Traveling Pointing Dogs

At 8:00 am it was almost 80 degrees. Our average this time of year is 65 degrees for the nightly lows. I don’t like to put the dogs in the dog box when it’s this hot so I hid 5 pigeons in release traps in the tall grass near my pigeon poles. The birds were about 3 or 4 yards apart in the tall grass.

Tur Bo

Tur Bo

Tur Bo after the last pigeon had flown away.

I put the e-collar on Tur Bo and led him out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. Before we got to the bird field I whoaed him and hooked a check cord to his collar after putting a half hitch around his flanks. The wind was from the south about 20 miles an hour so we stayed on the north side of the tall grass.

Tur Bo pointed at the north east corner and I slipped the piggin’ string off. I took some pictures then as I went around behind him to pick up the check cord a rabbit ran by. Tur Bo started after the rabbit but when I yelled whoa he stopped. I picked him up and put him back where he had originally been on point. He went back on point. I let him stand on point for about 2 minutes then flushed a pigeon at the other end of the field. The tall grass that I had let grow is 8 yards wide and 25 yards long and I had flushed a bird from the far end. He watched it fly away but he didn’t move.

He went back on point and I let him stand about 45 seconds then flushed another bird. This pigeon was a little closer but he still didn’t move. I looked at his head as he stood there on point and his mouth was opening and closing. It was like he was chewing the scent. He flinched when I flushed the next pigeon but he didn’t move his feet. Each bird that flushed was a little closer than the one before. After about 45 seconds I flushed another pigeon. This one was less than 10 yards from him but he didn’t move.

Then it was time to flush the one he was pointing. I let him stand for about 1 1/2 minutes before flushing the last one. When the bird came out it stayed low and went from his right to his left. He turned as the bird came by but he never pulled on the check cord. I stand right behind him with just a little slack in the check cord. To tighten the cord he wouldn’t have to move very far but it’s been quite awhile since he’s hit the end of the check cord. I set him back where he was originally then when he went back on point I walked out front and took some pictures. Then I walked all the way to the other end of the tall grass then back to Tur Bo.

I let him run to the back of the training grounds then back to the kennel. As hot as it was he was ready for a drink.

Tur Bo and I both enjoy this exercise. He never knows how many pigeons are going to fly away. If he knew I only have 5 release traps he could figure this out. It will make him more steady and it’s something we can work on in the heat because it doesn’t take very long.

It was really warm this morning and I didn’t want to put the young dogs in the box in the back of the truck so I just worked Tur Bo.

I let the grass grow around the pigeon poles so I could hide the birds easier.

Tur Bo

Tur Bo after I flushed the last bird.

I let the grass grow around the pigeon poles on my training grounds so I could hide the birds easier. The patch of grass is about 8 yards wide by 25 yards long. The grass is about 2 feet tall and in this I spread 5 release traps with pigeon in each. I put one close to the south east corner of the patch. This one I wanted Tur Bo to point.

I put an e-collar on Tur Bo and heeled him out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. Before we got to the training ground I whoaed him and attached a check cord to his collar with a half hitch around his flanks. As we walked by the corner of the tall grass he went on point. I slipped the piggin’ string off. I didn’t say anything just took a few pictures then picked up the check cord. I let him point for a couple of minutes then flushed a pigeon about 20 yards away. Tur Bo flinched but he didn’t move his feet. He remained on point with his nostrils going in and out.

About 30 seconds later I flushed another bird that was close to the first pigeon. This time he didn’t even flinch, he just turned his head to watch it fly away. I let him stand for a little while then flushed another pigeon. He, again, watched it fly away without moving his feet. The fourth bird was closer, maybe 5 yards from him. When I flushed it he wanted to move but he didn’t. He flinched but didn’t move his feet.

The bird he was pointing was about 3 yards from him. When I flushed the pigeon he was pointing, it flew back over his head and he turned all the way around but never tightened the check cord. I turned him back around and he went back on point. One of the pictures was taken after I flushed the last bird.

I will do this same exercise several times. It gets the dog where it will stay on point after the birds flush because it never knows how many birds there are. If they stay on point it gives the hunter the opportunity to walk all the birds up instead of the dog running through all of the birds when one flushes.

I had to redo my numbers on the patch of grass because I was very generous. I stepped it off today and it is 8 yards by 25 yards. I changed most of the numbers in this but if you see one that doesn’t add up it’s because I missed it when I reread this post.