Traveling Pointing Dogs

I have been working the puppy, Boss, on pigeons. Since all of the puppies were about 3 weeks old I have shown them pigeons. I first, locked the pigeons wings and let all of the puppies play with them. The puppies got too aggressive, really quickly. After just a few times of locking their wings, I had to quit and start just teasing the puppies and then let the bird fly away. Each of the puppies in the litter were really chasing before they went to their new homes.

Abby pointing the pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler.

Josie pointing with 4 pigeons, in release traps, in one spot.

Abby watching one of her four pigeons fly away.

A few days ago, I put a pigeon in a release trap and hid it in a clump of grass I have allowed to grow on the training grounds. Rather than walk to the kennel and get Boss and walk back I rode the 4-wheeler to the kennel and then had him follow back to the training grounds. I had clipped a short leash to Boss’s collar. I let him drag the leash but it bothered him so I took it off for the time being.

I was watching him closely when he got close to the clump of grass with the pigeon hidden in it. As soon as I saw him react to the smell of the pigeon I flushed the bird. I tried to entice him to chase the pigeon by saying, “get that bird, get that bird”. He chased a short distance and came back to smell the release trap. I took him back to the 4-wheeler and snapped the leash to his collar. I took another pigeon and put it in the release trap in the same clump of grass.

He wasn’t too sure about being tied up. When I unsnapped him from the leash he just stayed close to me for a few seconds then went back to hunting. We were maybe 30 yards from where I had hidden the pigeon. The second time he came to the clump of grass he pointed. After just a few seconds he moved and I flushed the bird. He chased a few feet then came back to smell the release trap. I hooked him to the 4-wheeler, again and reloaded the release trap.

My intention was for him to anticipate the pigeon being in that clump of grass. The third time he got close he pointed as soon as he smelled the bird. I shot a video on my phone of this point. (I can’t put videos on my blog and I’m not tech savvy enough to put pictures from my phone on my blog.) He hadn’t moved for over 2 minutes on the video so I went ahead and flushed the pigeon. He chased a short distance. At 11 weeks old he’s not fast enough to chase far.

I put him in the kennel and the next day, yesterday, a friend came by. I put 4 pigeons in a bird bag and we took Boss for a walk. Before we got to the area where I had hidden the pigeons the day before I put a bird to sleep and hid it in some tall grass. I called Boss back and when he got close the pigeon woke up and flew away but that really wound him up.

We went on down the field and I put another pigeon to sleep, hid it in the tall grass and called him back. When he hit the scent cone he pointed then moved a little closer and pointed again. After about half a minute he jumped in waking the pigeon. It flew away with him in hot pursuit. When we got to the clump of grass where I had hidden the birds, in the release trap, the day before he checked every blade of grass.

Josie pointing pigeons.

I wound up hiding all 4 pigeons and he pointed them all. Most of them he held point for at least 30 seconds but the first day he held over two minutes. From now on I will use the release traps for him. I need to flush the pigeons at his first movement so he understands any movement on his part is what causes the bird to fly.

I have four DT release traps and two Dogtra release traps. Both brands of traps release the bird as soon as I push the button but the Dogtra’s make very little noise. I will only use Dogtra’s on Boss until he gets really used to the pigeon being flushed.

Now to the young dogs, Abby and Josie. I worked them some more, since my last post, on the place boards. They were pretty steady with me putting a pigeon to sleep right in front of the place board and walking around them. For me, the place boards work better than the whoa barrel. Seems like the pups learn, quicker, not to move.

I decided to try a new tactic, for them. I put 4 pigeons, in release traps, and placed them in a circle on the training grounds. I put the e-collars around Abby’s flanks and neck and heeled her out of the kennel, dragging a check cord, with the piggin’ string. I heeled her across 2 of the place boards, whoaing her on each, before going on toward the training ground.

Puppies trying to figure out how to hook up the trailer.

The wind was pretty strong out of the north and I brought her into the area of the 4 pigeons from the south east. I was still heeling her when she hit the scent cone on a pigeon and locked up. I took a couple of pictures then walked between her and the bird she was pointing. I took hold of the piggin’ string leaving it loose. I flushed one of the pigeons that she wasn’t pointing. She turned to look but didn’t try to move.

I waited until she got the smell again of the bird she was pointing, originally. When she stiffened up I walked around her again. I was on her right side and flushed a pigeon that was to her front but off to my right. She hardly even acknowledged this pigeon. She knew her bird was still there. I stroked her sides then flushed a bird that was in line with the pigeon she was pointing but farther out. This confused her for a few seconds then she got the scent of the bird she was pointing and stiffened again.

I let her stand for a while. She was getting the smell real well and I took more pictures. I stroked her sides and whispered to her, “you’re a good girl”. I held the piggin’ string but it was slack. I flushed the last pigeon and she didn’t move. I stroked her sides then tapped her head and let her run until we got back to the kennel.

I put the e-collars on Josie and heeled her out of the kennel dragging a check cord. We crossed two of the place boards and I whoaed her on each. Josie isn’t as steady as Abby so I whoaed her several times, on the way to the training grounds, to get her used to stopping. She was almost in Abby’s footprints when she went on point.

Abby

I stroked her sides and walked around her. I held the piggin’ string with some slack in the rope and flushed a pigeon off to our left. Josie wanted to chase but I held her with the piggin’ string. She watched the pigeon fly away. Her tail was wagging then she smelled the bird she had originally pointed and stiffened.

I took some pictures and walked around her. I flushed the pigeon that was off to our right. It came out low and my leg was in her way of seeing it. She looked in front of my leg then jerked her head to the back side of my leg but didn’t move her feet. I stroked her sides and told her what a good girl she is. She smelled the pigeon right in front of her and stiffened.

When I put the birds out I didn’t know where the dogs would be when they pointed. The next bird to be flushed was in line with the one she was pointing, just farther out. This is good training for the dog but it’s also confusing. But the dog needs to learn not to move as long as their bird hasn’t moved. I flushed the farther bird. She wanted to move but only took one step. I set her back.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

Her tail was really going then she smelled the bird in front of her. She went back on point. I took pictures then walked around her. I held the piggin’ string and flushed the last pigeon. She didn’t try to move. I petted her, took the piggin’ string off then tapped her head. Because of the check cord she thinks she’s still supposed to heel. For several feet, she stayed right by my side. Then she figured it out and ran back to the kennel.

After doing this exercise I felt really good about Abby and Josie. I’ll do this for several times then let them go on their own to see if they have really learned it. If not I have plenty of time before season to back up and work them on what they need.

I had a couple come by to see the puppies early this morning, so I trained the young dogs after noon. It was getting warm by the time I turned Abby and Josie out to be trained. I didn’t turn the puppies loose when the couple came by so after they left I took them for a walk. If I turn the puppies out and stay close to the pen the pups all head for the highway out front. They are fine if I take them toward the back.

Josie honoring the backing dog.

Abby honoring the backing dog.

Puppies finding dog food in the grass.

Yesterday, I walked to the back of my place with the puppies. I had 3 pigeons in the bird bag and as we came by the strips of grass, I’ve allowed to grow, I put a pigeon to sleep and hid it in the grass. Most of the time the puppies just stumbled on to the pigeons but once one of them smelled the bird and went right to it. The wind was really strong yesterday so they had to be just right to smell it. I’ll try again tomorrow.

This morning I let the puppies play near the shed. I dropped some adult dog food in the grass behind the shed. I sat in the shade while the puppies found the food and played under the shed. I have a partial box of siding under the shed that was still in the box. The puppies have been taking the box off for me. Before I mow I will have to pick up a lot of card board.

By the time the puppies were tired it was time for lunch so I trained the older pups, Abby and Josie, after noon. One of the rainy days earlier in the week I had made 3 place boards. It seems like they move less on the place boards than they do on the barrel.

I put the backing dog out with 2 pigeons, in release traps, in front of it, in a new place. A new place for the pups, anyway. I put 6 pigeons in a bird bag that I carried with me. After putting the e-collars on Josie’s neck and flanks I heeled her out of the kennel dragging a long check cord. I really haven’t used the check cord on either of these pups. I just want them to get used to dragging it before I use it.

Since it was already warm I didn’t go very far on the heeling. We went from the kennel to the north across my yard then started toward the back. I had one of the new place boards across the yard from the kennel. I whoaed her a couple of times with the e-collar but I could tell something wasn’t right. My transmitter wasn’t on train. I set it before we got to the first place board.

I walked her on the place board and whoaed her. I pulled on the piggin’ string saying, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I heeled her a short distance then turned around and heeled her back on the place board. I whoaed her on the place board from both directions several times. Each time I pulled on the piggin’ string saying, “whoa”.

After several times of whoaing her I took a pigeon from the bird bag and dropped it right on her nose. She tried to catch it but missed. That’s not what I intended to do but that is what I did. The gloves I had on were real heavy and I blamed it on them. I set her back on the board then worked her on and off the board several times then pulled another pigeon from the bird bag. This time I held on to it and let it flap a little before letting it fly away. She didn’t move off the board. I heeled her away.

Abby on the place boards.

We went on toward the back with Josie slowing down and checking for the backing dog as we came past the brush pile. When she didn’t see it she started looking at the next place. It wasn’t there either. She was back to heeling when she saw the backing dog behind a clump of brush and honored. I walked around her taking pictures, making sure I walked between her and the backing dog. I flushed one of the pigeons and she took a step. I picked her up and set her back.

I walked around her again. I kicked the grass and flushed the second pigeon and laid the backing dog down. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.

We went to the retrieving bench. She is getting some better about running up and down the bench. She fell several weeks ago and is still a little scared. She also fell off the whoa barrel but isn’t scared of it. But she sees birds on the whoa barrel. Maybe I need to fly some pigeons for her on the retrieving bench. After she retrieved my glove a few times I set her on the ground.

Josie honoring.

I have some long PVC poles sticking up on the training grounds that I tie pigeons to and let them fly around in front of the dogs. I wait until the dogs are pretty steady before using them. An unsteady dog could catch a bird, easily. I put two place boards near the pigeon poles.

I heeled Josie to the nearest one and whoaed her. I tugged on the piggin’ string saying, “whoa”. I tapped her head and heeled her to the next place board where we did the same thing. We did this several times before I turned a pigeon loose in front of her after letting it flap a little. She took a step and I set her back. I wound up turning 4 pigeons loose when she was on the place board, on whoa. She got better but still wants to move a little. I took her back to the kennel.

I put 6 pigeons in the bird bag and put a couple in the traps in front of the backing dog. I heeled Abby out with the e-collars around her flanks and neck pulling the long check cord. Abby acted as if she was the leader and knew where she was going. She had her eye on the first place board and was out front. I did a couple of about faces popping the piggin’ string and she decided maybe I could lead.

I walked her on and off the board then turned a pigeon loose. She wanted to chase but I held her with the piggin’ string. After several more on and offs on the place board I turned another pigeon loose and she didn’t move. I heeled her toward the back.

A head shot of Abby.

She, too, slowed and looked where the backing dog had been before. When she finally saw the backing dog she stopped. I walked around her taking pictures and she took off toward the backing dog, fast. I was afraid the check cord would get wrapped around the backing dog but she ran on by. She circled the clump of brush and came close to me. I had turned the e-collar to 3 and held the button down on medium level and said, “whoa”. She went several yards as I held the button down. Finally, the stimulation got through to her. She stopped.

I went to her and heeled her back to where she saw the backing dog and she honored again. I stroked her sides then walked in front of her. I came back and held the piggin’ string then flushed a pigeon. She tried to chase but I held her. I set her back and styled her. I stroked her sides then flushed the pigeon and laid the backing dog down. She took a step but didn’t really try to chase.

I heeled her to the retrieving bench but she knew the bag I was carrying had pigeons in it and she wasn’t into retrieving. She brought the glove back twice then kept looking at the other place boards like she knew what was to happen. I heeled her to the place boards.

Another picture of Josie honoring.

After I walked her on both of them a few times I whoaed her and tossed a pigeon in front of her. She watched it fly away. I turned 4 pigeons loose for her. Sometimes she watched the pigeon and other times she wanted to take a step. She never tried to chase. I heeled her back to the kennel.

Both of these young dogs seem to do better on the place boards than the whoa barrel. I will keep working them on the place boards then when they get pretty steady there I will work them beside the place boards for a while. Once they are steady beside the place boards I will use the place boards and the pigeon poles. Just making small steps each time.

For one of the few times this year I was able to train two days in a row. I thought I was going to get three in a row but it started raining this morning. Oh well, I had ordered shots for the puppies and had to go pick them up this morning.

Josie honoring the backng dog.

Abby honoring the backing dog.

Josie honoring but turning to watch a pigeon fly away.

I let the puppies out to play before working the older pups. I let them out of their kennel at least twice a day if I can find time between rains. I think I have only had one day that they weren’t turned out twice, but today may be another.

Yesterday, I put some of the adult dog food in the grass close to the chair I sit in when I’m close to the pigeon coop and dog pens, after cleaning the big dog’s kennels. I turned the puppies out and brought them back to the kennel. They immediately start hunting the dog food in the grass. I’ve put their dog food in the grass near their kennel and they look for it but not as much or as hard as they do for the adult food.

After they had about cleaned up the dog food I got a pigeon from the coop. I sat in the chair and leaving one wing of the pigeon to flap I called the puppies to me. When they were all trying to get the pigeon I let it fly away. The puppies chased the bird without even getting close. I used 3 pigeons with them. This teaches them to like birds as well to come when I call.

The puppies were all ignoring me and playing under a cedar tree so I called them and went to my front porch. I could be drinking coffee while they played in another area. They like to jump on and off the front porch as well as climb in the flower pots. When they started getting tired and several started napping I took them back to their kennel.

I put the backing dog in a different place than last time and placed two pigeons in release traps in front of it. I had three pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler and two more in a bird bag slung over my shoulders.

It was Abby’s turn to be worked first so I put the e-collars on her neck and flanks. When we came out of the kennel I snapped a check cord to her collar. So far I haven’t used the check cord. I just want to get them used to pulling it until I’m ready. I did the same thing with the e-collars. They wore them for about 3 months without them even being turned on.

I still took Abby to the front of my yard across the front and back toward the training area heeling and whoaing her. I have a place board in the back yard. We have only used it a couple of times and the dogs still are reluctant to walk onto it. Abby’s first time when I said, “whoa” she only had 3 feet on the board but she stopped. I set her on the board and pulled on the piggin’ string as I said, “whoa”. She pulled back. I tried to take a picture pulling on the piggin’ string. I was able to but it’s a strange looking picture.

Josie with me tugging on the piggin’ string.

After I got Abby used to walking on the place board and stopping I took a pigeon from the bird bag and turned it loose in front of her. She didn’t try to chase. I led her off the place board then back on a couple of times then turned another pigeon loose in front of her. She didn’t try to chase. I heeled her on toward the back.

We passed the retrieving bench, crossed the creek and came around the brush pile. Abby was looking for the backing dog that I had, just past the brush pile before, but I had hidden it farther down the field. She slowed then went back to heeling. About 30 yards farther, the backing dog was past another clump of brush. As soon as she saw it she stopped. I walked around her taking pictures.

I made sure I walked in front of her, between her and backing dog, and she didn’t move. I went back beside her and held the piggin’ string but it wasn’t taut. I flushed a pigeon and said, “whoa”. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides. I walked around her, again. Then I stood beside her with the piggin’ string and flushed the second pigeon and laid the backing dog down. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.

We went to the retrieving bench. After I petted her I threw my glove and she retrieved it 5 times. She doesn’t always hold it until I get a hold of it but she brings it back. Right now, I’m happy with that. I took her to the whoa barrel.

Abby when I pull on the piggin’string.

After snapping the chain to her collar I put two release traps, with pigeons, in them in front of her. I put a pigeon to sleep and placed it in the grass. I stroked her sides then walked between her and the pigeons on the ground. I took pictures then flushed one of the pigeons from the release trap. She jumped a little but didn’t really try to move.

I continued to walk between her and the pigeons on the ground, kicking the grass. I flushed the second pigeon from the release trap. She didn’t move. I was surprised that the pigeon I had put to sleep was still lying in the grass. I walked between her and the pigeon. Finally, after several seconds of me kicking the grass and walking in front of her, I rolled the pigeon over with my foot. It awoke and flew away. She didn’t move. I took her back to the kennel.

After reloading the bird bag and the release traps in front of the backing dog I parked the 4-wheeler with 3 pigeons in the bird box, near the whoa barrel. I heeled Josie out with the piggin’ string. Josie heels better than Abby but for the first hundred yards or so she wants to keep her head against my leg. It makes it hard to walk but she wants to be right.

We went to the front then across to the north then back toward the training grounds heeling and whoaing. When we got to the place board she, too, didn’t want to walk on. After a few trips onto the board she was fine with it. After taking a picture of me pulling on the piggin’ string I turned a pigeon loose from the bird bag. She wanted to follow but I stopped her with the piggin’ string.

Abby on the whoa barrel.

I led her off the place board and then back on a few times. Each time I pull on the piggin’ string and say, “whoa”. The next pigeon I pulled from the bird bag I let flap a little before turning it loose. She didn’t move. I heeled her toward the back.

She, too, looked for the backing dog when we passed the brush pile. I had worked them two times before with it in the same spot. She got a little behind because I didn’t slow down. Once she knew the backing dog wasn’t there she caught up. Just a little way ahead she saw the backing dog and stopped. I walked around her and between her and the backing dog several times. I flushed a pigeon and she turned her head to watch it fly away but didn’t move.

I stroked her sides and walked around her. After a few seconds I flushed the pigeon and laid the backing dog down. She didn’t try to move. I heeled her to the retrieving bench.

Josie fell off the bench and is kind of scared of it. I decided to see if she would retrieve the glove right beside the bench on the ground. I tossed the glove and she didn’t even take a step. I tried to tease her into going for the glove but she wasn’t interested. I put her on the bench.

I petted her in several spots on the bench I just didn’t make her go to the end. The bench is 16 feet long and I petted her at the start at the half way point and just a foot or two past the middle. She was fine and stood up for this. At the very end she usually lies down. We skipped that part.

Josie with slack in the chain.

I tossed the glove about half way and she ran down, scooped it up and came back. I tossed it a little past the middle and she grabbed it and came back. I tossed it a little farther and she wouldn’t pick it up. I tossed it back to the start and she grabbed it bringing it to me. I set her on the ground.

We went to the whoa barrel. Both of these dogs jump onto the whoa barrel. I put her where she had a loose chain and about a foot of barrel between her and the end. I put two pigeons in release traps in front of her and put one bird to sleep in the grass. I walked between her and the birds on the ground as I took pictures. I had my back to the pigeon I had put to sleep when it awoke and flew away. Josie almost came off the barrel.

I set her back where there was slack in the chain and she was about a foot from the end of the barrel. I walked between her and the release traps. She moved up on the barrel where her toes were hanging off the end and the chain was tight. I moved her back. I walked around her taking pictures. I flushed a pigeon from the release trap. She almost came off the barrel. I set her back.

Josie with her toes at the edge and the chain tight.

As I walked between her and the pigeon she moved up. I set her back. She moved up. We went over this time and again. Finally, I started holding the button on the transmitter to the e-collar down on 2 medium. Usually, in the yard she will work on 1 medium and sometimes on 1 low. I set her back and she moved up. I don’t know how many times we did this but a lot. Finally she stayed. I flushed the last pigeon and she moved up. I set her back then took her to the kennel.

Both of these dogs seem to work better from the ground or from the place board. They are standing on the ground on the backing dog and they aren’t trying to chase. Same way on the place board. I think I will make some more place boards and maybe work them on birds from the pigeon poles. I can get more flushes off each bird doing that. Either way it won’t hurt to have more ways of a pigeon flying away while they stay in one spot.