Traveling Pointing Dogs

I was working the English setters almost every day and, I think, doing the same things every day, made them bored with the training. It was hard to get them to do what they knew how to do. I let them have a few days off and they went back to retrieving like I know they can. Babe and Mann still point their birds with enthusiasm, though.

Mann watching a pigeon fly away.

Babe pointing a pigeon.

Mann pointing a pigeon.

Since I had decided the dogs were bored and I gave them a few days off, to prove my point I put the retrieving dummies in the same place. I tossed the nine dummies in a row right in front of the kennels, so all of the dogs could watch the one doing the retrieving.

First I heeled Luke out wearing an e-collar. Luke is nine years old and I don’t expect very much out of him but I enjoy getting him out. I heeled him down the line of dummies and just before we got to a dummy I said, “fetch”. He picked up each dummy holding just long enough for me to take the dummy. When we got to the end I threw the Dokken quail just a short distance for him. He retrieved it 3 times then when I tossed it the fourth time he went back to his kennel. He was done.

Next, I heeled Tur Bo out with an e-collar around his neck. Tur Bo is a free spirit and a fast free spirit. When I send him to retrieve he may get the next retrieving dummy or the last one in line. As long as he retrieves one of the dummies, I don’t care.

When sent this time he got the first one then the second one. The third time he went for the Dokken quail that was the next to last dummy in the line. He’s really proud when he returns. He sits, proudly, grinning as I pet him and tell him what a good boy he is. I held the fake quail until he had retrieved each of the dummies in the line.

The last time when I had thrown a long retrieve, Sally and Tur Bo both had run out but came back without the dummy. I had some frozen quail in my vest in case this happened again. I threw the Dokken quail as far as possible then tossed the Dokken chukar a short distance to the side as he went after the fake quail. He scooped up the quail and came back, in a dead run. He circled me, sat at my side and waited for me to take the quail. I petted him for a few seconds telling him what a good boy he is then said, “give”. He dropped it in my hand.

Waving my hand toward the chukar I had thrown to the side I said, “fetch”. He ran to it and scooped it up and came back. He usually comes in on my right and circles to my left and sits. I pet him for a few seconds then say, “give”. He’s always ready to spit the dummy out. I threw a long retrieve, with a short toss to the side, as he was going after the long one three times, then put him in the kennel.

I heeled Sally out with the piggin’ string and she had an e-collar around her neck. I whoaed her about ten yards short of the line of retrieving dummies. I waved my hand in the direction of the line and said, “fetch”. Sally is a little calmer than her sire. She went right down the line retrieving each one as she should have. She comes right to me, stands in front holding until I say, “give”.

At the end of the line I threw the fake quail as far as I could then tossed the chukar to the side. She ran out, grabbed the quail and came straight back. I waved at the chukar I had thrown to the side and she retrieved it. I did this three times and she retrieved it each time. I still had some frozen quail that I never had to take out of my vest. After letting her play a few minutes I put her in the kennel.

The pups, Babe and Mann, weren’t waiting patiently. They weren’t barking but they were pacing their runs as I worked the other dogs. I put two release traps, with pigeons in them, in three different spots on the training grounds. I mix up how many birds are in a spot. In the past I have placed three traps in a spot, once I had four in one spot and two in another, several times I have had two traps in a spot and once I scattered all six traps out with just singles. This keeps the pups from knowing how many birds are in a spot but to stay on point until I tap them on the head.

Babe pointing a pigeon.

Mann barked while I was hiding the pigeons so I put an e-collar and GPS collar around Babe’s neck and heeled her out with the piggin’ string. She was also dragging a long check cord. I have to work her on the check cord or she will go way to the west chasing, I know not what.

I whoaed her just a few yards out of the kennel, walked out in front of her and called her to me. She came in a run. I had a couple of pigeons in the bird bag so I whoaed her and put one to sleep right in front of her. When I whoaed her she just stopped but when I put the pigeon in front of her, her tail came up. I walked around her kicking the grass. I gently rolled the pigeon over and it flew away. She didn’t move, just watched it fly away.

After a couple more whoa and here sessions I put her on the retrieving bench. I petted her for a while then put a canvas covered bumper in her mouth, just behind the canines. She does a good job holding the bumper. I can step away from her and she will still hold the bumper. It’s time to start having her walk with it. I haven’t tried, yet. I put her on the ground.

I held the check cord as we went down the training grounds. What little wind we had was out of the south. Babe hit the scent cone as we went down the edge on my side. She pointed and I stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the first pigeon. She didn’t move.

Mann watching a pigeon fly away.

I waited for her to realize the bird she was pointing was still in front of her. Then I decided to just stand not saying or doing anything. I watched her as she stood on point. I stood for about 3 minutes, quietly. Once she started to move and I said, “whoa”. After that she stood until I flushed the pigeon. She watched it fly away without moving. I tapped her head and we went back to hunting.

We checked my side out then went to the neighbor’s side. Just before we got to the next set of birds I turned the check cord loose. When she hit the scent cone she pointed. In the past she had been trying to move after pointing. She wasn’t trying to flush the bird but I think she wanted to see it before stopping. This time she didn’t move.

Walking in front of her I kicked the cover but I waited for a while before flushing the pigeon. I flushed the farther bird and she watched it fly away. I continued to kick the cover. I let her stay on point for a couple of minutes before flushing the pigeon she was pointing. She watched it without moving. I stroked her sides then tapped her head.

Again, I held the check cord until we were close to the next set. She pointed when she hit the scent cone. I walked around kicking the cover but waited before flushing the pigeon. She was getting a lot of scent, opening and closing her mouth. I flushed the farther pigeon and she watched it but didn’t try to move. I continued to kick and flushed the next pigeon. She didn’t move. I petted her then tapped her head. I held the check cord until we were almost back to the kennel. I put her in her kennel.

I realized that I still had a pigeon in the bird bag, that I didn’t use with Babe, when I got pigeons to reload the release traps.

Mann on point.

After reloading the traps I heeled Mann out with the GPS and e-collar around his neck, pulling a long check cord. I don’t run Mann on birds with the long check cord but both of these pups have tried to go past me instead of coming to me on “here”. On both pups I was able to step on the check cord when they went past me. Mann tried once and Babe has tried twice.

After doing the whoa and here I whoaed him and placed a pigeon, that I had put to sleep, right in front of him. After kicking the grass the pigeon awoke on it’s own and flew away. Mann didn’t move. We practiced whoa and here a couple of times then I put him on the retrieving bench.

Babe and Mann have both been on the bench the same number of times but Babe is better at holding the bumper than Mann. This time I decided he was going to get better. As Long as I held my hand under his chin he would hold. Today I took my hand from under his chin and he dropped the bumper. I put it back. He dropped it again. I pinched his lip against his teeth. I put it back. He held for a few seconds and I said, “give”. He spit it out.

We went through this six times in six different places on the retrieving bench. He got a little better by the end of the session. He has to learn that there are consequences for his actions. We will continue to work on this. I put him on the ground and released him to hunt without the check cord.

Tur Bo with a frozen quail.

He was gone in a flash. He went down my side to the crossing to the neighbor’s side. He crossed and was far enough ahead of me I knew he would be on point when I got to him. And he was. He was on the west side of a pigeon with the second pigeon hidden in a grass strip I had left in the center of a clearing. I walked in front of him and flushed the pigeon in the grass strip. He knew that wasn’t the bird he was pointing and hardly even moved his head.

I continued to kick the cover and dropped the pigeon in the bird bag in front of him. He flinched but didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon he was pointing. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides and tapped his head to release him.

We went on toward the back and I was behind but I had a lane where I saw him go on point. When I got to him I stroked his sides then walked in front of him. I flushed the pigeon that was farther away. He raised his head but didn’t try to move. I continued to kick the cover. I flushed the pigeon he was pointing. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides then released him.

I crossed to my side expecting him to be on point but he had hunted toward the front and I had hidden the birds at the back. When I got close he came in front of me and went on point. These birds were well hidden but they were close together. I kicked the cover and flushed one. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the second. This pigeon came out low and right over his head. He spun around but didn’t try to chase. I turned him back, stroked his sides and released him. We went back to the kennel.

I will put a picture of one of the release traps as I use it. It is completely covered so the dogs have to use their nose to find them. I have finally, maybe, got Babe to quit trying to see the bird by covering the traps, really well.

Trying to out figure the pups is sometimes the hardest part of training dogs. Someone said you have to be smarter than the dogs. Sometimes I’m not that smart.

There is a release trap in there.

Babe pointing a pigeon.

Mann pointing a pigeon.

I gave all of the English setters the weekend off but I took them out today, Monday. On Easter, as I usually do on all holidays, I fed the dogs a little extra. The only rationale I have is, since I over eat on holidays, so should my dogs. I think the dogs appreciate the extra food.

Sally holding the Dokken quail.

Tur Bo with the Dokken quail.

Mann pointing a pigeon.

I put nine retrieving dummies out in a row, right in front of the kennels, so the dogs have to watch each other retrieve. I put an e-collar on Sally and heeled her out with the piggin’ string. I stopped about 10 yards from the line of dummies and whoaed her. I waved my hand in the direction of the dummies and said, “fetch”. She ran to the first dummy, smelled it, then went to the second. I didn’t say anything I just held the button on the transmitter down on 2 medium. She came back to the first dummy, grabbed it and returned to me. She stood in front of me until I said, “give”. She dropped it in my hand.

After she retrieved the first one she did great on the rest. When we got to the last three I held them until she finished the line. I threw one of the last three as far as I could and when she went after it I threw the other two to the side. One to the left and one to the right. She came back without the dummy. I walked out with her but I held the transmitter down on 2 high. When she grabbed the dummy, I let off the button, walked back to where I had thrown it from and she brought the dummy. I took it and sent her to my right for the other dummy. She brought it back and dropped it in my hand. I sent her for the other. She grabbed it and returned. I made a game of it and was really animated when I took the dummy.

I threw the Dokken quail as far as I could. When she took off after it I threw a dummy to my right and another to my left. She grabbed the fake quail and came running back. I had her hold until I said, “give”. She dropped it in my hand and I sent her for one of the dummies I had thrown to the side then the other. It was pretty warm so I let her play a few minutes then put her in the kennel.

I heeled Tur Bo out with an e-collar around his neck. I whoaed him about 10 yards from the line of dummies, waved my arm and said, “fetch”. He ran all the way down the line of dummies, turned and started back. He picked one of the dummies, from the middle, up then dropped it. He came back close to me and grabbed the second dummy and brought it to me. He held it until I said, “give”. Although there was a big gap where he had picked the one in the middle up he did the others pretty well.

I threw a dummy as far as I could and when he went after it I threw one to the right and one to the left. He came back without the dummy I threw a long way. I walked out with him without saying anything but I was holding the button down on high 2. He picked up the dummy and we returned to where I had thrown it from. He dropped it in my hand and then retrieved the two I had thrown to the side.

I threw the fake quail as far as I could and he went in a hurry to get it. I threw a left and right dummy while he was going after the first. He brought the dummy back then retrieved the ones from the sides. I let him play for a few minutes then put him up.

I heeled Luke out with the piggin’ string and wearing an e-collar. I walked him to each dummy in the line and just before we got to them I said, “fetch”. Luke really doesn’t like this but he does it. When we got to the end I threw the quail dummy just a few feet and he ran out, picked it up and dropped it at my feet. The third time I threw it he ran on back to his kennel run. I put him up.

Babe on point.

I thought the dogs were really enjoying retrieving but today they didn’t seem to. I may bring some frozen quail out and change areas. Maybe that will help. Maybe they are bored. I’ll have to try something different.

I hid 6 pigeons on the training grounds. I put a release trap with a pigeon close to the edge of the cover and another farther back in the brush. I had two pigeons in a bird bag that I carried with me. Because Mann barked while I hid the pigeons I put a GPS collar and a e-collar on Babe and heeled her out with a piggin’ string. She was dragging a long check cord.

I heeled her a few yards and whoaed her. I walked about 20 yards in front of her and turned holding my hand up like a traffic cop. I dropped my hand and said, “here”. She came in a run. I petted her then heeled her a few more yards and whoaed her again. This time I took a pigeon from the bird bag and put it to sleep and placed it right in front of her. I walked around her as she watched the pigeon. Her tail was down when she stopped but it came up as she watched the pigeon. I gently, rolled the pigeon over to wake it. As the pigeon stood and looked around she got more tense but didn’t move as the pigeon flew away.

After she watched the pigeon fly away I heeled her farther. I whoaed her and walked around her kicking the grass. I heeled her farther and whoaed her again. I walked about 20 yards ahead of her. I held my hand up like a traffic cop then dropped it and said, “here”. She came running. I had her jump on the retrieving bench.

Mann on point.

I petted her in several different spots on the bench. These English setters aren’t dummies. They know there are pigeons in the release traps and they want to get off the bench and go find them. Both of them have jumped off and the chain lets their hind feet touch the ground but it’s still frightening. They look off but don’t jump.

I opened her mouth and placed a canvas covered dummy behind her canines telling her to, “hold, hold”. After a few seconds I say, “give”. Both of these pups learned give quicker than hold. They want that thing out of their mouth. After she held the dummy in 6 different places on the bench I replaced the check cord and heeled her away.

I whoaed and walked ahead of her about 20 yards, turned and held my hand up like a traffic cop. I dropped my hand and said, “here”. She knew the birds were on the training grounds and tried to go past me instead of to me. About the time I stepped on the check cord she knew she had messed up and turned back to me. I petted her and held the check cord as I worked her toward the pigeons.

If I don’t hold the check cord she will head to the west and doesn’t come back for a while. I worked her to the first set of pigeons and she pointed. I stroked her sides then walked in front of her. I flushed the farthest bird from her. She stood and watched it fly away. I continued to walk around in front of her. I still had a pigeon in the bird bag. I took it from the bag and dropped it. She stood without moving and watched it fly away.

Mann pointing a chukar.

I continued to kick the cover and flushed the other pigeon in the release trap. She didn’t move. I heeled her a few feet then tapped her head to release her. We went toward the next set of pigeons.

There was a pretty strong south west wind and she was a long distance from the next set when she went on point. I stroked her sides and walked in front of her, kicking the cover. As I kicked the cover I flushed the farther pigeon. She didn’t move. Just turned her head to watch it fly away. I waited for her to realize the bird she was pointing was still there before kicking the cover again. I flushed the last pigeon. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and released her.

When we got close to the last set of pigeons she acted like she wanted to stay with me so I turned loose of the check cord. She worked the cover and stayed in front of me. As soon as she hit the scent cone she pointed. She, in the past has been wanting to move on her points, but today she stayed where she pointed. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. There was a broken limb lying on the ground and I beat the brush with it. I flushed the farther pigeon. She didn’t move. I broke my stick then flushed the other pigeon. She didn’t move.

I heeled her a little way and turned her loose. We started back to the kennel. We were almost back when she went to the south. I called her but then she was to the west. I called her and she was to the north west. Sometimes she will get in front of the 4-wheeler so I rode it to the back. She was over 400 yards to the north west. There are some deep woods there that probably holds deer and turkeys. I called her and held the button on the transmitter down on 2 high.

Babe pointing a pigeon.

I watched the GPS and she was still going away. I moved to 3 high hit the tone on the e-collar and called her. She didn’t turn. I gave her a little time to turn toward me but when the GPS went above 700 yards I toned her, called and held the button down on 4 high. She started toward me. At 697 yards the GPS showed her on point. I figured she had got her check cord tangled but I waited a several seconds and she was coming to me again.

She came all the way back and was happy to see me. I was glad she didn’t get her check cord tangled. She followed the 4-wheeler back to the kennel. She had rolled in a mud puddle and was almost black. I petted her as I took the e-collar and GPS collar off. She had so much mud on the collars I had to wash them before putting them on Mann.

I reloaded the release traps and the bird bag and heeled Mann out with the e-collar and GPS collar on. He was also pulling the long check cord. After just a few yards I whoaed him and walked about 20 yards ahead. I held my hand up like a traffic cop. I dropped my hand and said, “here”. He came in a run. I heeled him another few yards and whoaed him again. This time I took a pigeon from the bird bag and put it to sleep right in front of him. I walked around him as he pointed the pigeon. I rolled the pigeon over, gently, and it woke up. It stood for a few seconds then flew away. He didn’t move. I heeled him away.

Babe, on the bench, holding the dowel.

I whoaed him again and walked around him. I heeled him a little farther and whoaed him. I walked ahead of him about 20 yards, turned with my hand up, dropped my hand and called him to me. He came in a run. I put him on the retrieving bench.

He is worse than Babe about wanting off the bench but he doesn’t jump. He has before and it’s scary. I petted him several different places on the bench then had him hold the canvas covered dummy in several places. I set him on the ground and heeled him away.

I whoaed him at the edge of the training grounds and walked about 20 yards ahead of him. I called him to me and he came in a run. If we can ever get through all of this stuff he can go find some birds. I took the check cord off and released him to hunt.

He was headed to the neighbor’s side at top speed when he hit the scent cone on the first set of pigeons. He whirled and pointed. One of his legs was way back but he didn’t move. I walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the farther pigeon and he drew the back leg into a more comfortable spot but didn’t really move. I continued to kick the cover and dropped the last pigeon from the bird bag. He watched it fly away. I flushed the last pigeon and he watched it fly away. After petting him I heeled him a few yards and released him.

He went to the back on the neighbor’s side and worked the cover back toward the front. The wind was changing to the north west. He missed the birds on the neighbor’s and crossed back to my side. He hit the scent cone, down in the brush, and pointed. I found a stick and beat the cover and flushed the farther pigeon. The pigeon flew into a tree above him. He watched it until the scent of the pigeon he had originally pointed got his attention. When he was pointed again I flushed the bird in the release trap. He watched it fly away. He was hard to get to in the brush so I said, “okay” and he went back to hunting.

We went back to the neighbor’s side and he checked a little farther toward the front and hit the scent cone. He pointed. He was on the north west side of the pigeon and I thought the wind was out of the north west. I kicked the cover and flushed the farther pigeon. He didn’t move. When he went back on point I flushed the last pigeon. The bird came out right over his head and he leaped and turned 180 degrees. He didn’t catch it but almost. I set him back, petted him then released him. We went back to the kennel.

This may be the longest post I’ve ever written but this is what happened on Monday morning. My dogs and I enjoyed it and I hope you do to.

Mann after the pigeon flew into a tree above him.

Babe after the pigeon has flown.

Babe pointing a pigeon.

I have been working the older English setters on retrieving, most days. Luke at nine years old isn’t that interested. I can make him pick up the dummies but at his age neither of us really care. Tur Bo and Sally really like chasing after the dummies and they bring it back. They seem to like it better each time.

Mann on point.

Babe pointing a pigeon.

Sally bringing me a frozen quail in the yard.

The older dogs don’t seem to like the real big retrieving dummies. I worked all three of them in the morning and decided I needed a heavier, slim dummy. I went by Bass Pro and found just what I needed with a throwing rope. While I was there I saw the Dokken quail. I have a chukar but the quail is a little smaller, so I got one of those, also.

I put nine retrieving dummies in a line and brought Tur Bo out. About 10 yards from the first retrieving dummy I whoaed him. I put my hand in front of his eyes, waved it in the direction of the line of dummies and said, “fetch”. Tur Bo doesn’t do anything slow. He bounds out, picks up the dummy, comes back and circles me. He sits and holds the dummy but he has played this game before plus he saw some more on the ground. If I will hurry and take this one he will get me another. I take the dummy.

He bounds out for another. Sometimes he skips one if he sees one a little way ahead that he likes better. He usually holds until I tell him to give then goes after another. The last two in the line are the new ones. I threw the long one as far as I could. When he’s went after it I tossed the fake quail about 15 yards to the side. He runs full tilt after the dummy, then full tilt back, circles me and sits. I never taught him to sit. He just does. I took the dummy and waved in the direction of the fake quail. He started in that direction and saw the quail. He scooped it up and came charging back. He held it until I said give.

I threw the quail as far as I could and tossed the slim dummy to the side. When he got back I took the quail and sent him for the other dummy. Right now I’m just tossing it to the side. I’m hoping that later I can send him for a blind retrieve of greater and greater distances.

I did the same things with Sally. She retrieves as well as Tur Bo but not near as fast. I haven’t been very successful with the trained retrieve. I think, possibly, it’s because I never made the dogs really like retrieving. Tur Bo and Sally seem to enjoy it, now. Later on I will get some pen reared quail to work them on. By that time I hope it’s a non-issue.

Now for the puppies. I have 6 release traps. I hid three on my side of the training grounds and three on my neighbors side. I put one in a clump of brush near the edge and the other two farther back. My idea is to let the pups point the closer one but flush the other two before flushing the one he’s pointing. I’m trying to get them to not chase when the bird flushes. I think, if more than one bird flushes, enough times, the dog will understand why he’s not to chase.

Sometimes, Mann barks and barks while I’m hiding the pigeons. When he does I usually work Babe first. Today he was quiet so I brought him out with the GPS collar and e-collar around his neck. He was dragging the long check cord. About 20 yards out of the kennel I whoaed him. I walked about 25 yards in front of him and held my hand up like a traffic cop. I dropped my hand and said, “here Mann”. He came in a run.

I did the whoa and here twice before we got to the retrieving bench. I had him jump onto the bench. I petted him in several spots on the bench. I have been trying to get them used to holding something in their mouth. I took one of the retrieving dummies that is small and canvas covered. I opened his mouth and placed the dummy behind the canines. He would spit it out if I didn’t keep my hand under his chin. I pet him telling him what a good boy he is. I do this at six different spots on the bench then set him on the ground.

Luke on point.

I heeled him away from the bench then whoaed him. I walked about 15 yards in front of him and turned toward him holding my hand up like a traffic cop. After a few seconds I called him to me. He came in a run. I whoaed him and took the piggin’ string and the check cord off. I tapped his head to release him.

He started down my side but crossed to the neighbor’s side. I followed him over. He was checking every spot I had ever hidden a bird for him. He circled the clump that the pigeons were hidden in. He was really moving when he hit the scent cone and slid to a point. I took some pictures then walked toward him. He was across the clump from me. I kicked the cover and flushed a pigeon. The bird came out of the trap and didn’t try to fly. He landed right beside the trap. Mann took one step.

When I could tell he was smelling the pigeon he had pointed I flushed another pigeon. This time he moved several steps, then stopped. I flushed the last pigeon and he didn’t move. I picked him up and carried him back to where he originally had been on point. There was still a pigeon on the ground. I heeled him away. I whoaed him and tapped his head to release him.

He crossed back to my side then went down the tree line. We had a strong wind out of the south and he had been on the south side of the first set of birds and he was inside the clump on the second set and on the south side when he pointed. I kicked the cover and flushed one of the pigeons that he wasn’t pointing. He didn’t move.

Three quail and my W.R. Pape side by side.

I continued to kick the cover and flushed another pigeon. He didn’t move. This second pigeon flew into a tree near him. He watched the pigeon for a few seconds then the smell of the pigeon he had pointed got his attention. He turned back to it and the pigeon in the tree flew away. He didn’t even turn his head. I flushed the pigeon he was pointing. He didn’t move. I fought my way through the clump of brush to tap him on the head. He went back to hunting. I took him back to the kennel.

After reloading the release traps and catching the young pigeon that was on the ground, I heeled Babe out with a GPS collar and e-collar on. I use the long check cord because of her. If I turn her loose she will go to the west and be gone for 30 minutes or longer. I have to work her into the birds I have hidden by holding the check cord. About 25 yards out of the kennel I whoaed her. I walked ahead of her about 30 yards and turned around holding my hand up like a traffic cop. I dropped my hand and called her to me. She came in a run.

I whoaed her and called her to me twice on the way to the retrieving bench. When she jumped onto the retrieving bench I walked her back and forth petting her. Dogs are funny. When I pet Mann he runs up and down the bench. When I pet Babe she goes to the next place where I usually pet her and waits. At the end of the bench is a post. When we get to the post I go around the bench. She lets me pet her on one side of the post then moves her head around the post for me to pet her on the other side.

Babe with a pigeon asleep in front of her.

After we get through with the petting I opened her mouth and placed a small canvas covered bumper in her mouth. She holds the bumper better than Mann does but it’s harder to get her mouth open. All dogs are different. I had her hold the dummy 6 times then set her on the ground.

I heeled her away then whoaed her. I walked about 25 yards in front of her and called her to me. She came in a run. When we first started doing this she wanted to come to me before I called her. I started holding my hand up and she figured this out real quick. A few days ago I wanted to film her, with my phone, coming to me. As long as I held the phone up she wouldn’t move.

We moved down the training grounds with me holding the check cord. When we got close to the first set of birds she went on point. I stroked her sides and walked in front of her. I flushed the pigeon farthest from her. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed another pigeon. She didn’t move. After each bird, I waited until she realized that the bird she was pointing was still there, before flushing the next pigeon. I flushed the bird she was pointing and she still didn’t move. I released her but held the check cord.

Sally on point.

She pointed the next set when she got close. I stroked her sides then walked in front of her. I flushed the farthest bird from her. It came out of the trap and didn’t even try to fly. It lit beside the trap. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed another pigeon. It flew away and she didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon she was pointing. A lot of times if a pigeon is close when another flies away it will join them. The one on the ground didn’t.

I went back toward Babe to release her and the pigeon on the ground spooked and flew into a tree but only about 3 feet off the ground. Before I got to Babe she was after the pigeon. The pigeon dropped to the ground and tried to out run her. That didn’t work. She caught it. It got away and tried running again. She caught it. It got away and flew a short distance and she caught it again. It got away again. This time it flew away. We went back to the kennel.

Babe doesn’t even open her mouth on the pigeons. She wants to hold them and play with them for a while. The pigeons, that don’t fly away, are young pigeons. It’s hard to tell a grown pigeon from a young one when they are almost grown. I may start using leg bands to identify the young birds from the others.

It’s fun to go in the back yard and work with a bunch of dogs and see them making progress. Putting more than one bird in a set makes the dogs more solid on their points, I think. At the game farm a few days ago, Mann held his point while we shot another dog’s bird first. He did that twice. Pretty good for a dog less than a year old. We must be doing something right.

Mann on point.

Tur Bo doing his job.

Tur Bo with a frozen quail.