Traveling Pointing Dogs

We had three really cool mornings, close to 55 degrees, in a row. We don’t often get that many cool mornings in August, but we will take them. Actually, the days were cool, for August, all day. I worked the young dogs, Abby, Josie and Boss in the morning and Sally, Mann and Luke in the evening. Boss is understanding what “whoa” means.

Boss is learning whoa.

Boss on the place board.

Abby on the place board.

The second day of these cool mornings I went into Boss’s kennel to work him before the others. He ran into his dog house. I walked deeper into his kennel and called him. He stuck his head out but wouldn’t come out. I waited a minute or so without calling him again. He just stood with his head out of his house.

I went to Josie’s kennel and put the e-collars on her and worked her. I heeled her across the yard and worked her on 3 place boards. Next week I’m going to put some pigeons on my pigeon poles for Abby and Josie. I haven’t used the pigeon poles in a few years but I have some young pigeons that I bought from a lady that may not home back. I want Josie and Abby to be really steady on the place boards so I can tie pigeons to the poles and flush them and hope they will be steady to the flush.

After working Josie on each of the 3 place boards several times I turned her loose and ran her off the 4-wheeler. I just let them happy time but Josie doesn’t like the 4-wheeler. She got a little better as we ran. She started off following the 4-wheeler but her breeding was telling her she should be in front. She passed the 4-wheeler and ran the edges. A couple of times she got behind the but she came back to the front. I put her in the kennel.

I went back into Boss’s kennel and he ran into his house. I called him and walked deeper into his kennel. He stuck his head out of his house and watched me. I went to Abby’s kennel and put the e-collars on her neck and flanks. I heeled her out dragging a long check cord. I put her on whoa and walked way out in front of her. I said, “here” and hit the tone on the e-collar. She came to me in a hurry. I heeled her onto the place board.

I walked way out front then to the rear. When I work them on the place board I never call them to me. The only way they get off the place board is me tapping them on the head and saying, “heel”. I worked her several times on each place board. I heeled her back near the 4-wheeler and released her to run. She likes to run in front of the 4-wheeler.

A few days ago, when I was working Abby, I put her on whoa and walked out in front of her and called her to me. She bypassed me and went on to the back. In a few seconds she came back close enough I could catch her. I put her in her kennel. She was only out of her kennel about 5 minutes with no happy timing. She hasn’t tried that again.

Josie on the place board.

After I put Abby into her kennel I went into Boss’s kennel and he tried to get on his house. He’s big enough to jump onto the house but doesn’t think he can. But the main thing was, he was out of his house, wanting to get the e-collars on.

Since Boss is just learning to heel and whoa I walked him all the way to the highway in front of my house, across the front then on to the back. I heeled him and whoaed him every few yards as we walked. He’s now letting me walk out in front of him and some of the time to walk all the way around him, when he’s on whoa. When we got to the place boards he let me walk around him. I think they understand the place boards are to stand still on. We worked several times on all 3 place boards.

When we got back to the kennel I turned him loose to run. Boss is hard to tire. I rode the 4-wheeler while he ran from the front of my house to the back several times. Finally, after he was tired I was able to get him back in his kennel.

Boss on the retrieving bench.

Sally and Mann both have been force broke to retrieve but they neither really like to retrieve. I started cutting a hotdog into 18 or 20 pieces and when they retrieve a bumper correctly, I give them a sliver. I think it’s helping.

Sally is in heat so I brought Mann out first. Several times on the first bumper he acts like he can’t find it. But this time he ran out, grabbed the bumper and brought it right back. He held the bumper until I said, “give”. He retrieved 6 or 7 times with only one bobble. He dropped the bumper before I said, “give” one time but I may have cued him to drop by moving my hand toward the bumper. Anyway I let him get by with it.

I let him run from the kennel to the back and around the house and to the back several times then put him in the kennel.

Luke is ten years old and retired. I don’t make him retrieve although he will. But he doesn’t like it and a retired guy shouldn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to. He loves to run so I put the e-collar around his neck and turned him loose. I only put the e-collar on him so I could pet him while he stood on his house.

Josie.

I put him on whoa, got on the 4-wheeler, started it and put it in gear. I said, “okay” to him and he was off like a shot. He can still run, really fast. I followed on the 4-wheeler but when we came back close to the kennel he went into the big pen. That was enough. I put him up and got Sally out.

Sally, too, has been force broke. But I think the hotdog slivers made more difference in her than it did for Mann. She was slow when she retrieved but now she’s running. Once when I threw the bumper she didn’t see it but when I waved my hand in that direction she went until she found it.

That’s not unusual for a real retriever but for an English setter it’s unusual. Or at least for my English setters it is. An old English setter by the name of Lady would hunt until she found something to retrieve but she’s the only one I’ve ever had. I could send her into a ditch or whatever but she was the only one I’ve ever had that would. Maybe if I get these two to really loving to retrieve they will go like that.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

After Sally did 6 or 7 retrieves correctly I let her run. I followed on the 4-wheeler. I had six pieces of hotdog left so I went to each dog and gave them a sliver. The young dogs had never had hotdogs before but they could grow to like it.

I must have been excited just thinking about the cool weather this morning. I woke up an hour before my alarm went off. I had to wait on the sun to come up before going out. It was almost cold riding the 4-wheeler but this is what I’ve been waiting for. I could have trained yesterday morning since it was fairly cool then but I had already decided to get rabies shots for Mann, Abby, Josie and Boss. Luke and Sally have one more year on their shots.

Some of the new pigeons in the coop.

Boss on whoa with me standing in front of him.

Mann looks good just standing in his kennel.

I have been working Boss on heel and whoa. I have him jump onto his house and I put the e-collars around his flanks and neck. The e-collars aren’t even turned on but I want him to think that when he gets the e-collars on it’s time to have fun. We have walked around my yard several times and just the last few times have I been saying, “heel and whoa”. Today after heeling him to near the highway in front and across the yard I started trying to get in front of him without him moving.

At first when I took a step in front of him he wanted to come with me. That’s the way we started. At first I didn’t say anything. I just stopped, then when I took a step he was supposed to follow. Now I’m saying, “heel and whoa” and expecting him to stay put after I say, “whoa”.

I started holding my hand up like a traffic cop and saying, “whoa” then stepping in front of him. After a few times he was getting it most of the time. He still has to try different things to see what works. In a few days I will be walking around him while he stands and watches, I hope.

When we got to the back I turned him loose for some happy times. I rode the 4-wheeler while he ran to the front then to the back a couple of times. When he came to me I petted him for a while then put him back in his kennel.

I heeled Josie out with the e-collars on her neck and flanks and she was dragging a long check cord. For her and Abby the e-collars are turned on. As we went toward the highway Boss started barking. I told him to hush but as long as we were in sight he barked. Josie and I walked to near the highway and across the front. When we got within sight of the kennels Boss started barking, again.

I yelled, “hush” a couple of times to no avail. When we got to one of my place boards, across the yard from the kennels, I whoaed her on the board. I marched toward Boss with my fists clenched, swinging my arms across my body. He knew I was mad. As I got close to the kennel he started backing up. I shook the kennel, kicked the chain link and screamed at him to hush.

I walked back to Josie who was still on whoa at the place board. She had not moved. I petted her and told her what a good dog she is. I heeled her away.

Boss.

I train my dogs to come with the tone on my Garmin e-collars. When I put Josie on whoa then call her to me, she comes real slow. Part of the reason is because I sometimes whoa her in the middle but she just does things slower than some of my dogs. So this morning I whoaed her and walked about 30 feet in front of her and called her. As soon as I said, “here” I hit the tone on the e-collar. She came in a hurry.

I don’t always call her to me off whoa. Some of the time I walk a circle, kicking the cover or walk way out front then back to her. I don’t want her anticipating or self releasing off whoa. When we got to the back I let her free run back to the kennel. I let most of the dogs run in front of the 4-wheeler but Josie doesn’t like the 4-wheeler. I put her in the kennel.

As I started toward the highway with Abby I could hear Boss whining but he didn’t bark. I heeled and whoaed Abby several times in our walk to the front, across the yard then to the back. Some of the time I walked circles around her kicking the cover and several times I called her to me. Abby comes to me in a hurry but I also used the tone a couple of times to get her used to it, also.

Abby on whoa waiting for the next command.

Boss was still whining but he didn’t bark as we worked on the place board across from the kennels. A few days ago I worked Abby on “whoa” and “here”. When we got close to the back and called her to me off of a whoa command she bypassed me and went to the back. She came back to me in just a few seconds and I took her straight to her kennel. She didn’t get much work that day and no happy time. Today she came to me each time. A smart dog will learn from their mistakes. There are consequences.

When we got to the back I turned her loose and let her happy time. When we got back to the kennel area I got on the 4-wheeler and run her to the back and around the house several times. She likes running in front of the 4-wheeler. I put her in the kennel.

I waited until just before I cleaned kennels and fed dogs of the evening to work Sally and Mann on retrieving. They both have been force broke to retrieve but neither one really likes it. Both do better on fresh shot birds than they do on the bumpers.

Josie on the place board.

I have decided to try treats to see if they will learn to like to retrieve. Usually, dogs will learn to like anything that they are trained to do. I cut one hot dog into 18 or 20 pieces. When they do everything right they get a chunk (well maybe a sliver) of hotdog.

I put an e-collar around Mann’s neck and heeled him out with the piggin’ string. I had one of Dokken’s quail looking bumpers. I tossed it and Mann ran out, tried to pick it up but came back without it. I hit the transmitter on 2 medium and he went back, grabbed the bumper and brought it to me. I took it and tossed it again.

This time he ran right out, grabbed it and brought it back. I made him hold it for a few seconds then said, “give”. He dropped it in my hand. I gave him a sliver of hotdog. I tossed it again. He ran out grabbed it and came back. This time he dropped it when he got to me and was expecting some hotdog. I made him pick up the bumper. He didn’t get any hotdog.

After that he did 5 or 6 retrieves in a row, correctly so I let him run to the back then around the house and to the back again with me on the 4-wheeler. I put him in the kennel.

Boss on the place board.

Sally is just coming into heat so I will work her after Mann has done his retrieves. I put the e-collar on her and heeled her out. I tossed the bumper and when she got near it she couldn’t find it. I hit the transmitter on medium 2 and walked out near the bumper with her. She was able to find it. When she picked it up I walked slowly back to where I had been when I tossed the bumper. She held the bumper until I said, “give”. She didn’t get any hotdog.

I tossed the bumper again. She ran out, picked it up and came back. I made her hold it for several seconds then said, “give”. She dropped it in my hand. I tossed it several times and she retrieved it correctly each time. Both of these dogs know what to do but they aren’t sure I know what they should do. When she did it correctly she got hotdog slivers.

After 6 or 7 good retrieves I let her run to the back and around the house a couple of times then put her in the kennel.

My new pigeons have been in the coop for about a week. They were, mostly, young rollers. In about another week I’m going to set a couple out on the ledge, in front of where they can come back into the coop, to see if they will come back. If I lose the first one’s I’ll wait a while but I hope they come back. When they start coming back I can go back to working dogs on birds.

The Kansas City area has already had more 90+ degree days than all of last year. It’s extremely hard to find days that I can train the young dogs. When it’s not really hot it’s raining. All three of the young dogs, Abby, Josie and Boss, are coming along nicely. They just need more repetitions and I need more birds to work them on since the raccoons almost wiped me out.

I put some left over metal under the pigeons entrance, hoping the coons can’t climb the sides.

I have six pigeons left.

Another shot of the aviary.

Today I worked the dogs then worked on the pigeon house. It wasn’t that cool, even early, when I worked the dogs but it was really warm by the time I started on the coop.

I started with Boss. I put the e-collars on his neck and flanks and heeled him out of the kennel. The e-collars weren’t even turned on but I want him to get used to having the e-collars on. Also, I wanted him to think when the e-collars are on he’s going to have fun.

I have heeled and stopped with him twice before. I haven’t used any words. No “heel” and no “whoa”. I just walk a few steps then stop. I do tell him what a good boy he is. When we first came out of his kennel he tried to get on my right side but I tapped him with the piggin’ string and he went to my left and settled down.

By the time I got to the highway out front he was heeling and whoaing. Boss is staying right by my side without a lot of corrections. When I stop he stops without trying to sit or move around. After we went across the front of the yard I decided he was ready to hear the words. I started tapping his head and saying, “heel” as we stepped off. After just a few steps I would say, “whoa” and stop. He seemed to catch on pretty quick. Before we got to the back he was whoaing on my command before I stopped walking.

I like to let the young dogs have some happy time so I turned him loose to run after I reached the back. When we got back to the kennel boss wouldn’t come to me. He didn’t want to go back in the kennel. I called him one time and when he didn’t come I got on the 4-wheeler and we went to the back then around the house and to the back on both sides.

We got back to the kennel and I called him. He laid down a little way from me but wouldn’t come. We went to the back on both sides, around the house and back to the kennel. This time when I called him he came right to me. His tongue was hanging out but he came. I put him in the kennel.

Two hot wires around the bottom of the coop to discourage raccoons.

I turned the e-collars on and put them around Josie’s neck and flanks. I heeled her out of the kennel and attached the check cord to her collar. I heeled her and whoaed her toward the highway. It was getting warmer and I heeled her from one shade to the next. It seemed like I only whoaed her in a large shade then called her to me. When she started toward me some of the times I would whoa her midway or sometimes twice.

Sometimes, when I call Josie to me she moves really slow or not at all for a few seconds. It’s kind of like she has to figure out what I want. When she does it right, whether she is really slow or not, I make a big deal of it. Even when I have to give her a tug with the check cord I still pet her and act excited that she did it but it’s a bigger deal when she does it right, with out me tugging on the check cord.

I had her jump on the retrieving bench just to get some loving. She doesn’t like the retrieving bench but she does like the attention. And she’s getting better on the bench. For a long time she didn’t like walking to the end. Today she was still wagging as she moved down the bench. I set her on the ground and heeled her to the back.

A large door on the front.

When we got to the back I turned her loose to happy time. I got back to the kennel and she wasn’t with me. I got on the 4-wheeler and went to the back calling her. She doesn’t really like the 4-wheeler but it’s easier for me. I rode to the back and on to the kennel. Still no Josie.

I rode back to the retrieving bench and got off the 4-wheeler. When I called her I heard her yelp. When I found her she was buried in the brush with the check cord tangled. It wasn’t easy getting to her and getting her loose but she was happy I found her. I let her run back to the kennel.

Next I heeled Abby out with the e-collars on her neck and flanks. Abby reminds me of her grandfather, Tur Bo. Everything she does is fast. She is big for a female and strong. When they do things fast and they are strong too it’s sometimes disastrous for the handler.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

I heeled her to the front. I whoaed her several times and called her to me. Several times I whoaed her a couple of times as she came toward me and she handled it well. Before we got to the retrieving bench I whoaed her and called her to me. She ran by me without getting very close. I tried to step on the check cord but missed it even when I dived for it. She ran toward the back but came back near me and I grabbed the check cord. As soon as I stopped her with the check cord she came right to me. I petted her but took her back to the kennel. She was done for the day.

I went to the house and cut one hot dog into 18 pieces. I had it in a plastic bag and heeled Sally out with an e-collar around her neck. I had a Dokken quail retrieving dummy and tossed it for her. She ran out but acted like she couldn’t find the dummy. I hit the button on the e-collar transmitter on medium 2. She suddenly found the dummy and raced back with it.

I threw the dummy again and she had no problem finding it this time. She brought it to me and held it until I said, “give”. I fed her a chunk of hot dog. This is the first time I have used a treat for her retrieving. I can make her retrieve but she doesn’t really like it. I thought I would try the hot dog to see if she would get to like retrieving.

Boss.

Each time she retrieved perfectly I gave her a piece of the hot dog. I didn’t want to over do it so after 5 good retrieves in a row I let her run. I rode the 4-wheeler and let her run to the back then circle the house and to the back again. She’s not in real good shape and that was enough for her.

I brought Mann out for some retrieving too. I tossed the Dokken quail and he raced out, picked it up but dropped it at my feet. He knows better. I hit the e-collar on medium 2 and he picked it up. I petted him as he held the dummy. When I said, “give” he dropped it in my hand. I didn’t give him any hot dog on that retrieve.

I tossed the dummy and he raced out, picked it up, raced back and held it until I said, “give”. I gave him some hot dog. He did 6 or 7 retrieves in a row, perfectly. I whoaed him and got on the 4-wheeler. When I said, “okay” he was gone like a shot. Mann is skinny and he runs his kennel enough to stay in shape. We went to the back came back and circled the house and went to the back. After 3 times to the back he wasn’t even breathing hard. I put him in the kennel.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

I let Luke run to the back and would have taken him for more of a run but he went to his kennel gate. Maybe too hot for the old man. That’s okay, he’s retired. He gets to pick how long he stays out.

Three or four weeks ago I had 30 some pigeons and the raccoons killed them down to 6. Today I drove to near Columbia Missouri and bought 12 more. So now with their new house and some new pigeons I’m starting over. These are young birds but I’m hoping in a couple of weeks I will be able to use them.

I didn’t take a picture of them when I put them in the coop and now it’s dark. These pigeons are called rollers. They fly way up in the air and flip over backwards. They won’t home from a long distance but I’ve heard that they will home from a short distance, such as on my training grounds, earlier. If I use them here they won’t try to go back to where they were born but will home to my loft. I hope.

The raccoons killed most of my pigeons a couple of weeks ago. The first night they ate 3 or 4 but they killed another 7 that they didn’t even take a bite out of. A lot of people don’t think animals kill except to eat. Raccoons, weasels and just a few days ago I read where some wolves killed 17 elk and only ate a small part of 2. ‘Coons must just go into a frenzy when they get into a pigeon coop. There are dead pigeons everywhere.

Boss.

Josie.

Abby.

Since I don’t have many pigeons I started working the pups on heel, whoa and here. Most mornings it is too hot, raining or I’ve been working on my pigeon house so I haven’t worked them much.

Abby and Josie have been worked quite a bit on heel and whoa. Not so much on the here command. When I say, “whoa” most of the time they are right by my side so they think “whoa” means stand beside me. A few mornings, I have been putting them on whoa, walking well out n front of them with my hand in the air like a traffic cop. I drop my hand and say, “here”. After just a few steps I say, “whoa”.

Some of the time I stop them with a whoa command a couple of times before they get to me. Abby handles this a lot better than Josie does. Abby, when I say, “here”, comes toward me confidently. Most of the time when I “whoa” her again she stops quickly. Josie, walks very tentatively. Some of the time she doesn’t even move for a few seconds. It’s like she is rolling the command around in her head to see what to do.

This is a real stressful exercise. The commands are total opposites. Usually, after working Abby and Josie to the road in front, across the yard then back to the wet weather creek in back, I let them happy time for a bit. I take the piggin’ string off and let them run.

The best part about this exercise it teaches the dogs that they must whoa wherever they hear the command. A few times as they are happy timing I have said, “whoa” and most of time they have stopped. A few times they didn’t stop until they felt the stimulation on their flanks. But they are learning.

I started Boss on heel and whoa. He doesn’t know it yet because I’ve not even said, “heel or whoa”. When he was just a puppy I staked he and a couple others out but he hasn’t been staked out in a long while.

I got him on his house and put an e-collar around his neck and flanks. The collars aren’t even turned on. I just want him to know that when he gets the e-collars on we are going to have some fun. I put the piggin’ string around his neck and pulled him off his house. We started toward the highway in front of my house.

The base and floor of the new pigeon house.

He stayed with me pretty good until we got outside the kennel. Then a small rodeo started. He went north so I went south. He was shocked. He tried to put his feet on me and he bucked and jumped around. I just kept walking. The only place he could find that was half way comfortable was right beside me. He yelped like I was killing him and twisted around. He lunged ahead and to the side. I just kept walking. By the time we got to the road in front of my house he was walking beside me.

After the first part of the rodeo I would just stop. I would stand and he would stand. He was trying to figure this out. After he quit fighting I would walk about 15 yards and stop. I didn’t say, “heel or whoa”. I did tap him on the head when I started walking. By the time we got to the wet weather creek in back he was doing pretty well. I turned him loose to run.

We got back to the kennel and Boss wouldn’t come to me so I got on the 4-wheeler and he ran in front of it to the very back. He still wasn’t ready to come to me when we got back, so we went again. It had warmed and his tongue was hanging out a foot. The second time he was ready to come to me. I took the e-collars off and put him in his kennel.

I have 3 walls up with the nesting boxes along the back wall.

The next day I worked Boss again. I put the e-collars on him without turning them on. I heeled him out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. He threw a fit but it didn’t last long. He figured out pretty quick, if he just walked along side me, the piggin’ string didn’t bother him in the least. We went all the way to the road, crossed the yard and back to the training grounds, stopping every 15 yards or so.

The second day he really started watching me to see which way I was going. Now I will start reversing my steps and gong to the left so he will have to give me room. Turning right, left and reversing.

After working with these three then we had several days of rain and I started building a pigeon house. I need some thing to keep the raccoons out.

I ordered the floor for the pigeon house from the internet. This flooring is supposed to be good for chickens, pigs and puppies. Should work for pigeons. I put the frame for the floor on 4×4 posts and set them in the ground with the floor level.

Nesting boxes.

I had built the 2 pigeon houses I had before and remembered some of the things I had done for the others. I had two houses before that were 4’x4′. This one is going to be 4’x6′. Rather than having 8 nesting boxes this one will have 12 with room for 3 more if needed.

I went out this morning to work on the pigeon coop and it got too hot, too soon. I worked on it until about noon and said, “that’s enough for today”. It didn’t take long in the bright sunlight to decide that it was just too hot. Maybe tomorrow.

More pictures of the pigeon house.

The pigeon house.