Traveling Pointing Dogs

My pigeons have been breeding like rats. In a coop that should have about 20 to 25 birds I have over 50. I tried to give some away but so far haven’t been able to. Someone is supposed to pick some up tomorrow or Thursday but Vince Dye and I were planning to shoot some over our dogs. So yesterday, because the weather was cool, starting at about 57 degrees, I loaded 18 pigeons at daybreak, picked Vince up and we headed north. Vince has a friend that owns several farms so we checked a few out before finding the one we wanted.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

Ally pointing a pigeon.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

This area has really been hit hard with rain. A week or so ago they got 12 inches in one week. The place we picked was a hill side just out of a bottom. The bottom, normally in row crops, still had water standing in it but the hill side had dried. Although it was cool we parked in the shade so the dogs wouldn’t get too hot.

Vince and I hid 3 pigeons, in release traps, in the knee high grass. I turned Boss out first. Vince just had eye surgery so he didn’t bring a gun. We had started down the hill from the top and there was almost no wind. Boss had to get really close to the first bird before he pointed but he looked good. I walked all around the bird as I took pictures of Boss. Vince had the remote for the release traps. I signaled him to release the bird. It flew toward a break in the timber that was close but dropped at my shot.

Boss ran to it but didn’t pick it up. He rolled it around some. I’ve been working him on retrieving but we haven’t worked on fresh killed birds. Boss has never picked any birds up. He just rolls them around. I tossed it for him and said, “fetch”. That didn’t work either. We gave up and went toward the next ones.

The next 2 were higher on the hill and the wind was a lot better. He pointed the next one from a good distance. Some of these pigeons were really young. It’s hard to tell how they will fly once they get most of their adult size. I took some pictures but when Vince released the bird it only flew a few feet and landed. Boss was right there when it hit the ground. He didn’t pick it up. He just rolled it around. After a minute or so we went to the next bird.

The wind was not real strong but at least it was moving the scent. As we watched the dogs we could see them get a hint of the scent from a long distance and go toward the bird. They all 3 stopped, most of the time about 15 or 20 feet from the bird. But when they hit the scent right they would start moving toward the bird from about 50 yards away. In the wide open field, such as this one, you can see this happening.

Boss

After Boss pointed his third bird and still didn’t retrieve we put him up and reloaded the traps. The farthest trap down the hill we brought up where the wind could move the scent. Ally, Vince’s short hair, was next. She went straight to the first bird and pointed. She points with a high head and her stub of a tail is pointing upward. I took some pictures then Vince flushed the pigeon. Ally is close to retrieving but not all the way. She picked the bird up but didn’t take it to Vince. Vince worked with her a little while to no avail.

She did fine on the next bird but on her third bird she took a couple of steps. Vince set her back and she stayed, looking really good. But like my dogs she never did retrieve a pigeon. We took her back and reloaded the traps.

Abby was next. She’s doing better on the retrieving bench and she’s picked dead birds up before so I wouldn’t have been surprised if she had of retrieved. She pointed her first bird looking good. I took pictures as I walked around her. When Vince flushed the bird it flew just a few feet and went down. Abby was on it. The pigeon got away and started flying off. She chased a ways. The pigeon flew a circle and when it came back over us I shot it but Abby didn’t see it fall. I called her to the area and said, “dead bird, dead bird” over and over. She knows about hunting dead. In just a few seconds she found the bird but didn’t retrieve.

Ally

She went on up the field and found the second bird. As I was getting closer I saw her take a step, then another. I whoaed her and set her back. I kicked around in front of her for a while then Vince flushed the bird. When it dropped she ran to it, picked it up and came toward me. When she got close she evaded me and went behind me. She played with the pigeon for a few seconds then went hunting. After her third pigeon we moved the traps.

We were short some pigeons. I thought I had counted enough for 6 pigeons for each dog with 1 extra, just in case. But now we were 1 bird short. When Ally had got in the truck at Vince’s house she had stepped on the carrier I had some of the pigeons in. After I shut the door on her box in the truck, I noticed the door on the carrier was open and a pigeon had it’s head out. Maybe a couple had flown away before I noticed the open carrier or maybe I miscounted.

There was a ridge running through this field and we spread the 3 traps out along it. Actually Vince had grabbed the bird bag, with 3 pigeons and the traps and took them along the ridge. He walked so far I thought maybe he had got mad and was walking home. But when I saw him start back I turned Boss loose again.

Abby

Boss pointed his first bird and as I got close he took a couple of steps. I whoaed him and he stopped. I set him back. I stroked him a little. I took some pictures as I walked around him and the bird. But again he just played with the dead pigeon. He never tried to pick it up. We went to the next one.

Up on this ridge it was really easy to see where the dogs winded the bird and how they moved toward it. All 3 dogs pointed well off the bird. But all 3 were taking steps. Abby and Boss are usually very staunch. They go on point they will stay as long as the bird stays. Last fall during the hunting season Ally did too. I think at home they expect the release traps but not out in a hunting place. I think they knew this was really artificial.

After Boss pointed his third pigeon we reloaded them and Vince turned Ally loose. She pointed her first bird and I was closer to her than Vince. Vince had been picking her up and with his eye surgery I wasn’t sure he should have been. Since I was closer I grabbed her collar when she took a step and set her back. She styled right up and stood real pretty. She almost retrieved this bird. She dropped it about 20 feet in front of Vince and went back to hunting.

Abby

She was a long way from this next bird when she wheeled around and started toward it. She pointed from about 20 feet away. When she took a step I told Vince he should flush that bird if she took another step. She took a step and Vince flushed the bird. It came out of the trap and flew about 10 feet. Ally had it as soon as it touched the ground. We just rewarded her for creeping.

After she pointed her third pigeon we put her in the truck. Since there were only two pigeons left we picked up one trap and reloaded the other two. I turned Abby loose. It’s been a long time, probably since about March, since the dogs had been worked on birds. They have been excited.

Abby pointed her birds but took a step on one of them. She does pick the bird up but doesn’t want to share it with me. She took the step on her first bird and I whoaed her on the second as soon as she went on point. She didn’t move on the second. She knows whoa real well. But she has to hold on her own. If she goes on point 2 or 300 yards ahead of me I won’t be there to whoa her.

Boss on point with his back feet in a hole.

But all and all it was a real good morning. The dogs got to point some birds and see some fall. I’m not sure if I have ever shot any pigeons for them. That could have been the reason for them being less than staunch. With all of the green grass it may have been hard for the dogs to pin point where the birds were. Anyway, we have a long time to get them ready for the real thing.

I’m still going through about the same things on the retrieving. Abby and Boss are getting better but we still have quite a way to go. But we have plenty of time. The season won’t open until at the earliest September first. My plans are to hunt quite a bit during the early season, weather permitting. I will need to find an area with temperatures staying under 70 for the daily high. That may be hard to find in the early season. But the dog boxes in my truck are metal and they can heat pretty quickly.

Abby with a plastic dummy.

Boss with a plastic dummy.

Boss with a dowel dummy.

Each day, as we go through the retrieving and then to running the field we go through a lot of the commands these dogs know. Almost every day they are worked on most of them. The commands are: Up, heel, whoa, fetch, hold, give, here, okay and kennel. When they jump onto their house or the retrieving bench I usually say, “up”. I put their e-collars and GPS collars on, tap their head and say, “heel”. For Abby and Boss they hear fetch, hold and give on the bench and right beside the bench for now. They are put on whoa when we get back near the 4-wheeler. When I get on, start the 4-wheeler and put it in gear I then say, “okay”. That’s their release command. Sometimes I use alright for a release command.

This morning I heeled Mann out first. I whoaed him near the 4-wheeler. The temperature was in the 60’s and it was cloudy. Nicer for the dogs than the mornings that were near 80 degrees and sunny. I threw the Dokken quail dummy 5 times just about as far as I could throw it for him. Mann is starting to enjoy retrieving, I think. At least he enjoys being petted. I pet him for a few seconds before reaching for the quail dummy, then pet him him for a few seconds after he drops the quail in my hand. He doesn’t like the treats.

After the retrieves I whoa him, on warm sunny mornings, I whoa him in a shady area about 25 yards from the 4-wheeler. This morning he was close to the 4-wheeler and after I started it and put it in gear I said, “okay”. Mann is fast to the back then he redoubles his speed to the front. I can’t keep up because I have to slow for the ditch/creek that crosses my side of the training grounds. By the time I get half way between the creek and my house he’s going back toward the back. I circle the house and hurry to the back. When we get close to the kennel I stop and sit on the old stump and pet him for a while before putting him in his kennel.

Several times this week I have whoaed all of the dogs in the shade about 25 yards from the 4-wheeler. When I got close to the 4-wheeler I would turn and call them to me. After they took a few steps I whoaed them again. This time I didn’t release them until I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and put it in gear. That’s a good exercise for working on whoa. I don’t do it many times in a day but it really gets them to understand that on whoa they can’t move. I didn’t do this today for Sally and Mann but I did for Abby and Boss.

Abby with a dowel dummy.

I have been working Sally last, because she was in heat, but the last couple of mornings I have worked her second. Today she was second. Sally loves to retrieve or at least she has to retrieve to get a treat and she loves the treats. She is really fast to the Dokken quail and really fast back to me. I talk to her but don’t take the dummy for a few seconds. Then as soon as she drops it into my hand I give her a treat with the other hand.

After 5 retrieves I whoa her and go to the 4-wheeler. I start it and put it in gear before saying, “okay”. Sally doesn’t go very fast but she’s doing better. When I first started doing this she would cross the creek, stop and eat grass while I rode to the back. When I got close to her she would go back across the creek and eat grass. She wasn’t getting much exercise.

Abby was about the same way. I started stopping when they stopped. I would call them and if they didn’t pay any attention I would tone them on their e-collar. After just a few mornings they were better and now they are getting quite a bit of exercise. Sometimes they both fail to go to my front yard but they are usually busy behind the house. Now they are like, “okay, if you insist”.

The stump, near the kennel, that I’ve made into a loving spot.

Before I put Sally back in her kennel I sit on the stump and feed her some treats. This also gives me time to change their e-collars over to bark collars and to take the GPS collar off. After about 4 treats she’s ready to go back in her kennel.

I heeled Boss to the retrieving bench. After he jumped onto the bench I walked both sides petting him every few feet. Boss is slow. On the ground running he’s really fast but on this bench he like molasses on a cold morning. But I always reward the effort. I put 6 dummies, 4 dowel dummies and 2 plastic dummies on the other end of the bench. When I say fetch he moves at the speed of a slow turtle. For Abby I ran down the bench and she got where she would hurry too. When I tried that with Boss it just made me get there a long time before him.

Now I’m not even going down with him. I just say fetch and then I wait. He slowly turns and saunters down the bench. When he gets to the first dummy he slowly lowers his head and takes the dummy in his mouth. He raises it maybe half and inch. He slowly turns around and walks back to me. He doesn’t really like the plastic bumpers. He sometimes will step over one of them to get to one of the dowel dummies. After he’s through with the dowels he still has to do the plastic. After he brings me all 6 I pet him for a few seconds then set them all out again.

Abby with a plastic bumper.

He’s no faster on the second set than the first. But that’s okay. This morning on one of the plastic dummies he tried to refuse it and I held the button on the transmitter down on level 2. He can hardly feel this but he went ahead and retrieved the plastic one. The second plastic he took just fine and on the second set he did all 6 with no problem. Not real fast but he did them.

I petted him for a little while then set him on the ground. I dropped one of the dowel dummies in front of him and said, “fetch”. He looked at me and then at the dummy but didn’t reach for it. I took the e-collar transmitter from my pocket and he reached for the dowel. I held my hand up like a traffic cop and walked 10 or 15 feet away. I squatted down and said, “here”. He came to me pretty fast. Just before he got to me I told him to hold. I petted him for a few seconds.

Mann with Boss honoring.

Then I dropped the dummy in front of him and said, “fetch”. He picked it up while I backed away from him. I called him to me and he was way faster than what he is on the bench. I did this 3 times on the ground close to the retrieving bench with lots of petting. I heeled him away.

When we got about 25 yards from the 4-wheeler I whoaed him. Before I got to the 4-wheeler I turned and called him to me. He knew this was a trick this morning. I had to call him twice before he would move. After a few steps from him I held my hand up and said, “whoa”. He stopped. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and put it in gear. I watched him for a few seconds then said, “okay”. He ran to the back.

After he made two laps around the yard I sat on the stump and petted him. He still thinks he’s a little puppy. He crawls into my lap to be petted. That’s okay. It makes me feel good too. After a minute or so I put him in his kennel.

Sally pointing a pigeon.

Abby was last this morning. I heeled her to the retrieving bench and fed her a few treats as I walked both sides of the bench petting her. I put the set of 6 dummies on the other end of the bench. Abby is quicker, by a lot, than Boss is on the bench. She goes right down the bench grabs a dummy and hurries back. I pet a lot before I let them drop the dummy. Abby doesn’t skip any, normally. When the plastic is next she doesn’t step over them to get to a dowel, like Boss sometimes does.

After 2 sets of 6 bumpers I set her on the ground and whoaed her. I dropped a dowel dummy in front of her and said, “fetch”. She picked it up as I backed away from her. When I was about 15 feet from her I squatted down and said, “here”. She came right to me. I petted her a few seconds then said, “give”. She dropped it in my hand. After she retrieved it 3 times I heeled her close to the 4-wheeler.

I put her on whoa and walked near the 4-wheeler. I called her and she started toward me. I whoaed her while holding my hand up. She stopped. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and put it in gear. She was really watching for me to say, “okay”. When I did she was off to the back. She still stops occasionally but not near as much as she used to. She’s starting to think she should be in front of the 4-wheeler. After a couple laps around the yard I sat on the stump and fed her treats.

Boss

Most of this is the same from day to day but that’s the way dogs learn. With enough repetitions you can train about anything. This also gives me an opportunity to pet them and to talk to them. When they jump on their house or on the bench I talk right into their nose. They like to smell your breath when you’re happy. By the same token they don’t like to smell your breath when you’re angry. But during training sessions, there is no reason to get angry. If the dog isn’t doing what you want you haven’t presented the right thing in the right manner.

Even in the really warm mornings I have been getting the dogs out and working with them. I gave them all a hair cut and that has helped some but most mornings are 40 degrees warmer than the dogs really like. English setters do their best work at about 30 degrees or cooler. My favorite days to hunt are when the high is about 30 degrees. The roads stay frozen and it’s about the right temperature for the dogs. Oh well, it will be a while before we get that. So make the best of what we have.

Puppies eating their formula with puppy chow.

Gabe.

Abby and some of her pups.

I haven’t been taking any pictures of the dogs because they are doing the same old stuff all of the time. So I went way back to last years puppies for pictures for some of this. I may find some hunting pictures to put on as well.

One of the mornings I trained dogs it was 80 degrees at 6 am. By the time I went to train it was even warmer. I took Mann first. I heeled him to the shade of a pretty good sized hack berry tree. I tossed the Dokken quail dummy, trying to keep it in the shade, about 4 times. Mann nor Boss either, like the treats that I feed Sally and Abby. But Mann really likes to be petted. When he comes back to me, he stands for as long as I want to pet him, before I throw the dummy again. After a few retrieves I whoa him in the shade and walk about 20 yards to the 4-wheeler. I get on the 4-wheeler, start it, put it in gear and say, “okay”. As soon as he hears the okay he’s in a dead run to the back.

We’ve been doing this same exercise for a couple or three months. The dogs are used to it. Mann and Boss rush to the back, make the bend at the back and start for the front yard. They hit the fence line on the north side and there is no way I can keep up. I have to slow to cross the little wet weather creek that crosses the property and they don’t. By the time I cross the creek they are to the back of the house but they both cross the yard and head back to the west. When we first started I was worried about them going to the highway but they cross the front yard then head to the back.

Sally and Abby both aren’t as crazy about running as the boys are. They both, when we first started, ran a short distance then stopped to eat grass. I was riding on to the back then coming back and they would get in front for just a short distance before stopping to eat more grass. Now, when they stop I stop. Then I make them run in front of the 4-wheeler. Sometimes I do it by being a little way in front and I call them. Sometimes I tone them with their e-collar. Anything to get them in front and moving.

The boys are more active in their kennels than the girls are so they need this exercise. I’ve been doing this to keep them in front of the 4-wheeler for over a week as it’s already starting to pay off. They are running more and I think they are starting to enjoy being in front of the 4-wheeler.

Mann with Boss honoring.

I try to alternate the young dogs on who goes first each day. This morning I worked Boss first. I heeled him to the retrieving bench and he jumped onto it. After I walked him down and back on the bench I put 6 retrieving dummies out on the other end of the bench. I used 4 dowel type dummies and 2 long plastic dummies. One white and one blaze orange.

I started these young dogs out with the dowel type dummies and they prefer them to the plastic ones. The plastic ones are a little bigger and heavier and they have bumps on them. But I think just because I started with the others is why they don’t like them. But this is a way to teach them that they have to retrieve whatever I send them after. For a few mornings I just put the 4 dowel dummies out then I added a plastic dummy. After a few days I added a second plastic dummy. They still don’t like them.

Dolly on point.

Boss has been a little behind Abby with the retrieving but in the last few days Abby has regressed a little. Now Boss is ahead. I have dropped the toe pinch altogether and am using the e-collar only, now. But most of the time I don’t even use the e-collar. They are slow but when I tell them to fetch they go down the bench and slowly pick up the dummy. As soon as it comes off the ground I clap my hands and say, “alright, here”. They come to me. I pet them a lot before I say, “give”. I want them to get used to holding the dummy.

After Boss retrieved the 6 dummies I put them out again. After this time I petted him then set him on the ground with the Wonder lead around his neck. I placed a dowel dummy on the ground in front of him and said, “fetch”. When he picked it up I walked to the end of the Wonder lead and called him to me. He wants to drop the dowel when he gets close but just before he spits it out I say, “hold”. When I start petting him he tries to crawl into my lap. That’s okay. I pet him a lot. I place the dowel in front of him 3 times and he brings it to the end of the Wonder lead each time.

The last few days, with the high temperatures, I have been heeling all of the dogs to the shady spot under the hack berry tree, putting them on whoa, and walking about 20 yards to the 4-wheeler. I get on start it and put it in gear before saying, “alright”. When I say, “alright or okay” the dogs take off. A couple of laps around the yard and I sit on my tree trunk and pet Boss. He crawls into my lap. After a little while I put him in his kennel and got Abby out.

Tur Bo, Boss’s grandfather.

I heeled her to the bench and she jumped on to it. After I petted her and fed a few treats I put the 6 dummies on the other end of the bench. When I told her to fetch she moved like molasses on a really cold morning. I watched her on the first one and thought we would never get done at that speed. The second time I sent her I went toward the dummy too. That made her go a little faster but not much.

The third time I got really excited about the retrieve and ran down the bench. I was really animated and she picked up on that and moved a little faster. After she did the first 6 I put them down the bench for her again. With me trotting down the bench and acting really excited, she moved faster, almost a run, for the next 6. Again the trainees are teaching, the supposedly trainer, how to do this.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

I fed her a few treats then set her on the ground on whoa. I placed a dowel dummy on the ground in front of her and said, “fetch”. She acted like she had never heard that word before. I didn’t say it again. I held the button on the e-collar transmitter down on level 2. She very slowly picked up the dummy. Abby wants to walk with me when she’s on the ground so I whoaed her. I walked to the end of the Wonder lead and called her to me. She, too, wants to spit it out when she gets to me but I said, “hold” just before she got to me. I petted her for a few seconds.

I had her do this exercise 3 times then heeled her to the shade of the hack berry tree. A friend had called me yesterday and we discussed him whoa and heel breaking a couple of young dogs. I told him about putting my dogs on whoa and walking 20 yards to the 4-wheeler. I’ve been whoaing them near the 4-wheeler for a long long time and I’ve been whoaing them, farther away, in the shade for about a week. I’ve never had a dog move, until this morning. When I got to the 4-wheeler Abby was half way to me.

Boss in the berry vines pointing a chukar..

I whoaed her where she was. Then went to her and led her back to where she had been on whoa to start with. I whoaed her. I should have carried her but she’s too heavy. I went back to the 4-wheeler and she stayed until I released her. But now I have to call my friend and tell him that most of them will stay on whoa.

After she made a couple of laps of the yard I sat on the tree stump and fed her treats before putting her back in the kennel. I kind of think she may like the treats better than she likes me.

Sally is last because she’s in heat. If I work her first, I’m afraid the boys wouldn’t pay any attention to me or any training I could come up with. I just threw the Dokken quail for her 4 or 5 times and made her hold until I took the dummy from her. She’s really good about holding until I reach for the dummy because if she doesn’t do it right she doesn’t get a treat. And she loves those treats.

The stump, near the kennel, that I’ve made into a loving spot.

I put her on whoa in the shade and went to the 4-wheeler, got on, started it and put it in gear. She was watching but waited until I said, “alright” before running to the back. She’s getting a lot better about running instead of eating grass although she stopped a couple of times. After a couple of laps I fed her a few treats at the tree stump then put her in her kennel.

I get a lot of satisfaction from working with these dogs every day. By the time season opens all 4 should be better retrievers than they were last year and Sally and Mann did real well last year. And working with Boss and Abby keeps the dogs exercised some and me too. We all need it.

I keep doing the same old stuff with all of these dogs. Now it’s mainly lots and lots of repetition. One of the things I’ve been doing that I haven’t said much about is getting the dogs to run in front of the 4-wheeler. Boss and Mann were really good about staying in front but the two girls, Sally and Abby, did a lot of stopping and eating grass. When I first started I just rode on to the back and when I got close to them they would run back with me.

Sally pointing a single.

Boss honoring.

Abby on point.

They were getting about half the exercise they needed. And I wanted them to run in front of me. They could be off to the side as long as they stayed in front. The first thing I did was slow the 4-wheeler down. That put them farther in front of me and when they stopped I stopped the 4-wheeler. Sometimes I just called them but occasionally I toned their collar. They came along pretty good after they decided I wasn’t going to go until they did. Then they were like, “Okay, if you’re not going until I do, I guess I will come on”.

Now all of the dogs know that we are going to make two laps around the yard. When we first started, occasionally, one of them, usually Sally or Abby, would try to quit after 1 round. I still occasionally have to stop and wait for Sally or Abby but not always. To get in shape all of the dogs will have to run much farther but we will do that closer to the season opening.

It’s been pretty warm the last few mornings so I have only been throwing 4 or 5 bumpers for Mann and Sally to retrieve. Also, Sally is in heat so I work her after all the other dogs. There can be quite a difference in the temperature from the first dog to the last but the boys might not have their mind on retrieving if I work her first.

Yesterday I worked Abby on the retrieving bench first. She went through everything without me having to touch the e-collar. I put 4 different dowel type bumpers about half way down the bench and waved in that direction and said, “fetch”. Abby slowly went after each one and when she picked one up I clapped my hands, loudly and said, “Alright, good girl” with a lot of enthusiasm. She did all 4 bumpers 3 times.

I set her on the ground and had her fetch a dowel from my hand then laid it on the ground and had her pick it up then we heeled a big circle. She never dropped the dowel. I never once touched the e-collar. This is where I have been wanting to get since we started. I don’t like having to use the toe pinch or the e-collar to get compliance. But it’s necessary when you first start.

Mann honoring.

I heeled her back near the kennel where the 4-wheeler was. I got on the 4-wheeler and released her to run. I had to stop a few times and she doesn’t like to go in front of my house. One time my daughter’s car was in the drive way and that seemed to spook her and she has tried to honor my dog statue that is life sized. But that stone dog bothers her too. Anyway she waits until I circle the house then she gets in front of me again. Before the summer is over she and Sally both will be doing really well.

Boss is another story. At times he’s been ahead of Abby on learning to retrieve. But right now he’s behind. Yesterday several times He would go to the dummy and try to take it then leave it lying on the bench. I started off trying not to use the e-collar just as I had on Abby. Sometimes he would retrieve 3 of the 4 dummies but not all 4.

Abby pointing a chukar.

I had the Garmin Sport Pro set on level 3. And he doesn’t show that it bothers him at all. I started by hitting the button on the transmitter and telling him to fetch. He would go slowly to the dummy and take it. Then when he picked it up I let off the button. If he took it then spit it out I held the button down until he grabbed the dummy. I only said, “fetch” one time. Then he would do a couple with no stimulation.

We went through the 4 dummies 3 times and I set him on the ground. I had him pick a dowel dummy off the ground and heeled him a short distance where he spit it out. I held the button down on the e-collar and he didn’t pay any attention. It was on level 3 so I went to level 4. He picked the bumper up and we heeled for a short distance where he spit it out again. He spit that dummy out 4 or 5 times in just a short distance.

He would heel for a little way then quit walking and spit the dummy out. I was getting frustrated with him but I know better than to let it show. Finally, after several tries he walked 35 feet or so and we declared a victory. I heeled him back to the 4-wheeler and let him run for a while. He didn’t hold a grudge. When I sat on my tree stump he crawled into my lap to be petted.

Boss on point, Allie and Abby honoring.

Well, today I worked him right after Mann. He jumped onto the retrieving bench and I walked up one side and down the other petting him several times. I put the 4 dummies about half way down the bench and waved in that direction and said, “fetch”. He slowly went down the bench and got a dummy and as I clapped my hands and said, “alright, here” it kind of startled him but he brought it to me. Out of 12 bumpers I had to use the e-collar maybe twice. Also, I had turned the collar down to level 2.

After he did the 12 dummies I set him on the ground, dreading the next step. I had put the Wonder lead on him before setting him on the ground. I held the dowel in front of his mouth and said, “fetch”. He took it and held until I said, “give”. I set the dummy on the ground and said, “fetch”. He picked it up. For some reason I went to the end of the Wonder lead in front of him, squatted down and said. “here”. He happily brought it straight to me and held until I said, “give”.

One of the things that is hard to get the dog to understand is that you want them to come straight to you. Lab guys want them to sit in their heeling place but I want them to come straight to me and look me in the eye. I petted him for a bit then had him pick the dummy up from the ground and I walked in front holding the end of the Wonder lead. Again he came straight to me, held until I said, “give”. I hope it’s that easy. The next couple of weeks will tell.

Mann on point.

I worked Abby next. As I heeled her to the retrieving bench I took a check cord down. If I can get them to bring the dummy the length of the check cord then they will be well started on retrieving. Over the next few weeks we will work on lengthening the distance that they carry the dummy.

Abby is a little chunky but that doesn’t keep her from liking the treats. As I walk both sides of the retrieving bench I feed her a few treats. I put the 4 dummies on the bench, petted her for a few seconds then said, “fetch” as I moved my arm toward the dummies. She went right down, slowly, and picked one up. I clapped my hands and said, “alright, here”. She came right to me and held the dummy until I said, “give”. She retrieved all 4 without me touching the e-collar.

I had her do 4 more retrieves and she did fine. I set her on the ground and said, “whoa”. I held a dummy in front of her and said, “fetch”. She took the dummy. I walked to the end of the Wonder lead and said, “here”. She spit out the dummy and happily came to me. I took her back to the starting place, said, “whoa, then fetch”. She took the dummy and I walked to the end of the Wonder lead and said, “hold” then “here”. She brought the dummy to me and spit it into my hand.

Mann is even fancy standing in his pen.

I whoaed her there, held the dummy in front of her and said “fetch”. I went to the starting point, next to the retrieving bench, said, “hold, here”. Just before she got to me I said, “Hold”. She stood in front of me for a few seconds before I said, “give”. She dropped it in my hand. I thought that was a good spot to quit. I heeled her back to the 4-wheeler and let her run for a while.

In all cases when the dog isn’t doing what I want it to do, it’s because I haven’t used the right approach. This isn’t the first time just trying something a little different paid big rewards. If I tried to only do things one way, me nor the dogs would be very happy.