Traveling Pointing Dogs

Blaze

Blaze

Nice morning. The wind was out of the north west and the temperature was about 60. It was a little cool, on the 4-wheeler, hiding the pigeons. That went away pretty quick. I whoaed Blaze near the 4-wheeler after putting the e-collars on her neck and flanks. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and released her with an okay.

She pointed the middle bird. I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and it came right over her head, real low. She reared back and whirled around. I shot the blank pistol and she didn’t move on the shot. I set her back. I kicked the weeds in front of her and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and released her.

She hunted to the back and pointed the farthest bird. I took more pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I tried to release the pigeon and the release trap didn’t work. I took the bird from the trap and threw it by hand. She started chasing and I stopped her with the e-collar around her flanks. I carried her back to the original spot. I walked in front of her and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move on the shot. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear then released her with an okay.

She pointed the last pigeon I had hidden for her. I walked in front of her kicking the cover and flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move even when I shot the blank pistol. I kicked in front of her then got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and released her with an okay. I let her run before taking her back to the kennel.

Luke

Luke

When I bring Luke out to whoa him by the 4-wheeler he’s ready to whoa from the time we leave the kennel until I finally whoa him. If I don’t whoa him where he thinks I should he stops on his own. After I whoaed him I got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and released him.

When I got to the first bird Luke was already on point. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the weeds. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. I continued to kick in front of him then went back and stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and said okay to release him.

He went from the first pigeon to the back and pointed the farthest bird. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and when it came out of the release trap it got tangled in some weeds then came right over his head. He turned completely around but didn’t try to follow. I set him back. He didn’t move when I shot the blank pistol. I started the 4-wheeler, put it in gear and released him.

He pointed the middle bird on the way back. I took pictures then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. I started the 4-wheeler, put it in gear and released him. I let him run for awhile then took him back to the kennel.

Tur Bo

Tur Bo

I whoaed Tur Bo near the 4-wheeler with the e-collars on his neck and flanks. I started the 4-wheeler, put it in gear and released him with an okay. He was running all out and I was right behind him when he hit the scent cone on the middle bird. He whirled into a point. I took pictures then spent a while just kicking weeds and brush. I flushed the pigeon and he took a step and I held the button on the transmitter down, on level 4, to the e-collar on his flanks. I picked him up and set him back. I let off the button when he hit the ground. I kicked the cover and shot the blank pistol. He took a step and I held the e-collar button down until I set him back. When he went back on point I shot the blank pistol again. This time he flinched but didn’t move. I kicked the weeds some more but the blank pistol was empty when I tried to shoot it so I reloaded. It takes a little time to reload but Tur Bo stayed on point until I got the blanks in the pistol. I shot the blank pistol and he flinched but his feet didn’t move. I started the 4-wheeler and released him.

He circled back and pointed the pigeon that he should have pointed first. I took more pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. He was steady at the flush of the pigeon but moved at the shot. I stopped him with e-collar and set him back. I shot the blank pistol after kicking in front of him again. He flinched but didn’t move. I shot one more time and he never moved. I started the 4-wheeler and released him.

He went to the back and pointed the last pigeon. I took more pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he moved his head but not his feet. I shot the blank pistol and he flinched but didn’t move. I walked in front of him and shot the pistol one more time and he didn’t move. I started the 4-wheeler and released him. I let him run before taking him back to the kennel.

Today, I only used 6 pictures in this blog but I took 28. I take a lot of pictures then use the ones I like best. I’m not a photographer but if I take enough some will look okay. I think shooting the blank pistol several times on each pigeon is getting through to Tur Bo that he can’t move his feet. When I say he flinches on the shot and sometimes on the birds I don’t mean he is acting gun shy. He wants to move but he’s learning better. He just jumps without moving his feet. Luke did the same thing for awhile. Blaze has caught a couple of pigeons over the last 2 months and she is always looking for another chance. All of the young dogs are a lot closer to where I want them, now.

This morning I waited on Isaac to get to my house.

Tur Bo

Tur Bo

My grandson, Isaac, enjoyed training dogs with me yesterday so I waited on him to get to my house this morning. He’s starting back to school tomorrow, fifth grade. I hid the pigeons, in release traps, in the tall weeds on the training ground. The last few mornings I have been putting Tur Bo’s birds close together. This morning they are separated like they are for the other dogs.

I heeled Tur Bo out with the e-collars on his neck and flanks. I whoaed him near the 4-wheeler. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and released him with an okay. I could see him through some brush. He went on point on the first bird then took a few steps and I flushed the pigeon. I lost sight of him then but when I came around a clump of brush, I saw him. He had stopped to flush. I went to him and stroked his sides, then kicked in front of him. I took some pictures and released him with a tap on the head and an okay.

He went all the way to the back and pointed the farthest pigeon. I took some pictures and walked in front of him. I flushed the pigeon and he took a few steps. I held the button on the e-collar, on his flanks, down on level 4, picked him up and set him back. When his feet hit the ground I let off on the e-collar button. I kicked in front of him and shot the blank pistol. He took a few steps again. Again I held the button on the e-collar down. It was on level 4 and I held it down until his feet hit the ground. I kicked in front of him then got on the 4-wheeler. I started it, put it in gear and released him.

He was on the wrong side of the third pigeon when he got some scent. He pointed then took a step and I flushed the pigeon. He whirled around but stopped to flush. I kicked in the cover where the bird flushed from then shot the blank pistol. Today, the blank pistol was like a release command. I stopped him with the e-collar and set him back. I walked in front of him with blank pistol in one hand and the e-collar transmitter in the other. I shot the blank pistol and he started moving. I hit the button on the e-collar on his flanks, immediately, and he stopped. I set him back. I kicked in front of him and shot the blank pistol. He moved and I hit the button on the e-collar. I didn’t have to carry him as far this time. I walked in front of him and shot the blank pistol. He took a step and I hit the button on the e-collar on his flanks. I set him back. I kicked in front of him and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I’m glad he didn’t move, the blank pistol was empty. I stroked his sides then tapped him on the head to release him. I let him run for a little while before returning to the kennel.

Luke

Luke

I asked Isaac which dog he wanted me to get next and he said, “Luke, he’s really fast and I like to see him run.” I do, too. Wanting to see the dogs run is what gets us all started. He may be a dog trainer, one day. I whoaed Luke near the 4-wheeler with the e-collars on his neck and flanks. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and released Luke.

He pointed the middle pigeon. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the weeds. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. I stroked his sides, kicked in front of him then got on the 4-wheeler. I started it, put it in gear and released him with an okay.

He went on to the back and pointed the farthest bird. I took more pictures then walked in front of him. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. Luke took a step or two. I was so surprised that I didn’t do anything for a few seconds, then I hit the e-collar. I held the button down until I carried him back. I walked in front of him, then got on the 4-wheeler. I started it, put it in gear and released him.

Luke was on the wrong side of the last pigeon I had out for him. He smelled the bird but wasn’t sure where it was so I flushed it. He stopped to flush. I walked in front of him kicking the cover and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. I went to him, stroked his sides and tapped him on the head for the release. I let him run then we returned to the kennel.

Blaze

Blaze

I whoaed Blaze near the 4-wheeler with the e-collars on her flanks and neck. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and released her. She pointed the first pigeon and I took pictures. I walked in front of her kicking the tall grass then flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move until I shot the blank pistol. I held the button on the e-collar, on her flanks, down while I set her back. When her feet touched the ground I let off the button. I kicked in front of her and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I kicked in front of her then got on the 4-wheeler. I started it, put it in gear and released her.

The wind had been swirling around all morning and all the dogs had been having trouble pinpointing the birds. Blaze pointed the bird at the back then started on like she had lost the scent. I flushed the pigeon and she stopped to flush. I walked in front of her and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I tapped her on the head for a release.

On the way back through the training grounds she pointed the middle bird. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I walked in front of her kicking the cover then came back and stroked her sides. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and released her. I let her run some before going back to the kennel.

Shooting the blank pistol like I did with Tur Bo may break them steady to shot quicker than just shooting one time on each bird. I may try this for awhile to see how it works. In about 2 minutes I shot over Tur Bo 4 or 5 times. On the last one he quit moving. It’s worth a try.

Tur Bo

Tur Bo

Last week we got 3 3/4 inches of rain followed a few nights later by a 1/2 inch of rain. Everything was muddy so I didn’t train until this morning. The temperature was in the low 60’s with almost no wind. I hid 3 pigeons for Tur Bo in a straight line, at the very back of the training grounds, so he would have to hunt all of the cover before finding the birds. The release traps were only about 5 or 6 feet apart in thick weeds.

I whoaed Tur Bo near the 4-wheeler after heeling him from the kennel with e-collars on his neck and flanks. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and put it in gear. I released him with an okay. He really wanted to go before I said okay but he hates to ride on the 4-wheeler. If he breaks before I say okay, I stop him with e-collar on his flanks and load him on the 4-wheeler for a slow ride back to the starting point. He doesn’t like that.

He hunted the first part and the middle before going on point at the back of the training grounds. I took some pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the farthest pigeon from him and he took a couple of steps. I shot the blank pistol and he took a couple more steps. I held the button on the transmitter down, on level 3, until I picked him up and set him back. As soon as his feet touched the ground I let off the button.

When he went back on point I took more pictures then walked in front of him. I kicked the cover and flushed the pigeon. He took a couple of steps and when I shot the blank pistol he took a couple more. I turned the e-collar to level 5 and held the button down until I set him back. As soon as his feet touched the ground I let off the button.

He went back on point and I walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon that was just a few yards in front of him. He didn’t move until I shot the blank pistol. He only took one step but I held the button on the e-collar, on his flanks, down until I set him back. When his feet touched the ground I let off the button. He went back on point and I kicked in front of him then got on the 4-wheeler. I started it, put it in gear and released him with an okay. He hunted back to the kennel.

My grandson, Isaac.

Blaze

Blaze

When I was taking Tur Bo back to the kennel my grandson, Isaac, came over so he rode the 4-wheeler behind me while I put out pigeons and trained the other 2 dogs. We spread the pigeons out instead of leaving them as they were for Tur Bo. I heeled Blaze out near the 4-wheeler with e-collars on her neck and flanks. I put her on whoa, got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and released her with an okay.

Blaze was buried in the thick cover when she pointed the middle pigeon. I took some pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and it landed right in front of Blaze. It didn’t even try to fly. That was more than she could stand. She grabbed the pigeon and I started saying fetch. The normal reaction when a dog catches a bird is for the owner to say no, loudly. Or to grab their dog and take the pigeon from them. A pigeon is worth 4 or 5 dollars and your dog is worth a lot so just use it as a retrieving exercise. She turned the bird loose at my feet and I put it back in the cage on the 4-wheeler to be returned to the pigeon coop.

She pointed the pigeon at the back of the training grounds next and I took more pictures. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. At the shot she took a step. I held the button on the transmitter, on level 4, down on the e-collar on her flanks and set her back. When her feet hit the ground I let off the button. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and released her with an okay.

Isaac and I were looking for Blaze near the other pigeon when we saw just the end of her tail sticking up. I took more pictures the walked in front of her kicking the weeds. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides then got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear then released her with an okay. She hunted back to the kennel.

Luke

Luke

We heeled Luke out with the e-collars on his neck and flanks. I whoaed him near the 4-wheeler, got on, started it, put it in gear and released him with an okay. I saw him go into the area where Blaze had caught the pigeon. There must have been a lot of scent in the area. Then he pointed the pigeon in the release trap. I took pictures then kicked in front of him. I flushed the bird and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear then said okay to release him.

I pointed the pigeon at the back of the training grounds. I took more 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 walked in front of him, kicking the weeds. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and put it in gear. I waited for about 20 seconds before releasing him.

He hunted back to the other end of the training grounds and pointed again. I took pictures then walked in front of him, kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. I stroked his sides then got on the 4-wheeler. I started it, put it in gear and said okay to release him. He hunted back to the kennel.

This was the first time that Isaac had been with me when I was training dogs. Maybe, along with training the young dogs I was also training a young man. I still remember some things my grandfather taught me. Maybe today will stay with him.