Traveling Pointing Dogs

I put an e-collar and the roading harness on Tur Bo, then snapped the weights onto the rings on the side of the harness and we started around my yard. The first few times, when I stopped, Tur Bo tried to sit. I would say heel and start walking again before he could sit. He pulls those weights about 1/2 mile each morning and I stop often. I’m now saying whoa each time I stop and heel when we start walking again. I also walk in front of him but so far I can only go right in front of his nose but he will get used to that and soon I will be able to walk around him as he stands on whoa. Pulling the weights makes heeling him easier.

Tur Bo pulled the weights to the shed and I sat in the door of the shed to take the roading harness off him. After taking it off I petted him for a while before heeling him to the retrieving bench. When we got to the bench Tur Bo jumped onto it. The last couple of times he has laid down before jumping up on the bench but today he didn’t hesitate. I walked him up and down the bench to get him comfortable then threw my glove 5 or 6 times. He brought it right back but I petted him until he dropped it then threw it again. I threw the tennis ball 1 time and he brought it right back. I petted him until he dropped it then moved him to the chain gang.

Tur Bo pulling weights

I put an e-collar on Blaze and heeled her to the bench. I threw a tennis ball for her 7 or 8 times and she retrieved it every time and acted like she was having fun. She knows what to do, but like a kid, she checks to see if this is the day that she is in charge. I put her on the chain gang.

I put Whitey’s e-collar on her and heeled her to the retrieving bench. I threw the tennis ball for her and like Blaze she retrieved it every time. They both have been through the trained retrieve but they still think they have a choice. I put her on the chain gang.

I put 2 pigeons in release traps about 10 yards apart on my neighbors side of the training grounds. I took the e-collar off Whitey and put it on Blaze, around her flanks. I had run the 4 wheeler on my side then drove over to the neighbor’s side to hide the birds, trying to fool these dogs. I turned Blaze loose and she headed straight to the neighbor’s side and went to hunting. When we got close to the pigeons Blaze pointed. I stroked her up and walked in front of her. After I kicked the cover for a while I flushed the pigeon that was farther away. Blaze didn’t move. I let her stand for a while then went back to kicking the cover. She could still smell the bird she had pointed. When I flushed it, the bird flew back over Blaze’s head and she turned her head to watch it fly but she didn’t move.

I replaced the pigeons in the release traps for Whitey. When I turned her loose she went to the neighbor’s side after checking my side for about 10 seconds. She was really running when she caught the scent and slid to a point. While I was kicking the cover in front of her I flushed the bird that was farther away. She raised her head to watch the other bird without moving. I waited, then she smelled the bird she originally pointed. I started kicking the cover, then flushed the bird. She didn’t move.

For Tur Bo, I left 1 bird where they were and moved the other to the back of the training ground. When I turned him loose he proved to me, my driving around on my side was just a waste of time, he went to the neighbor’s side immediately. He found the one near the back first and pointed with style. After he pointed for about 30 seconds I walked near the pigeon and stopped. I did not say anything. I stood there about 15 seconds and flushed the bird when he moved. He chased but not far then went back to hunting. I was behind him when he pointed the second bird so I just stopped. I didn’t say anything or move. I could see his cheeks go in and out as he chewed the scent. He held the point for over 1 1/2 minutes. When he moved I flushed the bird.

I turned all 3 dogs loose for a short run to shake the training off. Each day I look for little gains in training these young dogs. The way I train is slower than some others but you don’t take anything out of the dogs. You get the best your dog can be.

Today, I put a roading harness on Tur Bo and attached a weight to each side then walked him to the front of my yard, across the front, down the other side to the back, across the back then up the other side. I have 5 acres and it is 1400 feet deep so he had to pull the weights a little over 1/2 mile. I heeled him with the piggin’ string and as we walked I said whoa and then I would stop. At first when I stopped he wanted to sit, so I tapped him on the head and started walking again. After a few times he quit trying to sit. Occasionally he would be in front of me when he stopped and I would turn 90 degrees and step off. Pretty soon he was watching me and would stop when I did.

At the back of my lot I took the piggin’ string off then let him run still pulling the weights. It took a while for him to quit running in circles, tangling the weights, but soon he lined out. When we got to the kennel I sat down in the door of the shed to take the roading harness off. Then we sat and I petted him.

Then I put the piggin’ string on him and walked him to the retrieving bench. Again he laid down instead of jumping on the bench. I put a little pressure on the piggin’ string and he stood and jumped on the bench. He is comfortable on the bench but I had him walk up and down. I stopped him and petted him several times. Then I rolled the tennis ball down the bench and he retrieved it twice then he would chase it but not pick it up. I took him off the bench and put him on the chain gang.

Whitey

I put a e-collar on Whitey and heeled her down to the retrieving bench and threw a tennis ball for her. She ran out and touched it with her nose and came back. Held the button on the e-collar down, on level 2, and walked her out to the ball. She picked it up and carried it back to where I had thrown it from. I threw the ball 7 or 8 times and she retrieved it every time. When I put her on the chain gang I remembered that I had not turned the e-collar on.

I heeled Blaze with her e-collar on, down to the retrieving bench. I threw the tennis ball 7 or 8 times for her and she retrieved it each time. Sometimes she act as though she likes to retrieve and sometimes not. With enough repetition she may get to like it. I put her on the chain gang.

I have been riding the 4 wheeler around on my neighbor’s land then coming onto my yard and hiding the birds to make the dogs use their noses as well have more places for them to hunt. This morning I didn’t drive on the neighbor’s land. I stayed on my land and hid 2 pigeons in release traps.

I heeled Whitey to the edge of my neighbor’s land, as I usually do. She made 2 circles then headed over to my side. Today I wanted to do something different so before she could point the first pigeon I flushed it and she stopped to flush. She stayed until I could walk to her, stroke her up and praise her. I released her and she went back to hunting. Again when she got close to the other bird I flushed it and she stopped. She is starting to figure this out. I petted her and turned her loose.

I heeled Blaze to the edge of my neighbor’s land and turned her loose. She also made 2 circles and headed to my side. When she got close to the pigeon I flushed the bird. She stopped. I stroked her up and praised her. I released her and she went back to hunting. When she got close to the second bird I flushed it and she stopped. This is the start of being steady to wing and shot. They are not there yet but we have until October or November to get it done.

I heeled Tur Bo to the side of my neighbor’s land and released him. He made 1 circle and headed over to my side. He went to my side so fast that by the time I got over there he was already on point. I was going to flush his birds before he pointed also, to make him think he had to be more cautious. I could see him through the brush on point and I flushed his bird before he could move. He chased it for a little way and started hunting again. When he got close to the second bird I flushed it and it came over his head. He had a long chase on that one.

I always let all 3 dogs have run after the training session just to let off a little steam. They seem to enjoy that.

I think the dogs know that I put the birds out off the 4 wheeler and when they don’t smell the 4 wheeler tracks that the birds are not there. I thought that it would take Tur Bo more time to figure out that the birds were not on my neighbor’s side but it took him less. Does that mean he is smarter? I don’t know.

I put the e-collar on Tur Bo and heeled him to the retrieving bench, stopping occasionally. The first few times he wanted to sit when I stopped. When he started to sit I would tap him on the head and start walking again. I haven’t said whoa yet to Tur Bo. If he stops beside me we go straight ahead, if he passes me before he stops I change direction. Tur Bo usually jumps onto the retrieving bench but today he held back. I pulled on the piggin’ string and told him up but he laid down. I let him lie there for a few seconds without any tension on the leash. He stood up and I said up and he jumped onto the bench with a little help from the leash.

I walked him up and down the bench petting him several times. After he became comfortable on the bench I rolled a tennis ball down the bench and he pounced on it. He brought it right back and I petted him for a while before I took the ball from him. He gives the ball with no problem. I rolled the ball for him 5 or 6 times then put him on the ground. I didn’t bring a check cord so when I threw the tennis ball he retrieved it once then started playing keep away. Rather than get that started I put him on the chain gang and ended the retrieves.

I walked Blaze down to the bench but didn’t have her jump on it. I threw a tennis ball for her and she ran out, put her nose on it and came back without the ball. I had an e-collar on her so I held it down on level 3 and walked out with her to the ball. This time she found the ball and the instant she picked it up I let off the e-collar. We walked back where I had thrown the ball from. I took the ball from her and threw it 7 times and she retrieved each time. Did the e-collar improve her eye sight?

I walked Whitey down near the retrieving bench and threw the tennis ball for her. She ran out and brought it back in a fast run. About the third time I threw it she refused to retrieve. As Blaze did she ran out put her nose on it and returned to me. I hit the e-collar on level 3 and walked her out to ball. I held the button down until she had the ball in her mouth then let off. We walked back to where I had thrown the ball from. I took the ball from her and threw it 7 more times and she retrieved it every time.

I rode my 4 wheeler around my neighbor’s side of the bird field because that’s where I usually put the birds. Then I crossed over to my side and put 2 pigeons in release traps. I heeled Blaze over to the neighbor’s side and released her. The last time they pointed where they thought I may have put a bird instead of trusting their nose. This time she hunted the neighbor’s side without slowing and when I pointed to the other side she crossed over and continued to hunt. She was in the brush on a hillside when she pointed the first bird. I had the transmitter for the release traps on the wrong trap. When I pushed the button to flush the bird I was watching her for movement. When I pushed the button she turned her head but didn’t move. I knew that I had flushed the wrong bird. I adjusted my transmitter and flushed her bird. She didn’t move until after the bird was gone the she started to go to hunting. I whoaed her and she stopped. I carried her back to her original stand. After kicking around in front of her I released her.

Again I rode around on my neighbor’s side before putting the birds in the release traps on my side. I heeled Whitey to my neighbor’s side and turned her loose. She hunted all of the cover on my neighbor’s side and was ready to go to my side when I motioned her over. She pointed her first bird and I had my transmitter on the right bird. When I released the bird she didn’t move. I stroked her up, praised her and released her. She found her second bird. I moved in and kicked the cover, then released the bird and Whitey didn’t move. I praised her and stroked her up, then released her.

For Tur Bo I did the same thing. I drove around on the neighbor’s side then put out 2 birds on my side. I heeled him to the neighbor’s side and released him. He hunted all of the available cover and was ready to go to my side. I motioned him over and the first bird he found he pointed but the was unsure. He didn’t hold very long and when he moved I could tell he wasn’t sure where the bird was. I released the bird on his movement. He went back to hunting and soon found his second bird. There was no doubt about this one. He held this point for almost a minute then moved. I flushed the bird.

Tur Bo

The first time I put birds on my side of the training grounds the dogs knew there were birds somewhere on the grounds. They didn’t trust their nose to find them. Now they are hunting all of the ground. This time none of them pointed until they smelled the bird. If you put the birds in the same place each time they will point but they don’t learn to trust their nose.