Talking of cool weather in August is a relative thing. It may be cool for August but it’s not really cool for the dogs or the trainer. The mornings have been in the upper fifties to low sixties but when you are walking it’s not that cool. The dogs do better at about 30 degrees so it’s not all that great for them either. In just a little while their tongue is hanging out. But any attention is better than none.
Close up of Abby on the place board.
Boss on the place board.
Josie on the place board.
A few weeks ago I bought 12 pigeons to replace some of the pigeons that the raccoons killed. They were young birds and too small to know how to come back to their coop. I waited about 3 weeks thinking they would home now.
I tied two pigeons to the strings on my pigeon poles and placed them in release traps. I threw a little hay over the top so the dogs wouldn’t see them, right away. I had some pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler parked in the shade close to one of my place boards.
Boss last week went in his house instead of getting onto his house when I went into his run. When he didn’t come out I went to the next dog and worked it. Now he jumps onto his house when I come into his run. The e-collars aren’t turned on but I put one around his neck and another around his flanks. I heeled him out with the piggin’ string. When we got outside the kennel area I hooked a long check cord to his collar.
I whoaed him a couple of times before we got to the 4-wheeler. When we came by the 4-wheeler I got a young pigeon from the box. Before we got to the first place board I tossed the pigeon in front of Boss and said, “whoa”. He stopped and watched the pigeon fly away. We circled back to the 4-wheeler and I got another pigeon.
When he walked onto the place board I said, “whoa” and he stopped. I held the pigeon by the feet and let it flap. I turned the pigeon loose and it flew maybe 5 feet and lit right in front of him. He got excited and I held the piggin’ string. He hadn’t tried to catch the pigeon but I wasn’t sure what he would do.
I held the piggin’ string but he wasn’t moving so I threw my hat at the pigeon. The hat landed right beside the pigeon and it flew just a few feet. I didn’t have anything else to throw. Since he wasn’t trying to get the pigeon I dropped the piggin’ string and walked in front of him. I watched him and he was still holding. I thought I would catch the pigeon and return it to the box. As I bent over to catch it, it flew right back by Boss and landed. About the time it landed he had it.
Abby on the place board.
He was holding the pigeon with one foot and mouthing it. I petted him and told him what a good boy he is. I took the pigeon from him and put it back in the box. I heeled Boss to the next place board.
I knew with him catching the pigeon just a few minutes before, it would be hard to keep him on the next place board, when pigeons started flying. I used the check cord to put a half hitch around his flanks and hooked it to his collar. I tied the end of the check cord to a stake in the ground.
With him on the place board I walked around in front of him then flushed the pigeon that was about 25 yards away. That put some style in him but he didn’t move. I kept walking back and forth in front of him then flushed the pigeon that was about 10 yards in front of him. He looked really good but didn’t try to move.
Boss on the place board.
I walked to the farther pigeon and made it fly again. He came off the board. When the check cord tightened around his flanks he looked like a bucking bull. He reared and bucked and tried to bite the rope. I didn’t say anything or do anything. I just stood and watched. I had no part in this fight. It was between him and the check cord. When he stopped fighting I let him stand for 15 seconds or so. I wanted the fight to be over. I carried him back and set him on the place board.
I grabbed the string that the pigeons were tied to and let them flap, then let them fly. He moved up on the place board until the rope around his flanks was tight. I set him back and flew the pigeons some more. I want them to stand on the place board with slack in the check cord. When he couldn’t get away with leaning into the check cord he gave up and stood with slack. I heeled him back to the kennel.
When I first started working with these dogs on the place boards with pigeons I would put the pigeons back in the release traps before taking the dog I was working with back to the kennel. I noticed when I started putting the pigeons in the release traps the dogs knew their training session was over. This saved me several steps but they would wander off the place board. Now I brush them up and tell them what good dogs they are, slip the piggin’ string back on and heel them to the kennel.
Josie on the place board.
I put the pigeons back in the release traps and covered them with hay. I put the e-collars on Josie and heeled her out with the check cord around her flanks. I have been whoaing her then walking well out front and calling her to me. This morning when I walked about 20 yards ahead of her and turned around here she came. I whoaed her, picked her up and carried her back to where I had first whoaed her. I walked out front of her then went back and walked a circle around her. I tapped her head and heeled her away.
After just a few feet I whoaed her again. I walked out front then to her rear then heeled her away. As we passed the 4-wheeler I grabbed a pigeon from the box. When she jumped onto the place board I whoaed her. I held the pigeon by the legs letting it flap. I turned it loose and it flew just above the ground for a long way before going back to the coop. She didn’t try to chase. I heeled her to the next place board.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
She stepped onto the next place board and I whoaed her. I tied the check cord, that was hooked to her collar, with a half hitch around her flanks, to the stake. I walked back and forth in front of her kicking the grass. I was well out front of her when I flushed the farther pigeon. Her head came up but she didn’t try to take a step.
I continued to kick the grass then flushed the closer pigeon. She moved to the end of the place board but didn’t come off. The check cord was tight so I set her back. These dogs move up so slowly that without the rope getting tight I wouldn’t notice. They must move when I’m not looking. I watch the rope and fly the pigeons 8 or 10 times for each dog. When the check cord gets tight I move them back. When I flush the birds a few times and the check cord is still loose is when we quit. I heel them back to the kennel.
Abby was last this morning because she is in heat but she also whined when I brought the others out. I want her to learn to be quiet. I hope she figures it out.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
I whoaed her before we got to the 4-wheeler, walked out in front of her and called her to me. Just before she got to me she went to the side a little but I moved and caught her. I’m not convinced that she was trying to evade me, but she has before. I got a pigeon from the box on the 4-wheeler as we passed it.
When she stepped onto the place board I whoaed her. I held the pigeon by the legs so it could flap. Abby was certainly excited but didn’t try to move. I dropped the pigeon and it lit right in front of her. I’m not holding the older pups but she didn’t move. I took a step toward the pigeon and it flew away. Abby didn’t move. I heeled her to the next place board.
I tied the check cord to the stake and walked in front of her kicking the grass. I flushed the farther pigeon. This pigeon is about 25 yards from the place board and the dogs never fail to see it flush but it doesn’t cause them to want to move. I continued to kick the grass and flushed the closer bird. She moved up on the place board but didn’t step off. The check cord was tight so I moved her back.
Josie pointing a pigeon.
I continued to move her back each time the check cord got tight. I don’t want these dogs to lean against the check cord on the place board. That could create a situation where they would take a step on point, trying to lean against the check cord, even without one on. The last time I worked Abby and Josie, they both came off the place board. Today neither came off. They moved up but they are searching for what works. Standing still is the only thing that works.
I flew the pigeons 8 or 10 times before I got 3 or 4 without Abby moving up. That’s what I was looking for. I heeled her back to the kennel.
Boss.
About once a week I work Sally and Mann on retrieving. Usually late of the evening if it’s cool enough. I cut a hotdog in about 20 slices and when they retrieve a bumper, correctly, they get a sliver of hotdog. It seems as if Sally is more interested in the treat than Mann but she invariably will turn her head and not see where I have thrown the bumper. Usually, only once per session but she gets no hotdog.
I throw the bumper and they must go get it, bring it back and hold until I say, “give”. If they miss any portion of this they get no hotdog. Mann seldom misses but Sally has a problem one time each session. But she likes the hotdogs so I’m expecting better from her.