I have been working Sally on the retrieving bench each day, with exception of Sunday, but on 5/2/18 I did some dog training with her and Tur Bo. Sally is doing pretty well on the retrieving bench. She is going down the bench, picking up the bumper and returning to me without me walking down the bench, most of the time. Occasionally, I have to either walk down the bench or hit the button on the e-collar. I’m still using a 1 medium on the e-collar. A little more repetition and she will be going to the ground on her retrieving.
Tur Bo with a pigeon asleep in front of him.
Sally with a pigeon asleep in front of her.
Sally is really intense.
I hid 3 pigeons, in release traps, on the training and put 2 pigeons in the bird bag. I heeled Tur Bo out of the kennel with an e-collar around his neck, pulling a check cord with a half hitch around his flanks. I heeled him through my front yard and as I passed a tree I said, “whoa”. I tied the check cord to a tree. I went back in front of him and took a pigeon from the bird bag. I put the pigeons head under a wing, straightened it’s legs out and placed it down, in front of Tur Bo, on the wing that it’s head was under.
I walked around the pigeon kicking the grass. Tur Bo was really watching that pigeon. The first few times I did this with him he hit the end of the check cord. The first time he hit the end of the check cord 4 times, really hard. Today, he knew better. He didn’t move until I woke the pigeon by rolling it over with my foot. The pigeon flew right over the top of his head and he jumped trying to catch it but he didn’t hit the end of the check cord. I shot the blank pistol and then set him back.
I put another pigeon to sleep and placed it a couple of feet closer to him than the other one. I walked around this pigeon kicking the grass. I kicked the fence that was close and some bushes that grew in the fence line but he only had eyes for the pigeon. I rolled the pigeon over with my foot and it flew right over the top of Tur Bo. I shot the blank pistol. He turned sideways to watch the pigeon but didn’t try to chase. I set him back. I untied the check cord and heeled him away.
I heeled him toward where I had hidden the pigeons on the training grounds. I whoaed him and tapped his head to release him to hunt. He knows where the bird field is and doesn’t take long to get there.
He went down the side and crossed over to the neighbor’s side. When I got close he was on point at the back. I tied his check cord to a tree, petted him and walked in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He did a little dance with his front feet but didn’t try to chase. I set him back, untied the check cord and heeled him away. I released him to hunt.
He raced back toward the front and when I got close I could see him through the brush. I took some pictures and watched him for a while to make sure he wasn’t moving, after going on point. I tied his check cord, petted him and walked in front kicking the bushes. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He did his dance but didn’t try to chase. I heeled him away. I released him to hunt.
He checked all of the neighbor’s side then crossed back to my side. When I saw him he was standing almost on top of the release trap. I could see by the way the check cord was that he had gone in with the wind as was on top of the release trap when he got the scent. I carried him back and whoaed him. Actually, I led him back and whoaed him. He’s too big to carry unless there is no brush or heavy cover. I tied his check cord to a tree. I kicked the cover making him stay on point longer than normal, then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t try to chase. I petted him then heeled him away after untying the check cord. I let him run before taking him back to the kennel.
Sally on point.
I reloaded the release traps and put a couple of pigeons in the bird bag. I led Sally out, with the e-collar around her neck, pulling a check cord with a half hitch around her flanks, with the piggin’ string. We went from behind my house through the front yard and when we passed a tree on the side yard I whoaed her. I tied the check cord to a tree and came back in front of her. I took a pigeon from the bird bag, put it to sleep and placed it about 6 or 8 feet in front of her. I walked around the pigeon kicking the grass. I rolled the pigeon over and when it woke up it flew right over the top of Sally. She didn’t jump for the pigeon as Tur Bo had she just turned and watched the pigeon fly away. I shot the blank pistol.
I set her back. I took the other pigeon from the bag and placed it in front of her after putting it to sleep. I walked around the pigeon kicking the grass. It dawned on me that I had been placing the pigeons where they would be facing the dog when they woke up. I turned this bird around and woke it up. It flew away from Sally instead of over the top of her. Dog training is sometimes trainer training. I shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I untied her check cord, petted her and heeled her away. I released her to hunt.
She ran down the side, across the back and came back up the other side then crossed to the neighbor’s side. When I got near the back she was on point. I tied the check cord to a tree, petted her then walked in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I untied the check cord, petted her and heeled her away. I released her to hunt.
Tur Bo on point.
She checked most of the places that I had ever hidden pigeons, for her before, as we went back toward the front. I saw her through some brush on point. It made for a good picture. I tied her check cord, petted her and walked in front kicking the bushes. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I untied the check cord, petted her and heeled her away. I released her to hunt.
She checked the neighbor’s side then crossed back to my side. When I got close to the last pigeon she was on point. I tied the check cord to a tree, petted her then walked in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I untied the check cord, petted her and heeled her away. I released her to run before going back to the kennel.
Dog training is repetition. Each of these last few posts have almost been the same because we are doing almost the very same thing, time after time. I’m not sure if I will ever get Tur Bo where he won’t do his dance with his front feet and it doesn’t really matter. On wild birds, I don’t care if they move after the birds flush but I think if they are trained steady to wing and shot on pigeons they will be more steady on wild birds. I hope.
Tur Bo on point.
Sally on point.
Tur Bo on point.