Traveling Pointing Dogs

Tur Bo

Tur Bo

I took the whoa barrel off the platform and replaced it with a 2X6 on the first of July. Yesterday was the first day that I worked dogs on it. Blaze handled it pretty well but Tur Bo came off 3 or 4 times. Today is day 2. I hid 4 pigeons in the tall grass around the pigeon poles and heeled Tur Bo out with an e-collar around his neck and flanks.

After I put him on the 2X6 I took some pictures then walked to the far end of the tall grass. After kicking the grass for awhile I flushed a pigeon that was attached to a string. Tur Bo didn’t move at the flush and I waited until the pigeon started to land before shooting the blank pistol. Yesterday when I shot the blank was when he came off the board but on this first bird he didn’t move. I continued to kick the grass, flushed the fly away bird and shot the blank pistol. He never moved.

The first 2 pigeons were about 25 yards from Tur Bo and not as tempting as the next 2 would be. I had a fly away bird about 3 yards from him, hid in the tall grass. I always put the pigeon in the release traps facing the dogs so they will fly close, to the dog on point, for a little extra temptation. It works about half the time but this time it did. It flew right above his head and I fired the blank pistol. He never moved. I continued to kick the grass then flushed the second pigeon that was attached to a string. When it started to land I fired the blank pistol. He never moved.

I kicked the grass as I walked around then tossed the closer pigeon in the air and fired the blank pistol. When it started to land I shot again. He never moved. I was out of blanks but I tossed both pigeons, that were attached by strings to the pigeon poles, into the air several times and he never moved. I lifted him off the board and heeled him back to the kennel.

Blaze

Blaze

I heeled Blaze out to the whoa board with e-collars on her neck and flanks. Blaze doesn’t like being on this board. Usually she shows a lot of style but on this 2X6 she doesn’t show any. I took some pictures then walked to the far end of the training area, kicking the grass as I went. When I started back toward her I flushed the pigeon that was attached to the pole by a string and when it tried to land I fired the blank pistol. She never moved. I continued to kick the tall grass then flushed the fly away bird and shot the blank pistol. She never moved but both of these birds are about 25 yards away from her.

I continued to kick the grass until I was near the fly away bird that was about 3 yards from her. I flushed it and shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I continued to kick the grass then flushed the second pigeon that was attached to the pole by a string. I waited for it to land then shot the blank pistol. Again she never moved. I bent over and picked up a pigeon on the string and tossed it in the air. As it was landing I shot the blank pistol. The blank pistol holds 6 rounds and after I had shot all of them I walked around tossing the pigeons in the air. I flushed pigeons 12 or 14 times for her and she never came off the board. I lifted her off and heeled her back to the kennel.

I’m going to continue with this for 6 or 7 more days then move them to the ground. I may put a 2X6 on the ground for them to stand on for awhile then move them to the ground beside the board. After a few more days like this if they aren’t steady it’s because they are willfully disobeying. I believe in lots of repetitions to train a dog without putting a lot of stress on them but if they know what you want them to do and don’t do it, it may be time for a little stress.

I took the barrel out and replaced it with a 2×6.

Yesterday, I decided to replace the barrel that I have been using to teach the dogs to not move when birds are flushed in front of them. I took the barrel out and replaced it with a 2X6 board. This morning I put 4 pigeons in release traps and hid them in the grass I have been letting grow around the pigeon poles. Two of the birds are attached to the strings on the pigeon poles. This will be the first time that Blaze or Tur Bo have been whoaed on a 2X6.

Blaze on the 2X6

Blaze

I put an e-collar around Blaze’s neck and another around her flanks then heeled her to the whoa board. Lifting Blaze to the 2X6 is a lot easier than it will be when I put Tur Bo on. Blaze weighs about 30 pounds and Tur Bo weighed 52 pounds when I weighed him yesterday. I hooked a chain, that was hooked to a cable above the 2X6, to Blaze’s collar. If she steps off the board the chain will hold her in an uncomfortable position. Her feet can touch the boards on the base of the stand holding the 2X6.

After putting her on the 2X6 I walked to the far end of the tall grass. After kicking the grass for a minute I flushed a pigeon that was attached to a string. When it was ready to land I fired the blank pistol. Blaze stayed on the 2X6. She moved her feet a little but stayed on. I continued to kick the grass then flushed a fly away bird and shot the blank pistol. This time she didn’t move.

I walked to the birds that was closer to her, kicking the grass as I went, then flushed the other pigeon attached to a string. Even when I shot the blank pistol she never moved. Blaze was steady for a while, when I worked them at the county park, then she decided to chase and she even caught a pigeon so I decided I would work her on this exercise. (Whitey has been real steady so I’m not working her on this.) I continued to kick the grass, flushed the last fly away pigeon, then shot the blank pistol. She never moved.

I tossed one of the birds, attached to a string, in the air and shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I tossed the birds in the air but I only had one blank left and I shot it but she never moved. Altogether she had 10 or 12 birds flushed in front of her and she never came off the board. I lifted her off the board and heeled her back to the kennel.

Tur Bo on the first bird flushed. Sitting with a leg on each side.

Tur Bo after I walked to the shed and reloaded the pistol.

I heeled Tur Bo out with an e-collar around his neck and another around his flanks. With his large feet he was a little harder to place on the 2X6 than Blaze. I walked to the far end of the training area kicking the grass and flushed the bird attached to the string. When it was about to land I pulled the trigger on the blank pistol. I had forgotten to reload. Tur Bo’s front feet stayed on the board but he was sitting with a leg on each side. I put him back on the board and he went back on point. I left him on the board and went to the shed to reload the blank pistol. The second picture is the way that Tur Bo was when I came back. I didn’t touch him, I just took his picture.

I walked back to the far end, kicking the grass as I went. I flushed the fly away bird and when I shot the blank pistol Tur Bo came off the board. I put him back and walked out front kicking the grass. I flushed the second bird attached to a string and fired the blank pistol. He came off the board. He is steady until I fire the pistol. I put him back and went back out kicking the grass. I waited for a few seconds after flushing the second fly away bird before shooting the blank pistol. He was steady until I shot the blank. Off the bench he came. I put him back.

The grass is getting tall on my training grounds.

I had shot 3 times and he had come off the board 3 times. I tossed a bird on a string into the air and when it was about to land I fired the blank pistol. He stayed on the board. I tossed the bird in the air again and fired the blank. Again he stayed on the board. He stayed on the board for the third shot, too. After I ran out of blanks in the pistol I continued to toss birds in the air and he never came off again. I lifted him off the board and heeled him back to the kennel.

This was the first time I have used a 2X6 as a whoa board and for me it seems to work better than the whoa barrel. On the barrel the dogs can walk around some without coming off. On the 2X6 if they move, off they come. It’s worth trying for awhile to see if it continues to work.

I had to go out of town for 3 family reunions and was on vacation for part of the month of June, so I didn’t get to train or blog as often as I would have liked. Now I’m home for a while, hopefully. It rained early this morning so I got out about 10:00 am. The sun was shining and after the rain it was really humid but the dogs were glad to get out.

Blaze

Blaze

I heeled Blaze out from the kennel with an e-collar on her neck and one around her flanks. When she stepped onto the whoa board I put the check around her flanks, with a half hitch, then snapped it to the D ring in her collar. I had hidden 4 pigeons in the tall grass that had grown up around the pigeon poles. (The grass is now about waist high. I may have to mow soon.) Two of the pigeon were attached to the pigeon poles by long strings.

I took some pictures, then walked through the tall grass, kicking as I went. When I reached the far end I turned and started back. I flushed the first bird, one that was attached to a pigeon pole, and shot the blank pistol. She danced a little but stayed on the board. I kept kicking the grass, then flushed a fly away bird and shot the blank pistol. She stayed on the board. These 2 birds were about 25 yards from her, so the temptation wasn’t as great as a closer bird would be.

I kept kicking the grass and getting closer. I flushed the second bird that was attached to the pigeon pole and shot the blank pistol. She stayed on the board. I kept on kicking then flushed another fly away bird. It was only a few yards from her. I waited for 3 or 4 seconds after the pigeon flew to shoot the blank pistol. She stayed on the board.

I kept kicking the grass, then flushed a pigeon on a string, that was close and fired the blank pistol. Her toe nails were hanging over the edge but she didn’t come off the board. I walked to the far end and flushed the other pigeon on a string and fired the blank pistol. When I came back closer to Blaze I noticed she had her front feet off the whoa board. As soon as I saw her front feet were off the board I hit the button on the e-collar and held it down on level 3. I picked her up and set her back. The instant her feet touched the board I let off the button.

I walked back into the tall grass flushing the pigeons. My blank pistol was empty so I couldn’t shoot but she never came off the board again. I flushed the pigeons on a string several more times without her coming off the board. I took the check cord off her then carried her toward the kennel, before setting her on the ground to heel back to the kennel.

Tur Bo

Tur Bo

I heeled Tur Bo out with the e-collars on him and when he stepped onto the whoa board I put the check cord on him with a half hitch around his flanks. I walked through the tall grass to the far end and flushed a pigeon on the string. He stayed on the board until I shot the blank pistol. When he came off the board he went as far as the check cord would allow him. I picked him up and put him on the whoa board. When he went back on point I walked back to the far end and flushed a fly away bird. When I shot the blank pistol he came off the board. This time I held the button on the e-collar, around his flanks, down on level 3. I picked him up and put him on the board. When his feet touched the board I released the button.

I walked to the far end then back to the birds that were hid closer to him. I flushed the fly away bird that was about 3 yards from him then shot the blank pistol. When I shot he came off the board. I held the button on the e-collar down on level 3 until I set him back on the board. When his feet touched the board I released the button. I walked back into the tall grass then flushed the second bird on a string. When I shot the blank pistol his front feet came off the board but his back feet stayed on. I held the button on the e-collar down and Tur Bo backed onto the board. As soon as he was on the board I released the button.

I walked back to the closer bird and threw it into the air. When it was about to light I shot the blank pistol and he came off the board. I moved the e-collar to level 4 then held the button down. I picked him up and when I put him down I let off the button. I walked back to the tall grass and tossed the pigeon into the air and shot the blank pistol. He stayed on the board.

I walked to the far bird and flushed it but my blank gun was empty so I couldn’t shoot. He stayed on the board. I walked back to the closer bird and tossed it into the air. It flew close to him and he came off the board. I held the button, on the e-collar down, on level 4 and put him back on the board. When his feet touched the board I let off the button. I tossed the bird into the air another couple of times right in front of him and he never came off the board again. I took the check cord off and carried him a little way back toward the kennel then put him down and heeled him the rest of the way.

My grand dad told me one time about a neighbor that had some calves in a pen with no gate. He said the neighbor would lift the calves over the fence each morning so they could eat grass then back into safety of the evening. He said when the calves got to about 500 pounds the neighbor was still lifting them over the fence. He was about the strongest man around. I think about grandpa’s joke every once in a while when I’m carrying Tur Bo back. He’s over 50 pounds now and I hope he’s either through growing or he stops moving pretty soon or both.

The grass I have let grow around my pigeon poles.

The whoa board and barrel near the pigeon poles.

I decided to just work Tur Bo and Blaze on the whoa board this morning. The last time I worked dogs, Blaze chased and even caught a bird, so I thought I would go back to the whoa board. Tur Bo needs to be steadied up some, also. I knew that the stake I have been using would hold Blaze but probably not Tur Bo so I drove a 2 feet long stake about a foot into the ground. I left enough slack in the check cord to make a half hitch around the dogs flanks and still attach to the collar.

About 10 feet in front of the whoa board and barrel I have let the grass grow so I can hide the pigeons and release traps easier. The grass has grown to about 2 feet tall and the area is about 25 feet wide and 75 feet long. The pigeon poles have strings that I tie to the pigeons feet then put them in a release trap. One of the poles is about 25 yards from the whoa board and the other is about 10 yards away. This morning I also put one bird in a trap to fly away when I released it. With the pigeons being tied to the poles I can walk them up time after time. Most of the time when I have a dog on the barrel or the board I flush the pigeon 10 or 12 times.

Tur Bo with check cord around his flanks.

Tur Bo

I put an e-collar around Tur Bo’s neck and around his flanks in the kennel then heeled him to the whoa board. When he stepped onto the board I whoaed him one time then put the check cord on him with a half hitch around his flanks and the snap to the d ring on his collar. I walked all the way to the other end of the tall grass and started back without him moving. When I got about half way back to him I turned and walked back to the far end. As I got close to the pigeon on that end I flushed it. Tur Bo moved a little but he didn’t come off the board until I shot the blank pistol. When I shot he went as far as the check cord would let him and stopped. I picked him up and put him back on the whoa board.

He went back on point and I walked back into the tall grass. I walked back and forth for a minute or so then flushed the second bird. He didn’t come off the board until I fired the blank. The check cord stopped him again. I picked him up and set him back on the board. I walked back into the grass, kicked around then flushed the fly away bird. I forgot to fire the blank pistol and he didn’t move.

I walked around then picked up the nearest pigeon, on the string from the pole, threw it in the air and fired the blank pistol. He went as far as the check cord would let him go. I put him back. He went back on point and I threw another pigeon in the air. He came off again. I put him back. When I flushed the next bird he came off again. This time I held the button down on the e-collar on his flanks until I picked him up and when his feet touched the whoa board I let off the button. I flushed another bird and he came off again. I turned the e-collar to level 3 and held it down until his feet touched the whoa board. I flushed another pigeon and he came off again. I held the button down while I carried him back and when his feet touched the board I let off. When I hit the e-collar the last time he moved sideways a little so I knew he was feeling it. The first times he was too keyed up about the birds to feel it. At no time was the collar high enough to make him yelp. I flushed another bird and he didn’t move. I thought that was a good place to end this session. I also thought I should put Tur Bo on a diet. He’s over 50 pounds now, I think.

Blaze on the whoa board.

Blaze

I heeled Blaze to the whoa board and put the check cord on her with a half hitch around her flanks. I took a few pictures then walked to the far end of the tall grass. When I started back toward her I flushed the pigeon, near me, and fired the blank pistol. She danced a little but she never came off the board. When she settled down I flushed the second bird and fired the blank pistol. This time she never moved. I walked around, kicking the grass then flushed the fly away bird and fired the blank. She never moved.

I walked around kicking the grass and sometimes the pigeons would fly on their on and sometimes I would toss them in the air but I flew probably 10 pigeons for Blaze and she never came off the whoa board. The time before she chased and even caught one bird but she knows better. In all fairness to Blaze, she’s in heat right now and that can sometimes make them crazy. Before the last session she had been doing really well.

I will keep working these 2 dogs on this exercise until Tur Bo quits coming off the board. It won’t hurt Blaze to get more repetitions on this, also. Figuring these dogs out and what it will take to get them to learn is the fun of dog training.