I did some dog training after working Sally on the retrieving bench. I guess, force fetch is dog training, too. After working Sally on the bench I put 5 bumpers in a large circle, on the ground and have her retrieve them as I heel her toward them. At the end of the training I have her carry each one back close to the retrieving bench where I whoa her. I take the bumper from her and throw it in the milk carton on the bench. I think she enjoys carrying them to the bench best because she knows the force fetch is about over.
I have 4 pigeons hidden in the area of this picture.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo pointing pigeons.
I put Sally back in the kennel, got the 4-wheeler out and hid 4 pigeons within about 5 yards of each other on the training grounds. Sally likes the attention she gets with the force fetch but she really loves finding birds. She can see me put the pigeons in the 4-wheeler and all of the dogs are jumping around saying, “pick me, pick me”.
I put the e-collar around her neck, attached a check cord to her collar with a half hitch around her flanks and heeled her out with the piggin’ string. When we got close to the training grounds I released her to hunt.
I took my time as I walked through the training grounds. Sally has to check every where I’ve ever hid a bird for her before but since I hid the birds I just have to go to them. When I got there she was on point.
I took some pictures then walked in front of her kicking the grass. I had left a strip of grass and she was pointing the pigeon I had hidden in this strip. As I kicked the tall grass I flushed a pigeon that was behind her and to her right. I shot the blank pistol. She turned her head to watch the pigeon fly away but didn’t move her feet.
She turned her head back to the pigeon she had originally pointed and I continued to kick the grass. I flushed a pigeon, that was farther away than the bird she was pointing and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move.
She could still smell the pigeon that she had pointed and she knew it was still there. I continued to kick the grass. I had one more bird besides the one she was pointing. When I flushed it the pigeon hit a limb and fluttered. She took a step then turned back to the bird she had been pointing.
I continued to kick the grass, flushed the pigeon she had been pointing and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I petted her then untied her check cord and heeled her away. I had a Dokken chukar retrieving bumper in my pocket. I whoaed her and had her take the bumper two or three times, from my hand. When she gets better at retrieving I’m going to have her retrieve each time after pointing a pigeon. Then later I want to throw a bumper into the brush and have her hunt dead. I let her run before taking her back to the kennel.
I reloaded the release traps and brought Tur Bo out with the e-collar around his neck pulling the check cord with a half hitch around his flanks. When we got close to the training grounds I released him to hunt.
I found him on point. From the way the check cord was lying he had been moving to the south when he hit the scent cone, whirled around and went on point. I took some pictures then tied his check cord to a tree. He, too, had pointed the pigeon that was hidden in the strip of grass. I kicked the grass, flushed a pigeon that was right behind him and shot the blank pistol. I had tied the check cord behind him so when this pigeon fluttered coming out of the release trap, he went after it. The pigeon flew away and I set him back.
Sally on point.
I went back to kicking the grass. There was another pigeon that was close to him and his attention changed to it. I don’t know if he smelled it or the pigeon made some noise but either way he was now pointing it. I was still kicking the grass where he had originally pointed. I flushed this pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He did a dance with his front feet but didn’t try to chase.
I changed from the grass to kicking the brush around the pigeon he was now pointing. I flushed a pigeon that was to his right and shot the blank pistol. It was a young bird and it only flew a few feet and landed on a limb. He wanted that pigeon but the check cord tightened up on him. I set him back.
He could smell the bird in front of him and see one behind. Finally, the bird behind him flew away. I shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move, this time. I kicked the brush, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. His front feet did the dance but he didn’t chase. I heeled him away.
Tur Bo loves the Dokken chukar. As I heeled him away I threw the chukar in front of him and said, “fetch”. He was still wound up about the pigeons but he picked up the chukar but dropped it as he came by me. I whoaed him and said, “fetch” again. He picked the bumper up and brought it to me. He dropped it when I said, “give”. I threw the chukar two more times and he did better. He brought it to me and held it until I said, “give”. I released him to run before going back to the kennel.
I enjoy dog training. I like to see them learn and it’s really gratifying to see them do what you want them to do. Sally is getting better on the retrieving. Tur Bo is still moving on his pointed birds but he’s steady until I get there. That’s all I really want but I’m working him toward being steady to wing and shot. He’s been allowed to move as soon as the birds flush his whole life and now I’m asking him to stand steady. Doesn’t make any sense to him. I will continue to work them and mix in some retrieving. Hopefully, this next season I will have some good retrievers.
Tur Bo on point.
I like the seriousness of this look of Sally’s..
Tur Bo on point.