I worked the dogs, Abby, Boss and Sally, on the whoa post yesterday. It was pretty windy but nothing compared to today. I have been just letting Mann and Luke run for a little while then petting them on the retrieving bench and at the rock wall around the water faucet. All 5 of the dogs beat me back to the water faucet, where I sit on the rock wall, so I can pet them and tell them what good pups they are.
Boss on the whoa post.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
I was slow getting out to work the dogs this morning because I hate really strong winds. But I had not worked any of the dogs on birds yesterday and it’s supposed to rain for the next 4 or 5 days so I figured if I was going to work them on birds it would have to be today. The weather people said the wind was just under 40 MPH.
Luke is old and retired but I usually get him out. He still likes to bark when I work the other dogs so I turn him out with a bark collar on. He runs to the retrieving bench and waits for me to help him jump on. I pet him then we go back to the water faucet where I pet him some more. I then put him back in the kennel, leaving the bark collar.
Next I bring Mann out wearing the e-collar and GPS collar. I let Mann run for a little while and then when I get close to the retrieving bench he jumps on. I pet him at several different spots on the bench then set him on the ground. He beats me back to the water faucet for more petting.
This morning I put an e-collar and GPS collar on Abby and led her out with the long check cord. I hooked her to the first whoa post with a half hitch around her flanks. I walked out about 15 feet in front of her and pulled on the check cord until the rope from the whoa post was tight around her flanks. I keep the check cord tight enough that it doesn’t touch the ground. Abby always bites at the knot in the check cord then licks her lips.
The instant she licks her lips I drop the check cord to where there is slack. I go to her, pet her and take the whoa post rope off her flanks. I stroke her sides telling her what a good girl she is, tap her on the head and lead her to the next whoa post. We do all 3 whoa posts.
After the third whoa post I tap her head and lead her a few feet, whoa her then tap her head to let her run. I walk on down to the retrieving bench. After just a few minutes Abby comes back and jumps on the retrieving bench where I pet her. I’m doing a little more with her and Boss. They will be forced to retrieve this year so I have been putting two fingers in their mouth. Right now they are fighting me for a few minutes then when they close their mouth over my fingers and hold for just a second or two I wiggle my fingers and pull them out.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
This morning on both dogs, Boss and Abbie, I made them hold my fingers twice. They only held them for a few seconds before I wiggled my fingers and take them out. Soon I will have them hold a dummy for a few seconds then take it out. Before I start the force retrieve I like to have them “holding” and “giving” the dummy. I think this makes the force retrieve easier on me and the dogs both.
I worked Boss on the whoa posts and he is really easy. I hook him up and pull on the check cord so he can feel the whoa post rope tighten on his flanks and he licks his lips. I worked him on all three then let him run. He likes to jump onto the retrieving bench without me helping. I pet him then stuck my fingers in his mouth, twice. Put him on the ground and we go to the water faucet where I sit and pet him some more.
After I put him up I brought Sally out and worked her on the three whoa posts. Sally will whoa when I tell her to but she doesn’t acknowledge near as quick on the whoa posts, but she’s getting better. This morning the first two were quick but the last one took about a minute. I let her run for a while then put her on the retrieving bench. After some petting there we went to the water faucet for more petting.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
It was really windy, between 40 and 51 MPH, according the television weather people. We are supposed to get rain for the next 4 or 5 days so I wanted to put out some birds for Abby, Boss and Mann.
I put out two pigeons, one on my side of the training grounds and one on my neighbor’s side. I put a GPS collar on Mann and heeled him to the 4-wheeler. (I have 3 e-collars that double as bark collars and 1 regular bark collars. The other 4 dogs will bark when I have pigeons out so they each wore one.) I whoaed him next to the 4-wheeler, got on the 4-wheeler, started it then said, “okay”. He was gone.
I have 2 openings, large enough for the 4-wheeler, between my side and the neighbor’s side. Mann can cross anywhere and he showed that on this run. I followed him to the neighbor’s side then he crossed back to my side. By the time I got to the opening he crossed back then back across. He hit the scent cone and swapped ends, sliding to a point.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
I got off the 4-wheeler, took some pictures, went to him and stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. I went in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he didn’t move. When I tapped his head he went back to hunting.
He’s really fast and before I could get to the other side he was on point. I took more pictures then stroked his sides. There was an old log lying on the ground. I kicked the log breaking a chunk off. I kicked the bushes then flushed the pigeon. The pigeon hit a limb and came back down then flew away. He didn’t move. I tapped his to release him. We went back to the kennel.
I brought Boss out next with an e-collar and GPS collar strapped on. He and Abby are just learning that when I put them on whoa next to the 4-wheeler they have to stay on whoa until I release them. The first time I tried t with Boss I had to go get him and haul him back on the 4-wheeler. I was able to stop Abby with a loud “whoa” and then I called her back. She started the second time but she whoaed quicker. I called her back again and she stayed until I said, “okay”.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
This is the third time and Boss stayed until I released him. These dogs know there are birds to be found and they go in a hurry, when released. Boss crossed onto the neighbor’s side but then crossed right back to my side. He ran the edge and hit the scent cone and whirled into a point. I took some pictures then stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. I kicked the cover in front of him and flushed the pigeon. He followed the bird for a little way and went back to hunting.
The neighbor’s side has more clumps that the dogs have to check out than my side. Boss was on point by the time I found him. I took some pictures then went to him. I stroked his sides then walked in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he chased a little way then went back to hunting. We went back to the kennel.
I put Abby on whoa next to the 4-wheeler, got on the 4-wheeler, started it and said, “okay”. She is fast. By the time I found her she was on point at the back of my neighbor’s side. Just as I saw her she moved up a step and went back on point. I took some pictures then set her back. I petted her then went in front. I did more kicking because she had moved. I flushed the pigeon and it went up then came down a little and she almost caught it. She chased it back toward the kennel.
This was in Arizona. I wish I knew the story.
When I got back on my side Abby was right on top of the next bird. I didn’t see her but I think she pointed then moved up. I picked her up and set her back about 10 yards. I kicked the cover in front of her then stopped. I went to the 4-wheeler and stood for a while. I went back in front of her kicking the cover, again. I flushed the pigeon and she chased it toward the pigeon coop. We went back to the kennel.
These young dogs, Boss and Abby, try different things to see what they can get by with. Both of them pointed wild birds and held them just fine. Abby was real steady on some chukars that we worked them on but Mann the first day flushed a lot of birds. On pigeons, I think he knows what I want so he doesn’t move. Most of the time Abby doesn’t move, either. But she’s trying different things to see what she can get by with.
Sally on point.
If all of my dogs did everything perfect I wouldn’t have anything to do. And too, they might expect me to be perfect too. And like my dogs I’m a long way from perfect.