Traveling Pointing Dogs

Tur Bo holding a frozen quail.

Blaze pointing a pigeon.

Luke pointing a pigeon.

The dogs and I went through their retrieving drills this morning. The dogs enjoy being out of their kennel and being with me. I really enjoy it as well. Before getting the first dog out I put 4 frozen quail on the retrieving bench and hid a pigeon in the tall grass on my side of the training grounds.

I heeled Tur Bo to the retrieving bench with an e-collar around his neck. He jumped on the bench and we walked back and forth with me petting him every few feet. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the retrieving bench and sent him to retrieve. Tur Bo bounds down the bench shaking everything, pounces on a frozen quail and races back. He holds until I say give. He retrieved all 4 and I put them on the other end for him to retrieve two more times. He retrieved them all for a total of 12 retrieves. The last few he would slow down just before he got to me, when I said hold. He may be having trouble with 2 commands, whoa and hold, that sound the same to him. He will figure it out. I set him on the ground and said whoa.

I threw a frozen quail and said fetch. He raced out, grabbed it and brought it back. I said hold and petted him for a few seconds before saying give. He dropped it in my hand. I threw it again and he retrieved it correctly. He has been refusing after 3 or 4 retrieves so I stopped at two. After this weekend we will start the force fetch. I released him to hunt.

He pointed the pigeon I had hidden, in a release trap, in the tall grass. I walked in front of him kicking the tall grass after taking pictures. I took my hat off and threw it out in front of him. He moved up a couple of steps and stopped. I carried him back then walked out in front of him again and threw my hat. He took one step. I carried him back. I walked out in front of him kicking the cover and threw my hat again. He moved up 2 steps and stopped. I held the button down, on level 3, on the e-collar, picked him up and carried him back. I went in front of him and threw my hat again. He didn’t move. I continued to walk back and forth in front of him then flushed the pigeon. He moved up about 2 steps. I held the button on the e-collar down on level 3, picked him up and carried him back. I went back in front of him and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the tall grass then went back to him and stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. I let him run for a while before returning to the kennel.

I heeled Blaze to the retrieving bench and she jumped onto it. I walked her back and forth petting her every few feet. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent her to fetch. She gets in no hurry but she retrieves correctly most times. She brought all 4 back holding until I told her to give then dropped them in my hand. I set her on the ground and said whoa.

I threw a frozen quail and told her to fetch. She trotted out, picked it up and trotted back. She’s not much faster on the ground than she is on the bench but her tail is up and she looks happier. I threw the quail 5 times and she retrieved each one correctly. I released her to hunt.

She pointed the pigeon in the release trap. I walked in front of her after taking pictures. I threw my hat in front of her and she didn’t move. I picked my hat up and continued to walk through the tall grass. I threw my hat again. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I went to her, stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is and released her to run. I let her run for a while before returning to the kennel.

I heeled Luke to the retrieving bench with the e-collar around his neck. He jumped onto the bench and we walked back and forth with me petting him every few feet. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent him to retrieve. Luke does everything at top speed. He raced down the bench, grabs a quail and races back. I have to caution him on the hold or he will turn loose of the bird before he gets to me. He held each of the birds when he came back with them after I said hold. I set him on the ground and said whoa.

I threw a frozen quail and said fetch. He raced out, grabbed the quail and raced back. I said hold just before he got back and he did. I petted him for a few seconds before saying give. He dropped it in my hand. I threw the quail 5 times and he retrieved it correctly each time. I released him to hunt.

He pointed the pigeon I had hidden in the release trap. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I threw my hat in front of him. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and threw my hat again. He didn’t move. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I went to him and stroked his sides telling him what a good dog he is. I let him run for a while before taking him back to the kennel.

I heeled Lucky to the retrieving bench and he jumped onto it. I walked him back and forth petting him every few feet. Lucky has been through all of this many times before but he enjoys the attention. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent him to retrieve. He gets in no hurry but walks down the bench, picks up a quail and comes back. He usually waits for me to say give before dropping the bird. He retrieved all 4 quail and I set him on the ground saying whoa.

I threw a frozen quail and said fetch. He’s a little faster on the ground than on the bench. He brought the quail back, I petted him for a few seconds and he dropped it in my when I said give. I threw the quail 5 times and he retrieved it each time. I released him to hunt.

He pointed the pigeon I had hidden in the tall grass. I walked in front of him kicking the cover after taking pictures. I threw my hat and he didn’t move. I picked my hat up as I continued to kick the tall grass then threw it again. He didn’t move. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is then led him away. I let him run for a while before taking him back to the kennel.

Dolly was next. I heeled her to the retrieving bench and after she jumped on we walked up and down with me petting her every few feet. Dolly craves more attention than the other dogs. As we walk back and forth she sits wanting me to pet her more often than the other dogs. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent her to retrieve. She races down the bench, scoops a bird up and races back. Then she sits there wiggling all over wanting me to pet her before I take the bird. She’s so needy. She retrieved all 4 correctly. I set her on the ground and said whoa.

I threw a frozen quail and said fetch. She raced out, scooped it up and raced back. I petted her for a few seconds before saying give. She dropped it in my hand. I threw the quail 5 times for her and she retrieved it correctly each time. I released her to hunt.

She pointed the pigeon in the release trap. I took pictures then walked in front of her. I threw my hat in front of her. She didn’t move. I continued to walk in front of her and threw the hat again. She still didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is. I led her away and released her to run letting her go for a while before we went back to the kennel.

Today I threw my hat in front of the dogs for a new distraction. It had no effect on the older dogs although Tur Bo wanted to move but he likes to show me he can move a little if he wants to. We’re still working on this. I like to come up with different things to keep the dogs from knowing exactly what I’m doing with them before they leave their kennel. One of the guys, Rob Downen, that trains with me sometimes always throws his hat in front of his young dogs. I stole that idea from him although I sometimes throw sticks or grass. Thanks Rob.

Thanks to the people that have clicked on some of the ads that they have seen on my blog.

Lucky pointing a pigeon.

Dolly pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.

Blaze pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.

Luke pointing a pigeon.

Another morning with the dogs. It’s a little cooler this morning but it’s supposed to warm fast. I put the 4 frozen quail on the retrieving bench and hid a pigeon, in a release trap, in the tall grass on the training grounds.

I put an e-collar on Blaze and heeled her to the retrieving bench. She jumped onto the bench and we walked up and down with me petting her every few feet. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent her to retrieve. She’s not real fast but she retrieved each one and held them until I said give. I set her on the ground and said whoa.

I threw the frozen quail and said fetch. She retrieved it and held the bird until I said give. She did real well on the first 3 then on the fourth she couldn’t find it. I hadn’t thrown it very far and she watched it to the ground. I held the button on the e-collar down, on level 3, and walked out with her to the bird. As soon as she picked the quail up I let off the button on the e-collar. We walked back, with her carrying the quail, to where I had thrown it from. At my give she dropped it in my hand. I threw the quail five more times and she retrieved it each time, correctly. I have decided that the only way we are going on to the next thing is for them to do it right 5 times in a row. I released her to hunt.

She pointed the pigeon hidden in the tall grass. I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. The pigeon flew up into a tree but she didn’t move. I went to her and stroked her sides telling her what a good dog she is. I led her away, whoaed her then tapped her on the head for the release. I let her run before returning to the kennel.

I brought Tur Bo out with the e-collar around his neck. As I heeled him to the retrieving bench the pigeon that I had flushed in front of Blaze flew over us. I didn’t see the pigeon until Tur Bo stopped. It was like a stop to flush. I stroked his sides then heeled him on to the bench. He jumped onto the retrieving bench and I went through the petting routine. I put the frozen quail on the other end of the bench. I sent him to retrieve and he brought each one back holding it until I said give then dropped it in my hand. I whoaed him then placed the quail on the other end of the bench. Again he retrieved them correctly so I had him retrieve them again for a total of 12 retrieves on the bench. I am really animated when I send him and when he gets back. I want him to know that when he retrieves correctly it’s a big deal. I set him on the ground and said whoa.

I threw a frozen quail and said fetch. He raced out, picked it up and returned to me. Just before he got to me I said hold. He sat in front of me holding the bird until I said give. He dropped it in my hand. He wants to go hunting real bad so I only threw the quail two times. He brought it back both times and held it until I said give. I released him to hunt.

Tur Bo pointed the pigeon I had hidden in the tall grass. I took pictures then went in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he took two steps. I carried him back. I let him stand for a few seconds then shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I let him stand while I kicked the cover. I went to him and stroked his sides then led him away. I released him and let him run for a while before returning to the kennel.

I heeled Luke to the bench next. He jumped onto it and I went through the petting routine. I placed the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent him to retrieve. He races down the bench, scoops up a bird then races back. If I don’t tell him to hold just before he gets to me he will release the bird. It’s like he is throwing it to me or at me. He’s getting better or I’m getting better about saying hold. He may have me trained before long. He retrieved all 4 correctly. I set him on the ground and said whoa.

I threw a frozen quail and said fetch. He raced out, scooped it up and raced back. I said hold just before he got back. He held the quail while I petted him. Then I said give and he dropped it in my hand. The next bird he did fine. The third one I threw he raced out, turned it over without picking it up and returned to me. I held the button on the e-collar down, on level 3, walked out where the quail was lying. He tried to act surprised that the quail was still lying there but he picked it up. I let off the button as soon as he picked the bird up. We walked back to where I had thrown it from. He held it until I said give and dropped it in my hand. I started my count over and only released him after he had retrieved 5 times in a row, correctly.

He pointed the pigeon hidden in the tall grass. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the tall grass. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides then led him away. I let him run for a while before going back to the kennel.

I heeled Dolly down to the retrieving bench where she jumped on. I petted her then put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench. Dolly has been through this so many times that she knows what I want before I ask, just about. She retrieved all 4 and was happy to hold them until I said give. I set her on the ground and said whoa.

I threw a frozen quail and said fetch. She ran out, scooped it up, raced back and sat in front of me holding the quail. I petted her for a few seconds then said give holding my hand under her chin. She dropped it in my hand. I threw the quail 5 times and she retrieved it correctly every time. I released her to hunt.

She pointed the pigeon in the tall grass. I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides then released her. I let her run for a while before returning to the kennel.

Lucky was waiting patiently. I heeled him to the retrieving bench and he jumped on it. I went through the petting ritual then placed the 4 frozen pigeons on the other end of the bench. Lucky isn’t very fast but he retrieved all 4, correctly. I set him on the ground and said whoa.

I threw a frozen quail and said fetch. He ran out, picked the quail up and came back. He held the bird until I said give then dropped it in my hand. I threw the quail 5 times and he retrieved it each time. He’s been force broke and he has to retrieve but he doesn’t have to do it rapidly. I’m okay with him doing it at his speed as long as he will retrieve. I released him to hunt.

He pointed the pigeon. I took pictures then walked in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides then led him away. I let him run for a while before returning to the kennel.

All of this is old stuff to Dolly and Lucky. I’m just running them through this to get them out of the kennel. It’s good for them and it’s good for me. Blaze and Luke need a lot of repetitions on retrieving so they can get it right. I may have quit too soon last year on them. We will work it out. Tur Bo hasn’t been force broke. After the 4th of July week I’m going to start him. He’s retrieving the frozen quail on the bench fine but he doesn’t want to do it on the ground. It shouldn’t take long to get him going on the ground, too. I hope.

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Dolly pointing a pigeon.

Lucky pointing a pigeon.

Lucky pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.

Luke pointing a pigeon.

Blaze pointing a pigeon.

It rained 2 1/2 inches last night and was cooler to work dogs this morning. It was still warm but better than it has been. I hid a pigeon, in a release trap, inside a strip of tall grass that I had left on my side of the training grounds.

I heeled Blaze down to the retrieving bench with an e-collar around her neck. She jumped onto the bench and we walked up and down with me petting her every few feet. I put 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent her to retrieve. She retrieved each one holding until I said give. I set her on the ground telling her to whoa.

I threw a frozen quail and told her to fetch. The first 4 times she retrieved with her tail up and acted like she really liked retrieving. She held the bird until I said give then dropped it in my hand. I threw it the fifth time and she acted like she couldn’t find it. She went all around it. She even stepped over the top of it. I walked out to the bird holding the e-collar button down, on level 3, and called her to me. She picked the quail up and we returned to the area I had thrown the bird from. She held it until I said give. I threw the quail 6 more times and she retrieved it correctly each time. I released her to hunt.

She pointed the pigeon I had hidden in the tall grass. I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I went to her and stroked her sides telling her what a good dog she is. I led her away then released her to run before going back to the kennel.

I heeled Tur Bo to the retrieving bench with an e-collar around his neck. He jumped onto the bench and we went back and forth with me petting him every few feet. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent him to retrieve. He retrieved the first 4 and held them until I said give. I replaced the quail on the other end of the bench and sent him to retrieve, again. He brought the first 2 back correctly then when I sent him to retrieve the third one he jumped off the bench then back on. I have a chain on a wire from one end of the bench to the other and I snapped his collar to this. I sent him to retrieve again and he retrieved the other 2 quail. I replaced the quail on the other end and he retrieved each time.

I’m not throwing a bird for him to retrieve on the ground. He started off retrieving on the ground but the last time he retrieved a few times then he refused. I don’t want to use the e-collar on him until I force break him to retrieve so I released him to hunt. He pointed the pigeon I had hidden in the tall grass. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the tall grass. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took a couple of steps and stopped. I held the button on the e-collar down, on level 3, picked him up and carried him back. I stroked his sides then walked in front of him. I went back to him, petted him then led him away. I let him run before returning to the kennel.

Luke was next. He jumped onto the retrieving bench and we went back and forth with me petting him every few feet. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent him to retrieve. It doesn’t take very long to work Luke on the bench. Every thing he does is at a dead run. He retrieved all 4 holding them until I said give. I set him on the ground telling him whoa.

I threw a quail and said fetch. Each time when he got close to me I said hold. If I don’t give him the hold command he will throw the quail at me and get ready to go hunting. I threw the quail 5 or 6 times and he retrieved it each time. I released him to hunt.

He pointed the pigeon in the release trap and I took pictures. I went in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. The pigeon flushed right back over his head and he turned to watch it fly away. I stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. I led him away then released him to run before returning to the kennel.

I brought Lucky down to the retrieving bench next. He jumped onto the bench and we went back and forth with me petting him every few feet. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent him to retrieve. He retrieved each and held them until I said give. I set him on the ground.

I threw a frozen quail and said fetch. He ran out, picked it up and came back dropping it at my feet. I said fetch and he picked the quail up. I had him hold it for a few seconds then said give. He dropped it in my hand. I threw the quail 5 or 6 more times and he held it each time until I said give. I released him to hunt.

He pointed the pigeon I had hidden in the tall grass. I walked in front of him kicking the cover after taking pictures. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides telling him what a good by he is then led him away. I released him to run before going back to the kennel.

Dolly was waiting her turn. Not necessarily patiently. She spends most of her time in her house except when I’m working dogs. She stays outside and jumps onto her house each time I come back for another dog. I heeled her to the retrieving bench and jumped onto it. I petted her before placing the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench. She retrieved each one holding them until I said give. She likes to sit and hold them. After she retrieved all 4 I set her on the ground saying whoa.

I threw a frozen quail and said fetch. Dolly isn’t as fast as Luke but she races out to retrieve, scoops the bird up and races back. She sits in front of me, holding the bird just wanting to be petted. I threw the bird 5 or 6 times and she retrieved it each time. I released her to hunt.

She pointed the pigeon I had hidden in the tall grass and I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is. I let her run for a while before returning to the kennel.

Most of these posts are alike but that is the way dogs learn. You can teach almost anything through repetition. It wasn’t long ago that Tur Bo wouldn’t let me walk in front of him on point. Now I can walk in front, kick and make as much noise as I want without him moving until I flush the bird. With a lot of retrieving repetition I hope to make better retrievers out of my dogs.

Dolly pointing a pigeon.

A side view of Dolly pointing a pigeon.

Luke intensely pointing a pigeon.

Blaze pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo after the pigeon has flown.

I enjoy working these bird dogs. I have to work them on retrieving but I really enjoy seeing the dogs on point. I take several pictures of the dogs on the retrieving bench but the ones I put in the post is of them pointing. At the first of this post I show 2 pictures of Tur Bo. He looks as good after the pigeon flies as he does when pointing it.

This morning, I put the e-collar on Blaze and heeled her to the retrieving bench. She jumped on the bench and we went up and down with me petting her every few feet. I put 4 frozen quail on the other end and sent her to retrieve. She retrieved each one and held them until I said give. I set her on the ground telling her to whoa.

I threw a frozen quail and told her to fetch. She is happier on the ground when she retrieves than on the bench. Her tail is up and wagging. She brought the quail to me and held it until I said give. I threw the quail about 5 times and she retrieved it correctly each time. I released her to hunt.

I have mowed both sides of the training grounds leaving strips to hide the birds in. I had hidden the pigeon, in a release trap, in one of these strips. Blaze pointed at about 20 yards downwind of the bird. I took pictures then walked in kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I went to her, stroked her sides telling her what a good dog she is and threw a frozen quail. I told her to fetch and she didn’t pay much attention, she wanted to go back to hunting. I called her back and pointed at the frozen quail lying on the ground. She picked it up and dropped it in my hand. I threw it again and said fetch. She scooped it up and brought it back. When I said give she dropped it in my hand. I threw the bird another 3 or 4 times and she retrieved it each time.

I put her on whoa and started to the 4-wheeler that was about 50 yards away. When I guide at Bird Fever in Richmond, Missouri, I put the dogs I’m using on whoa, then give the safety talk, just before we start hunting. The dogs must stay on whoa until I finish talking and release them. If they won’t stay on whoa at the training grounds they won’t at the hunting fields. I got almost to the 4-wheeler and Blaze passed me. I hit the button on the e-collar, on level 3 and she stopped. I picked her up and carried her back to the exact spot she had been standing when I had whoaed her. I set her down saying whoa one time. I walked back to the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear then said okay. She waited for the release, this time. We will work on this. I let her run before going back to the kennel.

Tur Bo jumped onto the retrieving bench where we walked up and down with me petting him every few feet. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent him to retrieve. He races down the bench, scoops up a bird and races back. He likes to hold the quail but he drops it in my hand when I say give. He retrieved all 4 so I placed them on the bench and he did it again. Always in a big hurry so we did it again. That made 12 retrieves on the bench.

I set him on the ground and threw a frozen quail. He ran out, grabbed the quail and brought it back. I threw it again and he went out an laid down beside it. I went to him and threw the quail again. He ran to it and turned it over but didn’t pick it up. Next month I will start on the force part of retrieving with him but that was a good place to stop. I released him to hunt.

He pointed the pigeon hidden in the grass strip. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He turned to watch it fly away. I took another picture of him after the pigeon had flown. He looks as good or better after the bird has flown as he does when he is pointing it. I stroked his sides then tossed a frozen quail. When I said fetch he went back to hunting. I called him back and he touched the frozen quail with his nose but didn’t pick it up. I picked the quail up, told him to whoa and walked to the 4-wheeler. I started the 4-wheeler, put it in gear and released him to hunt with an okay. I let him run for a while before returning to the kennel.

Luke was the next one to jump on the retrieving bench. I walked him up and down petting him. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end and sent him to retrieve. I have to caution Luke to hold the bird each time because he doesn’t like to retrieve. He is always ready to get back to hunting. He retrieved all 4 and held each one until I said give. I set him on the ground and said whoa.

I threw a frozen quail then said fetch. He grabbed it and in a dead run turned loose of the quail when he was about 10 feet from me, effectively throwing the bird at me. I held the quail in front of him and said fetch. He took the bird and after a few seconds I said give. He dropped it in my hand. I threw the quail again and he brought it back but before he could throw it I said hold. He waited for me to say give before dropping it in my hand. I threw it 3 or 4 more times and he held it until I said give. I released him to hunt.

He pointed the pigeon hidden in the tall grass. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides then tossed the frozen quail and said fetch. He went to hunting. I called him back and pointed at the quail, saying fetch. He picked it up and dropped it in my hand when I said give. I threw the quail several more times and he retrieved it each time. I petted him telling him what a good boy he is. I said whoa and walked to the 4-wheeler. I started it, put it in gear then released him with an okay. I let him run before returning to the kennel.

I brought Dolly down next. She loves to retrieve and will hold the bird for as long as I want her to. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent her to retrieve. She retrieved all 4 just like all of the dogs should. I set her on the ground saying whoa.

I threw a frozen quail then said fetch. She scooped it up, ran back and held it until I said give. I threw the frozen quail 5 or 6 times and she retrieved it each time holding it until I said give. I released her to hunt.

She pointed the hidden pigeon. I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I went to her, petted her and threw the frozen quail. She ran out, grabbed it and brought it back holding until I said give. She dropped it in my hand. I threw the frozen quail 4 or 5 times and she retrieved each time. Dolly is one of my older dogs and I usually use her to guide with. She has all of this figured out. When I’m guiding and put her on whoa I almost never have to say anything to her until I’m ready to release the dogs to hunt. I said whoa and started to the 4-wheeler. Just before I got to it Dolly passed me. I hit the button on the e-collar, on level 3 and she stopped. I carried her back to where she should have stayed on whoa. I said whoa, walked to the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear then sat there for about 30 seconds before saying okay. I let her run before going back to the kennel.

Lucky jumped onto the retrieving bench and we went back and forth with me petting him every few feet. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent Lucky to retrieve. He picked a bird up, came back and dropped it in my hand when I said give. He retrieved all 4 quail. I set him on the ground and told him to whoa.

I threw a frozen quail in front of him and he ran out, picked it up and came back to me. He dropped it in my hand when I said give. I threw the frozen quail 4 or 5 more times and he retrieved it each time holding it until I said give. I released him to hunt.

He pointed the hidden pigeon. I walked in front of him kicking the cover after taking pictures. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I went to him and stroked his sides telling him what a good dog he is. I threw the frozen pigeon and said fetch. He went back to hunting. I called him back pointing at the quail and said fetch. He picked it up and dropped it in my hand when I said give. I threw the quail 4 or 5 times and he retrieved it each time. I said whoa and walked to the 4-wheeler. I started it, put it in gear and released him with an okay. I let him run for a while before going back to the kennel.

My girls, Blaze and Dolly, think they are special. They don’t have to stay on whoa until I release them. I worked all 5 dogs the same and the males all waited for me to release them. The girls released themselves. For them to do it in the field I have to reinforce it here at home on our training grounds. With enough repetitions they will get it.

Luke pointing a pigeon.

Dolly pointing a pigeon.

Lucky pointing a pigeon.