Traveling Pointing Dogs

This week I have been trying to work the young dogs twice a day on the retrieving bench. Monday, after I worked them on the bench I let them run for a while and put them back on the bench. They were panting, so their mouth was already open. There was no reason to squeeze their jowls but with this system squeezing their jowls is necessary. So Tuesday I started doing the retrieving bench morning and evening.

Bodie circling the multi-floral-rose.

Bodie pointing a pigeon.

Bodie on the whoa board.

This has been a good week for working the dogs. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I worked the 3 young dogs, Abby, Boss and Bodie, on retrieving on the bench and the other 2, Sally and Mann with thrown dummies. Thursday, Vince Dye and I went to Kansas and ran our dogs on a big ranch. Then Friday and Saturday I worked the 3 young dogs on the bench twice a day and threw some bumpers for Sally and Mann.

I have only been squeezing the jowls on the young dogs for a short time, I think since Monday, but they all 3 learned to open their mouth when my hand covers their jowls. This is the first time I have used this method to teach force breaking but it should make the ear pinch go much easier.

Usually, I work Bodie first. Monday and Wednesday, I had him pull the chains hooked to a roading harness. He spent 31 days in a cast with a broken hind leg. My plan is to have him pull about 15 pounds of chains to help build up his hind quarters. He ran a long way at the big ranch Thursday and was sore the next day. I will let him rest until next Monday. He ran for quite a while really well then started limping on that leg. He never carried the leg or quit but he was really limping by the time we got back to the truck.

When I hook the chains on Bodie’s roading harness we go toward the highway in my front then across the front and back to the shed where I keep the chains. This is less than a half mile but it should help his hind quarters. When I take the chains off we go to the three place boards I have in my yard and I have him whoa on each. Usually, I whoa him a couple of times before we get to the place boards then on all 3 places boards. I drop the Wonder lead and walk all around him each time I whoa him.

When we get to the retrieving bench I have him jump on. He could jump on by himself but he doesn’t have the confidence without my help. He’s a chow hound and I feed him some treats as I walk him back and forth on the bench petting him. The book I’m using for force breaking, Tom Dokken’s “Retriever Training”, says to only squeeze their jowls 4 or 5 times but I usually do 6 because it works on my bench. I do 3 times, the start, the middle and the end of the bench on one side then the end and back to the start on the other side of the bench and back around to the front and do 1 at the start again. Then I give a couple more treats.

Bodie pointing a pigeon.

Bodie is getting better about coming to me but still isn’t great so I have him drag a check cord. I lift all my dogs off the retrieving bench because I don’t want them jumping off. I don’t want them to decide when the session is over. That’s my job. I set him on the ground and let him run to the back while I walk all the way to the back then to the kennel. I have moved a chair into the big pen, part of the time, in an empty kennel and part of the time into the yard. I have each dog come to me and I give them a couple of treats and pet them. I want each one to think he’s my favorite.

After I put Bodie up I bring either Boss or Abby out and work them just the same other than I just heel them over to the place boards whoaing them a time or two before we get to the place boards. I whoa them on the place boards and walk all around them. They both have been whoa broke but I want them used to working on the place boards so when I start walking them with the retrieving dummies, I can have them stop on the place boards for a better delivery, of the dummy.

Abby the first time she jumped onto the bench, peeking around the tree at me.

Early in the week I started whoaing Boss a short distance from the retrieving bench, taking the Wonder lead off and tapping his head and saying, “up”. He run to the bench and jumps on. I had always helped Abby because she was bigger and heavier she didn’t jump on without a little help. About the middle of the week after I worked her on the bench I let her run to the back. She was ahead of me when we got back to the bench and she jumped on without my help. As I came up she was peeking around the tree at me.

So now her and Boss both are whoaed just short of the bench and they have to jump onto it. Mann sometimes jumps on just to get me to pet him but Sally never does.

I have a Dokken quail, chukar and dove full body dummies that I throw for Sally and Mann. Both of them have been force broke to retrieve. I paid someone to force break Mann and he put a lot of pressure on him. Mann retrieves really well in the field when he sees the bird drop. He would really rather go find a live bird as to hunt dead. I can make him but he doesn’t like it.

Sally retrieving the Dokken quail.

As soon as I heel him out with the Wonder lead he tenses up. I thought the treats would free him up some but they haven’t. When I throw a dummy and he starts after it I wait until he’s on his way back and toss another dummy, just a short distance, to the side. Sometimes one on both sides of me. I have Mann hold until I tell him to give. I’ve learned that he will occasionally take a treat but he would rather that I just pet him for a long time between tosses.

Late in the week he was less tense than where he started the first of the week. I think I will get him through this soon. After I let him run I take him back to the kennel and sit in the chair and pet him. He stands without moving. All he wants is to be petted. Boss is about the same way but he crawls into my lap. And he’s a lap full.

Sally does the retrieves really well but she will do about anything for a treat. I throw the dummies to the side farther for her because she will search harder than Mann does, right now. I think as Mann gains confidence he will hunt harder. Sally also likes to be petted but she will bowl me over for a treat. Sitting in a plastic chair has it’s drawbacks when there is an almost 50 pound dog trying to get at the treat.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

The way I’m working the dogs here at the house I walk about 6 miles a day average. Not only is it good for the dogs it’s really good for this old man.

It’s hard to get time to train dogs in this kind of weather. So far, today February 24, the high temperature has been 18 degrees with snow most of the day. The only day, so far this week, that has been warm enough for dog training, was Monday. The dogs and I had a good day. I worked all 5 dogs, Sally and Mann on retrieving, because they have been force broke and the others, Abby, Boss and Bodie on the bench, in the first part of force breaking.

Sally retrieving the Dokken quail.

Mann honoring Ally.

Mann on point with Sally honoring.

I’m following Tom Dokken’s system from his book “Retriever Training”. He says that you should train twice a day, everyday. When it’s snowing and really cold I have no place to train. I’m sorry Tom. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I skipped the training. It should get to 30 degrees tomorrow with a north west wind of about 8 mph. I may be able to get them out tomorrow.

Monday, when I trained, I took Mann out first. He’s in the last kennel and usually get’s trained last. Mann retrieves in the field really fast but he doesn’t really enjoy retrieving in the yard. I have a small sack of treats and I give him one when he retrieves correctly. That makes it a little more fun for him.

I’ve got a Dokken dove and quail dummy that I use on Mann and Sally. For Mann I threw the quail about 20 yards and said, “fetch”. When he started back toward me I threw the dove off to my right about 10 yards. He brought the quail to me and held it until I said, “give”. I gave him a treat and waited for him to eat it. The treats I have are really hard. When he swallowed his treat I waved in the direction of the dove and said, “fetch”. He made a short circle without getting close to the dove. I walked toward the dove and I kept saying, “fetch”. He found the dove and I moved back where I had started. He dropped it in my hand and I gave him another treat.

We did the same exercise about 5 or 6 times. Each time he hunted for the second bird, that I threw when he was bringing in the first, he made his circle too short. Later, it dawned on me that I need to throw the second dummy shorter, until he gains some confidence in finding the second bird, then lengthen the throws. This is stressful for Mann. I let each of the dogs run after working with them but he really needs it. As he runs I can see the stress leave him. I let him run for a little while then we went back to the kennel.

I put a chair in the big pen so I could sit and pet the dogs before I put them back in their kennel. I also give them a treat or two while I pet them. I want each one of them to think that I think they are my favorite. When I turned the dogs into the big pen, to clean kennels, the males decided my chair was a good place to hike their leg. I have one empty kennel so I moved the chair into it and keep the gate closed unless I call a dog into that kennel.

Boss on the retrieving bench.

I brought Sally out and put her on whoa. I threw the quail as far as I could and said, “fetch”. Sally, happily, ran out for the quail. When she turned back toward me I threw the dove off to my right. Sally loves the treats and dropped the quail in my hand. I gave her the treat and when she had eaten it I waved my hand in the direction of the dove and said, “fetch”. She grabbed the dove and dropped it in my hand. I gave her another treat.

We did this 5 or 6 times then I let her run. We went all the way to the back then back to the kennel. I called her into the empty kennel and spent a few minutes petting her. And giving her treats. She loves the treats.

I want the dogs, Abby, Boss and Bodie, to deliver whatever they retrieve straight to my front so I put 3 place boards in my yard. I work each dog on the place boards. I heeled Abby toward the first place board but I whoaed her a couple of times before we got to it. As soon as she stepped on the place board I said, “whoa”. I walked around her and tugged on the Wonder lead. I went right in front of her and rubbed her ears so I would be right in front of her and she would have her head up. That’s the way I want her to deliver the retrieved object. She wouldn’t move until I tapped her head and said “heel”. I worked her on all three place boards.

Bodie on the snowy place board.

Dokken’s book says work them twice a day for about 5 repetitions. She jumped onto the retrieving bench and I walked her back and forth, petting her. I held my gloved hand in front of her mouth and squeezed her jowls against her teeth. I have pried their mouth open and put my hand in their mouth often enough they know what I want. It didn’t take much for her to take my hand. I had her hold for just a couple of seconds then said, “give”. She moved her head off my hand. After 5 times of this I set her on the ground and let her run.

When we came back by the retrieving bench I had her jump on it, again. This is the only way I have time to work them twice a day. I let them run for about 5 to 10 minutes then put them back on the bench. I try to do everything exactly the same way we did before. I walk them back and forth, petting them. Then do the 5 repetitions of the squeeze their jowls and insert the hand. Small steps and they get it pretty quick. I set Abby on the ground and let her run back to the kennel. I sat in the chair, petted her and gave her some treats before putting her back in her kennel.

Abby stopped to check something.

Boss heels better than any of my dogs. He never tries to get ahead of me. His head is right by my left knee, always. I whoaed him a couple of times before we got to the place boards. I worked him on each of them, making sure to get right in front of him, rub his ears and get his head up. That’s how I want his retrieves to be. He jumped onto the retrieving bench when we got close.

I petted him as he walked up and down the bench. This is the first morning of me squeezing their jowls and putting my hand in their mouth and it went really well. With very little pressure he opened his mouth and held my gloved hand. I had him hold for just a couple of seconds then said, “give”. He moved his head off my hand. We did this 5 times and I set him on the ground. I let him run for a while.

Sally pointing a cripple.

When he came back close he jumped onto the bench. Mann and Boss both jump on the bench before I get close. They enjoy being petted and being face to face with me. Plus now I’m giving them treats. This, also, shows that I’m not putting too much stress on them, I think.

Boss and I did the 5 times with the jowl squeeze and insert hand and I set him on the ground. I let him run as I walked back to the kennels. I petted him while I sat in the chair. Boss doesn’t really care for the hard treats. I have to crush them before he will eat them. On the retrieving bench it’s easy to lay them on the bench and mash them. Sitting in a plastic chair it’s a little harder but I get it done. I put him in his kennel.

Mann pointing quail.

Bodie was last and he’s been telling me that he should have been first. He whined every time I took another dog from the kennel. But that gets him fired up. He still wants to lead when we heel so I do a lot of 180’s. So far he’s not really daunted by this. As soon as we get started in the direction he knows we are going he tries to lead. But he’s starting to get the whoa thing. As we go toward the place boards I whoa him, drop the Wonder lead and walk circles around him. He doesn’t move.

When we get to the place boards he tries to not step on them until I force him. I walk right beside the board and he has to step on. I say, “whoa” as soon as all 4 feet are on the board. He’s done this enough times that he knows to not move his feet. I walk a circle around him then rub his ears. Then I tap his head and say, “heel” and we go to the next place board. After the third place board I have him jump on the retrieving bench.

He will jump onto his house without me being there but he doesn’t have confidence that he can jump onto the retrieving bench. I think he still vividly remembers breaking his leg. But with just a little help he jumps onto the bench.

Sally on point.

I walk him back and forth petting him. We go through the squeezing the jowls and inserting the fingers 5 times and I pet him some more. I gave all of the dogs a few treats on the bench. He loves the treats and gobbles them down. I set him on the ground and let him run for a while. There is a clump of brush close to the retrieving bench that it’s hard to get him away from. It’s low growing brush with one large multi floral rose bush that, evidently, birds like to roost. He runs around the multi floral rose and through the brush for a long time before he will go to the back.

When I put him back on the bench he was panting pretty hard. He has quite a bit of hair and the day was warming. I just put my hand on his jowls and placed my fingers behind his canine teeth. He did close his mouth around my fingers when I said, “hold”. So he is understanding what we’re doing. After 5 repetitions I set him on the ground but I heel him back to the kennel. He is learning “here” but he doesn’t always do it. He likes to explore and I’m afraid he will go to the highway out front. I turned him loose in the big pen and when I sat down in the chair I called him to me. He likes to be petted and the treats never hurt anything, either.

I have been working Bodie on heel and whoa since I got the cast taken off his leg. But I hate to see the other dogs just sit in their kennel while I work him, so most days I work all 5 of them on something. Bodie needs lots of running as well since he spent over a month with his left hind leg in a cast. He broke his leg by jumping for a pigeon sitting on a low tree limb and landed wrong.

To help build Bodie’s legs up I’ve got him pulling some heavy chains.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

This morning I started Bodie pulling some heavy chains. I’m hoping this will help build his leg muscles up. Being in a cast for so long didn’t do them any good.

Abby and Boss retrieved a few birds last season but they also picked birds up and went away from me. Since they needed to be worked on retrieving I just started working Bodie on retrieving, also. Normally, I wouldn’t do the force retrieve on a pup of this age. But Bodie is mature for his age and I’m going to go really slow. I have several books that talk about force breaking to retrieve but have decided to follow Tom Dokken’s book, “Retriever Training”.

I have used the string on the foot before and it works but with Tom Dokken’s method you get the dog used to you putting something in the dog’s mouth before you ever do the ear pinch. For me, since I’m not having to do this in a hurry for a client, I can go as slow or fast as I want.

I started yesterday, although I had made Bodie hold a dowel rod, having him hold my fingers. I had a leather glove on my right hand and pried his mouth open and put my fingers in his mouth, holding on with my thumb under his chin. As soon as he quit fighting me I said, “give” and he moved his mouth off my fingers. They learn “give” really quick. They don’t want the gloved fingers in their mouth. I had him hold my fingers 5 times then set him on the ground.

I heeled him to the back whoaing him every few yards. As we started back toward the front I released him to run. He needs this happy timing to relearn to use his leg, I think. I never see him limp but when he slows down from a dead run he throws his foot to the side. Most people, would never notice anything wrong with the way he runs but I watch for anything.

I put two pigeons in release traps out on my side of the training grounds and heeled Abby out. I had placed three raised platforms in the yard to work all of the dogs on so I heeled her to them and made her whoa. After the whoa boards I heeled her to the retrieving bench. I have worked with her and Boss both on the retrieving bench before but today was a new start.

Abby concentrating on a pigeon.

I walked her back and forth petting her. Then I pried her mouth open, placed my fingers behind her canine teeth and waited for her to quit fighting. As soon as she quit I said, “give” and she moved her head off my fingers. I did this 5 times and set her on the ground. I heeled her away then whoaed her. I released her to hunt.

These dogs all run different when I have birds out than when I don’t have birds out. And they know. She was on the wrong side of the training grounds to smell the first bird and went to the neighbor’s side then right back to my side. Just as soon as they don’t smell the 4-wheeler tracks on the neighbor’s side they come right back to my side. They all do it, too. Call them dumb animals if you want but I don’t.

Abby on point.

Abby went to the back and hit the scent cone and whirled around. She took a step forward and froze. I was still 50 yards behind her but watched to make sure she didn’t move. I walked around in front kicking the ground. I took a couple of pictures then flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move until I flushed the pigeon then chased it back toward the coop.

She came back, running the edges, looking for another bird. She hit the scent cone on the next one and went on point. I walked in front of her and flushed the pigeon. She chased back toward the coop. I put her in her kennel.

I reloaded the release traps and heeled Boss out. I worked him on the place boards then had him jump onto the retrieving bench. After petting him for a while I pried his mouth open and placed my gloved fingers behind his canine teeth. As soon as he quit fighting I said, “give” and he moved his head off my fingers. We did this 5 times and I set him on the ground. I released him to hunt.

He was going really fast when he hit the scent cone and slid to a stop. I walked to him after taking pictures and stroked his sides. I walked in front kicking the cover and flushed the pigeon. He chased the bird toward the front then came back and went back to hunting.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

He was way off the next bird when he hit the scent cone but he pointed but was wagging. I went to him and tapped his head and said, “okay”. He moved up about 3 steps and got real rigid. I made a circle around him to his front. I kicked the ground, shook some bushes and made a lot of noise before flushing the pigeon. He didn’t move until the bird was in the air. I took him back to the kennel.

I reloaded the release traps and brought Bodie out. He doesn’t like for me to ride the 4-wheeler so I was way behind him when he pointed the first bird. He was holding real well so I took a video with my cell phone. I did get a picture but I almost forgot. I slowly went in front of him but he moved before I could get close to the pigeon and I flushed it. He chased far enough that I could have shot the blank pistol but I didn’t have it with me.

Bodie watching a pigeon in the tree.

We went on to the back and he pointed the next bird but before I could get close he moved and I flushed it. It only flew to a tree that was near. He pointed the bird in the tree so I threw a stick close to make it fly. He followed a short distance. We went back to the kennel.

Mann and Sally have both been force broke to retrieve but neither is really crazy about retrieving. Just to get them out of the kennel and to make them learn to like to retrieve I decided to work with them. I put 3 dummies out in a row and heeled Mann toward them. When we got close I said, “fetch”. He acted like he had never heard the word before. I had an e-collar on him but I didn’t have the transmitter with me. I never need it.

I had no way of making him pick the retrieving dummies up. I put him back in his kennel without letting him run or anything. Straight back to his kennel.

Sally retrieving.

I brought Sally out. When we got close to the dummies I said, “fetch” and she rolled the dummy around without picking it up. I said, “fetch” with a little more authority and she picked it up. I took it from her and gave her a treat. We went to the second one. I said, “fetch” and she grabbed it. I said, “give” and she dropped it in my hand. I gave her another treat.

Then I threw the dummy for her about 5 times. She retrieved it happily each time but she waited for her treat. I let her run for a few minutes then put her in the kennel.

I got my transmitter for the e-collar. I brought Mann back out and said, “fetch” when we got close to a dummy. He had never heard that word before. I held the transmitter button down on low 3. He gritted his teeth and stood there. I went to medium 3 and he said, “oh you want me to pick that up. No problem”. He grabbed the dummy and held it until I said, “give”. We went to the next one. He picked it up and held it until I asked for it.

Sally was closer for this picture.

I tossed the bumper out a ways and he brought it back. I gave him a treat and threw it again. I didn’t think he saw where it went but the second time I said, “fetch” he ran to it, scooped it up and came back. He dropped it in my hand and I gave him a treat. He got a lot better about retrieving. He liked the treats.

I worked with them again this morning. I had to use the e-collar on the first bumper but I threw a Dokken quail dummy and he retrieved it several times. Each time he got a treat when he did everything right. I will continue the treats. This, for both Mann and Sally, is making a difference.

Boss honoring.

When I worked Sally this morning I wanted a picture of her retrieving. Years ago, I was running Sally’s dad in a hunt test. He had completed everything he had to do to pass in just a few minutes but they ran them for 20 or 30 minutes. I wanted to take a picture of him and when I raised the camera he stopped and styled up. A judge that was close laughed and said that was the first time he had ever seen a dog pose for he camera.

As Sally was coming toward me with the Dokken quail dummy I raised the camera and she stopped. I went ahead and took the picture. When I dropped the camera she started to me again. I raised the camera and she stopped again. I took another picture then when I lowered the camera she came on to me. She never dropped the dummy until I said, “give”.

Both of these dogs really enjoy the treats they get when they retrieve. I think I will work with them through out the summer on retrieving and see if they don’t really get to where they enjoy the retrieving. Even if it’s just the treats I think it will make them much better retrievers.