Traveling Pointing Dogs

Blaze

Tur Bo

Luke

I enjoyed working the young dogs, on the pigeons, on Monday. On Tuesday, I figured out how to work each dog on 5 pigeons. I hid 2 pigeons in release traps. One on my neighbors side and one on my side of the training grounds. I put the e-collars on Tur Bo’s neck and flanks. I threw a pigeon in front of him and said whoa as I heeled him toward the training ground. He stopped and watched the pigeon fly away.

I heeled him to the edge of the training grounds and stopped him with a whoa. Throwing the pigeon in front of him had fired him up but he’s usually fired up, anyway. I released him and when I got to the first pigeon he was on point. I walked in front of him and dropped a pigeon. He watched the pigeon fly away and I shot the blank pistol. When I shot his front feet moved. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon that was hidden in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He moved forward about a step. I set him back, stroked his sides and led him away. I released him to hunt.

I had hidden the next pigeon inside the brush on my side of the training grounds. Tur Bo knew the bird was in the cover but he couldn’t figure out where without going into the brush. He went on point and I walked back and forth kicking the cover. I dropped a pigeon but he didn’t pay any attention until I shot the blank pistol. He took a step. I set him back and continued to kick the cover. When I flushed the pigeon in the release trap it hit a limb and fluttered before flying away. When the pigeon hit the limb Tur Bo moved toward it but stopped on my whoa. I set him back. I stroked his sides then released him. He hunted back to the kennel.

When I went back to the pigeon coop some of the first pigeons had returned so I was able to get 5 more for the next dog. I reloaded the release traps and put the e-collars on Blaze. I released her to hunt near the training grounds and she was on point when I got to the first pigeon. I walked in front of her kicking the cover, dropped a pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon from the release trap. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and led her away. I released her to hunt.

She was running really fast when she hit the scent cone on the next pigeon and slid into a point. I walked in front of her kicking the cover, dropped a pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. She still didn’t move. I stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is, then released her.

We started to the very back of the training grounds and when she came close to me I threw a pigeon in front of her and said whoa. She stopped. Throwing a pigeon in front of the dogs when they are hunting, and whoaing them, teaches them to stop to flush. She hunted back to the kennel.

When I checked the pigeon coop there were not enough pigeons to work Luke. The pigeons get pretty smart. They learn not to come back very fast or I will use them again. I had a couple of guns that needed cleaning so I put the 4-wheeler up and went in the house. When I came back in about an hour the pigeons were all back. I put 5 in a bird bag and reloaded the release traps.

I put the e-collars on Luke and heeled him close to the training grounds. I released him and when I got to the first pigeon he was on point. The training grounds are so wet that the 4-wheeler makes ruts so I have limited the use of it to just putting out the pigeons. By the time I walk the 100 yards or so to the first pigeon all of the dogs have pointed. I walked in front of Luke kicking the cover, dropped a pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he was then led him away. I released him to hunt.

Luke crossed to my side and went on point. I walked in front of him and dropped a pigeon. He didn’t move even when I shot the blank pistol. I continued to walk in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I went to him and stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he was. I released him to hunt.

We started to the back of the property and when he came close to me I threw a pigeon in front of him and said whoa. He stopped. I stroked his sides, tapped his head and he went back to hunting. We went back to the kennel.

Blaze and Luke are steady to wing and shot on pigeons. I need to get some quail and get them steady on them. Because all of my dogs have been hunted on quail and pheasants and I haven’t required them to be steady to shot, I need to work them on quail in a controlled setting. Then I may get them steady to wing and shot. Quail, this time of year are hard to get so I will continue to work the dogs on pigeons. The dogs and I enjoy this game.

Tur Bo

Blaze

Luke

All of the bird seasons are over so I went back to training young dogs this morning. The frost is coming out of the ground so it is really wet, on the training grounds. I hid one pigeon on my neighbors side of the training grounds and one on my side. I brought Tur Bo out with the Sport Dog e-collars on. One on his neck and another around his flanks.

I heeled him toward the training grounds. I had a bird bag, with 3 pigeons in it, with me. As I heeled him toward the training grounds I took a pigeon from the bag, threw it in front of him and said whoa. He wanted to chase but stopped when I said whoa. I stroked his sides then heeled him on toward the training grounds. I threw another pigeon in front of him and said whoa. Again, he wanted to chase but stopped on my whoa. I whoaed him on the edge of the training grounds then tapped his head to release him.

He was on point when I got to the first pigeon hidden on my neighbors side. I took some pictures then walked in front of him, kicking the cover. I dropped the last pigeon that was in the bag. He didn’t move as it flew off. He knew the pigeon he was pointing was still there. I continued to kick the cover then I flushed the pigeon in the release trap. The bird came out of the trap and flew right over his head. He turned to watch it fly away. I went to him, turned him around, stroked his sides then led him away. I whoaed him then tapped his head for the release.

As I walked to my side of the training grounds he covered all of my neighbors side. When I crossed over he got in front of me and started down the fence row. He was about 15 yards from the second pigeon when he went on point. I walked in front of him and flushed the pigeon. He moved but only about a foot. I set him back, let him stand for about 30 seconds, tapped his head and led him away. I whoaed him then tapped his head to release him. He hunted back to the kennel.

My pigeons are getting smarter. To run Blaze I had to wait about 45 minutes for some birds to come back. At the end of 45 minutes only two had returned so I got them out again. Blaze had the e-collars on her neck and flanks. I heeled her toward the training grounds. She was at my side on heel. I threw a pigeon in front of her and said whoa. She wanted to chase but stopped on my whoa. I stroked her sides then tapped her head and said heel. I threw my last pigeon and said whoa. She stopped on the whoa. I stroked her sides then heeled her to the training grounds.

When I got to the first pigeon she was on point. I didn’t have a pigeon to drop in front of her so I kicked the cover after taking pictures. I flushed the pigeon and she didn’t move. I stroked her sides then led her away. I whoaed her then tapped her head and she went back to hunting.

This is the first time in a long time that I have hid the pigeons on both sides of the training grounds. I usually use the neighbors side because he has better cover. (I mow mine too often.) It didn’t bother these young dogs at all. They stayed in front of me as I crossed from the neighbors side to mine. Before I got close Blaze pointed the next pigeon. I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and she didn’t move. I stroked her sides and released her. She hunted back to the kennel.

I still had 2 pigeons in the bird cage on my 4-wheeler so I didn’t wait for any to return. I put the e-collars on Luke and heeled him toward the training grounds. I did whoa him a few times on the way. I released him to hunt and he was on point when I got close to the first pigeon. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he didn’t move. I stroked his sides and led him away. I released him to hunt.

He checked all of the neighbors property out before I crossed into my yard. Luke likes to point the pigeons when they sit on their house so instead of hunting he headed to the pigeon house. The Sport Dog collar has a tone that he has been trained to come in with. I hit the tone and he returned. He started down the fence row ahead of me and went on point. I went in front of him kicking the cover after taking pictures. I flushed the pigeon and he never moved. I stroked his sides and released him. He was pointing the pigeons that were on the roof of the coop when I got back near the kennel.

When I have withdrawals from the bird seasons being closed I can go in the back yard and get a few points from my dogs. That kind of eases me into the off season. If you see any ads on these posts that you are interested in please click on them. I make a few cents on each click.

Tur Bo in front Dolly in back

Luke pointing

These pictures have nothing to do with this post, they are here because I like them. I haven’t worked my dogs since the season ended. I have some friends that are getting ready for field trials and I have been helping them. Today, the wind chill is in the single digits so I’m waiting on the temperature to rise, if it does.

My friend Matt, has a young Vizsla, about 14 months old that he’s going to run in a field trial this week end. Sadie points real well but sometimes gets too close to her birds. We put 4 pigeons, in release traps, out on my training grounds. Sadie ran past the first two pigeons and pointed the third one. She was so far ahead of us, we weren’t sure whether she had moved after hitting the scent cone or not. She pointed with a front foot raised and when she put it down I flushed the pigeon. She pointed two of the next three pigeons fine but one she smelled and tried to get closer, so I flushed it.

We moved the release traps and put out 4 more pigeons. This time, I stayed on the 4-wheeler so I could keep up. Again, she ran past the first pigeon and pointed the second. As soon as she hit the scent cone she pointed. I watched her real close but there was no movement until Matt walked in front. At her first movement I flushed the pigeon. She pointed the next one just fine but on her third she hit the scent cone and took a step so I flushed the pigeon. She pointed the last one the moment she hit the scent cone.

On Monday, Matt brought Sadie over again. I put 4 pigeons, in release traps, out on the training grounds. She is so fast I followed her on the 4-wheeler. She blew past the first two and pointed the third pigeon. I saw her hit the scent cone and slide to a point. She stayed on point for a couple of minutes then started to move. I flushed the pigeon. The fourth bird was behind a log but the wind had changed where she couldn’t get the scent until she was right beside it. She pointed and after 15 seconds or so I flushed the pigeon. She was so close, she might have got to the pigeon if I had waited until she moved.

We went back toward the first part of the training ground and she hit the scent cone on the second pigeon. She started toward it and I flushed it. She had trouble finding the first pigeon but as soon as she hit the scent cone she pointed. She had a front foot up and when she eased it down I flushed the bird.

We hid 4 more pigeons, in release traps, for Sadie and she pointed them all as soon as she hit the scent cone. Sadie is real fast on the ground and she holds point real well. When we flush the pigeons she only chases a few steps then starts hunting the next bird. The only fun she gets out of this is pointing so if we flush the bird before she points, it teaches her to point when she first hits the scent cone. A couple of sessions like this stops most dogs from creeping in but sometimes it takes more. I think Sadie will do fine in her field trial.

Gailen Cooper is going to run Jack, Tur Bo’s brother, in a field trial this week end, also. He needs to be steady to wing and shot. Gailen and I have been working toward that end without taking anything out of Jack. He’s going to run him whether we get him steady or not.

The way we steady a dog is from the book written by Paul Long, Training Pointing Dogs. You use an e-collar on your dogs flanks and teach whoa real well. When your dog will whoa every time you give the command it’s time to make them steady to wing and shot.

With an e-collar around their flanks you let them run. Have a bag of pigeons and when the dog comes close throw a pigeon in front of him. He will try to chase and you hit the transmitter on the dogs flanks. Hold the button down without saying anything. The intensity shouldn’t be high enough to make the dog yelp. As soon as the dog stops let off the transmitter button. Usually, the dog stops on his own, without you pushing the transmitter button, by the third pigeon.

Gailen hadn’t worked with Jack very much on whoa but he thought he was far enough along to do this drill. I got six pigeons in my bird bag and we went for a walk. Jack came close and I threw a pigeon in front of him and he chased. Gailen pushed the transmitter button on the flank e-collar. He stopped after about 30 yards. Gailen went to him, stroked his sides then released him. He went back to hunting and when he came close I threw another pigeon. He chased for about 15 yards and Gailen stopped him with the e-collar. Gailen stroked his sides then released him. Jack went back to hunting and when he came close I threw another pigeon. He stopped.

Since I still had 3 pigeons in the bird bag I threw them for Jack. He stopped each time then Gailen put him up.

The next time Gailen brought Jack over we took 6 pigeons, in a bird bag, over to the county park near my home. Gailen turned Jack loose and he hunted down a tree line. When he came back close to me I threw a pigeon in front of him. He started to chase and Gailen held the button on the flank collar down until he stopped. He went to him, stroked his sides then released him. Jack went back to hunting and the next time he came close I threw another pigeon. He stopped. As he stood there I threw another pigeon in front of him. He took a step and stopped. Gailen stroked his sides then released him to hunt.

We let him run for a while then when he came close I threw another pigeon in front of him. He stopped. I waited a few seconds then threw another pigeon. He still didn’t move. I had one pigeon left so I threw it in front of him. He didn’t move. Gailen stroked his sides the released him. Gailen let him run for a while before putting him in the dog box.

Now Gailen needs to get some strong flying quail or chukars and repeat these exercises. This doesn’t make every dog steady to wing and shot but it does stop them from chasing the birds they point. The more chase you take out the easier it is to make them steady to wing and shot.