We had a light rain during the night that made it a good, cool morning to train a dog. I’m trying to get Tur Bo and Sally to be steady to wing and shot. I really don’t care if they are for quail hunting but I need something to work my dogs on.
Tur Bo on a pigeon.
Sally on a pigeon.
Tur Bo
I put three pigeons, in release traps, in the tall weeds, on my training grounds. I put another three pigeons in a bird bag that I carried with me. I put the e-collars on Tur Bo’s neck and flanks, a check cord on him with a half hitch around his flanks and I led him out of the kennel with the piggin’ string.
I crossed my yard and put Tur Bo on whoa. I had walked him past a tree and I tied his check cord to the tree. I walked out in front of him and took a pigeon from the bird bag. I put a rubber band around one wing on the pigeon. I dropped the pigeon on the ground and it tried to fly but hit the ground. Tur Bo tried to take a step but the check cord tightened around his flanks and stopped him. The pigeon tried to fly again and the rubber band came off. The pigeon only flew a few feet and landed in a cedar tree. Tur Bo turned to watch him with a tight flank check cord. I set him back.
I went back in front of him, took another pigeon from the bag and put a rubber band around it’s wing. I dropped this pigeon and it tried to fly but hit the ground. Tur Bo didn’t move. The pigeon tried to fly again but it couldn’t get off the ground. Tur Bo had eased up until the check cord was tight. I set him back. The pigeon had given up and was running toward the fence. I got in front of him and started him back toward Tur Bo. He tried one more time to fly and the rubber band came off. He flew right over the top of Tur Bo. He whirled to watch the pigeon with a tight check cord. I set him back.
I went back in front of him and took another pigeon from the bag. I put the pigeon’s head under his wing and straightened it’s legs out. The pigeon went to sleep and I placed it on the ground in front of Tur Bo. It only stayed asleep for a few seconds then flew away. I shot the blank pistol. Tur Bo didn’t move.
I led him away, whoaed him, then released him to hunt. It’s almost like Tur Bo wants to run a bunch before he points so he runs to the back before he goes on point. I could see him on point about a hundred yards before I got to him. I slowed down to let him stay on point, longer. When I got close I tied his check cord to a tree then walked in front of him. I kicked the cover, I found a tree limb and beat on other trees then after about a minute and a half, I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I led him away with the piggin’ string. I whoaed him then tapped his head to release him.
Tur Bo
As we went back toward the front I could just see his white color through the brush but I could tell if he moved. He didn’t. I had stepped off the distance from the first bird to where he was and this one was about the same distance. Just under fifteen yards. I tied his check cord to a tree then walked in front of him. I kicked the cover and some trees that were close then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I led him away, whoaed him and tapped him on the head for the release.
The next pigeon was on my north fence line. I saw Tur Bo running close to the fence line, whirl around and go on point. As I started toward him he took a step. I yelled, “whoa” and flushed the pigeon. The pigeon came out of the trap hitting a limb and came back down. It hit the ground and came back up but only flew about 30 yards and landed in the pasture to the north of us. Tur Bo grabbed it about the time the bird hit the ground.
If I had of not flushed the pigeon he wouldn’t have moved any farther, I don’t think, but when the pigeon hit the limb and came back to the ground in Tur Bo’s mind that was his bird. And he got it.
Once the dog has caught the pigeon there is nothing to do but use it as a retrieving drill. I knelt down and called Tur Bo. He came in a dead run with the pigeon in his mouth. I petted him then said, “give” and he dropped it in my hand. I petted him some more then started to the kennel.
As we came by the retrieving bench Tur Bo jumped onto it. I went to him and put him on whoa, then tossed the dead pigeon to the other end of the bench. I said, “fetch” and he ran to the other end grabbed the pigeon and brought it back to me. I petted him then said, “give” and he dropped it in my hand. I threw the pigeon for him 3 times then set him on the ground. We went on back to the kennel.
Sally
I reloaded the release traps and the bird bag. I only put two pigeons in the bird bag. I put the e-collars on Sally”s neck and flanks, a check cord hooked to her collar with a half hitch around her flanks and led her out with the piggin’ string. I heeled her past a tree then whoaed her. I tied the check cord to a tree then walked in front of her. I took a pigeon from the bird bag and put a rubber band around it’s wing and dropped it in front of her. It hit the ground in just a few feet then tried to fly again and hit the ground. The third time it tried to fly the rubber band came off and the bird flew back to it’s coop. I shot the blank pistol. Sally never moved.
I had one more pigeon in the bird bag so I put it to sleep and put it down in front of her. After about a minute the pigeon woke up and flew away. I shot the blank pistol. Sally never moved. I untied the check cord and led her away with the piggin’ string. I whoaed her then tapped her on the head to release her.
She pointed the first pigeon before I got in the area to see her but the way the check cord was lying she pointed as soon as she hit the scent cone. I tied her check cord to a tree. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I led her away. I whoaed her and tapped her head to release her.
Sally had been farther off the first pigeon than Tur Bo had been but the next one she was closer. The difference is where they hit the scent cone. I tied the check cord to a tree then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I heeled her away with the check cord. I tapped her on the head to release her.
Tur Bo
She was over fifteen yards off the next pigeon when she went on point. It was on the north fence line and we had a good north wind. I took pictures then went in kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. I hadn’t tied her check cord this time because she hadn’t been moving. She didn’t this time either. I led her away. I tapped her head to release her.
When we came by the retrieving bench I had her jump onto it. I whoaed her and threw the dead pigeon to the other end of the bench. When I told her to fetch she went to the pigeon and smelled it but didn’t pick it up. She came back to me without the pigeon. I picked the pigeon up, opened her mouth and placed it in her mouth and told her to hold. She held it until I said, “give”. She spit it into my hand. I had her hold and give three times then set her on the ground. I released her to run back to the kennel.
I enjoy working with the dogs on being steady to wing and shot. The good part is I don’t really care if they ever get steady. I think, when a dog breaks on the shot, to retrieve, you lose less birds. Just my opinion. But I need something to write on this blog and this works.
Sally after the pigeon has flown.