Traveling Pointing Dogs

Most mornings when I wake up it is already mid to upper 70 degrees. By the time I clean pens and feed dogs it’s in the eighties. This is not only too hot for the dogs but putting the pigeons in the release traps and covering it with grass is really hard on the birds, too. Even getting out at daylight doesn’t work when it’s this hot.

Josie.

Abby.

Boss.

The weather forecast for this morning was a chance for rain and 72 degrees. I woke up at 5:00 am to rain, thunder and lightning. I couldn’t go back to sleep so I stayed in bed and read a book. As I was lying there I thought my ceiling fan started making a funny whining noise. After a little while it stopped making the noise.

As I lay in bed a friend texted me to see if we had any storm damage. I texted him back that it was thundering and lots of rain but I didn’t think the wind had blown very hard. After I thought about it a few minutes I got up and checked. Didn’t see anything but lots of standing water. It had rained a bunch. Parts of Independence had received over 4 inches of rain in just a few hours.

I watched the weather on television and they said there was a tornado about three miles from my house, earlier. The whining noise I thought was coming from my ceiling fan was actually the tornado siren. By 7:30 or 8:00 am the rain had stopped and I went out to clean pens and feed dogs. About half of a big elm tree that is between my dog pens and the pigeon houses had blown down.

The tree had been dead for a couple of years and I’ve been thinking of taking it out because I was afraid it would fall on my dog pens or the pigeon houses. The half that fell missed the dogs and pigeons both but hit the fence around the big pen that I turn the dogs into while I clean pens, without doing any lasting damage. Once again the Lord has taken care of me.

But that ended any thought of training dogs today. I got the chain saw out and started cutting the limbs up and loading them on my trailer. Looking at the downed limbs I thought it would take all day. I texted my daughter, Dana, to see if my youngest grandson, Isaac, wanted to make some money. He was there in just a few minutes and by 1:00 pm we had all of the tree cleaned up.

Josie.

Before the storm came through I was going to paint the raised whelping pen I had built for the last litter of pups. I built it and moved the puppies into it without any paint. Yesterday I had taken the wire and flooring off so I could paint everything. So this afternoon I worked on that. I wish I had done it when it was cooler.

My dogs hate the 4th of July and so do I. I don’t live in a regular neighborhood but it doesn’t matter. There are fireworks shot off that shake my house. And from what everyone is saying there have been more fireworks sold this year than ever before.

Fireworks are different frequency from gunshots or something. My dogs don’t even act like they notice the gunshots but they all run and hide with the fireworks or even thunder.

Several years ago I was at a training seminar with an old dog of mine, either Pal or Lucky. I’m not sure which. At the time he was about 3 years old and had been hunted a lot. As the seminar progressed the guy doing the program said for everyone that had dogs that hadn’t been shot around take them to the other side of a distant barn.

Boss.

Since my dog had been shot over a lot I didn’t move. He started the seminar and shot a blank pistol. I was watching him trying to learn what I could from the seminar. After a few shots he asked me if my dog was gun shy. I told him, again, that he had been shot around a lot. He changed over to a 410 shotgun and he had no reaction to the shotgun. Dogs react to different frequencies different.

I hope that we have some cool mornings soon so I can work dogs. Some states bird seasons open the first of September and that’s only about sixty days away. Our dove season opens then followed by Kansas prairie chicken season. I hope my young dogs are ready.

Abby.

The weather forecast was for cooler weather early this morning and it was almost as cool as they predicted. It was cooler than the mid seventies for a change. I put 4 release traps, with pigeons in them, on my side of the training grounds and another 2 pigeons in release traps on my neighbor’s side. I have some poles in my yard training area, with strings on them, that I use to tell which way the wind is blowing. This morning the string wasn’t moving at all.

Josie would lower that foot a little then pick it back up.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

After putting the pigeons out on the training grounds I went into Josie’s kennel. I make the dogs jump onto their house so I don’t have to bend over to put the training collars on them. Josie will jump onto her house with my help but not without. She has done it without my help but not often. I patted the top of her house and she was excited but wouldn’t jump. I patted the top and tried to get her to jump but she wouldn’t.

After a few minutes of begging her to jump onto her house I went to Abby’s kennel. Abby jumped onto her house. I put the e-collars around her neck and flanks and heeled her out of the kennel dragging a long check cord. I saw on Facebook a few days ago someone heeling a dog and said he takes old man steps. Both of these young dogs try to lead me instead of heeling. I started heeling them by taking tiny little steps and they heel better. It keeps them from getting way out front. When the dogs speed up I slow down.

I put Abby on whoa and walked to the end of the check cord in front of her. I tugged on the check cord and called her to me. When she took a couple of steps I whoaed her but she kept coming toward me. I held the button on the flank e-collar down on 2 medium. She came all the way to me. I picked her up and carried her back to where she should have stopped. I set her down and said, “whoa”. She stayed until I got to the end of the check cord. I said, “here” and tugged on the check cord. She came all the way to me even with me saying, “whoa” and hitting the e-collar. I checked the e-collar on her flanks and I hadn’t turned it on.

I got in front of her and called her to me. When she took a few steps I said, “whoa” and held the button on the now turned on flank collar, on 2 medium, and she stopped. I said, “here” and after a couple of steps stopped her again. I then called her all the way to me. I did this in three different spots.

These dogs are smart enough to know there are birds to be pointed and this “whoa” and “here” is keeping them from their fun. If they could, they would by pass me and go straight to the birds. When we get to the bird field I whoa them and take the piggin’ string off and hold the check cord.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

Abby drags me down the field. I had the 4 release traps in a line, hidden in grass strips. There was no wind and Abby went on the south side of the first bird but didn’t smell it. She came around on the north and as she got north east of it she pointed. I walked in front of her and kicked the tall grass. I went back to her and stroked her sides after taking pictures. I held the check cord and flushed the pigeon that was about 30 yards in front of her. She wanted to chase but I held her until she started smelling the pigeon she pointed again. When she got rigid I went back in front of her kicking the tall grass. I held the check cord and flushed the pigeon she was pointing. She tried to chase but I stopped her. I held the check cord and went on toward the back.

Abby was really dragging me down the field until she hit the scent cone on the next bird and pointed. I stroked her sides then walked in front of her kicking the tall grass. I went back to her and held the check cord and flushed the pigeon. She tried to chase but I held her. After I set her back I petted her then released her.

We had one more pigeon on this side, about thirty yards from the last one she had pointed. Lack of wind didn’t bother her on this one. She hit the scent cone and locked up. I took some pictures then stroked her sides before walking in front of her kicking the cover. I stepped on the check cord and flushed the pigeon. She hit the slack that I allowed in the check cord but couldn’t chase far. I set her back and petted her then took her on.

Abby.

When we got over on the neighbor’s side I turned the check cord loose. I had to hurry, in my case a slow run, to keep up. I didn’t want her to get ahead of me and point, then jump in. She was quite away ahead when she hit the scent cone but she pointed. I went to her and stroked her sides then kicked the brush and flushed the pigeon. I had held the check cord but when I set her back and petted her I turned loose of the check cord then released her, she went all the way back to the pigeon coop. We still had one bird but she likes the birds around the pigeon coop, also. I put her back in the kennel.

I reloaded the release traps and went in Josie’s kennel. I tried to get her to jump onto her house but until I put my hand on her collar she wouldn’t even try. I put the e-collars on her neck and flanks and heeled her out dragging the check cord. I whoaed her and when I got to the end of the check cord in front of her I tugged on the check cord and said, “here”. She started moving but was going to by pass me. I whoaed her and when I hit the flank e-collar on medium 1 she stopped. I tugged on the check cord and said, “here” drug her to me. I got really excited with my petting.

Josie.

The next time I whoaed her it was the same thing. When I said, “here” she tried to get around me instead of coming to me. I whoaed her and then pulled her to me with the check cord. We went through this 4 times and she never got better. “Here” is something I will have to work on with her.

The last time I worked Josie she tried to get too close to her birds. I had decided to flush any pigeon if she got too close. The first bird she pointed, with style, as soon as she hit the scent cone. I took pictures then walked in front kicking the tall grass. I went back to her, stroked her sides and flushed the pigeon. She wanted to chase but I stopped her with the check cord. We went on down the field.

On the second bird I saw her catch the scent but turn toward the bird. When she turned I flushed the pigeon and stopped her with the check cord. I set her back where she first hit the scent cone and styled her up. I walked around her kicking the cover, then stroked her sides before taking her on down the field.

The next pigeon she pointed as soon as she hit the scent cone. I took pictures then walked around her kicking the cover. I held the check cord and flushed the pigeon. She tried to chase but I stopped her with the check cord. I stroked her sides then we went on down the field.

Josie.

On the fourth pigeon on my side I never saw her actually catch the scent. She just got too close and I flushed the pigeon. There wasn’t any wind to blow the scent around but there will be hunting days like that and birds will flush. She needs to get used to that.

When we got to the neighbor’s side and we were close to where I had the pigeons hidden I turned her loose. When she got close to the first bird she knew there was one close but she wasn’t sure. I whoaed her and she stopped, with style. I stroked her sides then kicked the cover. I grabbed hold of the check cord and flushed the pigeon. She wanted to chase but I set her back and styled her up. I led her away with check cord then released her.

I was afraid she would go back to the kennel too but she didn’t. She did go off away and I called her back. She was in the brush a little way when she hit the scent cone and stopped. Her front foot was in the air and I was watching her. She wanted to put the foot down. She would start to ease it down then bring it back. There was enough brush that I couldn’t get to her so I just kicked the cover in between her and the bird. She didn’t move until I flushed the pigeon. I stopped her with the check cord then released her to run. We went back to the kennel.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

I reloaded the release traps and turned Boss loose. He is 4 months old today. He doesn’t have e-collarsw or piggin’ strings or check cords. He just hunts. I turned him loose from the kennel and he flushed the pigeons sitting around the pigeon coop then took off for the back. He knows where the pigeons are usually hidden.

He made a couple of points before we got back where the pigeons were hidden. There may have been some turkeys come through or he may have been anticipating the pigeons. I just kept walking. I didn’t do or say anything.

When he came to the first pigeon he pointed. He was fifty yards ahead of me and he held point until I got close then he moved. I flushed the pigeon and he chased.

Boss.

He was really wound up and he didn’t come close to the second pigeon but ran all the way to the third. I thought he got too close so I flushed it. Someway, when I flushed the third pigeon the transmitter moved to number two and it also flushed the second bird. He now had two to chase and he did.

When he came back we went toward the fourth bird. He was a long way from it when he pointed. I started toward him and he took a step. I flushed the pigeon. He has to learn that when he moves the bird flushes. We checked my side out then went across to the neighbor’s side.

When he came to the first bird on my neighbor’s side he did like Josie. He knew the bird was there but he wasn’t getting a good scent. He didn’t try to go in. Finally, he pointed. I just stood and watched until he moved then flushed the pigeon. He chased and was gone for a long time, then came back.

Both of these birds were hard for them to smell. He just got too close to the next one and I flushed it. He chased as it flew back toward the house.

Boss.

It was starting to warm up and when I got back to the kennel I got the 4-wheeler to pick up the release traps. I let Boss run with me. I had carried the two traps from the neighbor’s side over to my side and put them with one on my side. As I loaded the two from the neighbor’s side Boss laid down next to the trap that had been on my side. I put it on the 4-wheeler and he went to the next trap and laid down next to it. He did that to each of the other traps. Making sure I could find them or telling me he knew what we were doing.

All three of these dogs are doing better each time but there is still a lot I need to work with them on. But it’s a long time until next season so we have plenty of time. But we need a lot of these cool mornings.

I got up early and was out with the young dogs by 6:00 am. Even at that, it was already 70 degrees but it was better than later in the morning. What little wind we had was out of the south east but on these grounds the wind usually swirls. That makes it hard to know from which direction the dog will point.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

A friend, Vince Dye, had a couple of Dogtra release traps that he wanted to sell, so I bought them. Now I have 4 of them. I like them better than the others I have had because they are easier to set and make less noise. They, also, are smaller than the DT’s or Innotec release traps I have had. They are almost too small for some of my larger pigeons. Almost.

I put pigeons in all 4 and hid them on the training grounds. I heeled Josie out with the e-collars around her neck and flanks. She was also dragging a long check cord. I had put a couple of my place boards out and I whoaed her on the first board. I pulled the check cord out in front of her. The check cord is about 30 feet long and I held the end. I tugged on the check cord and said, “here”. She came off the place board and I held up my hand like a traffic cop and said, “whoa”. She stopped. I whoaed her two more times before I let her come all the way to me. We went to the next place board and did the same thing.

I heeled her on across the little creek and whoaed her. I took the piggin’ string off and held the check cord. I check corded her toward the first pigeon. The wind was supposed to be out of the south east but she hit the scent cone and locked up like the wind was from the south west. Josie almost always has a 12 o’clock tail. This morning was no exception.

I walked around her, stroked her sides and told her what a good girl she is. I had two pigeons in a bird bag so I dropped one pigeon in front of her. She wanted to chase but I stopped her with the check cord. I set her back and waited for her to catch the scent of the bird in the release trap. When she was real rigid, I walked around her again. I stroked her sides and flushed the pigeon. She took a step or two and I set her back. I stroked her sides then released her but held the check cord.

The next bird was hidden in a grass strip I have left in a grove of walnut trees. I walked in front of her after taking pictures then dropped the second bird from the bird bag. She tried to chase but the check cord stopped her.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

I set her back and walked around her again. I stroked her sides then flushed the pigeon from the release trap. This pigeon came out low right over her head and she turned to chase but I caught the check cord and stopped her. I set her back then took her on.

We crossed to the neighbor’s side. There are more clumps of brush on his side and that makes it harder to check cord a dog. We went toward the back. When we got close to the bird she wasn’t getting any of the scent. The wind wasn’t the way it should have been. I let her go into the heavy cover on the south side of the bird and she caught the scent and pointed.

Abby.

I moved this release trap for the next two dogs but for Josie I held the check cord and told her what a good girl she was. I flushed the pigeon and she took a couple of steps. I set her back and stroked her sides. I check corded her away.

The fourth bird was in a strip of grass near the front. Josie was right beside it when she pointed. I walked between her and the bird. I stroked her sides and told her what a good girl she is. When I flushed the pigeon she took a step and I set her back. I heeled her away then let her run back to the kennel.

I reloaded the release traps and moved one of them. I put a couple of pigeons in the bird bag then brought Abby out with the e-collars around her neck and flanks. I heeled her to the place board and said, “whoa”. She stopped and as I walked ahead of her pulling the check cord she just started walking around. Came right off the place board. I held the button on the transmitter down on medium 2 until she stopped. I held the button down and carried her back to the place board. I let off the button when her feet touched the place board.

Josie.

I walked out in front of her with the end of the check cord in my hand. I tugged on the check cord and said, “here”. Abby started to me. I held up my hand like a traffic cop and said, “whoa”. She stopped. I tugged again and said, “here”. She came toward me and I stopped her again then called her to me. We went to the next place board and we did the whoa and here a few times. Both of these young dogs thought when I said whoa they were to stand next to me. This exercise teaches them to stop wherever they are.

We went on to the training grounds. Abby was going from one side to the other on the check cord when she hit the scent cone and pointed. I walked around her and stroked her sides. I stepped on the check cord and dropped a pigeon from the bird bag. She took a couple of steps. I set her back and waited for her to realize that the pigeon was still in front of her. When she got rigid I stroked her sides and flushed the pigeon. She tried to chase but I stopped her with the check cord. I took her on to the back.

Abby was going back and forth on the check cord. When she got into the walnut grove she circled one of the trees and when the check cord got tight she went on point. I moved the check cord so it would not come loose then went in front of her. I took some pictures from well out in front of her. I walked around Abby then flushed the pigeon. The check cord kept her from chasing. We went to the neighbor’s side.

Abby with her check cord tanged around a tree.

Josie had been deep in the brush when she pointed the pigeon at the back on the neighbor’s side so I moved it for Abby. She was well off this one when she pointed and I stroked her sides and walked in front of her. I stood on the check cord and dropped the last pigeon from the bird bag. She tried to chase but I stopped her with the check cord. I set her back and waited for her to realize there was a pigeon in front of her. When she got the scent I flushed the pigeon in the release trap. She took a step and I set her back then held the check cord as we went toward the next bird.

Abby pointed the next bird but was never very sure. She never got real rigid and kept moving her head to get the scent better but she didn’t move her feet. I stroked her sides and flushed the pigeon pretty quickly. I didn’t want her to move. She tried to chase but I held her with the check cord. I led her away and let her run on the way back to the kennel.

I was still 50 or 60 yards from the kennel when I saw Abby go on point close to the kennels. There were 3 pigeons on the ground and she was sight pointing them. She didn’t move until the pigeons flushed, then she chased them. I put her in her kennel.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

I reloaded the release traps for Boss but I didn’t carry any pigeons in the bird bag. He’s not quite 4 months old yet but he’s already getting 50 yards or more ahead of me on the way to the bird field. He went across to the neighbor’s side and I called him back. As he crossed back onto my side and rounded a clump of brush he hit the scent cone and slid to a point. I took a couple of pictures and waited for him to move. At his first step I flushed the pigeon. It came out the opposite side of the clump of brush so he didn’t chase very far.

The next bird was hidden in the strip of grass in the walnut grove. When he went behind a walnut tree I waited for him to come out the other side. He didn’t show. I had to walk about 30 yards before I could see him on point. Only his head was sticking out from behind the tree. When I got close he moved and I flushed the pigeon. It came out low and he chased it a long way back toward the coop.

For some reason on the pigeon hidden on the back side of the neighbor’s side Boss didn’t even try to point. When we got close I saw his head come up when he got the smell but he went right in on the pigeon. I flushed it before he got too close. We went on toward the front.

Boss.

The next pigeon was about the same. He had trouble smelling it so I just flushed it when he got closer than I thought he should have. We went back to the kennel and I let him run in front of the 4-wheeler while I picked up the release traps.

It’s really warm during the days so getting out early, about 6:00 am, is the only way I could work the dogs on pigeons. Upper 80 degrees is not only hard on the dogs it’s really hard on the pigeons in the release traps, covered with grass. But it’s a good life when you can go in your own back yard and get twelve points. God has blessed me.