It was in the low 60’s, when I got up this morning, so I decided to do some dog training. This will be the last cool morning for quite a while. The forecast is for really high temperatures the next week and maybe longer.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
Betsy pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
I hid three pigeons, in release traps, in the tall weeds on the training grounds. Each release trap was about 10 yards from the others in a diamond pattern. I had 2 pigeons in the bird bag, with me.
I put the e-collars around Sally’s neck and flanks and heeled her out with the piggin’ string. I quit using the check cord the last training session. The only difference I could see, the dogs ran better without the check cord.
About 20 yards from the kennel I whoaed her and walked in front. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.
After another 20 yards I whoaed her again. I walked out front, took a pigeon from the bird bag by it’s feet and let it flap for about 20 seconds. Instead of just letting the bird fly away I placed it on the ground. It, immediately, flushed. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.
Another 20 yards and I whoaed her again. I walked out in front, taking a pigeon from the bird bag by the feet. After it flapped for a few seconds I placed it on the ground in front of me. This pigeon walked toward the fence row to the north. I kept an eye on Sally and she didn’t move. I took a couple of steps toward the pigeon and it flew, landing in a tree in the fence row. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.
When we passed the retrieving bench I whoaed her. I tapped her head and released her to hunt. She ran the edge to the back of my side and when she came back close to me I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She stopped. I walked to her and tapped her head.
There was not much wind blowing and she was about 6 or 7 yards from the pigeon when she went on point. The way she was looking there were 2 pigeons in front of her. One about 7 yards and another about 17 yards. I walked in front of her, kicking the cover, flushed the pigeon that was to her left, about 15 yards away. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She turned her head to watch the pigeon fly away but didn’t move. I stroked her sides.
I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon that was about 17 yards in front of her. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She moved up one step. I whoaed her and she only took the one step. I set her back, went in front of her, kicking the cover. I slipped the piggin’ string on her and heeled her away.
On the way back to the kennel, when she came close I shot the blank pistol and she stopped before I could say, “whoa.” I took her back to the kennel.
Betsy pointing a pigeon.
I reloaded the release traps and put a couple of pigeons in the bird bag. I put the e-collars on Betsy and heeled her out with the piggin’ string. After about 20 yards I whoaed her, walked in front, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.
Another 20 yards I whoaed her. I walked in front of her, taking a pigeon from the bird bag by the feet. After it flapped for a few seconds I placed it on the ground in front of me. It flushed immediately. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She turned sideways to watch the bird fly away but didn’t try to follow. I set her back. I went back in front, kicking the cover. I stroked her sides and heeled her on.
After another 20 yards I whoaed her. I walked in front kicking the cover. I took a pigeon from the bird bag by the feet. After it flapped for a few seconds I placed it on the ground in front of me. It flushed and I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She turned and watched the pigeon fly away. I set her back and walked in front her kicking the cover. I went back to her, stroked her sides and heeled her away.
Tur Bo just styles up when I get the camera out.
After we passed the retrieving bench I whoaed her. I stroked her sides then tapped her head for the release. Taking the check cord off helped her more than the other dogs. She runs a lot better without it. When she came close to me I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She stopped. I went to her, stroked her sides then tapped her on the head.
Sally had been on the south side of the birds when she pointed but Betsy was on the north. Betsy was about 15 yards from the closest pigeon. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed a pigeon that was about 25 yards away and to her right. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and went back in front.
There was a pigeon about 25 yards right in front of her. I continued to kick the cover then flushed it. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I stroked her sides then went back in front.
She was far enough from the pigeon that she was pointing that I decided to flush it for her. She hadn’t moved on the first two I had flushed. I kicked the cover, flushed the pigeon, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” The pigeon came out low right by her. She made a quarter turn to watch the pigeon. I set her back. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.
Sally after the pigeons have flown.
On the way back to the kennel when she came close I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She stopped. I stroked her sides and tapped her on the head. She ran to the pigeon coop and pointed the birds on top. When I got there I slipped the piggin’ string on her and took her to the kennel.
Since the raccoons killed some of my pigeons I’m a few birds short. I reloaded the release traps but I only had one pigeon in the bird bag. I put the e-collars on Tur Bo and heeled him out with the piggin’ string. About 20 yards out of the kennel I whoaed him. I walked in front, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He didn’t move. I stroked his sides then heeled him away.
Another 20 yards I whoaed him again. This time as I walked in front I took the pigeon from the bird bag holding it by the feet. After it flapped for a few seconds I placed it on the ground in front of me. It flushed and I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” His front feet did their dance but his back feet didn’t move. I set him back. I walked in front of him then went back and stroked his sides. I heeled him away.
When we passed the retrieving bench I whoaed him. I stroked his sides then tapped him on the head. He ran to the back on my side and when he came back close to me I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” It took him a few steps but he stopped. I stroked his sides then released him.
Sally on pen reared quail.
He pointed on the north side of the birds but he was within about 3 yards of a pigeon. I walked in front of him kicking the cover. He was in line with another pigeon that was less than 15 yards from him. I flushed that pigeon, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He just knew he could catch the pigeon right in front of him. He ran in but that was not the pigeon I flushed. I picked him up by his regular collar and the flank e-collar. I set him back after shaking him about 3 times. I only said, “whoa” once and that was after I set him back.
I continued to kick the cover and flushed another pigeon that was 15 yards away. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He didn’t move. I went to him and stroked his sides. He still had a pigeon about 3 yards from him and he knew it. I slipped the piggin’ string on him and heeled him away.
When we were about 30 yards from the pigeon that he had pointed I flushed it and kept walking. He didn’t notice the bird flying away. I heeled him a little farther and whoaed him. I tapped him on the head to release him. He went behind me going back to where he just knew there was a pigeon. I just kept walking toward the kennel. In just a few seconds he was in front of me.
As we went back to the kennel I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” He stopped after a couple of steps. He’s getting better.
I’ve been saying, “whoa” after each shot of the blank pistol so the dogs will know that after the shot there will be a whoa command. I’m not putting a lot of pressure on them but they are starting to stop on the shot. Hopefully, this will help them be steady to wing and shot. We have a long time until bird seasons open. We just need a lot of cool mornings.
Sally with evil eyes.
A good head shot of Betsy.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.