Traveling Pointing Dogs

Tur Bo holding bumper and walking down the bench

Blaze holding bumper

Dolly holding bumper

Another day working all of the dogs on the retrieving bench. I’m working all of the dogs, except Lucky, to whoa until I send them to retrieve. At 11 years of age, I’m not going to put Lucky through the stress of learning something new. He’s not too old to learn but at his age you never know if this will be his last training session or not.

Tur Bo still has a pulled muscle so I heeled him to the retrieving bench with the e-collar around his neck. I put the e-collar on him but I haven’t ever used it on the retrieving bench. I’m not to the point in his training to use the e-collar. I get all of the dogs used to having the e-collar on during training sessions.

He jumped onto the retrieving bench. I said up as he got ready to jump. Just as I snapped the pulley chain to his collar a friend called me. We probably talked for 20 minutes. I was close to him for a while but I started cleaning up some limbs that fell during the high winds yesterday and last night. I walked about 50 yards away to throw the limbs on a brush pile. At no time did Tur Bo even act like he was going to jump off the bench.

I opened his mouth, placed a bumper behind his canine teeth and said hold. After about 15 seconds I held the end of the bumper and said “give”. He moved his mouth away from the bumper. He understands “hold” and I no longer have to hold his mouth shut with my thumb. I placed a bumper in his mouth and led him down the bench. When we got to the end I held the bumper and said “give”. He moved his mouth off the bumper. We went back to the starting point and I placed another bumper in his mouth. This time I led him down the bench but when we got to the end we turned and went back to the other end. I held the bumper and said “give”. He moved his mouth off the bumper. The next time I put the bumper in his mouth I told him “hold” then let him walk to the other end without my hand being on his collar. I decided that was a good place to quit so I set him on the ground and heeled him back to the kennel.

Blaze was next. I heeled her to the retrieving bench and when she started to jump I said, “up”. I walked her up and down the bench petting her every few feet. I placed 4 bumpers on the other end of the bench and took pictures as she retrieved them. I put her on the ground. I told her “whoa” and threw the bumper. I made her stand for a couple of seconds before I motioned in the direction that I wanted her to go and said, “fetch”. She picked up the bumper, ran back and dropped it in my hand. I only threw the bumper a few feet. Later I will start throwing it farther. She retrieved the bumper about 8 or 10 times. I picked up the bumpers and let her run to the back before returning to the kennel.

I heeled Dolly to the retrieving bench where she jumped on at my “up”. Dolly has been force broke to retrieve so this is just something to get her out of the kennel. The dogs don’t care what I do with them as long as I’m doing something. I walked her up and down petting her every few feet. I put 4 retrieving bumpers on the other end. I said, “fetch” and took pictures as she brought them back. Some time I take the bumper as they get to me but some times I have the dogs hold the bumper until I say, “give”. After she retrieved all 4 bumpers I set her on the ground. I told her “whoa” and threw the bumper. After a couple of seconds I motioned the way I wanted her to go and said, “fetch”. I’ve always let the dogs go when I threw the bumper before but now I’m trying to get them to wait for my “fetch” command. Dolly retrieves real well but the waiting is hard for her right now. I threw the bumper about 10 times and she retrieved each time. I let her run to the back before going back to the kennel.

Luke has been force broke but I didn’t take it far enough. He retrieves real well on the bench and pretty good on the ground beside the bench but he doesn’t understand that he is to retrieve birds. I heeled him to the bench and he jumped on at my “up”. I always pet the dogs as we walk up and down the bench. I put the 4 bumpers on the other end and tried to get pictures as he retrieved the bumpers. I set him on the ground, said, “whoa” and threw the bumper. The first 2 or 3 times he retrieved real well then he ran to the bumper and rolled it around and came back without it. I held the button on the e-collar transmitter down on level 3 until he went back and picked up the bumper. When he got to me with it I made him hold it for about 15 seconds before I said “give”

.

About this time a friend, Rob Downey, came over to work his dogs on my pigeons. He came down where I was working Luke. I thought this would be good training for Luke. When Rob got to us I told Luke to “whoa” and threw the bumper. The I said “fetch” and Luke went to Rob Downey. I held the e-collar button down on level 3 and it was like Luke said, “Oh yeah, I better get that bumper”. He retrieved it to me. I threw it again and again he started to Rob. I held the button down and he changed over to the bumper. He brought it to me. I let him run to the back then took him back to the kennel.

Rob had some quail that he didn’t want any more so he brought them to me. We put them in with my pigeons then worked his dogs. One of the quail had died on the way over so I worked Lucky with it as well as the bumpers.

After Rob left with his dogs I heeled Lucky to the bench and he jumped on at my “up”. I walked him up and down petting him every few feet. I placed the 4 bumpers and the quail at the other end of the bench. I took pictures as he retrieved them. I set him on the ground and threw the dead quail for him. I don’t make him wait. He retrieved the quail about 10 times. I walked to the back as he ran then we went back to the kennel.

Dolly and Lucky do a pretty good job of retrieving but Blaze and Luke need a lot more work. I’m hoping that I can get them to be good retrievers before the next season starts. Tur Bo is learning to hold and give. He’s also learning to walk with the bumper in his mouth without dropping it. When he gets all of this down I will start his force breaking. In my opinion, it’s easier to force break the dogs if they have already learned to hold and give.

Luke on the ground holding a bumper

Lucky

Tur Bo walking with a bumper

Tur Bo

Blaze

Dolly

These cool mornings are great for working the dogs. Tur Bo is still nursing a sore leg but it’s getting better. I’m still heeling him to the retrieving bench and back to the kennel. He runs in the kennel and jumps on and off his house so I don’t know how much good I’m doing, not letting him run.

I heeled Tur Bo to the retrieving bench with the e-collar on his neck. I’m only working him on hold and give. He wears the e-collar but I’m not using it on him until later in the force retrieve training. He jumped on the bench and we went up and down with me petting him every few feet. I snapped his collar to the pulley hooked to the cable, on the bench, so he wouldn’t jump off. I could probably skip hooking him to the cable because he never tries to get off but later I’m going to need greater control of him.

Tur Bo has some trouble with understanding hold. My “whoa” sometimes comes out “ho” and he stops. Now I’m telling him “hold” and trying to get him to walk up and down the bench holding the bumper. I place the bumper behind his canine teeth and grasp the collar with my hand while placing my thumb under his chin holding his mouth closed. I then lead him down the bench. As I walked him down the bench he held the bumper real well so I removed my hand. He held the bumper until I said “give”. I took him back to the end of the bench and petted him for a while then placed the bumper in his mouth. He started down the bench and spit the bumper out. I pinched his lip against a tooth and replaced the bumper. (I don’t pinch real hard. Just enough to make it uncomfortable, not enough to make him yelp.) He held the bumper as he walked down the bench. I used 4 different bumpers and he held them as he walked down the bench. I set him on the ground and heeled him back to the kennel.

I heeled Blaze to the retrieving bench and she jumped onto it. I walked her up and down petting her. I placed the 4 bumpers on the other end of the bench and sent her to retrieve. I took pictures as she retrieved. She retrieved all 4 bumpers twice then I set her on the ground and placed the 4 bumpers in front of her. I sent her to retrieve and her mouth was almost too small to retrieve the first bumper but she finally brought it back. She retrieved them all. I put her on whoa and threw a bumper just a few feet and made her stay until I said “fetch”. This may be a step in being steady to wing, shot and fall. She had a little trouble finding the bumper when I threw it a long ways, later. It worked better if I threw the bumper high and sent her before it quit bouncing. I threw the bumper about ten times then let her run for a while before returning to the kennel.

I heeled Dolly to the retrieving bench and she jumped onto it. I petted her as I walked up and down the bench then placed the 4 bumpers on the other end of the bench. She retrieved all 4 twice. I set her on the ground and placed all 4 bumpers in front of her. She retrieved them all. I told her “whoa”, held her collar and threw the bumper just a few feet. All of my dogs have been allowed to retrieve as soon as I threw the bumper and now I’m making them stay until I send them. She tried to go before I told her to fetch and I held her. I whoaed her again then sent her to retrieve with a “fetch”. She dropped the bumper in my hand. I threw the bumper about 10 times and the last few times I didn’t have to hold her. She was whoaing until I sent her. I let her run for a while before returning to the kennel.

I heeled Luke to the retrieving bench and he jumped onto it. After the petting ritual I placed 4 bumpers on the other end of the bench. I sent him to retrieve while trying to get pictures. He retrieved all 4 bumpers twice with no problem. I set him on the ground and placed the 4 bumpers in front of him. He retrieved them all. I whoaed him while holding his collar and tossed the bumper. He wanted to go when I threw the bumper but I held him and said whoa again. He retrieved the bumper but dropped it as he got close. I held it and said fetch. I made him hold the bumper for a few seconds then said “give”. I whoaed him and threw the bumper and when I said “fetch” he ran out touched the bumper but didn’t pick it up. I held the button on the transmitter of the e-collar down, on level 3, and he ran back out, picked up the bumper and returned to me. He held it until I said “give”. I threw the bumper several more times and he retrieved with no problems. I let him run for a while before going back to the kennel.

I heeled Lucky to the retrieving bench and he tried to jump onto it. He jumped too soon but I helped him and he made it. We went through the petting routine and I placed the 4 bumpers at the other end of the bench. He retrieved them all, twice. I set him on the ground and placed the 4 bumpers in front of him. He retrieved them all. Lucky is 11 years old and I’m not going to change him now. I threw the bumper and he ran out and retrieved it. I didn’t try to make him stay on whoa. He’s not too old to learn but at his age I’m not going to put him through the process. Each time I work or hunt him I think this may be his last time. He’s in good shape and I used him a lot last season but 11 is old for a bird dog. I had him retrieve the thrown bumper 8 or 10 times then let him run before going back to the kennel.

All of the dogs, in the pictures, look like they just lost their best friend, when they are retrieving on the bench. When I throw the bumper on the ground they look much happier but there is too much going on for me to get a picture. Maybe, when I start throwing the bumper farther I will be able to get some pictures of the dogs looking happier.

I’m going to work the dogs for a few days on one bumper then later start throwing another while they are retrieving the first. Hopefully, they will learn to go in the direction I send them to retrieve. Tur Bo, Dolly and Lucky retrieve if they see the bird fall. I need to be able to send the dogs, without them seeing the bird fall and have them hunt dead. This is a learning process for me as well as the dogs.

Tur Bo

Luke

Lucky

Tur Bo

Lucky

Luke

I had some things I needed to do first thing this morning but it stayed cool all day. Perfect day for working dogs. Tur Bo is still favoring his left rear leg so I heeled him to the retrieving bench. He jumped onto the retrieving bench with no problem.

I walked him up and down the bench petting him every few feet after snapping his collar to the cable that runs from end to end on the retrieving bench. Snapping him to the cable keeps him from jumping off the bench. I opened his mouth and put a retrieving bumper behind his canine teeth. I put my thumb into the groove beneath his jaw to keep him from spitting the bumper out as I held the collar with the same hand. After he held the bumper for about 20 seconds I took hold of the end of the bumper and said give. He moved his mouth off the bumper.

I used 4 different bumpers and had him hold all 4. He was holding them real well so I had him walk down the bench holding the bumper in his mouth. I started him by pulling on his collar and holding my thumb under his chin. He was holding real well so I dropped my hand and he came on down the bench. He took a few steps and decided to drop the bumper. I pinched his lip against his teeth and replaced the bumper. He carried the bumper back to the other end without dropping it. I said give and took the bumper from him. I had him hold another bumper and walk down the bench. He didn’t try to spit it out. I set him on the ground and heeled him back to the kennel.

Usually Lucky is the last dog I work but today I heeled him down to the retrieving bench after Tur Bo. He jumped onto the bench and we walked up and down with me petting him every few feet. I put 4 bumpers on the other end of the bench and he retrieved them all, twice. I set him on the ground and placed the 4 bumpers in front of him. He grabbed the first one and delivered it to me. I sent him for the second and he went half way and came back. I held the button on the e-collar down on level 3 and he retrieved the next one. He then retrieved all of the bumpers. I tossed a bumper and he ran out and retrieved it. I threw the bumper several times and he retrieved it each time. I let him run for a while before returning to the kennel.

I heeled Luke to the retrieving bench and he jumped on it when I said “up”. I walked him back and forth petting him every few feet. I set the 4 bumpers on the other end of the bench and tried to get pictures as he retrieved but he moves so fast it’s hard. He retrieved all 4 bumpers two times then I set him on the ground and placed the 4 bumpers in front of him. He retrieved them so I threw one for him. He got excited and before he got to me he dropped the bumper. He moves so fast it’s like he was throwing it to me. I made him hold the bumper for a few seconds while I petted him. Then I said give and he dropped it. I threw the bumper 3 more times and he held it until I said give. I let him run while I walked to the back on my side then over to the neighbor’s side. We returned to the kennel.

I heeled Blaze to the bench and she jumped on. I walked her back and forth petting her every few feet. I placed the 4 bumpers on the other end of the bench and told her to fetch. Her mouth would hardly open wide enough to grab the first bumper. Then she remembered that that didn’t work the last time and her mouth opened enough to grab the bumper. She retrieved it to me and dropped it when I said give. She retrieved the rest of the bumpers with no problem. I set her on the ground and placed the bumpers in front of her. When I sent her for the first one she had trouble getting her mouth open wide enough but she finally got it and returned with it. She retrieved the others with no trouble. I threw a bumper a few times and she was more animated when she retrieved. I let her run as I walked to the back on my side then on my neighbor’s side. We returned to the kennel.

Dolly was the last one to be worked and this makes her hyper. She’s like Luke though, almost every thing makes her hyper. I heeled her to the retrieving bench and she jumped on when I said up. I walked her up and down the bench petting her every few feet. I put the 4 bumpers on the other end and she raced after them. When she brings them to me she usually holds them until I hold one end and say give. She retrieved all 4 bumpers, twice. I set her on the ground and placed the 4 bumpers in front of her. Each time I said fetch she retrieved a bumper. I threw a bumper a few times and she retrieved each time. I let her run while I walked to the back on my side then over on my neighbor’s side and back to the kennel.

The dogs would rather be pointing birds but as long as I’m doing something with them they are happy. If I let Blaze get by with not being able to open her mouth large enough, one time, she would try it every time thinking she could get away with it. Reward or punishment must be administered in less than 2 seconds to be effective. That means the e-collar must be on them every time I run or work them.

Dolly

Blaze

Luke

Tur Bo

Blaze

Dolly

We had off and on rain yesterday so I waited until today to work the dogs on the retrieving bench. The dogs don’t really care what I do with them as long as I do something. I go into their kennel and when they start to jump on their house I say “up”. I pet them then put the e-collar on and pet them again. I put the piggin’ string around their neck and say “heel” and they jump down. I heel them to the retrieving bench and when they get ready to jump onto the bench I say “up”. Teaching the dogs up gets them to looking up when you give this command. It is really handy when they come to a woven wire fence that I want them to jump. When I say “up” they start looking up and I don’t have to lift them over most fences.

I heeled Tur Bo to the retrieving bench with the e-collar on his neck. He jumped onto the bench and we went up and down it with me stopping him every few feet petting him. He has a pulled muscle in his left rear leg so I can’t let him run although it doesn’t seem to bother him to jump. I have a cable that runs down the bench with a pulley to keep the dogs from jumping off. The older dogs don’t try to jump because I have never let them. I always lift them off. If I let them jump off whenever they wanted they would be in control of how long we work on the bench.

I hooked Tur Bo to the cable then walked him up and down petting him. I opened his mouth and placed a bumper behind his canine teeth. I held his collar keeping his mouth shut with a thumb in the groove below his chin. I led him down the bench. When we got to the end I petted him then removed my thumb from his chin. I held the end of the bumper and said “give”. I didn’t move the bumper out of his mouth. I waited for him to move his mouth off the bumper. I used 3 different bumpers and walked him up and down the bench several times with each before heeling him back to the kennel.

I heeled Blaze to the retrieving bench with the e-collar around her neck. She jumped onto the bench at my “up” command. I walked her up and down the bench petting her every few feet. I whoaed her and put 4 retrieving bumpers on the bench. I told her to fetch and she went to the first one, picked it up and brought it to me and dropped it in my hand. The last time I worked her, her mouth wouldn’t open wide enough to pick up the bumper until I tapped her with the e-collar. Today, she had no trouble. I took pictures as she retrieved the bumpers. I had her retrieve the 4 bumpers 3 times then let her run for awhile before returning to the kennel.

I heeled Dolly to the retrieving bench with the e-collar around her neck. She jumped onto the bench and I walked her up and down petting her every few feet. I put the 4 bumpers on the other end of the bench after whoaing her. I pointed and said fetch. I turned the camera on and was messing with it. Dolly went about 1/2 down and came back without a bumper. I held the button on the e-collar down on level 3 until she went down the bench and took the bumper in her mouth. As soon as she gripped the bumper I let off the button. Dolly has been force broke and she absolutely knew what she was supposed to do. That is the reason that every time I train dogs or hunt, the dogs have an e-collar on. I held the e-collar button down on a low level until she did what she was trained to do. With her having the e-collar on I could correct her immediately. After the first one she retrieved all 4 bumpers 3 times with no problems. I let her run for awhile before returning to the kennel.

I heeled Luke to the retrieving bench with the e-collar on his neck. He jumped onto the bench and we went through our petting routine. Every thing Luke does he does in a hurry. He shakes the retrieving bench when he goes up and down. He sometimes tosses the bumpers when he whirls to bring them back. He looks so apologetic that I just go pick them up. I put 4 bumpers at the other end of the retrieving bench and had him retrieve them 3 times each. I tried to get pictures but he’s so fast it’s hard on a 16 feet long bench. I set him on the ground and let him run for a while before returning to the kennel.

I heeled Lucky to the retrieving bench and he jumped onto it. Lucky will be 11 years old the end of this month and every time I do something with him I think it may be his last time. He’s in good health and his grandmother, Lady, lived to be almost 14 but you never know when they get this age. He still likes to get on the bench and be petted. I put the 4 bumpers on the other end and he retrieved them each 4 times. I took pictures before putting him back on the ground. I let him run before going back to the kennel.

All of the dogs like to get on the bench and have me pet them. I enjoy petting them, also. I’m lucky that I have the time to train my dogs year round. Letting them run after being on the bench keeps them in a little better shape than just lying in their kennel. The closer it gets to hunting season the longer I will run them.

Luke

Lucky

Dolly