Traveling Pointing Dogs

The weather has finally cooled down and I have been working the puppies every day this week and the older dogs every other day. It was real cool this morning and I got out about 8:00 am. Mann has just come back from being force broke to retrieve and I want him to see the other dogs retrieving, on the bench. I then work him on the bench so he realizes that he has to retrieve for me, too.

I heeled Luke from the chain gang to the retrieving bench and had him jump onto it. I put 4 retrieving dummies on the opposite end of the bench. I sent Luke to retrieve each one and I made a big deal out of it to get the dog that’s retrieving to enjoy retrieving. Mann is a few feet away and has to listen to the other dogs being praised. I think this will help him when it’s his time on the bench.

After 4 retrieves I turned Luke loose and followed him down the field on the 4-wheeler. I only had 2 pigeons hidden on the training grounds. Luke went along the north fence line and hit the scent cone on the first pigeon and slid to a stop. I walked in front of him after taking pictures. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move.

I held a frozen quail under his nose then tossed it a few feet and said, “fetch”. He ran to it, grabbed it and came back. I had forgotten that he would do this. I tossed it again and he brought it back. I released him to hunt and followed him down the field.

He was at the back when he went on point. He was farther from the bird and in the wrong direction when he pointed, I thought. But there was no denying, he had the scent. I took pictures then walked in front of him, kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I tossed the frozen quail and he raced out, picked it up and brought it back. As soon as I took it he went back to hunting. I was okay with that. I took him back to the kennel.

After reloading the traps I put Sally on the retrieving bench. I had her retrieve the 4 dummies 2 times. I made a lot of noise, praising her. She enjoyed it and Mann had to hear me. I put her on the ground and released her to hunt.

She went to the north fence line and pointed the first pigeon. I took pictures then went in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I tossed the frozen quail 3 times and she retrieved it each time. I praise her a lot and she acts like she enjoys retrieving. I released her to hunt.

We went on toward the back and she pointed the next pigeon. I dropped a frozen quail on the ground. I took pictures and walked in front of her, kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I tapped her head and said, “hunt dead”. She started making short circles where I pointed. She found the frozen quail and brought it to me. I threw it 3 times and she retrieved it each time. I took her to the kennel.

I put Tur Bo on the retrieving bench and had him retrieve the 4 dummies twice each. I praised him a lot and he seemed to enjoy it. Mann didn’t watch all of the time but he had to hear me. I set him on the ground and released him to hunt.

I followed him toward the back where he pointed the pigeon. I walked in front after taking pictures. I kicked the cover then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took his customary step then stopped. I had dropped a frozen quail when I got off the 4-wheeler so I said, “hunt dead”. He went to looking but he was making large circles. Finally, he slowed a little, smelled the quail, scooped it up and came to me. When I said give he dropped it in my hand. I threw it 3 times for him and he retrieved it each time. I released him to hunt.

Just as I got on the 4-wheeler I got a phone call that I had to take. The phone call was probably 5 minutes long. I knew that Tur Bo was on point for most of this. After the call I rode to the other bird. I could tell by the way the check cord was laying that he had been closer to the bird but had backed up a little. Maybe when he heard me coming.

He still looked good on point so I took pictures then moved him back a little more. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took his one step. I had dropped a frozen quail and I told him to hunt dead. He made some circles then found the frozen quail and brought it to me. I threw it 3 times for him and he retrieved it each time. I took him back to the kennel.

Mann was still on the chain gang. I reloaded the release traps and heeled him to the retrieving bench. Instead of using dummies for him I used two frozen quail. When Jim Lyons, from Lion’s Den Kennel taught him to retrieve he had only used a dummy for a little while then changed to birds. I put Mann on whoa then placed the frozen quail at the other end of the bench. When I sent him to retrieve he went in a hurry. He brought each frozen quail to me and wagged his tail as he did. He likes the loud praise.

After he retrieved each quail 4 times I released him to hunt. He pointed the pigeon on the north fence line, first. I took pictures then walked in front kicking the over. I thought he would move when I flushed the bird so I put a half hitch around his flanks with the check cord. I stood on the check cord, flushed the bird and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I don’t know why I thought he would. I tossed the frozen quail for him 3 times. He was wagging his tail when he brought it back. I released him to hunt.

He pointed the pigeon at the back of the property. I dropped a frozen quail then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon (I didn’t put a half hitch around his flanks this time) and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I tapped his head and said, “hunt dead”. That seemed to confuse him.

I then said, “fetch”. He went in the direction I pointed, picked up the quail and brought it back. I tossed it for him a couple of times. That he understands. I took him back to the kennel.

Then it was time for the puppies. I turned all 3 of Sally’s puppies out and walked to the chain gang. They all came to me, jumping in my face as I hooked them to the chain. I went back and brought Tur Bo’s daughter down. Sally’s puppies are 18 weeks old and Tur Bo’s daughter is 12 weeks old. At that age there is a lot of difference in their sizes.

I put out 4 pigeons for each puppy, all on my side of the training grounds. I worked Sally’s puppies first. I turned Abby the puppy with the big black spot loose first. She ran along the north fence line and was quite a ways from the first pigeon when she went on point. I didn’t do anything other than take pictures. I stood and watched for any movement. When she made the least movement I flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance then went back to hunting.

She pointed 3 out of her 4 birds. Each time other than taking pictures I never moved or said anything. I think these pups have enough going through their mind when they first point without me doing anything. I put her back on the chain gang.

I turned the male puppy out. I was going to call him Hunter but with all of the problems of Hunter Biden I changed it to Gabe. I don’t intend to do politics but I don’t want to saddle a puppy with a name that he can’t be proud of. Plus, this isn’t the first time I’ve changed his name.

We went along the north fence line and he pointed but was looking in the wrong direction. I took a picture and he moved away from the bird. I waited and he came back and went directly toward the bird. When he didn’t stop I flushed the pigeon. He chased a short distance. We went on to the next bird. He pointed two of his 4 birds. I put him back on the chain gang.

Daisey was next. Daisey is the puppy with two black eyes and ears. As we went down the north fence line she hit the scent cone and went on point. I took pictures and she started toward the pigeon and I flushed it at her first movement. She pointed 2 of her 4 birds before I put her back on the chain gang.

Then it was Josie’s turn. She’s small and young but she doesn’t know it. She thinks she’s as big as anyone. We went down the fence line and she pointed. She knew exactly where the bird was and she was probably 15 yards from it. I took pictures and when she made the smallest movement I flushed the pigeon. She pointed 3 of her 4 birds. She pointed the first 3 and I thought she would be the one to point them all but her last one she smelled and went right toward it, without stopping. When she got close I flushed it. I took her back to the kennel.

I had returned the older puppies to the chain gang so I released them and had them run in front of the 4-wheeler for a little more exercise.

There is a road near the gun range that I like to take the puppies for walks on. The closest they can get to the range is 800 yards, according to my GPS. This gets them used to gun shots a little and also teaches them not to go to someone that is close to me, that is shooting. I lost a dog once that went to some other hunters and they took her with them, I think.

My puppies have heard the gun conditioning CD from Master’s Voice but Josie hasn’t. She is my stud fee puppy from another kennel and most kennels don’t use the CD. A few days ago I took her by herself to the road. Since it’s near a highway I put a leash on her for the first part of the walk. Just until we got away from the highway. She wasn’t wanting to come with me. The wind was from the gun range to us and the gunshots were loud. Not like being there but you could hear them, easily.

I didn’t say anything to her, just drug her down the road. She was walking but was pulling back at every step. I didn’t say anything but just kept walking. Probably, a hundred fifty yards down the road she starting walking in front of me. I took the leash off. She ran just in front of me then started going off the side. When we got about a half mile down the road there were some boy scouts camping in the park.

She went to about 3 boys, then some more scouts came to pet her. I didn’t need to do anything but wait on them to get tired of petting her. She ran from boy to boy for a while. The scouts had some activities for the boys so we went back to the truck. The shooting had no effect on her the way back to the truck. I will take her back another time or two before shooting around her.

I’ve been wanting some cool weather and we got it. When I got up this morning it was in the thirties and the high would only get to about 49 degrees. My kind of weather. A friend came over and we worked his dog first thing. When he left I left the release traps where they were for his dog and I worked the puppies, Abby, Daisey, Josie and Hunter. With the exception of Josie they don’t stay on point long enough for a picture.

I had 4 release traps out. I turned the 3 puppies, Abby, Daisey and Hunter out and I rode the 4-wheeler to the chain gang. These three have been on the chain gang several times. You would think they would try to keep away from it if they didn’t like it. They never try. They come right to me to be hooked to the chain gang. I reloaded the release traps.

When I came back Daisey was the closest to me so I unhooked her. I don’t unhook the puppies when they are jumping around. They must either stand still or sit. I stand close but not close enough they can get their feet on me. I don’t say anything. I wait while they try a lot of different things but the only thing that works is to stand still or sit. Since they have been on the chain gang before it doesn’t take long for them to settle down. I don’t want them to use the chain hitting the ground as a release signal, either. I pet them, after dropping the chain, for several seconds before releasing them.

The puppies have been run on a couple of birds the other times I have worked them. This was a different with there being 4 birds. None of the three hold point very long, not even long enough for me to get a picture. But I’m watching for any movement on their part instead of getting the camera out. They point and at their first movement I flush the pigeon. If they point with a foot in the air then set it down I flush the pigeon. I want them to think that any movement on their part causes the bird to flush.

We had a good breeze and it showed how good the nose on these puppies are. They didn’t point at a great distance but when they got a little scent their tails started to work and they went toward the pigeon. When they got too close I flushed the bird but most of the time they made a point, if only for a few seconds. After I worked all three I took them back to the kennel.

I brought Josie out. She’s only 12 weeks old but she thinks she’s as big as anyone. I put her on the chain gang while I reloaded the release traps. The chain gang teaches dogs a lot of different things. None of them bad. When I came back I stood near her until she calmed down and quit jumping. I released her and petted her for a few seconds then released her.

When Josie points she holds for about a minute, most times. Her front end is really rigid but her back feet wants to move. She never raises them she just twitches. Someone said it looked like her front brakes were good but her back brakes wanted to slip a little. She pointed 3 of the 4 pigeons. I tried to take her back to the kennel but she wanted to stay and find more birds. Finally, I picked her up and carried her back on the 4-wheeler.

I got some frozen quail and reloaded the release traps. I turned Sally loose with just an e-collar around her neck. The last time I worked her she moved after going on point a couple of times. This time she didn’t move on any of her birds. She was on the wrong side of the training grounds for the first bird but made a point on the second one. When I got off the 4-wheeler I dropped a frozen quail. I took pictures, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She took a step but didn’t chase.

I went to her and waved my hand in the direction of the frozen quail lying on the ground and said, “hunt dead”. She started hunting dead. She found the frozen quail and brought it to me. I threw it 3 times then released her to hunt.

She pointed each of her birds and each time I had her hunt dead. I made a game of the retrieves with lots of praise and petting. I was never in a hurry to take the quail from her. She seems to really enjoy retrieving. I took her back to the kennel.

I reloaded the release traps and heeled Tur Bo to the 4-wheeler. I released him and we went toward the bird field, rapidly. I have to slow down to cross a small creek and he doesn’t. When I could see down the training grounds he was on point on the second bird. He looked really good but by the time I can get a picture he curls his tail a little. He doesn’t do that on wild birds. I dropped a frozen quail as I left the 4-wheeler. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took a step when the bird flushed and another when the blank pistol sounded but he didn’t chase.

I walked to him and tapped his head saying, “hunt dead, hunt dead”. He started looking but he made huge circles. Finally, he started slowing a little and got close enough to the frozen quail to small it. He grabbed it and came in a rush. He doesn’t do anything slow. He comes to me and most times he faces out while he holds the bird. I pet him until he turns to me. He dropped the bird when I said, “give”. I threw the quail 3 times and he retrieved it each time. I released him to hunt.

He did fine on the next pigeon he pointed, did great on finding the frozen quail and each of the retrieves but the next two after he went on point he took a step to get just a little closer. When he moved I flushed the pigeon and yelled, “whoa”. I set him back and kicked in front of him but didn’t shoot the blank pistol or let him retrieve. I took him back to the kennel.

Luke is old but he still likes to be included in the work on pigeons. I reloaded the traps and heeled him out. Luke is still the fastest of all of my dogs. By the time I crossed the creek he was on point on the second bird. I took pictures and walked in front of him. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I don’t try the frozen quail on him. He pointed two more pigeons just fine.

On his last bird he pointed but when I flushed it and shot the blank pistol, the pigeon didn’t fly away. It landed on the ground right behind the trap. Luke went after it. He chased it back and forth in the thicket until he caught it. I called him and he came toward me with it. I knelt down and called him. It wasn’t perfect but he came close to me, maybe a step away, and made sure the pigeon didn’t run off. I took the dead pigeon from him and took him back to the kennel.

I live inside the city limits and can’t shoot birds at my training grounds but having the dogs retrieve frozen quail works well. I now just drop the quail in some cover and after I flush the pigeon I have the dogs hunt dead. They are expecting this now and they do a good job. This will carry over to bird season, I think. I shot some quail over Sally and Tur Bo earlier and they both retrieved. By the time bird season is over they should be good at hunting dead and retrieving, I hope.

I have had Mann at Lion’s Den Kennels in Kingsville Missouri for almost two months, having him force broke to retrieve. I have done the force breaking on some of my dogs but because I can’t shoot birds at my house I was never able to finish them on retrieving the birds I shoot. They will retrieve frozen birds and retrieving dummies yet don’t make the change over to just shot birds.

After I had been as far as I could go with Sally and Tur Bo on the force breaking to retrieve I started working them on a large circle of dummies. I would drop 7 or 8 dummies in a circle then heel each of the dogs around this circle and just before we got to a dummy I would tell them to fetch. When they grabbed the dummy I would get really excited and make a game of it. They had to hold until I said, “give”. I even worked Luke on this exercise. He has been force broke but he’s like the others, he doesn’t retrieve just shot birds.

After we did this exercise for a while I started taking a frozen quail and after they had retrieved each of the dummies I threw the frozen bird. All three of the dogs liked the frozen quail better than the dummies. I did this for quite a while but the dogs still didn’t retrieve just shot quail.

A little while before I sent Mann to Lion’s Den Kennel to be force broke I decided to start working Sally and Tur Bo on a frozen quail each time they pointed a pigeon. I started putting the frozen bird in the release trap with the pigeon but the trap wouldn’t throw the bird very far. A couple of times the frozen bird even landed on top of the release trap.

But I had the dogs hunt dead. After they found the frozen quail I threw it for them several times. We made a game out of it. Then I started dropping the frozen bird as I went in front of the dogs to kick the cover close to the bird in the trap. This worked better.

When the dog pointed I would drop the pigeon, walk in front of them, flush the pigeon and shoot the blank pistol. The dogs would stay steady, mostly. Tur Bo always has to take a step. Then I would tell them to hunt dead. Real quick, they learned to look for a frozen quail. When they brought it to me I would make them hold it for a few seconds then give. I would then throw it for them 3 times. I thought I had invented something.

Each week that Mann is at Lion’s Den, Jim Lyon has me come down and work with Mann as he has been doing. His retrieving bench is similar to mine. It’s built a little stronger and has a lot more use. He has them where they can’t get away. After they get good on the bench he increases the length of the chain and has them right beside the bench where they can’t get away. He does the same thing beside the bench as they were doing on the bench.

When they are doing exactly the same on the ground as they did on the bench he drives a stake in the ground with a pulley that has a rope run through it. He hooks this to the dog and has another rope attached to the dogs collar. He tosses a dead bird near the stake and says, “fetch”. He only says, “fetch” one time. If the dog doesn’t go toward the dead bird he can pull one of the ropes and force him to the bird. If he doesn’t come back he can pull the other rope and bring him to him.

When the dog gets this down he takes his stake to several different places in the area and has him retrieve. Usually, three different places each day so the dog realizes that no matter where he is when he’s told to fetch he is to get something in his mouth and bring it back. When the dog is doing this successfully he takes him to the field.

When they go to the field he hides some pigeons in a release trap and turns the dog loose. When he points, he walks in front, flushes the pigeon, shoots a blank pistol and tosses the dead pigeon along the flight path of the pigeon that is flying away and tells the dog to fetch. When the dog retrieves the dead pigeon he throws it a few times for him to retrieve.

That was a real eye opener for me. I thought I had invented this exercise. That just goes to show you, whatever you come up with in dog training, that works, someone has already tried it, and most likely, perfected it.

Austin Farley and I worked Sally and Tur Bo on a couple of birds and Sally retrieved both of hers and one of Tur Bo’s flew toward a barn full of dogs and we couldn’t shoot both of his but he retrieved the one.

Vince Dye and I took the rest of the quail to a farm and I put out one for Sally and one for Tur Bo. They retrieved them with no problem. Well, Tur Bo’s was a small problem. He doesn’t take any prisoners. He’s a little hard mouthed but he gets them there in a hurry, so I can live with that. He may get better.

Last year I had no retrievers but with Mann I should have 3 retrievers. I’m happy with what I’m seeing Jim Lyon do at Lion’s Den with Mann and he’s also teaching me. In working with different people’s dogs and different people it’s as important to train the people as it is the dog. Jim goes out of his way to do just that. He insists that the owner come down each week and do a hands on drill, the same drill he’s doing at that time, with the dog.

I’ve had some good retrievers in the past and it will be good to once again have some dogs that will retrieve.

I checked the weather in Nebraska and it was supposed to be cool. Early Saturday morning, 9/28/19, I loaded dogs and took off for Nebraska sandhills. It was raining as I loaded dogs and most of the way to Nebraska. I took Sally, Tur Bo and Luke as well as all three of Sally’s puppies. It didn’t rain all of the way but the roads were wet most of the way. I left the littlest puppy, Josie, at home.

I have changed the names on the puppies. They are over 16 weeks old and I’m still having trouble with their names. I’m okay with the puppy with two black ears being named Daisey but I changed the other two. I’m now calling the male Hunter and the spotted female is Abbey. If they don’t act like Hunter and Abbey I may change them again.

According to MapQuest it was a little over 8 hours to where I wanted to go in Nebraska so it was after noon when we got there. I drove around trying to figure out where a good place to hunt would be. The dogs had been in the truck for a long time, other than a couple of potty breaks. I put GPS collars and e-collars on Sally, Luke and Tur Bo and turned them loose. I, also, turned all 3 puppies loose.

The puppies thought they were there to play. Abbey decided to follow Sally. That didn’t last long. Sally growled at her a couple of times then put her on the ground. As soon as she let her up she followed again. Sally went over the hill with Abbey right behind her. The other two puppies were staying in front of me, most of the time. They came back every few minutes to try to trip me but acted like they were hunting.

I didn’t even take a gun. I don’t want to shoot a sharp tail or prairie chicken. When I hunt walk-in properties I have to act like I’m hunting but on state and Federal land I can run dogs.

As I walked along I felt the GPS hand held vibrate. It showed Luke on point at about 500 yards in front of me. I started toward him and when I got about 300 yards from him I saw him moving on the side of a hill near a small bowl. As I watched he went into the small bowl out of sight but the GPS showed him on point, again.

I continued on toward him. I was about 75 yards from the edge of the bowl when he came over the edge right in front of me, moving slowly. He trailed for a ways then went back to covering the ground. Whatever he had had run or flew away.

We were moving with a really strong wind but the dogs were going side to side as they went ahead. The GPS said Sally was on point but when I saw her she was trailing real slow. She would go a few feet then point. She trailed for almost a hundred yards like this then went back to hunting.

It was warmer than I thought the weather people had said it would be. I circled around and started back toward the truck. Luke and Sally got in front of me but Tur Bo was still going west. Before we got to the truck the GPS said he was on point but he was 800 yards from me. Abbey, the spotted puppy was missing and the dogs with me were really hot. I continued to the truck.

When I got close to the truck Abbey came to me. She had been smart enough, when she got lost, to go back to the truck. Sally and the other two puppies went to the north just before I got to the truck. Sally came back without the puppies. I watered her and Luke and put them in the dog boxes.

Abbey and I went looking for the other puppies. They came back so I loaded them in the boxes. Tur Bo was moving so I called him and waited. A guy from Colorado stopped and talked a few minutes. He had been seeing some birds but they were flushing ahead of the dogs. When Tur Bo came back I loaded him and drove around looking the place over. It was too hot to work dogs.

Originally, I had been going to hunt around Valentine so I started that way. As I drove I decided that since I really didn’t want to shoot a chicken I should go to the south part of Nebraska and look for quail. I would rather work the dogs on quail and that would give me some idea of how the quail hunting will be this year. So I turned to the south.

I fed dogs at the motel and was really proud of the puppies. They spent the night in the dog boxes and didn’t make a sound. The old dogs never bark in the boxes but I never know what puppies will do.

When we started the next morning it was foggy and misty. The visibility was really restricted. I got behind a truck on the highway and stayed behind it. Sometimes we drove 65 and some times 50 but finally the fog lifted.

The older dogs know to empty out whenever they get a chance but the puppies don’t. I drove by a CRP field that didn’t look too thick and since it was only about 40 acres I turned the puppies loose. I wasn’t expecting to find anything and we didn’t but it let the puppies have a half hour run.

I drove on until I found a place that I had hunted last year. I had found one covey of quail on this place last year. It had a nice wide fence row down the east side but the crop field had just been replanted to winter wheat. We went down the fence row for a little over half a mile then back the other side. The dogs never even got birdy. When we got back to the truck the weather service was saying it was 84 degrees. Too hot for my dogs.

I checked with the weather service and the forecast high for the next day was 92 degrees. I knew for my dogs to not get too hot I had to keep wind going past the box. The next day would be too hot so I may as well head home. I drove by several properties but they were to the south east. Toward home.

I never saw a quail, pheasant, prairie chicken or sharp tail. But it wasn’t a wasted trip. When I let the puppies out the first day they were all drooling. The ride was making them sick. The second day they were fine. They learned to cross ditches and fences. Hunter, the male, had a hard time crossing the first barb wire fence he saw. But he learned.

On the way back, somewhere in Kansas, I stopped on a dirt road and turned all six dogs out at once. There was a puddle close where they could get a drink and nothing for them to chase, close. I turned around and a farmer was driving up the road. Between my truck and the six dogs we pretty well had the road blocked. I called the dogs to me and when he got even he said, “wow”. I told him they had been in the box for 4 hours and I let them out to pee. He looked at the dogs and back at me and said, “wow”, again as he drove away.

I don’t know whether he thought that was a lot of dogs for one man or what. I like to explain what I’m doing. I’m always afraid they think every one wants to just stop and hunt their land.

It will, surely, cool down one of these days. I have a lot of areas I want to check before season starts. All I need is cool weather.