Betsy’s neck and flanks, attach a check cord to her collar and lead her out with the piggin’ string. We walk past the house to the road in front then across the yard to the other side then back to the retrieving bench. Every few yards I whoa her. Some time I walk around her and sometimes I walk 15 yards or so in front. I kneel down with a chunk of hot dog in my hand and say, “here”. Some of the time I hit the tone on her neck e-collar and then say “here”.

I started, when she jumped onto the retrieving bench, to just walk her back and forth petting her. The last few days I have started opening her mouth, putting a retrieving dummy behind her canines and telling her to “hold” as I cup her mouth with my hands. After I say, “give” I let her have a chunk of hot dog. I have her hold 4 or 5 times then let her hunt for the pigeons I have hidden. On the way back to the kennel I call her to me and feed her some more hot dog.

Then I put the e-collars on Sally’s neck and flanks. Hook the check cord to her collar and lead her out with the piggin’ string. I haven’t worked her very long on whoa so every few yards I held the button down on the flank e-collar on 1 low then say “whoa”. As soon as her feet stopped I let off the button. Now I say “whoa” and if she doesn’t stop I hit the button on the e-collar.

I walk her past the house to the road then back to the retrieving bench. She jumps onto the bench and I walk her back and forth petting her. I give her a few chunks of hot dog. After she settles down I open her mouth, put a retrieving dummy behind her canines and say “hold”. She’s been doing this maybe 5 times and she holds the dummy pretty well. We do about 5 repetitions then I let her find the 2 pigeons I have hidden. On the way back to the kennel I call her to me a few times and give her some hot dog.

Some quail from Sandy Sanders in Oklahoma.

Tur Bo and I have been working on him being steady to wing and shot his whole life. No matter what I have done when the bird flushes he takes a step. I could turn the e-collar to maximum and break him from moving but that’s not the way I train. I am going to try to get him to not take that step by taking a couple of pigeons in a bird bag and as I heel him around whoa him and throw a pigeon. That’s my game plan.

I put the e-collars on Tur Bo’s neck and flanks, hooked the check cord to his collar and heeled him out with the piggin’ string. We went through the front yard and back to the retrieving bench. He jumped onto the bench and I walked him back and forth petting him. I fed him some hot dog chunks. When I held the retrieving dummy in front of him he grabbed it. I fed him more hot dog chunks. I set him on the ground and heeled him away.

When we got into the back yard where I usually hide pigeons for the dogs I took a pigeon from the bag, whoaed Tur Bo and threw the bird. He whoaed at the command and didn’t move. I thought, “alright, I’m on to something. This will work.”

We continued to the back and I whoaed him a couple of times with no bird. Then I took a pigeon from the bag and dizzied it. I said, “whoa” and he stopped. I threw the dizzied pigeon down in front of him. When it hit the ground he took a step forward then when the bird flew away he took another step to the side. Maybe he’s not ready for dizzied pigeons. I called him to me on the way back to the kennel and fed him some hot dog.

Betsy practicing a whoa command.

I threw a quail retrieving dummy for him when we got back. He’s quick to go get it but he wants to drop it at my feet so he can have a chunk of hot dog. After a few retrieves I convinced him to hold until I say “give”. I put him back in the kennel.

Sometimes I put an e-collar on Dolly and sometimes I just take her out to retrieve. She never tries to get away and she will retrieve as long as I will throw the bumper. She does work a little harder for the hot dogs though. After 6 or 8 retrieves I put her away.

Yesterday with Luke, after putting the e-collars on him I brought him out with the piggin’ string and threw the quail dummy for him. He dropped it at my feet. I told him to fetch and he acted like he had never heard the term. He wouldn’t pick up the dummy. I opened his mouth and put the dummy in and said, “hold”. He spit it out. I tried to get him to hold several times and he just spit the dummy out. I started getting frustrated. We have been through all of this.

Sally’s head when she was pointing a pigeon.

I heeled him to the retrieving bench. He jumped onto it and I walked him back and forth petting him. I held a retrieving dummy in front of him and said, “fetch”. He grabbed it. I said, “hold”. He held it perfectly. I said, “give”. He spit it in my hand. We went through it 5 or 6 times. He was perfect. We went back near the kennel where we were working on retrieving. I threw a dummy and said, “fetch”. He grabbed it and dropped it at my feet. I told him to fetch and it was like he had never heard the term. I opened his mouth and put the dummy in saying, “hold”. He spit it out.

Now to say I was frustrated is putting it mildly. I thought I had better think about this a little while before doing something dumb. I put the piggin’ string on him and started back to the kennel. Just a step or two away was the dummy. As we heeled to the kennel I said, “fetch”. He picked the up dummy and held it until I said “give”. I was flabbergasted but I have done the walking retrieve with him in that area before. I put him in his kennel.

I turned Lucky out without any e-collars. I let him walk around for a little while as I sat on a bucket. At almost 13 years old he can do whatever he wants. He laid his head on my knee and I fed him some hot dog chunks. After a few minutes I put him back in the kennel.

The episode with Luke is a perfect example of me thinking I had trained a dog to do something when I had only trained him to do it in a couple of areas. I had worked a lot on the walking retrieve last fall. I had insisted the dogs hold the bumper until I said give. I had done it in several different areas. With all of the time on the bench and beside the bench then the walking retrieve I thought they all had it figured out. Clearly Luke hasn’t. He did fine where he knew what to do but was lost when I did things a little different.

I’m glad I found this out on him now. It gives me a lot of time to work on the problem and gives me something to do with the dogs. Just think, if all of my dogs were perfect I wouldn’t have anything to do.

Betsy pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo after I dropped a pigeon in front of him.

Sally pointing a pigeon.

Vince Dye and I went to Ridgeway, Missouri, to Harding Gamebirds, training dogs. Vince has a female pointer, named Roxie, that is about 8 months old and I have Sally, 8 months, and Betsy, that is about 20 months old but hasn’t had much training. I got Betsy just before bird season and when I turned her loose she wouldn’t come back until she was exhausted. Consequently, I didn’t do much with her through the season. Now we are working on “here” and “whoa”.

This is me teaching heel and whoa to Sally.

Sally on point.

Betsy on point.

When we got to the game farm the Harding’s had their truck loaded with birds and were ready to put them out. This late in the season it’s hard to have good cover but their fields were in good shape and their food plots had lots of cover. As we got ready they hid 15 chukars in the grass cover and the food plots.

We turned Vince’s dog, Roxie, out first with an e-collar and a Garmin GPS collar. Vince works a lot and Roxie has less experience than the other dogs. As we headed to the first food plot we saw a chukar in the air. We weren’t close enough to see what happened. We continued toward the food plot and Vince looked at his GPS and said, “where’s that dog.” About that time we saw her coming with the chukar. She had chased until the bird landed, grabbed it and brought it back, alive. The retrieve was well over a hundred yards.

We thought the chukar would still fly so I hid it in the grass and Vince called Roxie back. She caught the scent and went on point. When I tried to get the bird to fly it ran through the cover. Roxie got on the wrong side, where she couldn’t smell the bird, and when she went on down the food plot I shot the chukar.

As we went down the food plot Roxie pointed again. Vince held the check cord, so Roxie wouldn’t catch the bird, and I walked in to flush. The bird fluttered and I flipped the safety off as I raised the gun. The bird ran a few feet and I slipped the safety back on. Then the bird flew. When I pulled the trigger the safety was on. By the time I flipped the safety off the bird was a long way off. Old men do dumb stuff.

We continued down the food plot and Roxie pointed again. This time when I walked in everything worked as it should. The chukar flew and then dropped when I shot. Vince released Roxie and she made another retrieve. We took her back to the truck and I got Betsy out.

Betsy is a runner. She, when turned loose, has a habit of coming back when she is totally exhausted. Vince had a plane to catch at 1:40 pm and we couldn’t afford for her to run all day. I put a Garmin e-collar around her neck and flanks and a Garmin GPS around her neck. I also had bought a 2 foot heavy chain and put a snap in the middle. I hooked this to her collar and when it dropped down the chain hit her knees as she ran.

When I turned her loose she was afraid to move. I thought if she found a bird she would run but maybe not run off. Finally, I picked up the check cord and she moved but stayed right with me. I’ve been working her in the yard on “here” and “whoa”. We got to feeling sorry for her and I took the dropper chain off, after about a hundred yards, of her walking at my side. Within seconds the GPS showed her across the creek and off the place we were hunting.

Sally on point

I called her and she came by me as I crossed a wooded draw. I put the dropper chain back on her. She got out maybe 25 yards but she pointed a bird. I stood on the check cord as Vince went in to flush her bird. When the chukar flushed she hit the end of the check cord. I waited until the chukar dropped before releasing her. She ran to it and rolled it around but didn’t retrieve.

She still was only about 25 yards from us but I thought this might make her learn to hunt for me. We hunted another food plot back toward the truck and she pointed again. I stood on the check cord as Vince went in to flush. The bird flew really well and Vince made a good shot. I released her when the bird fell. She ran to it and rolled it around. She stayed with us back to the truck.

Sally was next. She’s only about 8 months old but she has more experience than the other two dogs. She has pointed quite a few wild quail, some pen reared birds and a lot of pigeons. I put the e-collars on her neck and flanks and a GPS collar around her neck. She was also pulling a check cord. Normally, she doesn’t have a check cord on but I didn’t want her catching any birds.

Sally and I are working on here and whoa.

We went back the opposite way with her than where we had run the other two dogs. She started down the food plot and went on point. I picked up her check cord and Vince circled around where he could come straight into her face. When the chukar flushed it made a complete circle right above Vince, twisting him all the way around but he made a good shot. I released Sally and she grabbed the chukar and started toward me but stopped short. I knelt down and called her but she just sat down and looked at me. I went to her and petted her until she dropped the bird.

She ran the edge of the food plot but only went about 25 yards before pointing again. I held the check cord as Vince flushed the bird and shot. When the chukar fell I released her. She ran to it, grabbed it and came toward me but stopped short again. I knelt down and called her. She just looked at me. I went to her and petted her until she dropped it. She has to be thinking, “when am I going to get him trained to come get this bird.”

We went on through this food plot and started into the next one. About 50 yards down the next one she whirled into a point. Vince was behind her so I asked him to pick up the check cord. I walked into her face and was real close to her when the bird flushed. It fell when I shot and she grabbed it. She got closer this time but still didn’t bring it all the way.

We had seen a couple of birds fly into a draw and went along the edge without finding them. We crossed the draw and went back through the fields that Roxie and Betsy had hunted. As we got to the area where Roxie had retrieved the first bird she went on point. I thought maybe it was a hot spot but when I got close I saw a chukar in the tall cover. I held her check cord and Vince flushed and made another good shot. She picked it up and stopped short again. I went to her and petted her until she dropped it.

Sally backing Dolly.

We hunted back to the truck. We had time for one more short hunt so Vince turned Roxie out. We hunted back the same way we had taken Sally. Roxie hunted each of the food plots and went on point on the edge of one. As Vince and I walked up the chukar flushed without Roxie moving. Vince shot but hit the chukar too far back. We watched it fly about 125 yards then drop straight down. Roxie watched it as she chased. It no time she came back with a dead chukar. I’m going to say it again, Roxie is an English pointer. She retrieves like a Lab.

Roxie checked this field out and we crossed the draw back to the other field. She was running hard then slid to a stop. She was pointing into the edge of a food plot. Vince held the check cord and I walked in to flush the chukar. It flushed toward a draw with some trees in it. When I shot Vince dropped the check cord and Roxie made another retrieve.

We decided that we needed to leave so Vince could catch his plane but it had been a good day training dogs. Any day spent with your dogs is a good day but today we had good flying birds and realistic cover to find the birds. I think it was good for all 3 dogs. Good flying birds make training dogs fun. Vince and I knew it was good for us.

Betsy training on whoa and here.

Sally training on here and whoa.

Sally on point.