Traveling Pointing Dogs

It rained over the weekend and was wet and muddy but Tur Bo didn’t mind. I put an e-collar around his neck and another around his flanks then heeled him around my neighbors side of the training grounds. This was different for him and he wanted to hunt instead of heel. We turned around a lot as we walked along. He continued to try to lead me around. When he would get ahead of me I turned left by hitting him in the head with my knee then I would turn around to the right. He is whoaing real well but he continues to try to lead. We will get this worked out.

He loves the attention he gets on the retrieving bench and jumps on with no problem. I walk him up and down petting him. Then I opened his mouth and placed a retrieving dummy behind his canines and told him to hold. I no longer keep my hand under his chin. I have to tap him occasionally to make him hold it tightly but I no longer have to hold his mouth shut. Then when I take the dummy from him I hold one end and say “give” and he moves his head off the dummy. We do this 7 or 8 times then I put him on the ground. This exercise will teach your dog to give if they are going to retrieve naturally.

On the way back to the kennel I worked on the whoa command with Tur Bo off lead. I held the button, on the e-collar on his flanks, down then said whoa and held the button until he stopped. I released the button as soon as his feet quit moving. One time, after he had stopped I called him to me, then said whoa and raised my hand like a traffic cop. He’s getting better on whoa. We will continue to work on it.

I put 2 pigeons on the strings to the pigeon poles then placed them in release traps. Tur Bo still had his e-collars on and I brought him down. I whoaed him on the whoa board then had him get on the barrel. Again I had forgotten to bring the camera. He knew that there were some birds out there and he was rigid. I walked back to the kennels, got on the 4 wheeler and rode it to the house to get the camera. When I got back Tur Bo had not moved. I may be prejudiced but he is breathe taking on point.

This is the way he looked when I returned without me touching him.

Tur Bo

I walked in front of the barrel and made a big circle. Although the closest pigeon was covered with grass Tur Bo didn’t move his eyes from the bird he was pointing. He didn’t care how far I walked or what clumps I kicked, his eyes never wavered. I flushed the pigeon, fired the blank and said “whoa”. About the time the pigeon landed I shot the blank again and said “whoa”. I want the dogs to anticipate whoa after each shot. After I shot the 6 banks I flushed the birds a few more times. I never let them walk away from a bird on the ground. I always carry the dog a short distance back toward the kennel from where they are on point at. Then tap them on the head and command heel to return to the kennel.

I put Blaze on the whoa board and walked out in front of her. I made a production of making a big circle, kicking clumps of grass, and stomping my feet. Blaze paid no attention to me, she knew where the bird was. I flushed the bird, fired the blank and said “whoa”. She moved her feet but she stayed on the board and when the pigeon was about to land I fired the blank again. She was still on the board but when I fired the blank the pigeon started flying again. When he started to land I fired the blank gun again and she came off the board. She wasn’t going toward the pigeon she went off sideways. I held the button for the e-collar on her flanks down and slowly walked over, picked her up and the instant her feet hit the whoa board I released the button. I walked down to the second pigeon and flushed it, fired the blank pistol and said “whoa”. As the pigeon was about to land I fired the blank pistol again. She stayed on the board. I fired the blank pistol 1 more time and flushed the pigeons several times and she stayed on the board.

Blaze

Whitey was next. I don’t know why I go through a big production but I do. It must be for me because the dogs don’t pay any attention to me. I flushed the pigeon, shot the blank and said “whoa”. When the pigeon landed I shot the blank again and said “whoa. She never moved. I shot 4 more times and flushed the birds several times and she never moved. She is not as high strung as Blaze is and she is not as stylish on pigeons or pen raised quail as Blaze is. She has lots of style on wild birds.

Whitey

Dolly

Luke

Lucky

I worked the other three dogs on the whoa board just as I had the others and they did fine. Tur Bo needs more time on the barrel and Blaze needs more time on the whoa board but everyone else could go to the ground. But I may wait another day or two.

Between the rain and family commitments I haven’t trained in a few days. The dogs and I both were happy to get back to training. I put an e-collar on Tur Bo’s neck and flanks, then with the piggin’ string around his neck we started around the yard. Yard training is boring for the dog and the trainer but it has to be done. I didn’t go all the way around the yard this morning. Tur Bo whoaes really well and he’s even whoaing most of the time when he’s running loose. I worked him on the whoa board on the way to the retrieving bench.

Tur Bo really likes the retrieving bench. He jumps on with just the “up” command and runs up and down to be petted. This morning I didn’t use the tennis ball on the bench at all. I took one of the retrieving dummies and opened his mouth and placed it behind his canine teeth. I’m not holding my hand under his chin now, he has to hold the dummy until I say give. He tried to spit it out and I pinched his lip against his teeth until I got the dummy back in his mouth. Experience will teach you how hard to pinch but you don’t want to make them twist around or yelp. Just make it uncomfortable for them. This was the first time to do the pinch and after 7 or 8 times he was holding pretty well.

I put him on the ground, threw the tennis ball and he retrieved it, once. The second time he brought it part way, dropped it and wouldn’t pick it up again. I put the tennis ball back in the box and threw a retrieving dummy. He retrieved it 6 times with no problem. I think he is getting bored with the same thing over and over. I left the e-collars on him and put him back in the kennel.

I tied 2 pigeons to the strings on the pigeon poles and placed them in release traps. I heeled Tur Bo out of the kennel but he was trying to lead so we went toward the house instead of toward where he knew I had birds. After he settled down a little we turned around and he heeled better. I whoaed him on the board then let him jump on the barrel. As he jumped on the barrel, I remembered that I didn’t have my camera with me and I wanted pictures. I hooked the chain to Tur Bo’s collar and told him “whoa”. I hopped on the 4-wheeler and went to the house to get the camera. When I got back he was still on the barrel, on point.

Tur Bo after I went to the house for the camera.

I walked out in front of him and flushed the bird. I said “whoa” as the pigeon flushed then fired the blank pistol and said “whoa” again. He was excited but he stayed on the barrel. I walked down to the second pigeon, kicking the grass, flushed it and said “whoa” then fired the blank pistol and said “whoa” again. I walked around and each time I flushed a bird I said “whoa”, fired the blank pistol and said “whoa” again. I fired the blank pistol 6 times and he never came off the barrel.

Tur Bo

Whitey was up next. All of the dogs have been staying on the barrel so I decided to try them on the whoa board instead of putting them on the barrel. I walked her on the board and said “whoa”. I had a check cord tied to a stake then ran it between her hind legs, put a half hitch around her flanks then hooked it to her collar. I told her whoa again, then walked in front of her. I flushed a pigeon then said “whoa” and fired the blank pistol and said “whoa” again. She never moved. I fired the blank pistol 6 times, flushed the birds 8 or 9 times and she never moved. The check cord was still loose when I got through.

Whitey Notice how loose the check cord is.

I brought Blaze out next. She has been really dancing on the barrel but I put her on the whoa board and hooked her up the same way I did Whitey. All of my dogs except Tur Bo have been worked on the whoa board and know that they shouldn’t step off. After hooking her up I told her to “whoa” and walked in front of her. When I flushed the pigeon I said “whoa” and when I fired the pistol I said “whoa”. She never moved. I fired the blank pistol 6 times, flushed the birds 8 or 9 times and she never moved off the board. She is a little more hyper than Whitey. She didn’t come off the board but she whined.

I took this of Blaze after flushing the birds. She’s on the edge but the check cord is still loose.

I worked the other 3 dogs on the same exercise and they didn’t come off the whoa board either. With enough repetitions they should be steady to the flush and shot. After several times on the whoa board I will put them beside the board on the ground. After several times beside the whoa board I will work them in the field.

Dolly

Luke

Lucky

I have never trained dogs to be steady to wing and shot this way but it should work. I train all of my dogs to whoa by putting the e-collar around their flanks and then as I heel them, I hit the collar on their flanks then say whoa. It doesn’t take them long to anticipate that whoa is going to follow the shock from the e-collar. They should anticipate that whoa is going to follow the flush of the bird and the sound of the shot. I don’t expect them to be perfect. I will still have to pick them up and set them back where they should have stopped at, but this should make it easier. They should understand that they are being set back for not whoaing.

I had a lot of work to do today so I didn’t get a chance to train dogs until 4:30 pm. I put an e-collar around Tur Bo’s neck and flanks. We walked around the yard and he was doing really well until I dropped the piggin’ string, thinking he would heel like he does when I hold it. A s soon as he figured out I wasn’t holding the piggin’ string he took off. I yelled whoa one time then held the button, on the collar on his flanks, down. He continued to run until I hit level 5 on the collar. The prongs on the e-collar were on his side instead of on his belly and when I hit level 5 he went side ways a couple of steps then stopped. As soon as he stopped I let off the button. I held the piggin’ string the rest of our walk.

I walked him on to the whoa board and he stopped but when I started to walk him off he wanted to get on the barrel. I walked him on and off the whoa board 5 or 6 times then went to the retrieving bench. He started off not wanting to jump on the bench but now he runs and jumps on with no problem. After walking him up and down the bench I worked him on hold and give. I rolled the tennis ball down the bench and he brought it back and put it in the box I keep my retrieving dummies in. I put him on the ground and threw the tennis ball for him. He retrieved it fine 3 times then quit. It was pretty warm when we were playing with the tennis ball so I let him quit.

On the way back to the kennel he was running free and 3 times I hit the e-collar on level 2 and said whoa. He didn’t slam on the brakes but he whoaed and stayed there until I walked to him and tapped him on the head. He’s starting to figure whoa out. I left the e-collars on him and put him back in the kennel.

I tied 2 pigeons to the strings on my pigeon poles then placed them in release traps. I heeled Tur Bo back out of the kennel but he wanted to drag me to the whoa barrel. I had the piggin’ string around his neck so when he pulled we went in the opposite direction. He finally settled down enough that I finally put him on the barrel. He styled up on the barrel and I walked out in front, then walked back and forth. Finally I flushed a pigeon. He stayed on the barrel and I walked down to the second bird. He was still watching the first bird when I flushed the second. He was fine until the second bird was about to land and I shot the blank pistol. He almost came off the barrel.

Tur Bo

I walked around flushing the pigeons then later I shot the blank pistol again. He’s doing real well on the pigeons flying but the gun is new. That puts a little more excitement into the game but the last 2 times I’ve worked him on the barrel he’s stayed on. I took him back to the kennel.

Tur Bo

I put Blaze on the barrel and she didn’t come off but she whines and dances on the barrel. I’m going to keep working her on it until she calms down. On the first bird, she was steady when the bird flushed but when I shot she started dancing. I may take the barrel out and put a narrow board in it’s place to see if that will keep her from moving around so much. I shot 6 times while she was on the barrel and each time her feet were moving. I put her back in the kennel.

I put Whitey on the barrel next and she was steady for the flush and shot. She is calmer than her sister. I flushed the pigeons and shot 6 times and I don’t think she moved an inch. On pigeons she is not as stylish as Blaze but on wild quail she is always stylish. I think she knows this is a game and she will play it but she doesn’t have to get excited about it. I put her back in the kennel.

I worked Dolly, Luke and Lucky on the barrel and they did just fine. These 3 plus Whitey are ready to go to the whoa board. Blaze and Tur Bo need quite a bit of work on the whoa barrel before going to the board. I may start tomorrow with some of them on the board, rather than the barrel, to see how they do. I can always go back if they are not ready.