We have been having rains, one after another, for most of last week, over the weekend and it’s still happening this week, too. April showers are supposed to bring May flowers but May showers bring summer time mosquitoes. Some days, in the summer when it’s been really wet, it’s hard to be working dogs close to the little creek that crosses our yard, for the mosquitoes.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
I gave all of the dogs haircuts last week. Most of them stand for haircuts pretty well except for Sally. She only allows me to cut her hair up to her neck. She even snapped at me twice when I tried to cut her neck. And I didn’t even try her ears. To get a real hair cut she would have to be sedated, I believe. When I laid her on her back to cut the hair on her stomach she just laid there. On that, she was easier than all of the others.
It was misty and foggy early today so I didn’t get out very early. The temperature was in the mid sixties when I let Luke run for a while. H3e’s retired but he likes to get out of the kennel and run for a few minutes. When I crossed the creek going to the back he was coming back. We went to the wall, around the water faucet, where I petted him for a couple of minutes.
Mann was next. I had his flank collar and a collar around his neck as well as a GPS collar on him. I held the check cord and heeled him toward the back. Several times I hit the transmitter, on the flank collar, on low 2 momentary, then said, “whoa”. After the second time he was stopping before I could say, “whoa”. That’s when you know he understands the stimulation on his flanks.
I let him run for a while. I have been whoaing the dogs as they run loose but it’s making them all not want to run their best. They keep waiting on me to whoa them. Today I just let him run until we came close to the retrieving bench.
After he jumped onto the bench I petted him then said, “whoa” and put 3 retrieving dummies on the other end of the bench. I sent him to retrieve. When he came back each time I petted him before i said, “give” and some after. Then I sent him to get the next one. After the third dummy was retrieved I set him on the ground and said, “whoa”.
I took the three dummies farther than the bench is long and placed them on the ground. I went back to Mann and petted him for a few seconds then sent him to retrieve. I had to move a little way away from the bench because after each retrieve before, Mann wanted to jump on the bench. This time he did a good job. He retrieved each one, held until I said, “give” and stood to be petted. After the third one we went to the water faucet.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
The sun was pretty warm today and even Mann didn’t want to stay, to be petted, very long. After just a few seconds I put him in his kennel and got Boss out.
Mann is really calm when I’m putting the e-collars on him but Boss isn’t. I have the dogs jump onto their house so I don’t have to bend over. Boss jumps on and off 2 or 3 times before I even start to put a collar on him. I stand and wait for him to stand still. He wants to go so he tries to figure out what will work. The only thing is to stand still.
As we walk to the back I hit the transmitter, on his flank collar, on 2 low momentary, then say, “whoa”. After a couple of stimulations he stops before I can say, “whoa”. All of them except Luke has been worked on the whoa post so this isn’t new to them.
After 5 or 6 times of him doing whoa I let him run. It takes Boss a little longer than the others to really get running in the back. He’s expecting me to whoa him at any time. Today, I just let him run. I never whoaed him at all when he was just running.
There’s a pigeon in a release trap in there.
Boss likes to jump onto the retrieving bench. I petted him as we walked up and down the bench. I have him and Abby ready to be force broke to retrieve. When I put the retrieving dummy in front of them it’s not hard to put it in their mouth. They don’t reach for the dummy but they don’t fight when I place it behind their canine teeth. I still keep my hand under their chin until I say, “give” and take the dummy but they have to move their head off.
After they hold and give 6 times on the bench I set them on the ground and whoa them. Today I had them hold twice on the ground before we went to the wall around the water faucet where I petted them for a few seconds. I put Boss in his kennel.
I did Abby exactly as I did Boss. When I let her run after walking her toward the back she has a place she thinks I will whoa her and she stops there. When I came around the brush pile I saw her standing watching me. I said, “okay” and she went back to running. When she came to the retrieving bench I helped her onto it.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
After petting her I placed a retrieving dummy in her mouth. I think she’s a little ahead of Boss. She opens her mouth for the dummy then holds pretty well. After 6 times on the bench I set her on the ground where she holds for another 2 times then back to the water faucet. After I petted her I put her in her kennel.
Sally, with the bad haircut was next. I call these hair cuts prison haircuts because they look like Bubba in the next cell did them but Sally’s is the worst. The blade I used skipped some of the hair and then all of her long hair is still on her head, ears and neck. Her haircut is just plain ugly.
I whoaed her several times on the way to the back then let her run. When we got to the retrieving bench I helped her on. After I petted her I put her on whoa and put 3 dummies on the other end of the bench. I sent her to retrieve and made her hold until I said, “give”. After the third one I set her on the ground and said, “whoa”.
I put the 3 dummies on the ground past the end of the bench. She retrieved each one and held them until I said, “give”. We went to the wall around the faucet. I sat down and after about 5 seconds of petting Sally decided to eat grass instead of let me pet her. I put her in her kennel.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
Over the weekend we had 3+ inches of rain plus it rained yesterday. It was way too wet to go on the neighbor’s side. I put 2 pigeons, in release traps, on my side of the training grounds.
I brought Boss out with the GPS collar and an e-collar around his neck. I heeled him out near the 4-wheeler and whoaed him. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and after a few seconds said, “okay”. It’s hard to keep up with him when he knows there are birds in the field.
About the time I crossed the creek and came around the brush pile he went on point. I was close and had slowed the 4-wheeler but before I was stopped, he took a step. I flushed the pigeon. He chased a short distance then went back to hunting.
He circled the field and then hit the scent cone on the second bird. He went on point. I watched him real close as I rode toward him. He didn’t move. I sat on the 4-wheeler for a few seconds just watching. He wasn’t moving. I took a picture from the 4-wheeler then walked to him. I stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. I walked in front of him kicking the cover and flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move until I said, “okay” then he chased. I rode back to the kennel. I sat on the wall around the water faucet and petted him for a few seconds before putting him in his kennel.
Abby on point.
After reloading the release traps I heeled Abby near the 4-wheeler and said, “whoa”. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and looked at Abby. She took off. I whoaed her and she stopped about 20 yards away. I took the piggin’ string and heeled her back to the 4-wheeler. I said, “whoa”, started the 4-wheeler and waited. After a few seconds I said, “okay”. She was gone.
She ran the edge all the way to the back and was crossing the field when she hit the scent cone and slammed on the brakes. It’s been a long time since I have seen her take a step after going on point and she didn’t this time, either. I took pictures then went to her, stroked her sides, then went in front of her kicking the cover. She didn’t move until the bird flushed then she chased.
We went back toward the front and she hit the scent cone on the next bird and slid to a point. I took pictures then went to her and stroked her sides telling her what a good dog she is. I walked in front kicking the cover then flushed the pigeon. As soon as the bird moved she chased. At the wall around the water faucet I petted her for a few seconds then put her away.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
Both of these young dogs are getting better and better on their birds. I’m hoping that Abby is pregnant and I’m planning on sending Boss with a trainer to the prairies, hoping he will be on a lot of wild birds. It will be late June before Boss leaves, for a couple of months, and if Abby has puppies it will be near the end of June. That may give me a lot of time to work Sally and Mann on retrieving.
But if Abby has puppies that will give me several puppies to play with and socialize. I enjoy the puppies as much as working with the big dogs, maybe more.