Traveling Pointing Dogs

I got to thinking about what I said about the puppies eating pigeon poop. I don’t always explain myself very well so I thought I would elaborate on that. Not on them eating poop but me breaking them from eating poop.

When I have a litter of pups I always put collars on them and attach a cord about 2 feet long to the collar when they are about 2 weeks old. These cords catch on things as well as the litter mates see a cord moving and grab it. This teaches the pup to give to the lead and I’m not even there so they can’t blame me. By the time the litter is old enough to go to homes they will lead some.

Can see the collars. The cords are hard to see.

I had a male setter years ago that hadn’t been conditioned to lead in this way and when I started to try to lead him he just did flip flops on the end of the leash. Someone told me to just step off and drag him. He’ll get up and walk they said. Well, I tried this. My kids were small and they came out crying, thinking I was going to kill him. So I waited until everyone was gone and hooked him to another dog with a 2 dog coupler. The other dog would lead so we started around the block dragging ole Scamp. We went 2 blocks before he finally got up and walked. When I read Delmar Smith’s Best Way To Train Your Bird Dog and saw how he had them train themselves I jumped on it. I have never had that problem again.

But back to the poop eaters. There were only 4 pups in the litter that Tur Bo came out of. I have their whelping box in my shed but when they get big enough to get out of the whelping box I move them to the kennels. Usually they are 5 to 6 weeks old before they can get out. With a litter of puppies I have to clean the kennel at least twice a day so I turn the pups loose to play. Also whenever anyone came by to see the puppies I would turn them out.

Usually only 1 or 2 puppies would go to the pigeon coops and eat the poop. Not always the same ones, either. I started off just running them away from the coops. This didn’t work, they would sneak around and start again. One day I was frustrated with them. I grabbed the cords they were dragging and pulled them back to their pen. The pups that weren’t eating the pigeon droppings got to stay out and play. The ones in the pen would howl and cry to get out and it seemed like the ones that were out would rub it in a little. It didn’t take long for them to figure out if they played they got to stay out longer.

One of this litter is in North Carolina but Tur Bo, and the other 2 never bother the pigeon droppings.

Years ago I was in a walking field trial and Lucky pointed a quail in a fence row and the dog that was running with him failed to back. His owner put a leash on him and put him on the dog wagon. I told his owner he could leave him down if he wanted to. At the time I didn’t know the rules were that he had to pick him up. But he said, “no, he’s got to learn. He knows he should back.” I said, “You think he understands why he has been put on the dog wagon.” He said, “He’s a smart dog. Smart dogs will figure it out.”

At the time I thought that was too much for a dog to figure out. At a really young age these pups figured out if they wanted to stay out and play they couldn’t eat pigeon poop. Smart dogs can figure it out.

I wanted to put this on yesterday but my internet was down. I will get it on tonight no matter what. I may not proof read but I will get it on.

I took Tur Bo, Whitey and Blaze along with 6 pigeons to the county park close to my house. I tied all 3 dogs out in the shade and hid 2 pigeons in the tall grass. Blaze whined and barked the whole time I was away hiding the pigeons so I worked Whitey first.

Whitey

Whitey

Blaze continued to bark as I heeled Whitey to the field. She hasn’t done this in quite a while. I whoaed Whitey then tapped her on the head to release her. There was not any wind so it made it hard for the dogs to smell the pigeons. I have been flushing birds when the dogs get close to them so Whitey was real cautious. On the first bird, she was about 7 or 8 yards from when she pointed. That is the picture I took in the tall grass. I couldn’t see her point I just saw the grass quit moving. She was far enough away that she couldn’t see the trap hidden in the tall grass. I walked in front of her kicking the grass then flushed the bird. She watched it fly away without moving her feet. I continued to kick then went back and tapped her on the head.

She went back and forth across the field until she smelled the second bird. The grass wasn’t as tall here and I saw her point. I walked to her and stroked her sides then walked in front kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon she never moved. I continued to kick the cover then tapped her on the head to release her.

Tur Bo

Tur Bo

I usually run Tur Bo last but Blaze barked while I was putting out the next 2 pigeons so I ran him next. As I heeled Tur Bo to the field Blaze barked some more and I yelled for her to hush. She quit barking. I whoaed Tur Bo then tapped him on the head to release him. He was charging through the tall grass and went on point. I started toward him and he took a step. I flushed the pigeon and he chased.

He made a large cast then came back in front of me and pointed the second bird. I took some pictures then went to him and stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. Before I could get my hand in his collar he moved up a step and went back on point. I picked him up and set him back. He went back on point. I stroked his sides and hooked my hand in his collar but I made him stand for at least 2 minutes before I flushed the pigeon. He wanted to chase but I held him. He went back on point and I let him stand for about 30 seconds then tapped him on the head to release him.

Blaze

Blaze

Blaze never barked while I put out the last 2 birds. I heeled her out to the field and tapped her on the head to release her. She was about like Whitey on the bird in the tall brown grass. I was watching the grass move then it quit moving and I went to look for her. She was pretty close to the bird but from where she was standing, she had to have stopped on the smell, she couldn’t see the trap. I walked in front kicking the grass and flushed the bird. She never moved. I continued to kick the cover then came back and tapped her on the head.

I saw her point the second bird. The cover close to it wasn’t as tall as where the other bird was. I walked to her and stroked her sides. When I stroke the dogs sides I always talk to them telling them what good dogs they are. After stroking her sides I walked in front kicking the cover then flushed the pigeon. It flew back over her head and she just turned her head to watch it fly away. Her feet never moved. I tapped her on the head.

Sometimes you wonder if dogs make a connection as I want Blaze to make about the barking. The litter that Tur Bo was born into would head for the pigeon coop and eat pigeon poop when they were 5 or 6 weeks old. Usually it was only 2 or 3 of the 4 pup litter that would eat the poop. I had them dragging a 2 foot rope from their collar and I started grabbing the rope and putting them back in the kennel. It only took about 4 or 5 times and the whole litter was broke from eating pigeon poop. Tur Bo still doesn’t ever eat the poop when he comes by the coop.

I decided to find another field to use this morning. The one I found had taller weeds and was larger than the one I have been using. It will give the dogs another place that they have to point and be steady to wing and shot. I hid 2 pigeons, in release traps, in the tall weeds about 75 yards apart.

Blaze

I heeled Blaze to the edge of the field and tapped her on the head to release her. She was running through the weeds and most of the time I could only see the weeds moving. Blaze, at less than 30 pounds, is not big enough to show above the weeds but she doesn’t quit. When she got close to the first pigeon I flushed it. She stopped without me saying anything. I walked in front of her, kicking the cover. I went back, stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she was, then tapped her on the head to release her.

She came around and went on point about 30 yards down wind from the second bird. She pointed then moved up a step and I flushed the pigeon and yelled whoa. She stopped. She was a long way from the bird and would have only moved a step or 2 but she has to learn that if she moves the bird may fly. I yelled whoa so she would know that I was upset with her moving. I walked in front of her kicking the cover then went back to her and tapped her on the head to release her.

Whitey

I heeled Whitey to the field and tapped her on the head to release her. She and Blaze are litter mates and about the same size. Neither of them will stand above the tall weeds but they sure make the weeds move when they go through them. On her first bird she was moving with the wind and I flushed it when she got close. She stopped. I walked in front of her kicking the cover, then went back and tapped her on the head.

She was moving through the weeds when she hit the scent cone on the second pigeon and locked up. I let her stand to see if she would move but she never moved. I walked in front of her kicking the cover then went back and stroked her sides telling her what a good dog she is. I walked back in front kicking the cover then flushed the bird. She never moved. I continued to kick the cover then tapped her on the head to release her.

Tur Bo

Tur Bo is large enough to go through places most bird dogs have to go around. I heeled him to the field and tapped him on the head to release him. He didn’t stand above the weeds either but he moved them more than the other 2 did. He was running back and forth across the field when he hit the scent cone and slammed into a point. I took a couple of pictures then walked to him and stroked his sides. I hooked my hand in his collar and flushed the bird. He tried to chase but I held him. He went back on point and I tapped him on the head to release him.

He went in the same direction the pigeon had flown then circled back around close to the second bird and I flushed it. He would have pointed it, probably but he also needs to be cautious. The pigeon came out low and he was able to chase for quite a distance but he only went a short distance then went back to hunting. He hunted back to the truck.

We got back to the truck and Tur Bo laid down in the shade. It is going to get hotter and hotter as we move into summer. I may have to start getting out about daylight. I’m going to try to keep going all summer so the dogs will have to get tough. We’ll figure it out.