Traveling Pointing Dogs

One of my puppy buyers, Mike Devero and his grand daughter Katie, came by yesterday. I had everything ready to go when they got here. We turned their puppy out for them to play with. I had talked to Katie about using a paint roller cover for the first retrieving dummy for their puppy. I had laid one on a bench near the puppy pen and the wind had blown it off. Before we knew what was happening the puppy grabbed it and ran under a large cedar tree that had limbs hanging to the ground.

Puppies finding the food I threw in the grass.

Josie honoring the backing dog.

Abby honoring the backing dog.

I tried to get close to her and she kept moving away from me. After a few tries I knelt down and called her. She came to me and I picked her up. I worked my way out of the cedar tree and handed the puppy to Katie. Katie petted her for a few seconds then set her down. The puppy ran back to the paint roller cover under the cedar tree. I wended my way back close under the cedar tree. I knelt down and called the puppy to me. She left the roller cover and came to me. When I got out of the cedar tree I handed her to Katie.

When Mike, Katie and their new puppy Millie left the paint roller cover was still under the cedar tree. I could see it from the edge of the tree but there was no way I could get in to get it.

This morning I turned the six puppies that are still here out. I put some adult dog food in the grass near the pigeon houses and near a chair where I sit. The puppies eat the dog food first then start playing. They really like to play under the cedar trees. (I think there are birds that roost of the night in the cedars.) In just a couple of minutes I saw a puppy with the paint roller cover and a couple of pups after her.

I didn’t even try to get the roller cover from the puppies. There were some pretty good fights and first one then another would have the roller cover. After I put the puppies back in their kennel I went out to get pigeons to work the older pups and I could see the roller cover lying near the edge of the cedars. I put it in the shed. I forgot to give Katie another roller cover but she’s coming back Friday or Saturday and I’ll let her have one then.

Today, I wanted to flush more pigeons in front of the young dogs. I got a place board out and put it near the training grounds. I set the backing dog up with two pigeons, in release traps, in front of it. I stopped the 4-wheeler near the whoa barrel with pigeons in the bird carrier. I had two pigeons in a bird bag slung around my shoulders.

I put e-collars around Josie’s neck and flanks and heeled her out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. She was dragging a long check cord. As we went toward the front of my yard I whoaed her several times by hitting the transmitter on med 1 on her flank e-collar and saying, “whoa” a second later. Josie was getting a little slow about whoaing so I moved the e-collar to 2 and hit her with a low 2. That made her hear the whoa command better.

Abby with one of the birds gone from the release trap but there is a pigeon asleep in the grass.

We went across the front then back toward the back. When I got to the place board she wanted to go beside it. I kept working with her. The first time I whoaed her she had 3 feet on and 1 beside the board. That’s okay. She’s not sure I want her to step on the board. I worked her several times and from both directions on the place board. As soon as she stepped on I said whoa. When she was going on with no problem I started tugging on the piggin’ string and saying, “whoa”. She pulled back.

I heeled her onto the place board, held the transmitter button down on 2 low and said, “whoa”. As soon as she stopped I let off the button. She got really good about whoaing and would pull back when I tugged on the piggin’ string. I stood beside her with a hand on the piggin’ string but with slack in the line. I whoaed her and tossed a pigeon in front of her. The first time she wanted to chase but I stopped her from coming off the place board. I waited on her to settle down then tossed another pigeon in front of her. This time she didn’t move her feet. She just watched it fly away. I led her away after stroking her sides and telling her what a good girl she is.

We went past the retrieving bench, crossed the creek and she was anticipating the backing dog as we came around the brush pile. She stopped as soon as she saw the backing dog. I walked around her taking pictures then held the piggin’ string with a loose line. I flushed a pigeon and she tried to follow the bird as it flew toward the house.

Josie on the barrel with a loose chain.

As soon as the first pigeon flew away she styled back up on the backing dog. I stroked her sides and told her what a good girl she is. I walked in front of her then back to hold the piggin’ string. I flushed the second bird and laid the backing dog down. I heeled her to the retrieving bench.

She fell off the bench several weeks ago and it still bothers her. I can pet her on the far end but she won’t stand up. She lies on her belly. I tossed the glove about half way down the bench and she retrieved it. I tossed it the second time about 6 inches past the middle and she scooped it up and came back. The next toss was about a foot past the middle and she wouldn’t go to it. I walked down, tossed it back to the start of the bench and she retrieved it to me but she didn’t have to come past the middle. I set her on the ground.

She jumped onto the whoa barrel. I stroked her up then got two release traps off the 4-wheeler, put them in front of the barrel with pigeons in them, put another pigeon to sleep and placed it in front of her. Josie always looks good when birds are involved. I walked in front of her and she moved up on the barrel to where the chain was tight and her feet were hanging over the edge. I set her back and stroked her up, telling her what a good girl she is.

Josie on the barrel with 2 birds in the release traps and a pigeon asleep in the grass.

Before I could walk in front of her the pigeon that was asleep woke and flew away. Josie lunged at it coming completely off the barrel. The chain let her back feet touch the ground but she was still jumping around. I put her back on the barrel and stroked her up. I must have put her back 4 or 5 times before she calmed down enough to stand with a loose chain. She wanted to lean into the chain with her front feet hanging over the edge. I thought her falling off the barrel would intimidate her but it didn’t.

Finally, she stood with a loose chain and I flushed a pigeon from a release trap. She came to the end of the barrel with her toes hanging over the edge and a tight chain. I held the transmitter button down on medium 2 and set her back. I picked her up and let off the button on the transmitter when her feet touched the barrel. Several times. As soon as I set her down she would move up. I set up back holding the button down on 2 medium. Over and over.

Sometimes she would let me walk between her and the release trap before she moved but she moved. Over and over. Finally she stayed. I flushed the last pigeon and she didn’t move. We’ll see which one gives up first. I took her back to the kennel.

I reloaded the release traps in front of the backing dog and stood it up. I put a couple of pigeons in the bird bag and had 3 more birds in the box on the 4-wheeler. I brought Abby out with the e-collars around her neck and flanks pulling a long check cord.

Puppies like to find the adult food in the grass.

We worked on heel and whoa as we went toward the front yard then across the front and back down to the place board. She was just like Josie. She didn’t want to step on the place board. I worked her onto the board from both directions to get her used to it. When she was whoaing on it I started whoaing her and tugging on the piggin’ string. She pulled back without moving her feet.

When she was whoaing real well I whoaed her on the board and tossed a pigeon in front of her. She didn’t move. I continued to walk her on and off, whoaing her each time she walked onto the board. I tossed another pigeon in front of her and she didn’t move. I heeled her away.

We went past the retrieving bench, crossed the creek and as we came around the brush pile she saw the backing dog and honored. I stroked her sides and then walked around her taking pictures. I flushed a pigeon and she turned her head but didn’t try to chase. I stroked her sides then flushed the second bird. She didn’t move. I heeled her to the retrieving bench.

I had just walked her up down the bench when my neighbor and a friend of his came over. They wanted to see the puppies so I threw my glove down the bench one time and Abby retrieved it. I took her to the kennel and turned puppies out for them.

A puppy saying, “please pick me up”.

After they played with the puppies for a while I put the puppies back and since I hadn’t taken the e-collars off Abby I took her to the whoa barrel. I had picked the release traps up and put them on the 4-wheeler so I reloaded them and placed them in front of her. I put another pigeon to sleep in the grass.

Abby was standing really well and I flushed a pigeon from a release trap for her. She didn’t move her feet. She just turned her head to watch it fly away. As I stroked her up and told her what a good girl she is the pigeon that was asleep woke and flew away. Again, she didn’t move. I stroked her up and flushed the last pigeon. She watched it fly away without moving. I took her back to the kennel.

When I started working with these two young dogs I would have bet that Josie would be easier to break than Abby. I would have been wrong. But with enough repetitions they both will get steadier and steadier, I think. The good part is, we have lots of time before the next season starts.

I have only been able to work Abby and Josie a couple of times in the last week. The puppies, even in the rainy weather, needed to be out of their kennel, several times a day, so they could learn about their world. The puppies are now over 7 weeks old and have received their first shots and been wormed several times. Keeping track of 8 puppies going in different directions is stressful at times.

Puppies wanting attention.

Josie on the whoa barrel.

Josie on the whoa barrel.

Since these puppies were three weeks old I have been feeding them. I started with a formula of milk that was given to me by my vet. Each time I fed them I played the CD for Gun Conditioning by Master’s Voice. Now that they are on solid food, puppy chow, I still play the CD at least twice a day. The puppies were about 5 weeks old before I moved them into their raised kennel. The weather had turned real cold and I felt like they were better off in the shed where it was warmer.

But I took them outside when the weather allowed. I locked the wings on a pigeon a few times but the puppies got really aggressive, quick. After just a couple of lock wings I started letting them smell the pigeon then I would let it fly. I, also, tossed dog food in the grass to wake their nose up. They like to find the dog food from the big dogs better than their own. Different taste, I guess. When one pup finds the food, no matter where I throw it, the others join in like they are really hungry. But the food in their kennel never runs out. I keep food in their pans at all times.

This last week the different people that bought pups out of this litter came by and picked their puppy. I don’t feel right about picking the puppy for them. When each person told me they wanted a puppy I wrote their name down and that was the order of their pick. The first pick had 7 females to pick from and after each pick I left a puppy in the pen. My intention was to keep the male and I have one female left over. The last person to pick had two puppies to look at and he had a hard time choosing between the two.

With this Covid-19 there haven’t been as many people coming by to pet the puppies as there have been in the past but I handle them several times a day. There still have been a few people to pet them, enough for them to really like people. I have really enjoyed having the puppies and with all of this going on; the skeet range is closed, it’s dangerous to go to the lumber yards or even go to church, I’m glad I have them.

Yesterday, I worked Abby and Josie on heel, whoa, retrieving and honoring. I put the backing dog out with two pigeons, in release traps, in front of it. The backing dog was hidden behind a brush pile. I had three more pigeons, in the box on the 4-wheeler, parked near the whoa barrel.

I heeled Abby out with the e-collars around her neck and flanks. Later, on the honoring, I will want to work the pups on a check cord and have them honor, so I had her drag a long check cord. I heeled her to the front of my yard then to the north across my yard and my neighbor’s. Then toward the back. I whoaed her and walked around her, to the front and to the rear. These two pups are different on the e-collar. It takes a 2 medium for Abby but Josie will work fine with a 1 medium and sometimes with a 1 low.

Josie and the backing dog.

When we got toward the back we crossed the wet weather creek and started around the brush pile. As soon as I saw her see the backing dog, I whoaed her. I styled her and released one of the pigeons. She wanted to chase but I held her with the piggin’ string, saying, “whoa”. She styled back and I stood for a few seconds, released the second bird and laid the backing dog down. This time she didn’t try to chase. I petted her and heeled her to the retrieving bench.

Abby really likes the retrieving bench. She runs up and down it as I walk along and pet her at several spots on the bench. I threw my glove down the bench and she retrieved it 5 times. She doesn’t always hold until I take it but she brings it back. She either drops it as she gets to me or when I touch the glove. I make a big deal out of her getting the glove back to me then set her on the ground.

I heeled her to the whoa barrel and she jumped on. After I hooked her to the chain I put two release traps, with a pigeon in each, in front of her and then put a pigeon to sleep in the grass. I walked around in front of her taking pictures and kicking the grass. She was as close as she could get on the barrel but she wasn’t moving. I flushed a pigeon from one of the release traps. She didn’t move. I walked around her.

Abby and the whoa barrel.

I stroked her sides and told her what a good girl she is. As I walked around her I flushed the second bird in the release trap. She didn’t move. She could see the pigeon in the grass and her style was good as she stood tall on the barrel. I stroked her and walked in front and woke the pigeon. It flew away and she watched it go without moving. I set her beside the barrel and styled her as I said, “whoa”. I heeled her back to the kennel.

I reloaded the release traps, by the backing dog, and left 3 birds in the box on the 4-wheeler near the whoa barrel. I put the e-collars on Josie’s neck and flanks and heeled her out. We went the same way I had taken Abby. Josie is usually better about heeling and whoaing than Abby. Abby sometimes thinks she should be the leader. Josie is okay with me leading. Just a little difference in dogs.

We got to the front of my yard and I got a phone call from a friend I hadn’t talked to in a long time. I answered the phone after putting her on whoa. She stayed on whoa really well for a little while. I was standing a few feet in front of her when I answered the phone. When I wasn’t paying attention she came to me. In just a little while she was walking around me almost like I walk around her when she’s on whoa. After the call I whoaed her then heeled her on to the back.

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

We crossed the creek and as we went around the brush pile she saw the backing dog and I whoaed her. I stroked her up and flushed a pigeon. She wanted to chase. I held her with the piggin’ string and styled her back up. I stroked her and told her what a good girl she is. I flushed the second pigeon and laid the backing dog down. She still wanted to chase. I held her with the piggin’ string.

I heeled her to the retrieving bench where she jumped on. She doesn’t like the bench as well as most of my dogs do. She fell off a few weeks ago and is scared of the far end. When we got to the far end with me just petting her she was lying on her belly. I keep thinking she will get over her fear but so far she hasn’t.

She’s only scared of the far half of the bench so I threw the glove about half way down the bench. She went to it but didn’t pick it up. I grabbed it and tossed it again. Again she went to it but didn’t pick it up. I went to the half way point of the bench and tossed the glove back to the start of the bench. She grabbed the glove and brought it to me. I tossed it 3 times then went to the start and tossed it back to the middle. She ran to the glove, scooped it up and brought it back. I set her on the ground.

Abby

We went to the whoa barrel where she jumped up for me to hook her to the chain. I had left the release traps in front of the whoa barrel but I hadn’t reloaded them. After styling her up I reloaded the release traps and put a pigeon to sleep in front of the barrel. Josie just knows she can catch those birds if I would just let her.

I styled her up and as I walked in between her and the birds she would move all the way up and some way hang on the side of the barrel. I set her back and when I went in front of her she would move. After several times of her moving she finally stayed where she was on the barrel. I flushed a pigeon from a release trap and the pigeon that was asleep awoke and flew, too. She almost came off the barrel. When I pick her up to set her back her front toes are curled around the end of the barrel to hold on. I almost lifted the barrel when I set her back.

We still had a pigeon in a release trap and after setting her back I walked between her and the pigeon. She moved. Several times she moved. I have been using the e-collar on whoa with both of these dogs. On a real low level and they understand that when they feel stimulation on their flanks they are to whoa. After giving her a chance to stay where I whoaed her I started stimulating her. When she moved I would hold the button on the transmitter down on medium 1 until I set her back. I tried to let off the button when her feet touched the barrel, where I wanted them.

Josie

After two or three times I could see that wasn’t working. I went to medium 2 on the e-collar. This is not enough to make her even squirm, for sure not enough for her to yelp. I still had to set her back 3 or 4 times before she finally let me walk between her and the pigeons without moving. I flushed the pigeon and she moved a little. I heeled her back to the kennel.

I haven’t even started my truck in at least a week. I have used June’s car to go to the grocery store but that is about all. With everything, skeet range and fun stuff, being closed, without these puppies and young dogs, I would go stark raving mad. I’m glad I have them.

I’m sorry I haven’t put a post on my blog for a while but my wife, June, has been going through some problems with her heart. I haven’t been able to devote much time to the dogs, other than cleaning pens and making sure they have been fed, this week. June went in for what we thought was an out patient procedure and they have kept her in the hospital. As I write this I’m waiting on her pick up call. I haven’t been allowed to visit.

Josie on the barrel with pigeons in front of her.

Abby on the barrel with pigeons in front of her.

Josie with pigeons in front of her.

I do, usually, turn the puppies out several times a day. The puppies are really starting to explore the yard. I started putting a pigeon down in front of the puppies with it’s wings locked but they got to aggressive really quick. I don’t know whether they are just that aggressive or it’s because there are 8 of them but I had to quit locking the wings. Now, I just call the puppies when I have a pigeon in my hand and let it fly when they all are trying to get the bird.

This not only makes them bird crazy but it also teaches them to come to me. Most of them are now chasing the pigeon when I let it fly away.

I also toss dog food in the grass close to where I’m sitting so they get something good when they come close to me, as well as it teaches them to use their nose to find the food. I do this close to their kennel with the food they have in their kennel. When we are close to the pigeon house and older dogs I use the grown dogs food. The puppies like this and most of the time when one is finding food they all hear and come running. They have to use their nose to find the food.

The last time I worked the young dogs, Josie and Abby, I started with Abby. I had put some pigeons in release traps but I kept the bag of birds on my shoulder, as we walked the edge of my yard. I heeled Abby out of the kennel with the e-collars on her neck and flanks. I whoaed her a few times with no stimulation but she was not stopping as fast as I thought she should.

Abby, also, thinks when I say, “whoa” that as long as she stays in the general area that is close enough. She hasn’t got the idea that “whoa” means don’t move your feet. I started stimulating her with the transmitter on 2 low. That made her stop quicker. But some of the time she would move a foot when she was on whoa. On this day I was ready. When she moved a foot I would stimulate with a 2 medium. After a couple of these she quit moving.

I still had 5 pigeons in the bird bag and as we got back behind my house I slipped one out of the bag, hit the transmitter button on 2 low, and said, “whoa”. As I said, “whoa” I tossed a pigeon in front of Abby. I still had the piggin’ string in my hand. She started to follow the pigeon and I jerked upward on the piggin’ string and said, “whoa”, again. She stopped and watched the pigeon fly away.

We went all the way to the back of my yard and as we started back toward the front I stimulated her and said, “whoa” and tossed another pigeon. She jumped but didn’t try to follow. We watched it fly away. I heeled and whoaed her back to the retrieving bench. With my help she jumped onto the bench.

Abby.

When I tossed my glove down the bench, after petting her at several spots on the bench, she retrieved them. She really seems to enjoy retrieving the glove but when I tried it a few days ago with a retrieving dummy she refused. I am going to try a longer chain, from the pulley system on the bench, and see if she will retrieve from the ground, beside the bench. I set her on the ground.

We went to the whoa barrel where she jumped up. I attached the chain to her collar and got the release traps, with a pigeon, out of the shade and set them right in front of her. I put a pigeon to sleep in the grass in front of her. After styling her up and taking pictures I woke the pigeon and let it fly away. She knows that to move much will cause the barrel to shake and she will fall. She didn’t move.

As I styled her up I flushed a pigeon from a release trap. She didn’t move. I put another pigeon to sleep in front of her but it woke up and flew away before I could do anything. I had one more so I put it to sleep. As I took pictures I flushed the last pigeon from the release trap. I continued to walk around her kicking the grass. I woke the last pigeon and it flew away. She didn’t move. I took her back to the kennel.

Every dog is different. Josie is really good on whoa and is actually better on the heel command. The worst thing she does is when we are heeling she thinks she can anticipate my turns if she keeps her head against my leg. It’s hard to walk with a dog’s head against your leg.

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

I did a few left turns to get her head off my leg. We went to the front of my yard, across to the north then back toward the back. When we got behind my house I said, “whoa” and tossed a pigeon in front of her. I was expecting to jerk back on the piggin’ string but she went straight up when I tossed the pigeon. I almost flipped her over. She stopped when I said, “whoa”.

We went on to the back and started toward the front. As we heeled I hit the stimulation on the transmitter on low 2, said, “whoa” and tossed a pigeon in front of her. This time I just tightened the piggin’ string and she stopped. I heeled her to the retrieving bench where she jumped on with my help.

The first toss of the glove wasn’t but about half way down the bench and she retrieved it just fine. The next toss was all the way to the end and she went about half way and acted scared to go down the bench. She had turned around too fast the last time on the bench and her back legs went off the bench and she fell. That may have caused her to be a little timid. I made another short toss and she retrieved the glove. I set her on the ground.

Pigeons make the difference.

I heeled her to the whoa barrel and set her on it. After attaching the chain to her collar I moved the pigeons in the release traps in front of her. I put a pigeon to sleep in front of her. I styled her, took some pictures then walked in front of her. I woke the pigeon and it flew away. She moves a little more on the barrel than Abby does.

She was still styled so I flushed a pigeon from a release trap while I was putting another bird to sleep. Flushing from the release trap doesn’t seem to bother them as much as one that has been put to sleep, flushing from the ground. I continued to walk around her. I woke the pigeon and it just started walking away. I thought if I could get around it I could herd it back in front of Josie. Not this time. When I got close the pigeon flew away.

Josie with the release traps and a pigeon asleep in the grass.

I walked back and forth then put another pigeon to sleep in front of her. I flushed the second bird in the release trap. She didn’t move. I walked back and forth then woke the last pigeon. She was pretty steady when it flew away. I heeled her back to the kennel.

While I was writing this June called and I was able to go pick her up from the hospital. She’s home where she should be, thank the Lord.

Along with training these two I will soon have another. I’m keeping the lone male pup out of Sally and Mann’s litter. June and I have been trying out new names on him but I couldn’t come up with something I liked. He was the only male in this litter with 8 females. We tried King, Duke, Sonny and several others but I didn’t like them. Finally, I remembered that El Jefe means the boss. So, for today at least, that is his name, Windypoint’s El Jefe.

The weather is finally trying to cooperate with me and my dog training. It’s still wet and muddy but I can walk and do things without the 4-wheeler. The young dogs don’t care whether it’s muddy or wet. They just want attention. If this stay at home thing lasts long enough I will have some really well trained young dogs.

Josie on the whoa barrel.

Abby on the whoa barrel.

My puppies, playing.

Sometimes, when I have taken a few days off, without working pups, I forget something that I need to work these young dogs. Tuesday, I didn’t have my gloves with me so when I got the e-collars from the shed I grabbed a Dokken dove for the pups to retrieve. They have done real well with the glove and I figured they would do just as well with the dove.

I put the e-collars on Josie’s neck and flanks and heeled her from the kennel. We went all the way around the yard. I noticed that when I whoaed Josie and walked out front of her then walked to her rear as I came back by on her right side she thought she could go with me. The first time or two I just said, “whoa” and she stopped. But she took a step every time. If I walked back on her left side she wouldn’t move.

I knew I had to stop this. After two times and she would still move I started whoaing her and picking her up and setting her back. I only had to set her back three times and she quit moving.

The last time I had worked Josie on going into the air line crate it hadn’t gone well. About 5 or 6 times I had to push her into the crate. This was after her going in real well the times I had worked her before. Finally, I had ran at the crate with her on heel and she went right in.

When we got to the air line crate I moved toward the crate rapidly and when I said, “kennel” I thought she was going in. Right at the last second she stopped. I pushed her in then led her out. After the first time she went in each time. I started holding the button on the transmitter down on medium 2 on her neck e-collar and saying, “kennel”. I pushed the button before I said, “kennel”. After just a few kennels she started toward the crate when I pushed the button and before I could say, “kennel”. I knew she had it figured out.

I put her on the retrieving bench. After petting her in several spots on the bench I tossed the Dokken dove down the bench. She dashed down the bench and opened her mouth as though she was going to retrieve it but never picked it up. I tossed it just a couple of feet but she still didn’t pick it up. I quit. I set her on the ground and took her to the whoa barrel.

I set her on the barrel and styled her up. I tried to get her to stay styled but it didn’t work very well but she hasn’t been on the barrel very many times. I walked around her and took some pictures then took her back to the kennel.

Abby with a pigeon in front of her.

I walked Abby around the yard with the e-collars on her neck and flanks. Abby wants to lead me rather than heel so we make a lot of u turns. Around my yard is about a half mile walk. I walk a few yards and whoa them. I drop the piggin’ string and walk around them. For the most part Josie is steadier than Abby is other than me walking from the rear to her front on the right side. Abby will try to eat grass or just take a step to the side occasionally.

When we got close to the air line crate I held the button down on the transmitter on medium 2 and said, “kennel”. Abby ran right in. I worked her the last time with the e-collar because she has always kenneled. She acts like she really enjoys kenneling. After about 5 times of kenneling we went to the retrieving bench.

After petting her in several places on the bench I threw the Dokken dove. She raced down the bench, opened her mouth but didn’t pick it up. I tried several different ways but she would have nothing to do with the dove. I set her on the ground and heeled her to the whoa barrel.

Josie has a pigeon in front of her.

Abby jumped onto the barrel with a little help from me. I styled her up. Keeping them styled up without birds is hard. After a short time I heeled her back to the kennel.

This morning, before I heeled Abby out, I put 2 pigeons in release traps near the whoa barrel and placed another 3 pigeons in a bird bag. I turned the e-collar on that was on her flanks. We started around the yard. I stopped and checked the level on the e-collar that she felt. I thought I saw a little movement on a medium 2.

We started around the yard and every few yards I held the button down on the transmitter and then said, “whoa”. Usually, after just a few of these, the dogs I’ve worked with before started stopping before I could say, “whoa”. But not with Abby. I went to level, low 3. Still didn’t seem to have an effect.

Josie again.

We kept going. After using whoa several times without her seeming to get it I changed to level 3 medium. The first few times there was no indication that she was feeling the stimulation. Then for some reason it started to work. She moved side ways so I lowered the transmitter back to 2 medium. Now she was feeling that. I went to low 2 and it worked just fine. In just a few times she was stopping before I could say, “whoa”.

When we got to the retrieving bench I had her jump onto it. Today I had my glove with me. I tossed it down the bench and she raced down, scooped it up and returned. As soon as I touched the glove she turned it loose. I had her retrieve the glove 5 times. I set her on the ground.

I heeled her to the whoa barrel and she jumped onto the barrel. I hooked the chain to her collar and styled her up. While she was standing I went into the shade of the shed and brought the two pigeons in the release traps and the 3 pigeons in the bird bag close to her. I styled her up and she was more rigid. I took a pigeon from the bird bag and turned it loose. She really got intense.

I walked around her taking pictures. When I released one of the pigeons from the release traps her head snapped around as the pigeon flew away but she didn’t try to move her feet. I continued to walk around her and tossed one of the birds from the bag in front of her. There was no problem keeping her styled now. I turned the second bird loose that was in the release trap then after a few seconds I tossed another in front of her. She looked good without trying to move. I took her back to the kennel.

Abby with a pigeon.

I reloaded my release traps and bird bag and brought Josie out with the e-collars on her neck and flanks. As we started around the yard I whoaed her several times without the e-collar. I checked her and thought low 2 would work. I held the button on the transmitter down then said, “whoa”. After just a few times she was stopping before I could say, “whoa”.

She was responding so well I went to 1 medium and she would whoa as soon as I touched the button. I don’t know why the e-collar didn’t work that well with Abby but it was like it didn’t work at all for a while. Since it worked so well with Josie I didn’t even walk her as far as I did Abby.

When we got to the retrieving bench I had her jump onto it. I petted her then threw the glove for her. She ran to it, scooped it up and came back. As soon as I touched it she turned loose. I tossed the glove farther down the bench and she stopped before she got to it. She acted like she was afraid to walk down the bench. I tossed it just a few feet and she went to it but didn’t pick it up. I tried a few more times and put her on the ground.

More puppies.

Most of the time when dogs refuse something they have been doing it’s because of something I have done wrong. I’ll continue to work with her on retrieving.

I put her on the whoa barrel and got the birds out of the shade and put them in front of her on the barrel. After styling her up I tossed a pigeon from the bird bag in front of her. She tried to follow the pigeon and off the barrel she came. I helped her back on. I turned a bird loose from a release trap. The barrel started shaking but she didn’t come off.

I styled her up and walked around her taking pictures and tossed another pigeon from the bird bag. This time she didn’t move. I continued around her. I put a pigeon to sleep in front of the barrel. When I woke it up it didn’t fly. It started walking away. I went around it and herded it back in front of her. She was really stretched out and was real rigid.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

The pigeon tried walking away again and when I tried to herd it back n front of her it flew a few feet. I thought I would catch it. When I tried the pigeon finally flew across the yard. I released the final pigeon from the release traps and tossed the one left in the bird bag in front of her. She didn’t come off the barrel again until I set her on the ground. I took her back to the kennel.

Between having a litter of puppies and working these two pups, I stay busy. With the Covid-19 we aren’t supposed to go anywhere but I usually stay home with the exception of shooting skeet, occasionally. The skeet range is closed. Other than no shooting my life hasn’t changed that much.

But in these trying times everyone be safe. Do whatever you have to do to keep you and your family safe and well.

Abby pointing a pigeon.