Traveling Pointing Dogs

With the bird hunting seasons opening real soon I needed to shoot over the young dogs. Annie and Stormy are doing well on their training but I am always really careful about shooting around young dogs. Most dogs are fine but occasionally one will show some sensitivity to gunshots. It’s really easy to go too fast and create a problem that takes a lot of time to fix. It’s much easier to do it right and not have a problem.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

Stormy pointing a pigeon.

Bodie pointing a pigeon.

A lot of years ago I worked 3 dogs, getting them used to a blank pistol. I worked all 3 the very same way and one turned out gun shy. I really think the one dog was wired a little wrong, but I don’t know for sure. Since then I have gone a lot more slowly and I’ve never had a problem. I read a lot of dog training books and the last one I read was, TRAINING WITH MO, by Martha H. Greenlee.

My training grounds are inside the city limits with a lot of trees. The Mo Lindley way of introducing the gun uses several acres of open land. So I started trying to find a spot. I have one place close that is a hay field that is perfect for it but I don’t want to wear out my welcome. I need a couple of back up spots.

Just down the road from me is a large county park. It’s not mowed often or taken care of in any way. About once a year they mow some of the areas. I drove around it looking for a spot. I saw a park ranger pull into a shooting range and stopped to ask him. When I asked if they had an area that I could work my dog on he said that dogs had to be on a leash and I couldn’t shoot a blank pistol at all. But he told me of another area that had a dog training area where I could shoot a blank pistol.

I drove out to look at it. When I got close without seeing any signs saying dog training area I saw a couple of people who worked for the new park I was driving by. I asked them about the dog training area. They told me, in vague terms, where it was at. When I mentioned the blank pistol they told me I couldn’t shoot a blank pistol in any of the county parks. Well, now I’m back to square one.

The Mo Lindley way of introducing the blank pistol is using carded pigeons. Tie an 8×8 piece of heavy card board to one leg of the pigeon. This makes the bird off balanced and it can only fly 35 or 40 yards. Let the pup chase and shoot when it’s about 30 yards away, chasing hard. The first few times don’t shoot but let the pup catch the pigeon. His idea is that the pup points the pigeon and then when it’s flushed and goes down it doesn’t stop the young dog from pointing, as jumping in and catching one that is pointed will.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

I did 4 sessions with the pups on carded pigeons with no shooting. Stormy was fine and really aggressive with the pigeons. Annie was more laid back. Annie would chase but when the bird landed she would stop and point. I kept trying to get her to grab the pigeon. She, after the third time, grabbed the pigeon. She didn’t pick it up and run around with it as Stormy does. She held it to the ground for a few seconds then left it.

But that was better than not grabbing it all. So I decided to try the blank pistol. I took them to a farm close to the house and hid 2 pigeon in release traps with card board tied to one leg. I turned Annie loose first. She crisscrossed the field and pointed when she hit the scent cone. I flushed the pigeon and it flew to the east fairly low. Annie was right behind it. When she got about 35 yards away and was right behind the pigeon I shot the blank pistol. The pigeon hit the ground and she stopped and pointed then jumped in. She didn’t seem to hear the pistol.

Mo Lindley says to not shoot except on the first bird but watch to see if the pup chases the next pigeon hard or peels off at about the distance that you shot the blank pistol on the first bird. Annie pointed the second bird and when I got close I flushed the bird. She chased hard. When the bird hit the ground she ran circles then grabbed it. When I got close she had feathers in her mouth but didn’t try to carry the pigeon. I led her away.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

I reloaded the release traps and turned Stormy out. She has never been reluctant to grab a pigeon. She raced through the field and pointed the pigeon. I flushed the pigeon and she was right behind it. When it hit the ground she pounced on it and I shot the blank pistol. Stormy never even heard the gunshot. She had the pigeon and wasn’t letting go. I picked up her check cord and started leading her away. Most of the time dogs won’t chew while they are walking or running. As I lead her she wanted to stop and put her feet on the bird so she could chew.

I stopped and held her head up and petted her telling her what a good girl she is. As I petted her I flipped her ear over and blew a strong puff of air into her ear. She turned loose of the pigeon and I petted her some more then turned her loose to find the next pigeon.

She pointed the second and I walked past her and flushed the second. It too, flew low and she was right behind it. When it hit the ground she ran in and the bird flew again but only a few yards and went down again. It didn’t get a chance to fly. Stormy had it. I was close so I knelt down and called Stormy to me. She came and I petted her for 20 seconds or so. This time she dropped the pigeon and I took it from her. I had not shot on the second bird.

Stormy pointing a pigeon.

That was the first time I shot the blank pistol for them. Saturday, I took them to the conservation place that is about 50 miles from my house. I found a harvested soybean field of about 40 acres or so. I hid the two release traps, with a carded pigeon in each, as far as possible from any trees. Having a carded pigeon fly into a tall tree is a pain.

I turned Annie out first. I held her check cord and more or less led her to the pigeon. She was confused on whether she should point or remain in heel. That was my fault. I should have just turned her loose. Both puppies are pointing their birds real well. But she did point. I waited a few seconds and flushed the pigeon. With the cards they don’t fly very high and it makes the puppies more eager to chase. She was right behind it. I shot the blank pistol and she didn’t even seem to hear it. When the pigeon landed she held it for a few seconds then went back to hunting.

She pointed the second bird without me holding her check cord and did a much better job. I walked in front of her and flushed the pigeon. This one flew toward a hedge row but went down before it got there. When Annie got close it flew to the hedge row and landed in a tree but only about 4 feet off the ground. Annie pointed it for a few seconds then went back to hunting.

Stormy pointing a pigeon.

I got the pigeon out of the tree and looked for Annie. She knows the routine. I work her on two pigeons and put her in the truck. She wasn’t having any of that. She was 1/4 mile down the hedge row and was still going away from me. I reloaded the traps and she was coming back. I stepped on her check cord when she got close and put her in the truck.

Stormy was ready. I had learned a little on Annie and just let Stormy run. She wanted to run the hedge row but came in front of me as I crossed the harvested soybean field. She pointed the first pigeon from a good distance. I watched her for a few seconds then walked in front and flushed the pigeon. The bird went with the wind fairly low. Stormy was right behind. When it landed she grabbed it. She was mouthing it when I got there. I took her check cord and led her a few yards then knelt down and called her to me. I petted her for a few seconds then blew in her ear. She released the pigeon.

She stayed in front of me as we went toward the next pigeon. After she established point I watched for a few seconds then walked in front. I flushed the pigeon and this one only flew a few feet and landed. Stormy grabbed it maybe before it’s feet hit the ground. I was close so I knelt and called her to me. She proudly brought the pigeon. But she wasn’t ready to let me have it so I just petted her and told her what a good girl she is. After about 30 seconds I blew in her ear. She dropped the pigeon.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

After church Sunday I took the puppies to a friends place. He wanted to work his dog on a couple of pigeons and I wanted to shoot the blank pistol again over the pups. My friend was busy so I went to the hay field and started working the pups. He would join me later. I hid the both pigeons in some tall weeds in the hay field.

Again I turned Annie out first. This time I just let her run. There was a pretty good breeze but it kept shifting around. She pointed at a pretty good distance. I walked ahead of her kicking the tall grass. I flushed the pigeon and she took off after it. About the time it hit the ground and she was about to grab it, I fired the blank pistol. She didn’t pay any attention. But she only rolled the bird around a little and went back to hunting.

I picked up the first bird and when I looked she was on point on the second bird. As I started to her she took a step and I flushed the pigeon. I was a long way from this bird. I flushed it and as it flew the card came off and the pigeon flew away with an orange cord hanging down. Annie is smart. She didn’t come close to me. Instead she was circling the large hay field.

I waited a while but she wasn’t coming near me so I turned Stormy loose. He made a big circle and pointed the second bird instead of the closer bird. Before I flushed the pigeon I checked to see where Annie was. Not in sight. So when I got in front of Stormy I flushed the pigeon. As the pigeon flew, with Stormy right behind I fired the blank pistol. When it hit the ground she had it. Annie came to see what the shooting was about, I guess. Anyway she showed up. I picked up Stormy’s check cord and led her a few yards. I blew in her ear after petting her for a time.

Stormy pointing a pigeon.

I wanted to put the pigeon in a bag and as I took the string from it’s foot Annie came close to me. I stepped on her check cord and undid the string from the pigeons foot. I took Annie to the truck. When I turned to go back to the hay field Stormy was pointing the other pigeon. I think she had been on point for a little while so as I walked to her I flushed the pigeon. She chased and the pigeon had flown toward me. I didn’t have to go far to get to Stormy. After petting her for a few seconds I blew in her ear. I took her back to the truck.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

With all of the carded birds the pups have caught, the ones with no shots and the ones where I fired the blank pistol, they have not hurt one pigeon. Every pigeon, with the exception of the pigeon that flew off with the orange cord trailing is still in my pigeon coop in fine shape. Some of my pigeons aren’t homers and I don’t think I will see the bird with the orange cord again.

October has started really well. It was in the fifties this morning with the noon time temperatures in the upper sixties. Really good weather to work dogs. During the hot weather I worry about the birds as much as the puppies. When it’s really warm and I put a pigeon in a release trap, hidden in the tall weeds, there is no air movement around the release trap. It has to be really hot on the pigeons. So on the real warm mornings we don’t use the pigeons.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

Stormy pointing a pigeon.

Bodie pointing a pigeon.

When I put pigeons in the release traps, I usually drive the side by side around my side and if I put birds on the neighbor’s side, over there. The dogs, even the puppies, will check the neighbor’s side and if there is no side by side trails they will come back to my side. This morning I tried something different, just to see how they would react. I walked onto the neighbor’s side and hid two pigeons in release traps.

I worked Annie first. I heeled her for a short distance whoaing her several times. I have heeled and whoaed the puppies enough that I can drop the Wonder lead after I say, “whoa” and walk out front or circle them. I can pick up sticks or leaves and toss them, and they won’t move, most of the time.

I had a pigeon in a release trap behind a clump that she couldn’t see as I heeled her toward the bird field. I said, “whoa” and flushed the hidden pigeon. Annie stopped and watched the pigeon fly away. I tapped her on the head and heeled her a little further. I whoaed her, grabbed her check cord and said, “okay”. I let her run dragging the check cord.

She was on the wrong side of the training grounds to smell the first pigeon. She ran all the way to the back and came back closer to me. She made a couple more passes without even trying to go on the neighbor’s side. After a couple of passes she hit the scent cone and pointed. I watched her for a few seconds, about 25, then flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance then went back to hunting.

I crossed onto the neighbor’s side and had to call Annie over. With no side by side tracks she wasn’t interested. But once she was over there she went to hunting. She was quite aways from the next bird when she pointed. The way the wind was swirling I’m not sure she had a strong scent but she wasn’t moving. I moved up close to the pigeon and flushed it. She chased a short distance then went back to hunting.

That got her to really checking things out. She hit the scent cone on the next bird and pointed. I thought she was closer than she was. I don’t let them stand for very long when they are close. I flushed the pigeon but she wasn’t real close. This pigeon just flew into the tree above the trap. Annie stood and watched it until I tapped her head and called her away.

Stormy

When we got to the retrieving bench she jumped on without any assistance from me. I styled her up in 5 different places on the bench and fed her a chunk of hot dog each time. The pups really like the bench or maybe they like getting chunks of hotdogs. I put her back on the chain gang.

I reloaded the release traps without driving the side by side on the neighbor’s side. I heeled Stormy around for a short distance, worked her on the whoa barrel then heeled her toward the bird field. When we got close to the first pigeon I whoaed her and released the pigeon. This must have been a real young bird. It came out of the trap and landed right beside it. Stormy could see the pigeon as it walked around. She didn’t try to chase. We just watched the pigeon for a minute or so. I whoaed Stormy and started walking toward the pigeon. She stayed on point until the pigeon flushed, then she chased.

She was running with the Wonder lead still around her neck and she was dragging a check cord as well. I thought she would probably lose the Wonder lead but it stayed on through the next bird. She pointed the next bird and I took pictures. I walked toward the pigeon but well out to her side so she could see me. When I got a short distance ahead of her I flushed the pigeon. It came out low and she chased a long distance.

Bodie on point Mann honoring.

She covered my side of the training grounds a couple of times and when I crossed to the neighbor’s side I had to call her. Before we went over I called her to me and took the Wonder lead off. I didn’t need it coming off in some heavy cover where I might never find it.

She hit the scent cone on the next bird pretty quick. I walked near the pigeon and flushed it. She chased. Stormy really wants to catch the pigeons and this one came toward her as it flew out of the clump of brush. She jumped for it and almost did a back flip trying to catch it. But it flew away. We went on to the back.

She was pretty close to the next bird when she hit the scent cone. She looked really good on point but she was too close. I flushed the pigeon and it flew to a tree just a short distance away and lit. She watched it for a few seconds then went back to hunting. I took her back to the chain gang.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

Neither of the puppies had tried the neighbor’s side until I called them over. I decided to try an older dog. Bodie is just 3 years old but he’s been worked a lot on these grounds. I wanted to see if he would go next door without me calling him. I reloaded the release traps and heeled him out. I heeled him near the bird that I had flushed for the puppies and did the same with him. I said, “whoa” and flushed the pigeon. Bodie stopped and stood until I heeled him away.

Bodie is really steady on his birds so I whoaed him and tapped him on the head as I said, “okay”. The wind was really good for him. He was almost across the field from the pigeon but he pointed. And there was no doubt. He was looking right at the pigeon although he couldn’t see it but there was no doubt he could smell it. I walked in front of him, kicking the cover and flushed the pigeon. He chased.

He about wore my side of the training grounds out without even trying to go next door. I always lay down lots of tracks when I hide birds but this little trial just emphasizes the need to try to fool these pups. They learn to follow the side by side really quickly.

Stormy pointing a pigeon.

I went to the neighbor’s side and called Bodie. As I crossed, he crossed in another spot, and by the time I got over to the other side, he was on point. I walked in front of him and shook some branches on some bushes, then kicked the cover. He didn’t move until I flushed the pigeon. Then he chased.

We went on to the back. By the time I got back close to the last pigeon Bodie was on point. I stayed behind him for a while just to see if he would move if I left him on point for a while. He didn’t move so I went in front and kicked the cover and flushed the pigeon. When it was in the air he chased. I took him back to the kennel.

Annie and Stormy were still on the chain gang. I took Stormy off and sat in my chair that is close to the chain gang. Stormy jumped into my lap and I petted her for a while. On the way back to the kennel we worked on the here command. Stormy had the check cord on and I tugged on it and said, “here”. When she came to me I gave her a chunk of hotdog. We did the here command 3 times. I put her in the kennel.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

I did the same thing with Annie. Annie needs more of the lap time than Stormy, I think. Anyway she gets more time in my lap then I only had one chunk of hotdog so I only worked her on the here command one time. Then I put her in the kennel.

I knew that dogs were smarter about some things than we give them credit for and this short trial just proves it. I have watched them over the years go to the neighbor’s side and if there were side by side tracks they would hunt but if there wasn’t they would come right back on my side. Today, they didn’t even go over there until I called them.

Our weather is up and down. A few days of nice cool mornings and then we have the warm mornings. When I’m working the dogs I can see the dogs and should be able to tell when they are too hot. I worry less about the dogs than the pigeons in the release traps, covered by the trap and grass, with very little breeze to keep them cool. Probably, more than I should worry about but I do.

Stormy pointing a pigeon.

Stormy pointing a pigeon.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

I got Bodie home from his trip to Nebraska/South Dakota. It was about dark when I led him to the kennel. He seemed happy to be home and when we entered the kennel he passed Sally’s kennel but touched noses with Abby, his mother, and went right on to his kennel. The same run he’s had since he was separated from his siblings as a puppy. I often wonder if that is just a coincidence or if he really knows that she is his mother.

Before Bodie went north I had worked him on pigeons with an e-collar. Most of his life I have run him off the 4-wheeler and now I have a side by side. I was going to run him from the side by side and when I got in I had the hand held for the e-collar and my camera in the same pocket, in a bag around my waist. My leg was against the console in the side by side and it mashed the camera into the e-collar button giving him a long electrical shock. It was only on level 2 but it confused Bodie.

I worked with him several times but if I got in the side by side he would not move. As long as I was walking and had pigeons out, he was fine. But when he got to Nebraska there were several side by sides in camp and usually one going somewhere. Bodie was traumatized. All my fault. Justin worked with him a lot and finally got him through it. It took a lot of work, though.

When I got him home I ran him the first morning without any birds out. Just to see how he would do. I put an e-collar on him but didn’t turn it on. He ran but stayed closer to me than normal, I think.

A few days later I put 3 birds out for him. I heeled him around the yard a little then on to the back. These dogs are smart. He knew there were birds to find and he ran as of old. I had used the side by side to put the birds out and I had heeled him close to it. I didn’t try to run him from the side by side but I will soon. He pointed his birds with style and I had to hurry to keep up. I am sure that Justin Crook fixed my mistake.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

It isn’t easy to admit making a mistake and possibly ruining a dog for life. But it was an accident. And accidents happen and most of the time the dog forgives you, immediately. Sometimes not. But with enough birds you can work through almost anything. In a normal day of training my timing may be off or sometimes I think the dog will understand something a certain way but he is just the opposite. Birds will cure almost anything.

Now for the puppies. Annie is about 6 months old so I decided she needed to start heel and whoa. Stormy is about 10 weeks younger but since I’m heeling and whoaing Annie I will also do Stormy. In my opinion, teaching heeling to a dog really helps with the pecking order thing. After just a little while they accept you as their boss. With the more dominate dogs you may have to heel them a little each day but my dogs accept me as leader.

Annie does really well with heeling and even the whoaing part. I use a Wonder lead for heeling and whoaing. When I start it’s more about heeling than whoaing. I put the knot in the Wonder lead around the neck and right behind the ears. To get the lead on the right way hold it in front of you and it should form the letter P. With the dog on your left side bend over and place it around his neck without turning it. Then step out. When your dog goes one way you go the opposite. Do this over and over until he is looking at you to see which way you are going next.

Stormy pointing a pigeon.

Once he is going with you pretty well take a few steps and stop. By this time the dog should be ready for a short break. If the pup tries to sit step out again. Just a few steps then stop again. The first few days I don’t give either a command. I do say, “good girl” when they do it partially right. Reward them for trying. Later when they are stopping when I do and going when I step out I stroke their sides. After a few days I put the commands, Heel and Whoa, with the movement.

Some people have an aversion to the word whoa. They think they should call it something else. That is fine. Your pup doesn’t speak English. I have thought about teaching one to whoa on the word, Pizza. At least if Pizza was the word for whoa people I hunt with would never be able to whoa my dogs.

The only time, when I’m actually hunting, that I use the word whoa is when I need a dog to back and there is no way he will ever see the dog that is on point. If the dog coming in is going to be able to see the dog that is pointing I wait for him to honor. If he won’t honor right in front of me he won’t honor when they are 200 yards in front of me and I can’t see either of them. When a dog is on point I never say whoa unless he starts to creep in. Most of the time I stop the creeping on pigeons here at the house. Not while we’re hunting.

Annie

Annie and Stormy were worked for several days on the heel and whoa then I started to walk around them when they are on whoa. The dogs always want to twist around or follow as I start moving. This is understandable. They always have moved when I did. I hold the Wonder lead with a little pressure on their neck as I ease around them. When they move, and they usually do, I either set them back or if they don’t move very far I make a complete circle of where they have stopped. I stroke their sides and step off again.

That exercise is really hard for the pups to grasp so I do 3 or 4 times then heel them, whoa them and stand beside them. I stroke their sides telling them what good girls they are. The next time out I circle them with more success and the third time they stayed without moving. Although it was a little harder for Stormy than Annie. But Stormy is a little bit ADHD anyway.

I still put each pup on the whoa barrel and style them up before letting them point or try to point the pigeons in the release traps. Because of the puppies getting a chunk of hotdog on the whoa barrel, they jump onto the barrel when we get close. Annie lets me stroke her tail up and holds her head still until I click the clicker then she turns for the hotdog chunk. Stormy holds her head still but her tail is like a opossum tail. When I stroke it up it bends around my hand. But when she points a bird it’s usually good.

Annie.

After the whoa barrel we heel toward the back where I have hidden some birds. I heel and whoa them a few times on the way. I have to hold on to the check cord on both of them. With 3 or 4 birds hidden on the training grounds the pups can get too far ahead of me. Usually, after they get close to the first bird I turn them loose. Some of the time I flush the pigeon when they get close but before they point. I want them to think that the birds may be really spooky.

Annie is content with pointing the bird and she will chase some but she really doesn’t want to catch it. She is just happy with seeing it. Stormy wants it. She’s caught a few and she likes to carry them around. Stormy will point and if I’m not close she will move right in and try to get the pigeon. So I like to be close enough to see her point and then at he first movement, if she has a foot up and puts it down or raises a foot, I flush the pigeon. Pretty soon that will stop her from running in, I hope.

Bodie.

Then on the way back I put them on the retrieving bench and style them up some more. I had some extra long hotdogs a few days ago and I cut one of them into 28 pieces. The pups aren’t getting much at a time but they will work hard for a small sliver. I style them up 5 or 6 times on the bench then heel them back to either the chain gang or back to their kennel.

I use the side by side to plant the birds for the dogs but I walk them to the back to find the pigeons. If I work 3 dogs, usually, I walk between 6 and 7 thousand steps. That’s good exercise and by the time the day is done I’m close to 10 thousand steps. Maybe that will help get me ready for quail season.