Traveling Pointing Dogs

Sally pointing a pigeon.

Another pigeon.

Sally again.

It rained last night making it too wet to do much with the dogs this morning but I did a little puppy training. I hid two release traps, with pigeons, in the tall grass strips. I put a check cord on Sally and turned her loose. I had hidden one on my side and one on my neighbor’s side of the training grounds. I rode the 4-wheeler near the training grounds, left it and followed her on foot. She hit the first part, where I sometimes plant a bird, and started slinking around. I walked on through at my usual speed. She came on through hitting all of the places I had hidden a bird for her before.

We went into the second bunch of cover and she smelled the pigeon. She wheeled and started toward it, not showing any indication of a point. I only let her take a couple of steps and flushed the bird. She chased a few steps then checked the release trap out. We hunted to the end of the neighbor’s side then crossed to my side. There was very little wind, but she was 4 or 5 yards from the pigeon, when she hit the scent cone and locked up. I walked in front of her, taking a pigeon from the bird bag, after taking pictures. I let her stay on point for about a minute and threw a pigeon in front of her. She chased but the pigeon I threw made her go toward the pigeon in the trap so I flushed it, too. She chased a few feet and came back to investigate the trap.

The reason I run her with a check cord is so I can tie her up between birds. I tied her to a tree and moved the traps. This time I put them in the edge of some brush with one on my side and one on the neighbor’s.

She went to the neighbor’s side when I turned her loose so I followed. I had hidden this pigeon almost to the very back so she had to hunt everything, on his side, to find it. It was in a clump of brush that she could circle. She first went on the wrong side but when she went around to the other side she flipped sideways and pointed as soon as she hit the scent cone. (I never get tired of seeing that when I am puppy training. Flushing the first pigeon caused her to be more cautious on the others, I think.)

She had one foot raised when she pointed and put it down when I went around the clump. She didn’t move until I kicked the cover the second time. I flushed the pigeon and she chased a few feet. She came back to check the release trap out. We hunted all the way to the back then crossed to my side.

I took her down the opposite side from where I had hidden the pigeon. We went to the back and started up the other side. She went around a small bush, hit the scent cone and went on point. There was very little wind and she must have been in the very edge of the scent cone. She kept looking around trying to figure out where the bird was located. She is looking away from the pigeon in the third picture above. After this she turned to look at the pigeon. She moved her head several times but didn’t move her feet for a couple of minutes. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. When she moved I flushed the pigeon. She chased a few feet. I walked away but she didn’t come with me. I got about 50 yards away and noticed she wasn’t with me. I went back and she was pointing the trap. I urged her to check it out. She finally moved in and then went back to hunting.

When I got back close to the 4-wheeler I still had a pigeon in the bird bag. I threw the bird in front of her when she came close. She chased a little way then went back to hunting.

Once, when I was running Tur Bo in a AKC hunt test I wanted to take a picture. He was way out front of me and I couldn’t get him in the view finder. I called him back and when he got within about 20 yards I held the camera up and he went on point. I took his picture and said, “okay”. He went back to hunting. The judge laughed and said, “I’ve never seen a dog pose for a picture before.” This morning as Sally ran in front of me I held the camera up and she stood. It wasn’t a great point but she stood until I took two pictures. Maybe, I take too many pictures.

When I’m training puppies I look for any excuse to flush the bird before they can point or if they point and move any part of their body I usually flush the bird. Sometimes, when they point with a foot up then ease it to the ground I will flush as the foot touches the ground. I want them to think any movement from them makes the bird fly. This also makes them point as soon as they hit the scent cone.

When you can walk out to your back yard and see a dog point birds you have a good life. I have been blessed with a great life.

Pointing a pigeon.

On another pigeon.

She stopped when I held the camera up.

Sally pointing a pigeon

Sally pointing a pigeon.

Another pigeon.

Monday morning I put 6 pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler. I hid 2 of the pigeons, in release traps, in the tall weeds. I turned Sally, for some puppy training, loose with a check cord on. I only use the check cord to tie her to a tree while I move and reload the release traps.

Sally hunted toward the pigeon in the first release trap. She smelled the pigeon but didn’t slow down. When she got within 7 or 8 feet of the trap I released the pigeon. She chased for a few feet then watched it fly away. We hunted on toward the next release trap. Again, she turned toward the pigeon when she got the scent but didn’t stop. I flushed the pigeon.

I tied her to a tree. I moved and reloaded the traps. We hunted past where the first pigeons had been. Now she wants to point. I kept walking saying, “he’s gone, he’s gone.” She hit the scent cone on the next pigeon and pointed. Most people when their puppy points want to say, “whoa” or brush their tail up or walk in front of them. The puppy doesn’t know English and for sure doesn’t know “whoa”. The parents put the tail where it’s going to be and the puppy is really concentrating on the bird. If I say something, brush her tail up or walk in front of her it will break this concentration. I stood still and watched Sally. After a minute or so she moved a foot and I flushed the bird. She chased a few feet and stopped.

We went on through the field. She hit the next scent cone and pointed. I watched her until she took a step and flushed the pigeon. She chased for a few feet. We went back to the tie out tree. I let her hunt where ever she wanted to go on the way back. She wants to stay in front of me.

I moved the traps and put two more pigeons out. It’s good puppy training to tie young dogs out. They learn to give to the rope or tie out and they also learn patience. I turned her loose to hunt. She found the first one and pointed. I watched her. About 30 seconds into her point she took a step and I flushed the bird. She chased a few feet. The last pigeon was in a clump of brush that was growing around a large tree. I couldn’t tell exactly when Sally smelled the pigeon but she went into the brush and started toward the release trap. I flushed the bird. She just stopped and watched it fly away. I took her back to the kennel. (Actually, I took her to the front yard and let her play while I drank a cup of coffee. Then I took her to the kennel.)

This morning I put 6 more pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler and hid two of them in the tall grass. I put the check cord on Sally and turned her loose. There was very little wind but she was at least 15 feet from the first pigeon when she went on point. I checked my watch and took some pictures. She was on point without moving for over 3 minutes. She took a step and I flushed the pigeon. The release trap threw the pigeon into the air but he didn’t even flap his wings. He just lit beside the trap. Sally was after him. She grabbed the pigeon but he got loose and flew away.

I had one pigeon on my side of the training grounds and one on my neighbor’s side. We hunted to the back on my side then crossed to the neighbor’s side. Sally was checking every place that I had hidden a pigeon for her in her short life. She hit the scent cone and pointed. I didn’t move or say anything. I did take some pictures. On this pigeon she was on point for over 4 minutes. She didn’t move. I got tired of waiting and flushed the pigeon. She chased a few feet. I tied her to a tree. I moved and reloaded the traps.

I had moved the first pigeon closer to where she was tied than where the other pigeon had been. I do this to surprise the pups. She smelled the bird, turned her head and started toward it. I flushed the pigeon. She chased a little way. We went across to the neighbor’s side after checking my side out. Again, she smelled the pigeon but didn’t slow up. I flushed the pigeon. She chased. I took her back to the tree.

I moved both traps to my neighbor’s side of the training grounds. She was running along an edge right in front of me when she went through the scent cone. She whirled around with her back feet sliding, took one step and went on point. I stopped and took pictures. After about a minute she took a step and I flushed the bird. She chased a few steps. The other pigeon was in some weeds right along the back fence. When we got close Sally went into the weeds. I thought she was closer than she was and I flushed the pigeon. She watched it fly away. I took her back to the kennel.

It was really pretty warm by the time I got out today. Some of my release traps weren’t working and I had to fix them. Then one of them takes a special battery that I had to go get. I had already put some pigeons out before I figured out that my traps weren’t working so I had to work Sally. It was 85 degrees when I came back from getting the battery. She did a really good job for it being so hot.

I want her to figure out that her movement is what is causing the birds to fly. If she points wild birds and then takes a step the wild birds will flush. That’s what is happening on these pigeons. She’s pointing sometimes and moving in some of the time. I hope she is trying to figure out how close she can get. She’s doing pretty good for a 15 week old pup.

Sally ran through the scent cone then whirled around.

Another point.

I tried to get a picture of her head. It’s out of focus.

Sally pointing a pigeon.

Sally on point.

Sally pointing a pigeon.

I’m going to get the cataract taken off my left eye in the morning. I went to have the right eye checked last Friday and the doctor said I could read until they do the left eye. That means I can work on my blog, I guess. Anyway, I did some puppy training.

Sally came to me when she was 7 weeks old. I have let her play with lock wing pigeons and I have tossed birds in front of her from the first day. She loves the pigeons. I like to introduce the release trap with it out in the open. I don’t show them the release trap until they have seen a lot of pigeons and are chasing really well.

Sally was 14 weeks old on 9/11/16. I have been putting pigeons to sleep in grass strips I’ve left on my training grounds and letting Sally find them. I started doing this when she was about 9 weeks old. She didn’t point the birds but I could tell when she smelled them. She would move in, wake the pigeon and it would fly away. Most of the time the pigeon had less feathers when it flew away but she never really hurt one.

Last Saturday, I put 6 pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler and hid one, in a release trap, in the tall grass. I put a check cord on Sally and turned her loose near where I had hidden the pigeon. She started moving through the strip of tall grass and when she got close to the pigeon I flushed it. She chased a few steps. I took her back by the 4-wheeler and tied her to a tree. I put another pigeon in the release trap without moving the trap. I turned her loose. There was a closer strip of grass and she hunted it first then went to the second strip. She smelled the pigeon and started to it. When she got close I flushed the bird. She chased a few steps.

I took her back and tied her to a tree. I put another pigeon in the release trap. I turned her loose and she went straight for the release trap. When she got close I flushed the pigeon. She watched it fly away. I tied her to the tree and reloaded the trap. When I turned her loose she headed for the pigeon but slowed down when she got close but didn’t stop. I flushed the pigeon. She chased a couple of steps.

The next time she pointed when she got to the edge of the grass strip. She was quite away from the pigeon. I didn’t say anything nor did I move. She moved a little closer and went back on point. She was rigid but had no style. She started to move again and I flushed the bird. She chased a few steps.

I had one more pigeon and I put it in the trap. I turned her loose and she went straight to the strip of grass and went on point. This time her head and tail were both high. The tail wasn’t twelve o’clock but it was close. I could see her nose moving as she got the scent of the pigeon. She took a step and I flushed the pigeon. She chased a few steps.

This morning I put another 6 pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler and hid one in the grass strip I had left on my neighbor’s side of the training ground. I put the check cord on Sally and when we were still 30 yards from where I had hidden the pigeon in the release trap she started slinking along. She was walking real slow with her tail rigid and her head up. We had a good breeze but the wind was swirling. She got close to the pigeon and went on point. Her tail was straight out behind her. She held the point for about 20 seconds then took a step. I flushed the pigeon. She chased a few steps.

I put another pigeon in the same place. This time I walked her where I thought she could get a better shot at the scent cone. She pointed at about 15 yards from the pigeon. Her head was up and her tail was straight out behind her. She was on point for over a minute without moving. Then she leaned forward and picked up her left front foot. She stood like that for a few seconds then leaned back and put her foot down. I never said anything and I didn’t move. She was on point for over 2 minutes then took a step. I flushed the bird. Again she chased.

The next pigeon, I took her around like I did on the one before but this time she didn’t point or act like she smelled the bird until she was close so I flushed the pigeon. She chased. I put another pigeon in the same spot. She didn’t go with me this time. She went straight to the bird and pointed. After about 15 seconds she decided to get a little closer. I flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance.

I had left another strip of grass just a short distance from the one we had been using so I moved the trap. This strip was up the hill and the wind wasn’t hitting it as well. She went by the bird and circled the grass strip. She came back around again and this time hit the scent cone. She snapped into a point with a high head and tail. I took some pictures. She held the point for a few seconds then took a step. I flushed the pigeon. She chased a few steps.

I hid the last pigeon and when I turned Sally loose I took her in a big circle to give her another perspective of the area. This time when we got on the south side of the pigeon she snapped into a point with a high head and a good tail. She held the point for about a minute then took a step. I flushed the pigeon.

I took her to the front yard and let her play while I drank a cup of coffee. When young dogs point I don’t move and I don’t say anything to them. That’s extremely hard to do. Most people want to tell the puppy “whoa” or brush their tail up or walk in front of them. Delmar Smith said, in his book Best Way To Train Your Bird Dog, and I believe, “that the parents put the tail where it’s going to be. No need to brush it up.” I also think that the pup’s mind is going 90 miles an hour trying to figure out what he should be doing. I stand still and wait for the pup to move. When he moves I flush the bird hoping he will think that his movement was what caused the bird to fly.

Puppy training is what I like best. The older dogs should do what they are trained to do but watching puppies learn is the reason I mess with dogs. I nearly always have a young dog coming on.

Sight pointing a pigeon by the pigeon coop.

Pointing a pigeon.

This is the way her tail was at first.