Traveling Pointing Dogs

Luke

Luke

I went out to work the young dogs about 7:30 this morning with a light jacket on. The temperature was about 50 degrees with almost no wind. I thought the wind, what little there was, was out of the north west and put the pigeons, in their release traps, where the dogs could smell them. I worked Luke first to see if I was right on where I placed the birds. Sure enough I was wrong. The way the land lies causes the wind to swirl around.

I put the e-collars on Luke and heeled him out near the 4-wheeler. If the wind isn’t blowing very hard I, sometimes, run Luke first. If I’m wrong it won’t mess him up. I started the 4-wheeler and released him with an okay. He hunted through the first part of the bird field and on to the back where he pointed the pigeon on the back fence. I took pictures, walked 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 continued to kick the cover and dropped a pigeon from my hand. I shot the blank pistol then shot it again. He still didn’t move. I stroked his sides, started the 4-wheeler and released him.

He hunted back toward the front and pointed. He was looking in the wrong direction but he was opening and closing his mouth on the scent so I knew he was smelling the bird. I took more pictures then went in front of him kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon he turned his head to watch the bird but didn’t move his feet even when I shot the blank pistol. I went to the area where the release trap was and started kicking the cover. I dropped the pigeon from my hand and shot the blank pistol then shot again. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is then tapped his head to release him. I let him run before going back to the kennel.

Tur Bo

Tur Bo

I brought Tur Bo out with the e-collars on his neck and flanks. The last time I worked him he moved when I flushed the pigeon in the release trap and I couldn’t set him back because I had a pigeon in my hand. This morning while he was waiting for me to release him I put 2 pigeons in a bird bag so I would have my hands free. I started the 4-wheeler and released him with an okay. I had moved the pigeons where he could smell them better, I thought. He pointed the first bird but he was looking where I had moved the release trap from. Before I got off the 4-wheeler he turned his head to look where the pigeon was now. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took a couple of steps so I held the button on the transmitter down, on level 3, to the e-collar on his flanks. I picked him up and set him back. I released the button when his feet touched the ground. I continued to kick the cover and took a pigeon from the bird bag and dropped it. I shot the blank pistol and he started chasing. I held the button on the e-collar on his flanks down. He stopped but I held the button down until I set him back. I went back to kicking the cover, dropped another pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took a step then stopped. I held the button on the e-collar on his flanks down on level 3 until I set him back. I kicked the cover then stroked his sides, started the 4-wheeler and released him.

He pointed the next pigeon and I took more pictures. I put 2 more pigeons in the bird bag then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon from the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He took a step and stopped. I held the button on the e-collar on his flanks down, on level 3, and set him back. I went back in front of him kicking the cover, dropped a bird from the bag and shot the blank pistol. He started chasing and I stopped him by holding the button on the e-collar on his flanks down, on level 3. I held the button down until I set him back. I went back in front of him kicking the cover and dropped another pigeon from the bag. I shot the blank pistol and he didn’t move. When I shot the blank another pigeon flew from a tree near where we were. He turned his head to watch it fly away but didn’t move his feet. I stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is then tapped his head to release him. I let him run before returning to the kennel.

Blaze

Blaze

Before I put the e-collars on Blaze and heeled her out near the 4-wheeler I had to get 2 more pigeons from the pigeon coop because I had dropped 4 birds for Tur Bo in addition to the 2 that were in the release traps for him. I released her with an okay. She was 20 yards off the first bird when she pointed. I went in front of her kicking the cover after taking pictures. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, dropped a pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I shot the blank pistol again then went to her and stroked her sides. I started the 4-wheeler and released her to hunt.

When she pointed the next bird I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon from the release trap and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then dropped a pigeon from my hand and shot the blank pistol. She started chasing. Blaze hasn’t moved for a long time and I wasn’t ready for it. I finally, grabbed the transmitter for the e-collar around her flanks and held the button down on level 3. She stopped and I carried her back holding the button on the e-collar down until her feet touched the ground. I walked in front of her kicking the cover and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move and I went to her and stroked her sides. I tapped her head to release her. I let her run for a while before returning to the kennel.

Just about the time you think you have these young dogs figured out they throw you a curve just like Blaze did to day. But this may be the time that convinces her that she must be steady. May not be either.

Blaze

Blaze

Another morning in the upper 40’s to low 50’s. The young dogs and I love it. Hard to tell about the pigeons, they just fly back to their coop. I have been dropping a pigeon from my hand after flushing the bird in the release trap but today I’m going to flush the bird in the trap then drop the bird. I think, this will keep the dogs from letting down after the bird is flushed.

I brought Blaze out with the e-collars on her neck and flanks. I started the 4-wheeler and released her with an okay. When she pointed the first bird, she was looking in the wrong direction. 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 continued to kick the tall grass, dropped the pigeon from my hand and shot the blank pistol then shot again. She didn’t move. I went to her and stroked her sides telling her what a good dog she is. I started the 4-wheeler and released her to hunt.

When I got close to the next bird she was on point. I took pictures then went around a large tree to get in front of her. When I got around the tree I was about 25 yards in front of her. I started kicking the tall weeds as soon as I could see her. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then dropped the pigeon from my hand. I shot the blank pistol then shot it again. She didn’t move. I went to her and stroked her sides then tapped her on the head. I let her run before going back to the kennel.

Luke

Luke

I put the e-collars on Luke and heeled him out near the 4-wheeler. I started the 4-wheeler and released him. He is really fast and was on point when I got close to the first bird. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon from the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then dropped the pigeon from my hand. I shot the blank pistol two times and he didn’t move. I went to him and stroked his sides and told him what a good dog he is. I started the 4-wheeler and released him with an okay.

He pointed the second bird and I circled around the tree like I had done with Blaze. I kicked the tall weeds then flushed the bird in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then dropped the pigeon from my hand and shot the blank pistol then shot again. He still didn’t move. I went to him and stroked his sides and tapped his head to release him. I let him run before going back to the kennel.

Tur Bo

Tur Bo

I brought Tur Bo out with the e-collars on his neck and flanks. I started the 4-wheeler and released him. He pointed the first bird but he was, like Blaze, looking in the wrong direction. I took pictures and started to walk in front of him. He figured out where the bird was and turned his head. I kicked the cover, flushed the pigeon in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He took a couple of steps and stopped. With a pigeon in my hand there is no way I can pick him up and set him back. I continued to kick the cover then dropped the pigeon from my hand and shot the blank pistol, twice. He moved a couple of steps again. I held the button on the transmitter down on the e-collar around his flanks, picked him up and set him back. I stroked his sides, started the 4-wheeler and released him to hunt. I noticed that the level on the transmitter was on level 1. I turned it to level 2.

When he pointed the second bird I circled the tree as I had on the other 2 dogs. I took pictures then kicked the tall weeds, flushed the bird from the release trap and shot the blank pistol. The pigeon came out low and flew right over the top of his head. He followed for 3 or 4 steps then turned back toward me and went back on point. If I had not had the pigeon in my hand I would have set him back but since he was back on point I went back to kicking the cover. I dropped the bird from my hand and shot the blank pistol then shot again. He took a step and I held the button down on the transmitter, on level 2, to the flank e-collar and set him back. I reloaded the blank pistol and continued kicking the tall weeds. I shot the blank pistol and he took a step. I held the button down on the e-collar and set him back. I went back to kicking the cover then shot the blank pistol. He took a step and I held the button down on the flank e-collar. I set him back and continued kicking the cover. I shot the blank pistol and he took a step. I held the button down and set him back. I continued to kick the cover and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I shot it one more time without him moving. I went to him and stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. I tapped his head to release him. I let him run before taking him to the kennel.

I could have lost my temper with Tur Bo moving and made a bad situation worse. Sometimes the dogs don’t understand what you want or they flat don’t want to do it your way. Either one you have to keep making them do it your way until it becomes a habit. Tur Bo will come around. This morning he had 4 birds and twelve shots. He moved on all but the last 3 shots. We will build on that.

When my dogs go on point I don’t say anything to them. They are concentrating 100 per cent on that scent cone. If I go in saying whoa, whoa, whoa the only thing I do is break his concentration. He whoaed when he went on point. If he’s not moving he’s already doing what you want. If your dog goes on point 200 yards away from you who’s going to say whoa until you get there. The only time I say anything to the dog is after the birds are gone.

Tur Bo

Tur Bo

Another beautiful morning. I intended to get out early but I was lazy and didn’t start until about 9:00 am. Being retired is great. The temperature was still in the 40’s at 9:00 am. The last time I worked dogs I took an extra pigeon and dropped it by hand. I liked the way this worked so well I decided to drop a pigeon before I flushed the hidden bird each time, for the young dogs.

I put the e-collars on Tur Bo and heeled him out near the 4-wheeler. I started the 4-wheeler and released him with an okay. He was going with the wind and couldn’t pinpoint the first bird so we went on to the back. He rimmed the back and when he started back the wind was in his face. He slammed into a point. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I dropped the pigeon behind me and shot the blank pistol when it flew. Tur Bo took a step and stopped. I held the button on the transmitter to the flank e-collar down on level 2 and picked him up and set him back. I let off the button when his feet touched the ground. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took a step at the flush then stopped. I held the button on the transmitter down, on level 2, on the flank collar and picked him up and set him back. I let off the button when his feet touched the ground. I continued to kick in front of him and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides, started the 4-wheeler and released him.

He had the wind in his face when he got close to the other pigeon and slid to a stop. I took more pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I dropped the pigeon from my hand and shot the blank pistol. He took a step and stopped. I held the button down, on level 2, on the flank collar. I picked him up and set him back. I let off the button when his feet touched the ground. I continued to kick in front of him, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I shot the blank pistol again and he didn’t move. I went to him, stroked his sides and tapped him on the head to release him. I let him run for a while before going back to the kennel.

Blaze

Blaze

I put the e-collars on Blaze and released her to hunt. Like Tur Bo, she knew the first bird was there but she wasn’t sure where. She moved on to the back and circled into the scent cone of the pigeon and pointed. I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I dropped the bird from my hand and shot the blank pistol when it flew. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move even when I shot the blank pistol again. I stroked her sides, started the 4-wheeler and released her with an okay.

On the way to the front she was going into the wind when she hit the scent cone. When she pointed her head was up and her tail was straight up. I took more pictures and walked in front of her kicking the cover. I dropped the pigeon from my hand and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the tall grass, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I shot the blank pistol again and she did’t move. I went to her and stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is. I tapped her head to release her. I let her run for a while before going back to the kennel.

Luke

Luke

I brought Luke out with the e-collars around his neck and flanks. I started the 4-wheeler and released him with an okay. Since the other 2 had trouble finding the first bird, until they were on the way back, I rode all the way to one side of the field instead of down the middle. Luke hunted to the back, circled the end and started back and went on point. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I dropped the pigeon from my hand and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol then shot it again. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides, started the 4-wheeler and released him with an okay.

He came in on the wrong side of the other bird but slid to a point with the wind blowing away from the pigeon. I have seen this a lot but I don’t understand it. How can they smell a bird with the wind blowing from them to the bird. I walked in front of him kicking the cover after taking pictures. I flushed the pigeon in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, dropped the bird from my hand and shot the blank pistol then shot it again. He didn’t move. I went to him, stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. I tapped him on the head to release him. I let him run for a while before returning to the kennel.

The dogs don’t move when I flush the pigeon from the release trap but they let down some. The aren’t as rigid. On Luke, I flushed the pigeon in the release trap and then dropped the bird from my hand on his last point. I like that better and it may keep them from letting down. I may go to more than one bird dropped so they never know what is going to happen. It’s worth a try.