Traveling Pointing Dogs

It’s hard, with it raining every day, to get time to train these English setters. It didn’t rain much last night so I went out this morning to work the dogs. Sally is really big, with puppies, so I worked her first. Her due date is a week from today. That will be 63 days from her first breeding. I will put her in the air conditioned shed next Tuesday which is 59 days from the first breeding. My vet told me there are as many pups born on the 60th day as the 63rd. That may be to keep me awake more nights.

I hid two pigeons, in release traps on my side of the training grounds. I put the GPS and e-collar on Sally and heeled her out with the piggin’ string. I whoaed her, climbed on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear then said, “okay”. As soon as I said, “okay” she was gone. Not as fast as she is when she’s not pregnant but she ran. I followed on the 4-wheeler.

I had hidden one of the birds in a grass strip that I had left on the training grounds. Sally was running the edge and missed the first bird but pointed when she hit the scent cone on the pigeon at the very back. I took some pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon. She turned her head but didn’t move. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.

I had a frozen quail with me. After a few yards I whoaed her and threw the frozen quail. She ran out, grabbed the quail and ran back. I stroked her sides for a few seconds then held my hand under her chin and said, “give”. She dropped it in my hand. As I started to throw the quail again she followed my hand. I threw the bird and she ran to it, picked it up and came back. I petted her for a few seconds then had her drop it in my hand. She wanted to retrieve again but I released her to hunt.

She was pretty close to the next bird when she pointed. I don’t know if there wasn’t much smell or she was breathing too hard to smell them at a distance. I set her back a little ways then went in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I heeled her away.

I tossed the frozen quail into the grass strip. She ran out, scooped the quail up and ran back. I petted her for a few seconds then had her drop the frozen quail into my hand. I tossed it into some cover and she went after it. She found it right away, grabbed it and brought it back. I petted her for a few seconds then threw the quail one more time. After she brought the bird back we returned to the kennel.

I reloaded the release traps and heeled Tur Bo out wearing the GPS collar and an e-collar. I whoaed him, got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and said, “okay”. He was gone. I followed on the 4-wheeler. He was just off the edge as he ran down the training grounds. He was going all out when he got a little of the scent cone, stopped, took a step to straighten up then went on point. I took pictures then walked in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he took one step. That’s as close as I will ever get him to steady to wing and shot. If I had of had the blank pistol he would have taken another step when I shot. I’m okay with this.

I stroked his sides then threw a frozen quail for him. He ran out, grabbed it and came back. He circled me then sat in front of me but he was looking away from me, so he could see me throw the quail again. I had him hold while I stroked his sides then had him give. I threw the quail into some cover. He raced out, scooped it up and came back. He sat in front of me looking out. I had him drop the bird in my hand then heeled him away. I released him to hunt.

There was a large walnut tree between Tur Bo and the next pigeon when he went on point. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. When the pigeon flushed he took a step and watched it fly away. I stroked his sides then heeled him away.

After a few yards I whoaed him and threw the frozen quail. He charged out, grabbed the bird and came back in a dead run. He sat, looking away from me. I had him drop the quail in my hand after I petted him for a few seconds. A pigeon flew out of a tree as I threw the quail and he watched the pigeon rather than the quail. I sent him in the direction of the quail but he came back before he got close. I walked out with him sayin, “hunt dead, hunt dead”. He made a couple of passes, found the bird and scooped it up. He brought it to me. I had him drop it in my hand. We went back to the kennel.

After I reloaded the release traps I brought Luke out with the GPS and e-collars on. I whoaed him, got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and said, “okay”. Luke, at nine years old, is the fastest dog I have. I followed on the 4-wheeler.

He was going really fast when he hit the scent cone and locked up. I took some pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides then tapped him on the head. Luke will hunt dead but he doesn’t retrieve.

He hit the edge and took it on to the back. When he hit the scent cone on the pigeon he slid to a stop. I stroked his sides, took some pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move. I took him back to the kennel.

As I reloaded the traps the clouds started rolling in. I heeled Mann out with the GPS and E-collars around his neck. Usually, I put him on the retrieving bench but with the sky looking like it would rain any second, I heeled him to the training grounds and turned him loose to hunt. The wind was blowing a little harder and when he got close to the first pigeon he pointed. High on both ends. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move. I heeled him a few yards then released him to hunt.

He went on toward the back and hit the scent cone on the pigeon and went on point. Some of the time the dogs don’t look as good on pigeons as they do on wild birds but Mann was looking really good today. I took pictures then went in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move. I took him back to the kennel.

After reloading the release traps I heeled Babe out with the piggin’ string, wearing the GPS collar and an e-collar. Babe is a special case. When she first started pointing she wanted to circle the bird. I think I have convinced her to just point and stay in one spot but she is so happy to find the bird that she wags all over. I have been putting her on the whoa barrel to stop the tail wagging. I whoaed her a few times then put her on the barrel.

She would clamp her tail down if I let her. I styled her up. I took a pigeon from the bird bag holding it by it’s feet letting it flap. After a few seconds I let it fly away. She didn’t move. I took another pigeon from the bag, put it to sleep and placed it on the ground near the barrel. She watched the bird. I took some pictures then rolled the bird over waking it. She didn’t move as it flew away.

I put another pigeon to sleep and placed it on the barrel right in front of her. I stroked her sides repeating, “whoa, whoa”. The pigeon awoke but just stood there. I took pictures. I took a short video that I put on Face Book, on Hunting With English Setters. The pigeon stood in front of her for several seconds. Finally, I flushed the pigeon and it flew just a few yards away and walked around. She still didn’t move.

I took the last pigeon from the bird bag, held it by it’s feet, to let it flap then let it fly away. She didn’t move. I set her on the ground and said, “whoa”. She stood with her tail not moving. I heeled her to the training grounds.

I worked her with a long check cord because she likes to go to the west of my place. Sometimes a long way west. She has a lot of room to work at the end of the check cord and when she hit the scent cone on the first bird she whirled into a point. Her tail was going. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. Her tail stopped moving and I flushed the pigeon. She just turned her head to watch the bird fly away. I stroked her sides then tapped her head.

When we got close to the next pigeon she pointed. Her tail was really happy. I stood beside her and put just a finger on the tip of her tail and it stopped moving. If I moved my finger she started wagging. I kept my finger on her tail and let her point for about a minute, telling her what a good girl she is. I flushed the pigeon and removed my finger. I tapped her head and we went back to the kennel.

I’m not sure what it’s going to take to stop Babe’s tail from moving. I may not ever get it to quit moving but she still will make a bird dog. She’s just happy to find a bird. That’s a lot better than having a dog that doesn’t want to find a bird. She’s not a field trial dog but I’m not sure other dogs will recognize her being on point if she’s wagging. They might not honor her points. It’s a long time until the season opens so I will keep working with her. Wild birds may do the trick. We’ll see.

I had only been back to the house a few minutes when it started raining. Somedays things work out. I have a lot more good days than bad. I have been blessed.

The meteorologists are saying that it will rain all of this week so I went out early this morning to train the English setter puppies, before the rain starts. Most of the training grounds are extremely wet. One of the release traps was in a small amount of water but it wasn’t deep enough to get the bird wet.

I had a lot to do today so I only worked the English setter puppies. If I hurry I can get the two puppies worked and still get my other stuff done.

I put 4 pigeons in release traps out on the training grounds, just on my side. It’s too wet to even get to the neighbor’s side. I heeled Mann out with the piggin’ string. He was wearing the e-collar and GPS collar. Just a few yards out of the kennel I whoaed him. I walked in front of him about 50 feet then walked back to him and around to his rear then to his side. I said, “heel” and heeled him away.

After several more yards I whoaed him again. I walked about 50 feet ahead of him, knelt down and called him to me. He came running. I heeled him away. When we got to the retrieving bench he jumped on to it.

We walked back and forth with me stopping every few feet and petting him. After a short petting session I took a canvas covered retrieving dummy, opened his mouth and said, “hold”, placing the dummy behind his canines. He spit the dummy out as soon as I removed my hand from his chin. I pinched his lip against his canine tooth and replaced the dummy. He spit it out. I pinched his lip against his canine and replaced the dummy. He held the dummy until I said, “give”.

I put the dummy in his mouth at 6 different spots on the retrieving bench. Three different times he spit the dummy out. Each time, I pinched his lip against his tooth. Not real hard, not hard enough to make him yelp, but he has to know there is a consequence for spitting the dummy out, before I tell him to. When he did it right I told him what a good dog he is. I set him on the ground.

I left the long check cord off and released him to hunt. The wind was light, out of the south east when we started. At the very back there is a small area that I haven’t been able to mow this year. I had hidden a pigeon on each end of it. He was moving real fast when he hit just a little of the scent cone and whirled into a point. He moved a step closer and went back on point. That surprised me. He usually doesn’t move after pointing. I set him back. I went in front of him, kicking the cover and flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move. I tapped his head.

He went on through the tall grass, hit the scent cone on the next pigeon and went on point. He moved up a step. I set him back, then walked in front of him, kicking the cover. I took some pictures then flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move. I tapped his head and he went back to hunting.

He moved up the field. I had set the release controller for the next bird that we would come to but he was on the opposite side of the field when he went by it. He hit the scent cone on the other bird and slammed into a point, then took a step. I flushed the wrong pigeon but he heard it go. I changed the controller just in time. He took another step and I flushed his pigeon. He stopped and watched it fly away. I took him back to the kennel.

Some of the time when Babe points she wags her tail. Not just a little but like she is really happy. I have been putting her on the whoa barrel to see if I can convince her to point with a straight tail that doesn’t move. When she’s on the barrel I toss pigeons in front of her, from a bird bag.

I heeled Babe out with the piggin’ string. She was wearing a GPS collar and an e-collar, dragging a long check cord. After walking a few yards I whoaed her, walked in front of her then went back to her and walked around her. I heeled her a few more yards, whoaed her, when I got about 50 feet in front of her I knelt and called her to me. She came running.

I put her on the whoa barrel, snapping a chain to her collar. The first time on it she jumped off but hasn’t tried since. I styled her up, took a pigeon from the bird bag holding it by the feet. As it flapped I turned it loose. She watched it fly away.

The next pigeon I took from the bag I put to sleep and laid it on the ground right in front of her. She watched the pigeon and when I woke it up it just walked around the whoa barrel. She watched the pigeon but didn’t try to move. I moved the pigeon around the barrel. Finally, it flew away.

The next pigeon I took from the bag I put to sleep and laid it in front of her on the barrel. Her tail was twelve o’clock and there was no twitch in it. I took some pictures then woke the pigeon. She didn’t move even when it flew away. I took the last pigeon from the bird bag holding it by the feet. As it flapped I turned it loose. She didn’t move or wag her tail. I set her on the ground.

I put her on the retrieving bench. After walking her back and forth petting her I placed a canvas covered bumper in her mouth. Babe is good at this. She holds the bumper until I say, “give”. After she held it in 6 different places I set her on the ground.

I took the piggin’ string off but held the end of a long check cord. Babe likes to go to the property to the west. Sometimes a long way to the west. The wind had changed from the south east to the north east. When we got to the first bird she pointed. Her tail wasn’t moving. I went in front of her, after taking some pictures, kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and she didn’t move. I tapped her head.

She was farther away from the next bird when she pointed. I went in front of her and she started wagging her tail. I stopped moving and watched her. I stood for several seconds watching her tail. It stopped moving and I flushed the pigeon. This bird was a young pigeon and it fluttered out of the release trap and she was after it. The pigeon flew onto a low limb on a tree. Babe stood on her hind legs trying to get the pigeon. She circled the tree looking up. I untangled her check cord and started her on down the training grounds.

She pointed the next pigeon. Her tail wasn’t moving as I went in front of her. I kicked the cover after taking some pictures. I flushed the pigeon and she didn’t move. I tapped her head.

She pointed the last pigeon but her tail was moving. I walked in front of her and she quit wagging. I kicked the cover and flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I tapped her head and we started toward the kennel.

We were almost back to the kennel and I thought I could let her run a little without me holding the check cord. She came along with me then went to the north. I called her but when I checked the GPS she was moving north and west. I got the 4-wheeler and picked up the release traps and put them in the shed. I rode to the back and called her. She was about 300 yards to the west.

I toned her with the e-collar and called her name. She kept going to the west. I toned her, called her name and hit the e-collar transmitter on medium 2. I waited but the GPS showed her still going west. I turned the transmitter to level 3, hit the tone, called her name and hit the button on the transmitter on medium 3. She kept going. Now the GPS was showing 600 yards.

I moved the transmitter button to level 4, hit the tone, called her name and held the button on the transmitter down on medium 4. She turned towards me. Pretty quickly she was 95 yards north of me and I rode the 4-wheeler back toward the kennel. She got in front of the 4-wheeler and we went to the kennel.

Babe is different from any dog I’ve ever worked with. She is really smart about most things. When I first started working with her she wanted to circle her birds. She hasn’t done that for a long time. But from the first day working on birds she has wanted to wag her tail. She is like she is really happy for finding them. I’m not going to field trial her but I’m still going to try to break her from doing this. To me it doesn’t look good.

Mann has done really well from the get go. He’s normally real steady on his birds. On this training day he moved on his birds but just flushing them when he moves will stop this. Both of these English setter puppies are only a year old. They both will be really good bird dogs, starting this next year, for the rest of their lives, I think.

Finally, it quit raining long enough for me to get my English setters out and train. I don’t know when the last time I had the dogs out but it seems like months. I decided to get them all out. It’s still really wet on the training grounds and I can’t use the neighbor’s side, right now. I haven’t been able to get my lawn mower across to mow the back half of the neighbor’s side this whole year. Some of my side hasn’t been mowed, either.

I got Sally out first. Sally’s normally kind of chunky. She’s a little over 6 weeks pregnant and she’s really chunky now. I put a GPS collar and e-collar on her and she was dragging a long check cord. I haven’t worked the older dogs for a while and I wasn’t sure how she would act. I heeled her toward the back with the piggin’ string. When we got close to the training grounds I whoaed her and tapped her to release her.

She checked the neighbor’s side and I guess there wasn’t much scent over there so she came back to my side and went toward the back. I don’t know how the dogs figure out that there is no birds on the other side but they know. I had ridden the 4-wheeler to the back on the neighbor’s side but I hadn’t hidden any birds over there. I held the GPS so I could feel the vibration when she pointed. I was still 135 yards from her when it signaled a point.

I walked to the south edge so I could see her on point. She didn’t try to move as I walked to her. I stroked her sides then walked in front of her. I kicked the ground and the cover. I flushed the pigeon and she didn’t move. I went to her, stroked her sides and told her what a good girl she is. I slipped the piggin’ string around her neck and heeled her away.

I had a frozen quail in my training vest. I threw the quail and said, “fetch”. She ran to it, picked it up and came straight back. I let her hold it for a few seconds then, holding my under her chin said, “give”. She dropped it in my hand. I threw it again. She retrieved it again. I released her to hunt.

When I started the wind had been out of the north west. I had hidden a pigeon on the north fence line but now the wind had changed to the south west. Sally pointed the pigeon but she was right on top of it. I set her back. I took some pictures then flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I heeled her away.

I tossed the frozen quail and she ran out, picked it up and came right back. I tossed it again. She ran out but when she got close she smelled something on the ground. I had seen a turkey earlier. She was more interested in the new smell than the frozen quail. I held the transmitter button down on 2 medium and she remembered the quail. She grabbed it and came to me. I petted her for a few seconds then said, “give”. She dropped it in my hand. I took her back to the kennel.

I heeled Tur Bo out next with the GPS collar and e-collars around his neck. On the way to the back I whoaed him and walked about 50 feet ahead of him. I turned and called him to me. It’s kind of scary. He came straight at me at top speed. I was squatting down and he put on the brakes just before he hit me. I petted him then went on toward the back. I whoaed him and tapped his head to release him to hunt.

With my hand on the GPS I followed him toward the back. It vibrated and showed him to be on point 155 yards from me. He was in the shade and I couldn’t see him until I was about 50 yards from him. I took some pictures then stroked his sides. I went in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he took one step but didn’t try to chase. I heeled him away with the piggin’ string.

After I whoaed him I threw the frozen quail for him. He charged after it, scooped it up and charged back. He doesn’t do anything slow. I petted him for a few seconds then said, “give”. He dropped it in my hand. I threw it again. He charged after it, grabbed it and ran back. He circled me then stopped in front and dropped the frozen quail in my hand. I released him to hunt.

I had moved the pigeon off the north fence line and I think he could still smell something and it confused him. There wasn’t enough to point but he kept running the fence line. I called him to me and as he came he hit the scent cone on the pigeon I had hidden. He slid to a point. I stroked his sides then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he moved one step. I heeled him away.

I threw the frozen quail and he dashed out, grabbed it and ran back. He circled me then stopped in front. I said, “give” and he dropped it in my hand. I threw the pigeon again. He ran out, scooped it up and came back. This time he sat in front of me but looking away. I think he wanted to see where I threw the quail the next time. I took the quail from him and released him. We went back to the kennel.

Luke was next. At nine years old I don’t expect him to retrieve because he’s never retrieved before. He will hunt dead but when he finds it he rolls it around a little then goes back to hunting. Some people say that a dog will soon sour on pigeons. I’ve never had one quit wanting to point pigeons. Luke has pointed hundreds, maybe thousands, of pigeons and still loves it.

I heeled him toward the back with the e-collar and GPS collars around his neck. When we got close I whoaed him then tapped his head. He went to hunting. There’s something about these older dogs that is different. I expect all of my dogs to point these pigeons but with the older dogs you never know when it will be their last point. As we went down the training grounds, along the edge, I saw him hit the scent cone. He was moving pretty fast and his front feet stopped and his hind legs slid to a stop. He was crouched a little but straightened up to his full height. It was pretty. I took some pictures, kicked the cover and flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move. I tapped his head and he went back to hunting.

He was on the other side of a clump of brush when he pointed his next pigeon. I didn’t see him go on point but as I came around the clump he was standing, with a high head and a straight tail. I walked in front of him, kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he didn’t move. I tapped his head and we went back to the kennel.

Mann was pretty quiet in the kennel so I brought him out next. I had the GPS and e-collar around his neck. I heeled him a short distance, whoaed him and walked 50 feet in front of him. Then I walked back to him and all around. I heeled him farther and whoaed him again. I walked 50 feet in front and called him to me. He came in a run. I don’t want them to get where they think every time I go in front I’m going to call them to me. Sometimes they just whoa.

I had him jump on the retrieving bench where I petted him in several different places. After I get through petting him he starts looking for a place to jump off the bench. He doesn’t jump because he’s tried that before and the chain just barely lets his feet touch the ground. But he still looks. I placed the canvas covered retrieving dummy in his mouth in 6 different places on the bench. I have him hold until I say, “give”. They learn “give” quicker than “hold”, for sure.

I set him on the ground, heeled him toward the training grounds, whoaed him and tapped his head. He was ready. These pups know there are birds hidden on the grounds and they tolerate me for a little while but they really want to go find a bird. I held the GPS waiting for the vibration. Well before I could see where he was, he was on point. I went to him and stroked his sides after taking some pictures. I walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and it flew right over his head. He turned to watch t fly away. I stroked his sides then tapped his head.

There was still some scent left along the north fence line where I had placed a bird earlier but moved it. I waited on him to work it out and in just a few seconds he came by me and went on point standing beside a honeysuckle bush that was in bloom. Made a neat picture. After a few pictures I walked in front of him and flushed the pigeon. It flew into a tree right above him and he just turned his head to watch it. The pigeon flew back toward the coop and he didn’t move. We went back to the kennel.

Babe was next. Babe is a special case. She has all of the tools to be a great dog but she has some issues that we need to work through. When she first started pointing she would point then move to the side point and move again. She wanted to circle the bird. She never tried to flush the bird she just thought there was more to pointing than just stopping. I think now she will just stop but she wants to wag her tail. Not just a little tick. I could live with that. She is so happy, that she’s on point, she wags the whole tail, rapidly.

This morning I have a new wrinkle. I set up a barrel and I’ll try to teach whoa from the barrel. If she wags I will shake the barrel. I put the GPS collar and e-collar on her along with the long check cord and heeled her from the kennel. I whoaed her, walked in front about 50 feet, then walked back and around her. I heeled her a short distance and walked in front and called her to me. She came in a run.

We were close to the whoa barrel and I put her on it. She wanted to sit but I kept raising her up. After I finally styled her up I took a pigeon from the bird bag, let it flap for a few seconds then turned it loose. She watched it fly away then thought we were through. She came off the barrel but the chain caught her. She came off with a lot of strength and the chain whirled her around and her hind feet were just touching the ground. I put her back.

I styled her up. Now there is no movement from the tail. I took another pigeon from the bird bag, held it by the feet and let it fly away. She turned her head to watch it but didn’t come off the barrel. Between birds I styled her, stroked her sides, told her what a good dog she is and kept repeating the whoa command. I used 6 birds from the bird bag. Some were young birds that when I turned them loose walked around on the ground for a few seconds before flying away. It was all good. I took her to the retrieving bench.

After walking her back and forth petting her I had her hold the canvas covered retrieving dummy. She holds it really well. She’s a little harder to get to open her mouth than Mann is but she holds it better. I set her on the ground and released her to hunt.

I held the check cord because she will go a long way to the west if I don’t control her with the cord. As soon as she hit the scent cone she locked up. She was wagging a little but not quite as bad as before and when I walked in front of her she quit wagging. I kicked the cover and flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides, styled her up and tapped her to release her.

We went toward the next bird. As soon as she hit the scent cone she pointed. Her tail was moving but not rapidly. I stroked her sides, styled her up and walked in front of her. Her tail stopped moving when I went in front. I kicked the cover for a minute or two before flushing the pigeon. She just moved her head to watch it fly away. We went back to the kennel.

We used to train by just taking a dog hunting and there were enough birds that they learned. Now I rotate my dogs and in a days hunt some dogs are not on the ground when we see birds. If I didn’t have pigeons I wouldn’t have bird dogs. I would have English setters for pets.