Traveling Pointing Dogs

They are called dog days of summer but they aren’t good for man, dogs or even the pigeons I use. When it is 70 some degrees at 8 am, I’m afraid to put pigeons in the release traps. The release trap has to hold some of the birds heat in and hidden in tall grass and weeds not much wind cools them. Anyway, I don’t work the puppies on the real hot mornings. I do try to let them run for a short period each day. We have had a few cool mornings, when I did work the puppies.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

Stormy pointing a pigeon.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

After I clean pens of the morning I turn the two puppies, Annie and Stormy, loose to run for a few minutes. I have a chain gang set up in the shade where I tie them. Before hooking them to the chain gang I spread some adult dog food where they can find it while I hide birds on the training grounds. Along with the birds they find this is just a few more times they are rewarded for using their nose.

Each time, when I take a pup or any dog, off the chain gang, they must stand still or sit. I don’t use any verbal sounds for this. I just stand until they get quiet. Most of the time at first when I bend over they start jumping again. I stand back and wait. It doesn’t take long for the puppies to learn, they must stand still.

Usually, I work Annie first. I have started to put an e-collar on both puppies at the same time I hook a check cord on them at the chain gang. The e-collars aren’t even turned on, yet. I will let them wear them for a couple of weeks or longer before I even turn the e-collars on.

I haven’t worked on heeling with either pup yet but that is coming soon. I let Annie pull me to the whoa barrel. I help her jump on to it. I style her up saying, “whoa, whoa” over and over. I click a clicker and give her a chunk of hotdog. After about 4 or 5 times I set her on the ground, style her up, click the clicker, give her some hotdog, tap her head and say, “okay”. I hang on to the check cord until we get close to the first pigeon. Otherwise the pups are too far ahead of me.

Annie was on the wrong side of the training grounds, passing the first bird. She was going all out down the edge when she hit the scent cone on the second bird. She swapped ends and slid to a point. I was about 50 yards behind her. I took a picture. I wish I had of been videoing. When I got a little closer I took another picture. She looked good. Before I got all the way to her she took a step and I flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance and went back to hunting.

Stormy pointing a pigeon.

She went over to the neighbor’s side and I followed. Before I got close I could see through some bushes that she was on point. I could just see some white not moving. I kept walking until I got a clear view. But before I could take a picture she took a step. I flushed the pigeon. This bird just flew to a limb right above where the trap was hidden. Annie watched it for a few seconds then we went back to hunting.

There was almost no wind to drift the scent around and the next bird was too tough, I thought. Annie finally pointed it but I thought she should have smelled it a couple of times before she actually did point. She looked good when she did point like she was getting plenty of scent but after just a few seconds I flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance then went back to hunting.

We still had a bird on my side of the training grounds. On the way back Annie was on the right side. She locked up when she hit the scent cone. She looked good and I took several pictures. She never moved and after about 30 to 45 seconds I flushed the pigeon. This bird came out low and she chased it for quite a ways.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

On the way back, when we got close to the retrieving bench I set her on it. I hooked her to the cable that runs the length of the table. I styled her up, clicked the clicker and gave her a chunk of hotdog. We did this in 5 different places on the bench. When I set her on the ground I whoaed her, styled her up, clicked the clicker and gave her a chunk of hotdog. I tapped her head and said, “okay”. I put her back on the chain gang.

After reloading the release traps with pigeons I turned Stormy loose. Actually, I put a check cord on her and lead her to the whoa barrel. She doesn’t jump onto the whoa barrel but she tries. I styled her up saying, whoa, whoa over and over. I clicked the clicker and gave her a chunk of hotdog. After doing this 4 or 5 times on the barrel I set her on the ground and said, “whoa”. After styling her up and stroking her sides I clicked the clicker and gave her a chunk of hotdog. I tapped her head and said, “okay”.

Stormy on the chain gang with a pigeon asleep in front of her.

I held the check cord until we got almost to the first pigeon hidden in a release trap. If I don’t hang onto the check cord the puppies get too far ahead. With all of the trees and brush on my training grounds it is hard to know which pigeon they are pointing. Stormy found the first bird but went so far into the brush to point that I couldn’t get pictures. When the white spot I could see moved I flushed the pigeon. She followed the pigeon out of the cover but didn’t chase far.

She crossed to the neighbor’s side and I followed. Stormy was rounding a clump of brush when she hit the scent cone and froze. She was pretty close to this bird but the way what little wind was blowing and the route she took that was the first opportunity she had to hit the scent cone. I took some pictures. She didn’t move. After about 30 seconds I flushed the pigeon. I don’t like to leave them on point for a long time at this age. The bird flew right toward her and she leaped up and came down with the pigeon. I thought the pigeon was safe at that height but she made a gigantic leap, for a little dog.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

I knelt down and called her to me. She came close then circled me. She ran toward the kennels. I waited a little while then decided she had probably taken it all the way to her house. When she wasn’t there I thought she might want to show it to Annie who was on the chain gang. Before I got to Annie Stormy showed up. Probably, she had been looking for me while I was walking around looking for her. She got close to me and set the pigeon down. I started toward her and she grabbed the pigeon again. This time I got my hands on her check cord and held her. I petted her for a few seconds and I think she was tired of holding the pigeon. She laid it down and I grabbed it. She had the pigeon for close to 5 minutes and it wasn’t hurt. It was wet.

We went to the next two pigeons and she pointed them both. At this age catching a pigeon is no big deal other than I think it gives them more desire to find birds. I never make a big deal out of their catching the pigeon. A pigeon is worth 5 or 6 dollars and a bird dog is worth a lot. Screaming at a puppy for catching a pigeon could really set them back or they might decide that I didn’t want them to find a bird. Then I wouldn’t have anything.

Stormy pointing a pigeon.

When we got close to the retrieving bench I put her on it. I styled her up, saying whoa, whoa over and over. I clicked the clicker and gave her some hotdog. After 5 or 6 times I set her on the ground and said, “whoa”. I styled her up, clicked the clicker and gave her a chunk of hotdog. I tapped her head and said, “okay”.

I took Annie off the chain gang and let them play for a while before putting them back in their kennel. I really enjoy working the puppies and just seeing them learn. Plus I need all of the exercise I can get.

Between the hot weather and the rain it’s hard to get time to train. Even on the hot days we have been doing a little work. I, usually at least, take the puppies for a walk each day. Annie still doesn’t want to come to me when she knows I’m going to put her up. Like a young kid not wanting to go to bed. A few days ago she ran from me making a big circle. I called her a couple of times then went after her. She decided I was angry so she stopped running. I went to her without saying anything, took my belt off and hit her one time. Then put her up.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

Stormy pointing a pigeon.

The next day she came right to me when it was time to go back to the pen. A couple of days later she went to the chain gang when I called her instead of coming to me. I have a chair by the chain gang so I sat down. She came to me and I had her jump onto my lap. I petted her for a while but she was stiff. After a few minutes she softened and laid her head against my chest. I put her in her kennel. We will see how long this lasts or which works the best.

When I work them I clean all of the kennels, put bark collars on the older dogs, turn the puppies, Annie and Stormy, out and attach them to the chain gang. I have the release traps in the bed of the side by side so I just need pigeons. I use the side by side to hide the pigeons then work Annie first.

She’s on the chain gang so I stand close to her until she quits jumping around before I reach to take her off and put her check cord on. I don’t release her right away. I drop the chain from the chain gang and pet her for a few seconds telling her what a good girl she is. I don’t like for the dogs to take the chain hitting the ground as a release. I tap her head and say, “okay”. Then she can move.

On these training days I have a hot dog cut into about 20 pieces in my bag. I put her on the whoa barrel and hook her collar to a rope that hangs down. This rope just keeps her from jumping off. Neither of them try but if they slip I want something to catch them. I style her up saying, “whoa, whoa” over and over. I click a clicker and give her a chunk of hot dog. Annie is doing pretty well on the whoa part. We will get more serious with the whoa command soon but even now I can set her on the scales to weigh her and say, “whoa” and she doesn’t move until I set her off. We do the whoa on the barrel 4 or 5 times then I set her on the ground and say, “whoa”. I style her up on the ground, click the clicker and feed her a chunk of hot dog. She stands until I tap her head and say, “okay”.

There is 4 pigeons hidden on the training grounds. These pups know there are birds there and they don’t wait for me. The last few mornings I have been holding their check cord until we get to the first pigeon. After the first one I can usually keep them in sight.

Stormy pointing a pigeon.

The last morning I worked the puppies Annie pointed her first 2 birds on my side then crossed over to the neighbor’s side. When I finally saw her she was on point about a hundred yards ahead of me. I took a couple of pictures then started toward her. I cut the distance in half but I was keeping an eye on her. Sure enough she decided since I was a way back she would take another step. Just wanted to get a little closer. At her step I flushed the pigeon and said, “what did you do, what did you do”. It didn’t seem to bother her but she didn’t get to point for very long. She can’t catch the bird so the only fun she’s having is pointing. This should make her hold for longer periods of time.

Annie’s last bird she held for a long time. Even if they hold without moving I only let them stand for 30 to 45 seconds. In young puppies sometimes making them stand for a long time can cause a flagging problem, in my opinion. They are rigid for a while then start wanting to see the bird so they start wagging their tail.

Annie from a long distance.

On the way back we pass the retrieving bench and I set her on it. I style her up, make her hold for a few seconds then click and give her a chunk of hot dog. We do that in 4 or 5 different places on the retrieving bench. I set her on the ground say, “whoa”, style her up, click and give her a chunk of hot dog. I tap her on the head and say, “okay” and let her run. I put her back on the chain gang.

After reloading the release traps I went back to the chain gang to get Stormy. She is more hyper than Annie so I have to stand on the main chain of the chain gang and wait for her to stop jumping. Usually, the first time or two I bend over she goes back to jumping. I stand back up and wait. She’s getting better but she’s not there yet. When I can take her chain off and connect a check cord to her collar we go to the whoa barrel.

Both pups try to jump onto the barrel and do with a little help from me. As they jump I say, “up”. Because she’s hyper I have to hook her collar to a rope hanging down from the cross bar on the whoa barrel. I style her up saying, “whoa” over and over. When she stands still I click and give her a chunk of hot dog. We do this 4 or 5 times then I set her on the ground and whoa her again. I click and give her a hot dog then say okay as I tap her head. I hold the check cord until the first bird.

Stormy a long way ahead of me.

I tried to run her with a GPS collar but right now they are too big. The one time I tried she got her front leg through the collar and was not happy when I caught her. She will have to grow into the GPS collar.

A few days ago she pointed her first bird and did a good job. I got a few pictures then flushed the bird. She chased over onto the neighbor’s side. She was quite a ways ahead of me when I heard her making a terrible noise. When I got closer I thought she was fighting my release trap. Some dogs take their frustrations out on the traps. I went to her and then saw what the problem was. With the trap closed she had grabbed the top and some how it released. When the trap spread open her top teeth were hooked on one side and her bottom on the other. This had her mouth spread wide open. She was happy when I grabbed the trap and released her from it.

At her age, 4+ months old, something like this can cause a fear of release traps for a while. We still had a couple of birds out. She worked them both without showing the least bit of fear. She’s tough. Nothing bothers her.

When we got back to the retrieving bench I set her on it and checked her over. No lasting marks. I styled her up, clicked the clicker and fed her some hot dog chunks. After 4 or 5 times I set her on the ground and styled her up saying, “whoa” over and over. I clicked and gave her a chunk of hot dog. I tapped her head and said, “okay”.

Stormy.

I released Annie from the chain gang and let them play for a while as I sat in my chair. A lot of my dog training is just sitting letting the puppies play. I still scatter some dog food on the ground so they are rewarded for using their nose. The chain gang is close to a barb wire fence where they learn to cross and recross by going under the bottom wire. Most of the cuts in the field from barb wire is caused when dogs try to jump it. These puppies are around the fence before they are big enough to jump them.

The weather has been a lot cooler the last few mornings but it’s creeping back up. By the time I finished this morning it was getting pretty warm. The puppies are happy just being worked on pigeons. With Bodie in Nebraska, I put Boss on the chain gang with the two puppies. I may try to get Boss steady to wing and shot and run him in some walking trials. Even if I don’t get him steady he will enjoy all of the birds I will work him on.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

Annie pointing another pigeon.

Stormy pointing a pigeon.

I put a couple of pigeons, in release traps, out on the training grounds and another two in a bird bag. I heeled Boss around the yard a short distance and whoaed him a few times. I whoaed him and put a pigeon to sleep and set it in the grass just in front of Boss. I stroked his sides and walked around him. I walked well out front kicking the grass. I came back beside him and held the Command lead and rolled the pigeon over. He watched the pigeon, tensely, while it took a couple of steps. When it flew away he jumped but didn’t take a step.

I heeled him around whoaing him a few times before whoaing him and putting another pigeon to sleep and setting it in the grass in front of him. Both of these pigeons were in front of the two puppies on the chain gang. I walked around kicking the grass. I held the Command lead and this pigeon woke up on it’s on. Just as I grabbed the Command lead the pigeon stood up. It turned it’s head to see what was around then flew away. Boss didn’t move. I stroked his sides then lead him away. I whoaed him and took the Command lead off, tapped his head to release him to hunt.

It’s been a while since I have worked him on pigeons but he still had to check most of the places where he remembered me putting birds in the past. He crossed to the neighbor’s side and was on point at the very back before I crossed the property line. I took a picture from a distance and then some more as I got closer. He looked good. I had forgotten the handheld for the release traps. I walked in front of him then had to release the bird by hand. Boss didn’t move until the bird was in the air. I whoaed him and set him back. I heeled him a short distance, whoaed him and tapped his head to release him.

Boss squatting, afraid to move.

I was close when he pointed the next bird. He was going really fast and almost ran through the scent cone but squatted to a point. I took some pictures then walked ahead of him, bent over and turned the pigeon loose by hand. He chased as this bird came up. It took about 3 whoas to get him to stop. He was a little excited. Well maybe a lot excited. I stroked his sides then lead him away. I let him free run back to the kennel.

I got the handheld for the release traps and put 2 more traps out for the puppies. They get 4 pigeons each. I took Annie off the chain gang after she settled down. I stand on the main chain and far enough back that the puppies can’t get their feet on me. I wait for them to settle down. It makes getting the e-collars and GPS collars easier to put on. Both of these pups are going so fast it is hard for me to know which bird they are pointing without the GPS collar, so this morning they have the GPS collar.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

I have both of the pups pull a short check cord. This just makes it easier for me to get a hand on them. I don’t ever jerk them around nor do I even touch it when they are pointing birds. I do hold the cord until I turn them loose to hunt. I had Annie jump onto the whoa barrel. I didn’t hook her to the ropes. I just styled her up, clicked a clicker and gave her a chunk of hotdog, after she stood for a few seconds. I did this 4 times then set her on the ground and whoaed her. I gave her a chunk of hotdog, tapped her on the head and said, “okay”. She went hunting.

There are a lot of trees and bushes on both sides of the training grounds. It’s hard to know which bird they are close to. The GPS helps. Annie checked part of my side of the grounds then crossed to the neighbor’s side. She went to the very back and I saw her from a long distance on point. She was a long way from the bird, and I thought she was just getting a little scent. When I got closer she moved up a short distance but had more style. The scent must have been better. I took some pictures waited for her to move. After about 20 seconds she hadn’t moved so I flushed the bird. She chased a short distance and went back to hunting.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

She was closer to the next bird when she hit the scent cone. She pointed and I think the bird was moving around in the trap, making noise. She went toward the trap. I flushed the pigeon. This bird hit a low limb and fluttered. She almost caught the bird, but it got away. I like to see birds do this. It gives the puppies more desire, I think.

Annie was moving with the wind on the next bird. She was almost on top of it when she hit the scent. I flushed it. This bird came out low and she had a good chase. The last pigeon was back on my side of the training ground. We crossed over.

Annie.

Annie was going with the wind, what little there was, and was by the bird before she hit the scent cone. She swapped ends and pointed. By the time she got stopped she must have been out of the scent cone. She looked good for a moment then took a step. I flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance then went back to hunting.

When we came by the retrieving bench I put her on it. After I slipped the clicker on my finger I styled her up saying, “whoa, whoa” over and over. She is pretty good about not moving other than her head. Well, she doesn’t hold her tail up all of the time. But we keep working on it. I style her up ab out 6 or 7 different places on the bench. This is just the start of whoa training. She will whoa when she is close enough for me to put my hands on her. I can set her on my weight scales and tell her to whoa and she will stand still. This is a help when giving worm medicine, tick medicine and making sure she is growing properly.

Stormy.

I reloaded the release traps and lead Stormy to the whoa barrel for a little barrel training. I have to hook her collar to a rope to keep her from hopping off. I style her up and after just a few seconds click and give her a chunk of hotdog. She is more hyper than Annie. Or most dogs of her age in the whole wide world. After 3 times I set her on the ground and whoa her. I make her stand just like on the barrel until I release her with an okay. Then we go hunting.

I started this post a couple of days ago and had written most of Annie’s before today. Instead of trying to remember that day I’m going to tell about this morning with Stormy. I can remember it better.

Stormy

I put a GPS collar on Stormy the last time but it was too big and wouldn’t adjust down to her neck size. As we hunted the time before she came to me with one of her front legs through the collar. She must have been scratching at it and ran a leg through. Anyway, she will have to grow some before I will use it again. But with all of the trees and bushes on the training grounds she is hard to keep up with.

She passed the first pigeon by being on the opposite side of the training grounds then went across to the neighbor’s side. I lost her for a few minutes and then she came to me. It’s easier with a GPS. We went to the back. She was running the edge when she hit the scent cone and pointed. I was 50 yards behind her but had a clear view. She held until I got close and took a couple of pictures. She took a step and I flushed the bird. It only flew a short distance and lit in a tree. She watched it for a while then we went toward the front.

Boss

When we got near the next bird she was ahead of me and I could just see some white through the bushes. She was on point then as I got closer I saw the white move. I flushed the pigeon. This is how they learn. The only fun they get is pointing the bird. She isn’t big enough or fast enough to catch the bird when it flies away. So they learn to point for longer and longer. They need to see a lot of birds.

We crossed back to my side. Again I had to wait for her to show up. I crossed over and called her. After a minute or so she showed up and started down the side. She hit the scent cone and pointed. Almost immediately she wanted to adjust her stance. When she moved I flushed the pigeon. This was a young bird that just flew to a low limb. I lead her away and started toward the front.

Annie

She crossed over to the neighbor’s side. I called her back and she caught up. I was standing closer to the pigeon in the release trap than I thought. I called her and she came right in front of me and went on point. I videoed her with my phone. She held this point for quite a while. First she had her right front foot raised and set it down. I should have flushed the pigeon then but with videoing and holding the release trap handheld, it was more than I could handle. She set that foot down and still didn’t move for a few seconds. She did turn her head. She was trying to pinpoint the bird. Then she started toward the hidden bird. I flushed it. She chased.

When we got close to the retrieving bench I tried to get Stormy to come to me but she was lying in a wet spot that was cool. She didn’t want to move. I went to her and lead her to the retrieving bench. I set her on it and styled her up saying, “whoa, whoa” over and over. I did this 6 or 7 times clicking the clicker and feeding her a chunk of hotdog each time. I set her on the ground and said, “whoa”. I clicked and gave her a chunk of hot dog. I put both pups back in the kennel.

Bodie

That’s the way most of my days start. Working puppies. I really enjoy seeing young dogs learn. They are like pre kindergarten kids. They have to learn everything and through repetition they will. It takes a lot of birds to make a bird dog. But you can’t make one without birds.

I have pretty well settled on the name of Stormy for the new puppy. With Stormy Daniels in the news I almost backed out on the name. But I had the name picked out before she, Stormy Daniels, showed up in the news. Stormy’s registered name will be Windypoint’s Black Storm. To lighten my load of training I sent Bodie to Nebraska/South Dakota with Justin Crook for his summer program. Bodie did really well last season on wild birds, but this should give him a lot more experience. The outlook for the area where Justin trains is for a good hatch of wild birds.

Stormy on the retrieving bench.

Bodie pointing a pigeon.

Bodie pointing a pigeon.

Since Bodie is gone I have been working the puppies most mornings on some pigeons. I have a chain gang set up near the whoa barrel. I clean pens and then let the two puppies out and we walk to the chain gang. One morning, before Bodie left, Annie wouldn’t go near the chain gang. In fact, she went back to her pen. I put her in the kennel and worked Bodie and Stormy in front of her. I made sure Annie could hear me praising them. The next time I turned her loose she went to the chain gang.

When I first started working Annie on the pigeons in release traps, she would take a step or two back when the bird was flushed. And sometimes, it looked like she was almost blinking the bird. She would circle the release trap but only some of the time. Sometimes it didn’t seem to bother her. I had introduced her to the trap the way I do most of the pups.

I started flushing the pigeons as soon as I could see her react in the slightest way to scenting the pigeon. If she just turned her head toward the hidden pigeon as she ran by, I flushed the bird. Most of the time she was quite aways from the bird. Now after several weeks of birds, she doesn’t seem affected at all. But as with all dog training, we must be vigilant and read our dogs. Fix things as they happen instead of letting them accumulate.

Now to what we have been doing, lately. I put both puppies on the chain gang and go get 5 or 6 pigeons. I hide 3 birds, fairly close together, on the training grounds. I put a pigeon in a release trap, with a string tied to it’s feet, in front of the whoa barrel and another on a string on a short PVC pipe. Some of the time while I’m getting these birds ready, I put a pigeon to sleep right in front of the puppies.

Annie pointing a pigeon.

Then I put a short check cord on Annie and lead her to the whoa barrel. She has been on the barrel enough that she jumps on with a little help from me. I have a couple of ropes dropped down from the beam at the top that I snap to her collar and one around her flanks. I style her up telling her whoa over and over. I walk out front and all around her telling her whoa in a calm manner. Some of the time I use a clicker and give her a chunk of hotdog.

I whoa her and flush the pigeon from the release trap. Until she got over her fear or whatever it was of the release trap I put the trap right in front of the whoa barrel. I flushed the bird from the release trap several times. With the neck and flank straps she couldn’t step back. This may have helped get her past her problem with the release traps. I flew the bird tied to the PVC pole right in front of her. After a few times with both birds I took the strings off and let the pigeons fly away from right in front of her. I think all of this builds desire.

Boss loves the retrieving bench. He jumped on it so I would pet him there.

When I set her on the ground I whoaed her. I style her up just as I did on the barrel. I tap her head and we go hunting the birds hidden in the bird field. It’s hard to get pictures of Annie on point because most days she doesn’t point for very long. Although I want pictures, it’s more important that I keep an eye on her to flush the pigeons when they need to be released. Annie is really hardheaded, which is not a bad trait for a bird dog. Some days, as I closely watch, she will just turn toward the bird when she smells it. I flush the bird. Other days she will point just as soon as she hits the scent cone. She looks great, with a high head and straight tail. But she seldom points for very long. This is not a big problem. She will learn to hold for longer periods of time.

On the way back to the chain gang we pass the retrieving bench. I help her up on it and pet her. Most times, I click the clicker and give her a chunk of hotdog. Then I whoa her and style her up. When she stands for just a second, I click and give her a piece of hotdog. I walk to different spots on the retrieving bench and style her up. After 5 or 6 times I put her back on the chain gang.

Bodie pointing a pigeon.

Then it’s Stormy’s time. After I reload the release traps, I put a couple of pigeons in a bird bag. She’s young enough to be right under my feet until we start to the bird field. There is no reason for a check cord. I put her on the whoa barrel. I style her up but she is still learning and still wants to move. She has fallen off the barrel, but it didn’t make much of an impression. I do style her up and walk around her telling her to whoa.

Getting her to stand still is a challenge. But she’s young. She will come around. I turn a pigeon loose from the bird bag right in front of her. I style her up after she quits watching the pigeon as it flies away. Even at this young age she watches the birds fly off with all of her attention. I let another bird fly from my hand. I set her on the ground and whoa her. I tap her head and we start to the bird field.

Bodie again.

I walk these pups, usually, twice a day. There is a distinct difference when there are birds hidden and when we just go for a walk. There is about 10 weeks difference in these two pups, but Stormy is more aggressive with the pigeons, when she catches one, than Annie. Stormy also holds her point for a longer period than Annie. Just difference in puppies. Doesn’t necessarily make one better than the other.

Stormy is just over 10 weeks old and she already checks each place that I have hidden a bird for her in the past as we go through the bird field. But she is using her nose. She doesn’t point the spots but just slows down and uses her nose. I run the side by side on both sides so there is a lot of tracks. I don’t want them to learn to follow the side by side to find the birds.

After she finds the 3 birds that are hidden in the bushes we go back by the retrieving bench. I set her on the bench and style her up, saying whoa over and over. Usually, 5 different places on the bench. Annie was much easier to get to stand still than Stormy. Stormy is pretty hyper but she’s learning that she has to be still to get some hotdog. It’s amazing how hard all of the dogs work for just a little sliver of hotdog.

Annie pointing a pigeon asleep in the tall grass.

It’s going to be really hot even early in the morning for the next couple of days so I may not work them on birds but I will still walk them a couple times a day. Not only is this good for them it’s also good for me.