Finally, I got a cool morning for dog training. I haven’t worked with the dogs for quite a while because of the oppressive heat. This morning the temperature was in the low to mid 60’s when I started and it was 72 by the time I was through. Still too warm for the dogs but they were wanting more when I put them up.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
Betsy pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo after the pigeon has flown.
I rebuilt a couple of my release traps so I now have 4 quail and pigeon sized traps. I put two traps about 10 yards apart in two different places on the training grounds. I have been working with three traps and putting all three in one area. The idea is to have two different places for the dogs to point and flush whichever bird that they aren’t pointing then lead them away.
I led Sally out with the piggin’ string, with the e-collars around her neck and flanks. I had a pigeon in the bird bag. Usually, the dogs lead pretty well but they haven’t been out for a while and they wanted to drag me. After I made a few 180 degree turns they remembered how to heel. I whoaed Sally, walked out front and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move.
The dogs know me better than I know them. The next time I whoaed her she was more intense. She knew I was going to fly a pigeon from my hand. I took the pigeon from the bird bag and held it by the feet, letting it flap. I set it on the ground and as it flew away I shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move.
I whoaed her at the edge of the training grounds. I ride the 4-wheeler to the back on both sides of the training grounds when I hide the pigeons so the dogs have to hunt not just follow the 4-wheeler tracks. Sally hunted to the back on my side then crossed over to the neighbor’s side. There was almost no wind this morning and when she pointed she was within about 3 yards of the pigeon. I took pictures then stroked her sides. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon that was 10 or 12 yards away, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She raised her head to watch the pigeon fly but didn’t move her feet. I stroked her sides then walked in front of her again. I went back to her, stroked her sides and led her away. After about 25 yards I turned her loose.
She went in front of me and when I saw her the next time she was on point in between the two pigeons I had hidden. There was no doubt as to which bird she was pointing though. I took pictures then stroked her sides without saying anything. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon that she wasn’t pointing, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move other than to turn her head. I led her about 25 yards away and turned her loose.
Sally was hunting on the way back to the kennel and when she was about 35 yards from me I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She stopped before I could say whoa. She’s starting to understand. I took her back to the kennel.
I reloaded the release traps and heeled Betsy out with the piggin’ string. She had e-collars on her neck and flanks. She, too, thought she could drag me to the pigeons but after a couple of 180 degree turns she decided that she would heel. I whoaed her, walked out front, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.”. She moved forward about half a body length. I went to her and set her back. I went back in front and shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” This time she didn’t move. I stroked her sides then heeled her away.
A good head shot of Betsy.
I whoaed her after about 25 yards. I walked in front and took a pigeon from the bird bag by the feet. After it flapped for a few seconds I put it on the ground in front of me. As it flew away I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She turned sideways to watch the pigeon fly but didn’t try to chase. I picked her up and set her back. I walked back in front, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.
I released her at the edge of the training grounds. She hunted to the back on my side then crossed over to the neighbor’s side. She pointed in almost the same spot that Sally had, earlier. She was only about 3 yards from the bird. I took pictures then stroked her sides. I went in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon that was about 10 or 12 yards away, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She raised her head but didn’t move her feet. I stroked her sides and led her away. After about 25 yards I released her.
When I got close to the next birds I saw her on point. She was looking at one of the pigeons and the other was directly behind her. I took pictures and stroked her sides. I went in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon that was behind her, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She turned to watch that pigeon fly but didn’t try to chase. I set her back. I kicked the cover in front of her then went to her and stroked her sides. I led her away.
For some reason if I whoa Betsy too many times she won’t leave my side so I didn’t do any whoa work with her on the way back to the kennel.
A raccoon got into my pigeon coop and almost wiped one coop out so I’m short on birds. I had to go to the house and drink a cup of coffee to wait on my pigeons to return. The pigeons are even kind of smart. As long as I stay outside they won’t come back. They know I will use them again. Dogs learn by repetition and evidently so do pigeons. Thirty or forty minutes later I had birds.
Tur Bo’s head.
I brought Tur Bo out with the piggin’ string. He had the e-collars on his neck and flanks. After half a dozen 180 degree turns he started heeling. I whoaed him, walked in front, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He moved his front feet. I set him back, went back out front, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” This time he didn’t move. I stroked his sides and led him away.
After about 25 yards I whoaed him. I went in front, took a pigeon from the bird bag by the feet and let it flap. I set it at my feet and turned it loose. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” The pigeon flew low right over Tur Bo’s head. He turned to watch it but took a couple of steps. I turned him back around and set him back. I went out front, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He didn’t move. I led him away.
When I turned him loose he went to the back on my side and crossed to the neighbor’s side. He too, pointed in almost the same spot the other two had on this pigeon. I took pictures then went to him and stroked his sides. I went back in front kicking the cover. I flushed the bird that was 10 or 12 yards away, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He watched the pigeon fly away but didn’t move his feet. I went to him and stroked his sides and led him away. When we were 20 yards away I released the pigeon that he had been pointing. I led him a little farther then released him.
He circled around behind me going to check on the bird that he didn’t think had been flushed. I walked on a ways and he didn’t come. I circled back and saw him with a pigeon. Evidently, the pigeon hadn’t flown when I released it. It must have landed right beside the trap. I knelt down and called him to me. He came just as proud as he could be. I petted him and told him what a good dog he was for about 30 seconds then I said, “give.” He dropped the pigeon in my hand.
We went on through the field. I came around a thicket and saw him on point. I took pictures then stroked his sides. He was in between these two birds but I knew which one he was pointing. I flushed the other one, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He just barely moved his head. He knew that wasn’t the bird he was pointing. I stroked his sides then went back in front. I knew he would circle back if I didn’t flush this bird so I did. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He charged the pigeon as it came out of the trap (he didn’t catch it) and I held the button on the flank e-collar down until he stopped moving. I picked him up and set him back.
I walked in front of him, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He didn’t move. I walked back by him and as I came past him he started following me. I whoaed him again and set him back. I walked all around him without him moving. I released him.
On the way back to the kennel I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He didn’t slam into a stop but he did stop. I walked to him and then on by. He didn’t move until I tapped him on the head. He may learn that I’m the one that says when whoa is over not him. Maybe not too. I took him back to the kennel.
Dog training is fun when you’re making progress. I think I’m at a point now I need wild birds to work the dogs. As hot as it is here it will be a while before we can run dogs. From what I’m reading about North and South Dakota it may be hard to find wild birds to work dogs on. Oh well, may just have to drive farther.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
Betsy pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.