Luke pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
Blaze pointing a pigeon.
It’s been raining almost every day this week, so today was the first opportunity I have had to do any dog training. I put 6 pigeons in a bird bag, loaded Tur Bo, Blaze and Luke into the truck and drove to the county park near my home.
I put the e-collars around Luke’s neck and flanks. I heeled him to the edge of the field with the piggin’ string and released him to hunt. I’ve been doing this same exercise with the dogs the last few times and they don’t get very far from me. I put a pigeon to sleep and hid it in the grass then called him back. When he got near me I said, “look close”. I, also, use “look close” when I want the dogs to hunt dead. Hopefully, anytime I say, “hunt close” the dogs will come in and comb the ground near me. Luke was about 10 or 12 yards from the pigeon when he pointed. I kicked the tall grass for about 45 seconds before I woke the pigeon. He stood and watched the bird fly away without moving. I stroked his sides then kicked the tall grass again making him stay on point. I came back to him and tapped his head to release him. I took him back to the truck.
I turned Tur Bo loose next. I only used one pigeon on Luke so that gave me three to use with Tur Bo. Tur Bo is young and needs more birds. He was running but he was also keeping an eye on me. I put a pigeon to sleep and hid it in the tall grass. I called him back and when he got close the pigeon flew away. He stopped when I said, “whoa”. He didn’t flush the pigeon. I thought I had it asleep but it wasn’t. I used it as a stop to flush. I tapped his head to release him.
We continued down the field. I put another pigeon to sleep, hid it in the tall grass and called him back. When he got close I said, “look close”. He hit the scent cone and whirled into a point. He was at least 10 yards from the pigeon. I hid the pigeon in tall, green fescue. Usually, it’s hard for the dogs to smell the birds in fescue but the scenting conditions are great today. I walked around kicking the tall grass, for about a minute, then woke the bird. He didn’t move when it flew away. I went to him and stroked his sides then kicked the grass some more. I tapped his head to release him.
We crossed to the other side and started back toward the truck. Tur Bo was coming straight toward me when I threw a pigeon in front of him. The pigeon didn’t get 3 feet off the ground and he almost did a flip when it came over him but he stopped. I stroked his sides then kicked the tall grass before releasing him. I took him back to the truck.
Blaze was next. She is pregnant and starting to show a little. I put both e-collars on her and released her. She ran but didn’t get very far away. I put a bird to sleep and hid it in the fescue. I called her back and told her to look close. She was at least 10 yards from the pigeon when she pointed. I kicked the tall grass then woke the bird. I was between her and the pigeon. She moved her head way to the side so she could see around me but she didn’t move her feet. I stroked her sides then walked around kicking the tall grass again. I went back to her, tapped her head to release her.
We continued on through the field then turned back toward the truck. As she came across the field in front of me I threw a pigeon in front of her. She stopped and watched the bird fly away. I stroked her sides then kicked the grass in front of her. I went back, tapped her head to release her. I took her back to the truck.
Luke and Blaze are pretty good on this exercise and Tur Bo is getting better. I will do this same exercise a few more times then I will start throwing some quail in front of them. The quail I throw will probably be lost so I want the dogs to be really good at stopping to flush. That way, maybe it wont take very many quail to get them to stop to flush.
Lukke
Tur Bo
Blaze