Blaze after a pigeon had flown.
Luke on the ground pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo on the whoa board pointing a pigeon.
I worked dogs for the first time, this morning, since I ran Tur Bo in the AKC Hunt Test. I put the Sport Dog e-collars on Blaze’s flanks and neck then heeled her toward the retrieving bench using the piggin’ string. I whoaed her and had her hold a retrieving dummy as we went to the bench. I stopped her and took the bumper before she jumped onto the retrieving bench. I usually say, “up” just before they jump onto the bench. I walked her back and forth petting her every few feet.
I put 4 bumpers on the other end of the retrieving bench and sent her to retrieve. She ran down the bench, grabbed a bumper and ran back. I petted her then said, “give”. She held it each time until I said, “give”. I have been working them more on the hold command and I insist on them holding until I say, “give”. I set her on the ground and said, “whoa”.
I threw the 4 bumpers along side the bench and sent her to retrieve. She retrieved each one and held them until I told her to give. I told her to whoa then threw a bumper. I waved in the direction of the bumper and said, “fetch”. She retrieved it 5 times in a row and held it each time until I said, “give”. I put the piggin’ string on her, had her hold the bumper and heeled her to the whoa board.
I took the bumper from her and put her on the whoa board. I got a pigeon from the box on the 4-wheeler and put it to sleep in front of her. I threw my gloves and the bumper close to the pigeon. She didn’t move. I woke the pigeon up and it flew away. She still didn’t move. I set her on the ground saying, “whoa”. I put a pigeon to sleep right in front of her. I threw my gloves and the bumper near the pigeon. I woke it up and it flew away. She didn’t move.
I put another pigeon to sleep in front of her. I threw my gloves near the pigeon. I picked the gloves up, shook them and threw them past her. I woke the pigeon up and it flew away. The last time I worked her on this she moved a couple of times but today she didn’t move. I put the piggin’ string on her, had her take a retrieving bumper and heeled her away. I stopped her and took the bumper after about 25 yards. I heeled her for another 10 yards, whoaed her then tapped her on the head to release her.
She ran to the quail pen and went on point. I chased the quail around in front of her and she didn’t move. I went inside the quail pen and chased the birds until a few flew from one end to the other. She didn’t move. I chased the birds around for a few minutes then put the piggin’ string on her and heeled her away. I took her back to the kennel.
I brought Luke out with the e-collars on his neck and flanks. I had him hold a retrieving bumper as we went to the retrieving bench. I took the bumper from him just before he jumped onto the bench. I walked him up and down the bench petting him every few feet. I put 4 bumpers on the other end and sent him to retrieve. He retrieved each one and held them until I said, “give”. I have really been emphasizing the hold command and it’s starting to pay off. I set him on the ground and said, “whoa”.
I threw all 4 bumpers right beside the bench and sent him to retrieve. He got each one but he made a circle each time like he was going to the quail pen. After he brought the 4 bumpers from beside the bench back I threw a bumper for him. The first time I threw it he wanted to spit it out as soon as he got close to me but I made him pick it up and hold it. I then threw it for him 5 times and he held it each time until I said, “give”.
I put the piggin’ string on him, had him hold the bumper and heeled him to the whoa board. I took the bumper from him and placed him on the board. I put a pigeon to sleep in front of the whoa board. I threw the gloves and retrieving bumper near the pigeon. Then I woke the pigeon up and it flew away. He didn’t move. I set him on the ground and said, “whoa”.
I put a pigeon to sleep in front of him. I threw the gloves near the pigeon and it woke up and flew away. I got another pigeon from the 4-wheeler, put it to sleep and put it a little closer to him. I threw the gloves and the bumper. I gently rolled the pigeon over with my foot and it flew away. He didn’t move.
I put the piggin’ string on him, had him hold the bumper and heeled him away. After about 25 yards I stopped him, took the bumper and heeled him another 10 yards. I tapped him on the head to release him. Luke first checked where he thought a pigeon had lit then went to the quail pen and went on point. I chased the quail around in front of him then went inside the pen. I got a few to fly and he never moved. I put the piggin’ string on him and took him back to the kennel.
I had to put more pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler before I worked Tur Bo. I brought him out with the e-collars on him. I had him carry a bumper. Near the retrieving bench I stopped him and took the bumper. He jumped onto the bench and I walked him around petting him every few feet. I put 4 bumpers on the other end of the bench and sent him to retrieve. He retrieved each one and held them until I said, “give”. I set him on the ground and said, “whoa”.
I tossed the 4 bumpers right beside the bench and sent him to retrieve. He retrieved each one and held them until I said, “give”. I tossed the bumper 6 or 7 times and he held it each time until I said, “give”. Some of the time I made him whoa until I told him to fetch and some of the time I teased him with it then threw it. When I teased him with the bumper he went without waiting.
I put the piggin’ string on him, had him hold the bumper and heeled him to the whoa board. I stopped him, took the bumper and placed him on the whoa board. I put a pigeon to sleep in front of him. I threw my gloves then the bumper near the pigeon. I woke the bird up and it flew away. He didn’t move.
I set him on the ground. I put a pigeon to sleep in front of him. I threw the gloves and the bumper near the pigeon. When I put my foot next to the pigeon to wake it up he started leaning forward. I woke the pigeon up and he ran forward. I was holding the transmitter and held the button down on his flank e-collar. He kept moving and I grabbed the flank collar and picked his rear end up. He was able to just barely get to the pigeon but when I picked him up it flew away. I held the button on the e-collar down until I half dragged half carried him to where he had originally been. I let off the button when I released my hold on his e-collar.
I told him, “whoa” again and got another pigeon from the 4-wheeler. I put it to sleep but farther away from him than the first had been. I threw the gloves and the bumper. I shook the gloves and threw them back close to him. I held the transmitter in my hand as I woke the pigeon up but he didn’t move. I got another pigeon and put it to sleep. I placed it where the one just before had been. I threw the gloves near the pigeon. I shook the gloves and then threw them close to him. He didn’t move. I flushed the bird and he didn’t move.
I was anticipating Tur Bo chasing the birds so I had put 5 pigeons in the box for him. I got the last one out of the box and put it to sleep. I placed it about where the one he had tried to catch had been. I threw the gloves and the pigeon woke up on it’s own. It took a couple of steps then flew away. Tur Bo didn’t move. He just watched it fly away. I put the piggin’ string on him and had him hold a bumper. I heeled him about 10 yards and he started pulling to the side so he could go to the quail pen. I popped the piggin’ string and he came back by my side but dropped the bumper. I held the button on the e-collar around his neck until he picked up the bumper.
He and Luke both had been staring into the back yard. I thought maybe something was back there. I heeled him about another 100 yards. I stopped him and took the bumper. I heeled him another 10 yards into the back yard. I stopped him, took the piggin’ string off and tapped his head to release him. He turned around, went straight to the quail pen and went on point.
I chased the quail back and forth in front of him then went inside the pen. Because he had moved on the pigeon I made the quail fly several times. He stood for the first two but the third time a quail flew right in front of him he moved to the edge of the pen. I held the button down on the flank e-collar, picked him up and set him back. I let off the button when his feet touched the ground. I went back into the pen and caused the quail to fly again. This time he didn’t move. I put the piggin’ on him and took him back to the kennel.
All 3 dogs have gotten a lot better on the hold command and are fetching from the bench and the ground. They all act like they enjoy retrieving now. Hopefully, I will have them retrieving this fall and being steady to wing and shot. At least this will give me something to work my dogs on until the season opens.
Tur Bo on the whoa board.
Luke at the quail pen.
Blaze at the quail pen.