Traveling Pointing Dogs

Turkey season isn’t as long as deer season is, in the fall, deer season goes on forever, but it seems really long. Usually the weather is nice when turkey season is open and I hate to miss even a little of the cool weather. But there are turkey hunters to the west of me and I don’t want to risk a dog. If one of my dogs ran their turkey off they might just shoot the dog, thinking it was a stray.

I try to really hide the release trap.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

We have had a lot of rain this spring and everything is wet and muddy. I don’t like to drive the 4-wheeler on the neighbor’s side of the training grounds when it’s really wet so when I put out birds I only use my side.

I am still working the dogs on whoa but they have all finished with the whoa posts. Before this week Abby has been in heat so I have worked her and Sally last to keep the males from having their mind on something besides training. But now she is out of season so I worked Sally first then Abby.

I put the e-collar transmitter on momentary stimulation. I had an e-collar around Sally’s neck and another around her flanks. I also had the GPS collar on her. I probably don’t need the GPS collar as much as I have worked these dogs here, on these grounds, but I would rather have it and not need it as not have it when I need it.

Another thing I do with the collars is the dog must be standing still. Their dog house is in the kennel and the dogs jump onto the house. I stand in front of them until they settle down before putting the collars on them.

Mann almost never moves around. He just stands while I put everything on him whether he’s on the dog house or I’m getting ready to turn him loose in the field. Boss may jump off his house and back on two or three times before I put anything on him. Sally and Abby are somewhere in between these two. But they all will stand still for the collars. A few times I’ve gone to another dog when I was trying to get Boss to settle down. Any bad behavior can be trained out of any dog with enough repetition.

I heeled Sally toward the back. Four or five times I hit the transmitter button on low 2 momentary and then said, “whoa”. She stopped as soon as she felt the momentary stimulus. I whoaed her then tapped her head and said, “okay” for her to run. I walked to the very back while she ran.

Sally gets a little sticky when we’re working on whoa. As she runs I hit the transmitter on 2 low, momentary. She does better on the stimulus when she’s at heel than she does as she runs. But when I say, “whoa”, she stops. A few more repetitions and she will stop as soon as she feels the momentary stimulation, I think.

Boss pointing a pigeon in a tree.

When we got to the retrieving bench she jumped onto it, with my help. I petted her then told her to whoa and put 3 dummies on the other end of the bench. She retrieved all 3. I petted her some more then said, “whoa” as I set her on the ground. I placed 3 retrieving dummies on the ground in front of her. I sent her to retrieve them. She got the first two but when she went for the third one she found a stick and brought it. I sent her for the other dummy. She grabbed it and brought it back.

I released her to run. When I got to the rock wall surrounding the water faucet I sat down and petted her. The dogs all seem to like this routine but I think Mann likes it better than the others. He would stay as long as I would stroke him, I think. I put her in the kennel.

Abby was next. She was really bad about moving around as I put the collars on her but now she just wants to lick me. After I led her out I whoaed her several times by hitting the transmitter on low 2, momentary. She has this figured out. After a few times I tapped her head and said, “okay”. She understands this. She’s off like a shot.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

The dogs learn real quick what they want to do. Although right now Boss is a little sticky when we’re working on whoa when I say “okay” to the others they know they have been released. Boss and Abby learned real quick what “give” meant. They want the retrieving dummy out of their mouth. When they are on “whoa” they want to be released.

We went on to the back and as she ran I hit the transmitter on low 2 momentary and said, “whoa” twice. She stopped more on the whoa but she slowed when I hit the momentary stimulus. We went on to the retrieving bench. She jumped onto it with my help.

After petting her I opened her mouth and placed a retrieving dummy behind her canine teeth. I have done this enough that she almost opens for the retrieving dummy but not quite. She doesn’t fight me. I use hold and give. When I say, “give” I hold the end of the dummy and she has to move her head off it. But she wants it out and she learned give really quickly. I had her hold and give 6 times on the bench.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

I petted her some more then set her on the ground. I had her hold and give on the ground but just one time. When I tapped her head and said, “okay” she was gone like a shot. But when I got sat down on the rock wall around the water faucet she came running. These dogs enjoy the petting they get. I put her in the kennel.

It takes a while to get the e-collars and GPS collars on Boss. When I first step into his kennel he jumps onto his house then back off then back on. He’s excited. I make him stand still and not jump around before I even start. After each collar I have to wait for a few seconds. Finally, I get them on him and lead him out.

I whoa him several times with the e-collar before letting him run. He gets sticky when I work him on whoa. Sometimes when I tap his head and say, “okay”, he stays on whoa. When I tap him the second time he will release. When we get near the back I stop him a couple of times with the momentary then we head for the retrieving bench.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

He jumps onto the bench with no help from me. After I pet him I place the retrieving dummy behind his canine teeth and say, “hold”. He and Abby both are panting as I work them on the bench but they don’t try to clench their teeth as I put the dummy in their mouth. On the hold I still have my hand under their chin. But they hold fairly well. I hate to do the force retrieve but they are ready for it. I need to start. I had him hold and give once on the ground then released him to run.

Boss was close to the water faucet when I got there. I petted him for several minutes before putting him back in the kennel.

I let Luke run for a while then sat at the water faucet and petted him. Luke is even starting to like this attention. I then put everything on Mann and worked him. Mann whether, on the tail gate of the truck or on his house, stands and lets me put everything on him. He stands and waits. I worked him on the whoa and heel. Then whoa as he ran on the training grounds.

Abby pointing a chukar.

I worked him on the retrieving bench then beside it. He retrieved as he was taught. Of all my dogs he likes for me to sit at the water faucet and pet him. And I enjoy doing it. We may sometimes sit a long time but that’s okay. I put him in his kennel.

I put three pigeons, in release traps, on the training grounds. I hide them so the dogs can’t see them. I don’t want them sight pointing.

I put all of the collars back on Abby and heeled her close to the 4-wheeler. I put her on whoa and got on the 4-wheeler, started it and said, “okay”. When the dogs know there are birds on the training grounds it’s hard for me to keep up even with the 4-wheeler.

I had left a strip of grass down the middle of the training grounds to hide birds. I had a pigeon in the tall grass then about 50 yards down another then another 50 yards another. There was almost no breeze. Abby went along the edge on one side then back the other side. When she didn’t find the birds she started crisscrossing the field. She hit the scent cone on the farthest bird and pointed. I stroked her sides and told her what a good girl she is then kicked in front of her.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

After taking pictures I went back and stroked her sides again. I went back in front kicking the cover then flushed the pigeon. She was really staunch until the bird left the ground. Then she was charging the bird. A slow bird will get caught but on this day all of the birds escaped. This bird flew low back toward the pigeon coop and she was right behind it.

When she came back she hit the scent cone of the first bird and pointed. I stroked her sides and kicked in front her then flushed the pigeon. She chased a little way then went back to hunting.

She pointed the third bird. I stroked her sides then walked in front of her kicking the cover then flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance then came back to the release trap. After sniffing it she went back to hunting. I sat at the water faucet and petted her for a while before kenneling her.

I reloaded the release traps and brought Boss out. As I get on the 4-wheeler with him on whoa he’s trembling, waiting for the release. I said, “okay” and he took off. I followed on the 4-wheeler.

Mann pointing a pigeon.

He went down the edge then crisscrossed the field and hit the scent cone on the bird at the end of the field and pointed. I took some pictures then stroked his sides. I walked in front of him kicking the cover. I went back and stroked his sides. I went back in front and flushed the pigeon. The bird came right back over his head and stayed low. He chased a long way.

He came back and went to hunting. He hit the scent cone on the middle bird and pointed. As I got close he took a step and I flushed the pigeon. He chased a ways then came back. As he got close to the next bird he got a little scent and pointed. He wasn’t getting a good scent so I said, “okay”. He moved up a couple of steps and went back on point. As I started to him he took a step and I flushed the pigeon. He chased. I petted him at the faucet them put him up.

Boss in the berry vines pointing a chukar..

Boss last season was doing really well. When he went on point he stayed on point. Now he’s moving on his points. Not a big deal. Now is a good time for him to try different things and we can get it worked out before season starts. I’m going to just let them do what they want for a couple of months, on these pigeons, then before season starts I will demand more from them. They may figure it out on their own but if not, with them being well broke to whoa by then, I will make them stand.

Thank you for reading my blog posts. I’ve been writing the blog for several years and it has hit several milestones but over the weekend it went over a million hits. For me that is a big deal. I enjoy writing the blog. It gets me up, working with the dogs and moving around but without people to read it I wouldn’t continue to write. So thank you very much for reading the posts.

The counter on my blog showing over 1 million.

I’m sitting on the rock wall petting Boss.

Petting Abby.

The weather the first part of this week is extremely warm. With turkey season being open I don’t like to train the dogs until it closes at 1:00 pm. The next few days will be too warm for the dogs but I worked them last Thursday and Friday, that I haven’t written about.

I turned Luke loose and let him run for a little while both days. He’s getting better about letting me pet him, while I sit on the rock wall, but not a lot. After just a few minutes he’s ready to go back into his kennel. That’s the way retired guys are, I guess.

Mann knew whoa in the field but when I started working him on the whoa post he showed stress. His tail was tucked under and when I petted him he looked away from me. After I turned him loose, after being on the whoa post, he still showed some stress for a little while. After running for a few minutes he was okay. I quit working him for a while but decided he needed to work through the stress.

When I worked Mann on the whoa posts his tail was up, when we went from post to post, and he even smelled my breath. Friday I thought he had enough of the whoa posts. At each post after pulling him until the half hitch around his flanks was taut, I led him 180 degrees until the whoa post rope got taut again. As soon as he acknowledged me I took the whoa post rope off and went to the next whoa post.

I let him run for a few minutes then called him to the retrieving bench. He really likes the bench. He jumps on without any command or help of any kind. I petted him for a while then put 3 dummies on the end of the bench and had him retrieve each one. I do a lot of petting in between retrieves.

I don’t let my dogs jump off the bench or off the tail gate of the truck. I don’t want the dogs to think they can end a session when they want, by jumping down, plus it’s hard on their joints. I set Mann on the ground and then we went to the water faucet where I petted him for a few minutes. I think he would stay all day. I put him back in his kennel.

Boss jumped on the bench . I wasn’t even close.

I brought Boss out next. Now that Mann is through with the whoa posts I pulled them up and stored them in the shed. I had an e-collar around Boss’s flanks and as I led him toward the back I pressed on the e-collar transmitter on 2 low and then said, “whoa”. After the first time he whoaed when I pushed on the transmitter button and before I could say, “whoa”. So he understands that he has to stop when he is stimulated on his flanks. That’s what all of the heeling and whoaing as we walked around the yard and all of the whoa posts were supposed to teach. Looks like it worked.

I turned Boss loose to run and he made a bee-line to the retrieving bench and jumped onto it. I wanted him to run for a while but since he was on the bench we played on it. I petted him a bunch then had him hold a dummy for a few seconds then with me holding the end of the dummy saying, “give”. I held the dummy still and he had to move his mouth off the dummy. We did this 6 times then I set him on the ground.

Abby on whoa.

I walked toward the back with him and as he ran I hit the transmitter button on low 2 and said, “whoa” while holding up my hand like a traffic cop. He stopped. I walked to him and stroked his sides then tapped his head to release him. I only whoaed him two times then we started back to the kennel. As we passed the retrieving bench he jumped onto it again. I petted him again before setting him on the ground and going to the rock wall. I petted him for a couple of minutes then put him in his kennel.

Abby and Boss are both Sally’s puppies out of different sires, different litters. Abby is about 8 months older than Boss. She, too, is through with the whoa posts. As I walked her toward the back I held the button on the e-collar transmitter down on low 2 and said, “whoa”. The second and third time she stopped before I could say, “whoa”. I tapped her on the head and she ran toward the back.

Mann wagging his tail between whoa posts.

After I crossed the creek, I saw her stopped, looking at me. That was where I had hit the e-collar transmitter and whoaed her the day before. She thought she should stop there again. I went to her and stroked her sides before tapping her head to release her. We went on toward the back.

I stopped her two times by hitting the transmitter on low 2 and then saying, “whoa”. Both times she was stopping or had stopped by the time I said, “whoa”. She understands what the flank collar is for. We went to the retrieving bench.

After walking her back and forth petting her I had her hold a retrieving dummy. Both her and Boss are getting better about holding the dummy. When I say, “give” I don’t move the dummy. They have to take their mouth off. I had her hold and give 6 times then set her on the ground, on whoa. Once I got clear of the check cord I stroked her sides then tapped her head to release her.

Sally being petted.

When we got close to the rock wall she was between me and where I sit. She just wanted to be petted whether I was sitting or not. I moved around her where I could sit then petted her for a couple of minutes before putting her in her kennel.

Sally will be 5 years old this June and other than Luke, who is retired, she is the oldest I have. She knows all of this whoa stuff already but since I’m working everyone else I’ll work her. I don’t have to say anything to her. When I hit the transmitter, on 2 low, she stopped. I stroked her sides then tapped her head to release her.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

I walked on to the back and as we went along I hit the flank collar with the 2 low and said, “whoa”. She stopped. I went to her, stroked her sides then tapped her head to release. I only whoaed her two times before going to the retrieving bench, where I helped her on the bench.

After petting her on the bench I had her retrieve 3 dummies. Then I set her on the ground and put 3 more dummies in front of her but on the ground. Usually, we just go to the rock wall where I pet her. She didn’t want to retrieve on the ground but she’s been force broke so she retrieved them. I think it was just something new for her. After she retrieved those we went to the rock wall.

I petted her while she groomed my arms. She thinks she’s supposed to lick me as I pet her. I don’t let them lick my face but my arms are okay. After a few minutes I put her in her kennel.

I enjoy working the dogs and they enjoy anything I do with them. After the first couple of days it isn’t supposed to be so warm. Hopefully, I will be able to work them in the afternoon because turkey season stays open for ever, seems like.

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I did a lot of yard training with the dogs Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Monday wasn’t bad but Tuesday morning we had somewhere between 2 and 4 inches of snow. All of the snow was gone by noon so I worked the dogs in the afternoon. Turkey season is open and we have hunters to the west of us. The season closes at 1:00 pm so I train in the afternoon. I don’t know if my neighbor turkey hunts or not but the hunters to the west of me are strangers. I’m afraid they may shoot a dog if one ran their turkey off.

Mann with a pigeon in the tree above him.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

Each day I have just let Luke run for a little while then petted him at the wall around the water faucet. Most of the time he doesn’t even go very far before coming back close to the kennels. I don’t try to train him, I just let him run. He’s old, retired and always ready to go back into his kennel, pretty quickly.

Mann is the next one I bring out. He’s the only one still doing the whoa posts. After I worked him a couple of times on the whoa post he would make me drag him to them. After a few times he would walk to them but his tail was tightly tucked under his belly. Mann always likes to smell my breath but on the whoa post, for a while, he wouldn’t even look at me. Today he raised his tail between whoa posts and smelled my breath at each one. After the third whoa post I let him run for a few minutes.

I waited at the retrieving bench for him. When he came back and saw me at the bench he jumped onto it. I walked him down the bench and back petting him every few feet. This week I have started putting 3 retrieving dummies on the end of the bench after putting Mann on whoa. I then send him to retrieve each one. As he brings them to me I pet him a lot. He seems to enjoy this.

I petted him some more, then set him on the ground on whoa. I walked around him to where the check cord isn’t going to wrap around my feet, tapped him on the head and said, “okay”. He took off but by the time I got to the wall around the water faucet, he’s was close. I sat and petted him for a couple of minutes. I think he would stand there all day. I put him in the kennel.

Boss is next. I put the GPS collar around his neck and an e-collar around his flanks with a check cord snapped to his regular collar and led him out of the kennel area. I had the e-collar on momentary and I held the transmitter down on 2 medium then said, “whoa”. I wasn’t sure he even felt the momentary stimulus but he stopped on my whoa. I tapped his head and we went a little farther. I hit the transmitter again and said, “whoa”. The third time I tapped the transmitter he stopped before I could say, “whoa”. I knew then he knew what the short shock was for. I tapped his head and let him run.

Sally honoring Mann.

I walked to the back with him. As he ran close to me I hit the transmitter, held up my hand like a traffic cop and said, “whoa”. He stopped. I went to him, stroked his sides then tapped his head to release him. I let him run for a few minutes then hit the transmitter on momentary, held up my hand and said, “whoa”. He stopped. I walked to him, stroked his sides then tapped his head to release him.

When we came close to the retrieving bench he jumped onto it. I petted him as we walked up and down the bench. I took a retrieving dummy and placed it behind his canine teeth and said, “hold” over and over. I stroked his head then said, “give”. I held the dummy still and had him move his head off the dummy. I had him hold and give 6 times then set him on the ground. Just before he hit the ground I said, “whoa”. I got untangled from the check cord then tapped his head to release him.

Mann pointing a pigeon.

When I sat down on the wall around the water faucet Boss was checking on the pigeons. When I called him he came in a hurry. All of the dogs like the petting and me sitting down gets them to me in a hurry. After a couple of minutes I put him in his kennel.

Abby was next but I wasn’t real happy with the way she reacted to the flank e-collar on momentary. I decided to use the e-collar on constant but on a low setting. I had tried the momentary a couple of times then tried the constant. Abby took a couple of steps with the constant the first time but after the first time she was quick to stop with just a short, low level shock. I tapped her head and let her run.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

I went toward the back with her. I hit the transmitter on medium 2, held up my hand like a traffic cop and said, “whoa”. She stopped. I walked to her, stroked her sides then tapped her head to let her run. I did that one more time then we went to the retrieving bench.

Sometimes she jumps onto the retrieving bench but today she wanted help. I walked her back and forth petting her every few feet. I opened her mouth and placed a dummy behind her canine teeth saying, “hold” over and over. When I told her to give I held the dummy and had her move her head away. I had her hold and give 6 times then set her on the ground on whoa. I moved away from the check cord, tapped her on the head and said, “okay”.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

When I sat down on the rock wall Abby was eating grass at the other end of the kennel. I called her and she came in a rush. They all like the petting. I petted her for a couple of minutes then put her in her kennel.

Sally knows all of this but since I put her through the whoa posts with the other dogs I will work her the same on whoa. She would whoa whenever or wherever I wanted her to before. This may make her better. I kept the e-collar on constant and led her toward the back. I hit the e-collar on medium 2 and she stopped. I stopped her twice then tapped her head to let her run.

Sally on point.

As she ran I hit the e-collar on medium 2, held my hand up and said, “whoa”. She stopped. I did that two times then headed to the retrieving bench. Yesterday she jumped on the bench with no help but today she wanted help. I petted her as we walked up and down. I put three dummies on the other end and had her retrieve them. I petted her between retrieves. I set her on the ground.

I didn’t have to call her to me at the rock wall. She was waiting for me to get seated. I petted her for a couple of minutes then put her in her kennel.

Boss with a pigeon in the tree above him..

Mann and Sally know this but since I’m working with the young dogs, Abby and Boss, I may as well put them through this too. The pups each day are being worked on here, heel, whoa, hold and give. Sally and Mann have both been force broke to retrieve so I have them do a few retrieves. Later, after the pups are holding and giving real well I will force break them.

I sit by the water faucet with each dog and pet them. I think this has made a difference in each one. They all come right to me, when I sit down on the rock wall, to be petted. All of them with exception of Luke would just stay all day, it seems. Luke is old and he doesn’t seem to want or like that much petting. Just a few seconds and he’s ready for the kennel. Dogs are like people, they are all different.