They are called dog days of summer but they aren’t good for man, dogs or even the pigeons I use. When it is 70 some degrees at 8 am, I’m afraid to put pigeons in the release traps. The release trap has to hold some of the birds heat in and hidden in tall grass and weeds not much wind cools them. Anyway, I don’t work the puppies on the real hot mornings. I do try to let them run for a short period each day. We have had a few cool mornings, when I did work the puppies.
Annie pointing a pigeon.
Stormy pointing a pigeon.
Annie pointing a pigeon.
After I clean pens of the morning I turn the two puppies, Annie and Stormy, loose to run for a few minutes. I have a chain gang set up in the shade where I tie them. Before hooking them to the chain gang I spread some adult dog food where they can find it while I hide birds on the training grounds. Along with the birds they find this is just a few more times they are rewarded for using their nose.
Each time, when I take a pup or any dog, off the chain gang, they must stand still or sit. I don’t use any verbal sounds for this. I just stand until they get quiet. Most of the time at first when I bend over they start jumping again. I stand back and wait. It doesn’t take long for the puppies to learn, they must stand still.
Usually, I work Annie first. I have started to put an e-collar on both puppies at the same time I hook a check cord on them at the chain gang. The e-collars aren’t even turned on, yet. I will let them wear them for a couple of weeks or longer before I even turn the e-collars on.
I haven’t worked on heeling with either pup yet but that is coming soon. I let Annie pull me to the whoa barrel. I help her jump on to it. I style her up saying, “whoa, whoa” over and over. I click a clicker and give her a chunk of hotdog. After about 4 or 5 times I set her on the ground, style her up, click the clicker, give her some hotdog, tap her head and say, “okay”. I hang on to the check cord until we get close to the first pigeon. Otherwise the pups are too far ahead of me.
Annie was on the wrong side of the training grounds, passing the first bird. She was going all out down the edge when she hit the scent cone on the second bird. She swapped ends and slid to a point. I was about 50 yards behind her. I took a picture. I wish I had of been videoing. When I got a little closer I took another picture. She looked good. Before I got all the way to her she took a step and I flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance and went back to hunting.
Stormy pointing a pigeon.
She went over to the neighbor’s side and I followed. Before I got close I could see through some bushes that she was on point. I could just see some white not moving. I kept walking until I got a clear view. But before I could take a picture she took a step. I flushed the pigeon. This bird just flew to a limb right above where the trap was hidden. Annie watched it for a few seconds then we went back to hunting.
There was almost no wind to drift the scent around and the next bird was too tough, I thought. Annie finally pointed it but I thought she should have smelled it a couple of times before she actually did point. She looked good when she did point like she was getting plenty of scent but after just a few seconds I flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance then went back to hunting.
We still had a bird on my side of the training grounds. On the way back Annie was on the right side. She locked up when she hit the scent cone. She looked good and I took several pictures. She never moved and after about 30 to 45 seconds I flushed the pigeon. This bird came out low and she chased it for quite a ways.
Annie pointing a pigeon.
On the way back, when we got close to the retrieving bench I set her on it. I hooked her to the cable that runs the length of the table. I styled her up, clicked the clicker and gave her a chunk of hotdog. We did this in 5 different places on the bench. When I set her on the ground I whoaed her, styled her up, clicked the clicker and gave her a chunk of hotdog. I tapped her head and said, “okay”. I put her back on the chain gang.
After reloading the release traps with pigeons I turned Stormy loose. Actually, I put a check cord on her and lead her to the whoa barrel. She doesn’t jump onto the whoa barrel but she tries. I styled her up saying, whoa, whoa over and over. I clicked the clicker and gave her a chunk of hotdog. After doing this 4 or 5 times on the barrel I set her on the ground and said, “whoa”. After styling her up and stroking her sides I clicked the clicker and gave her a chunk of hotdog. I tapped her head and said, “okay”.
Stormy on the chain gang with a pigeon asleep in front of her.
I held the check cord until we got almost to the first pigeon hidden in a release trap. If I don’t hang onto the check cord the puppies get too far ahead. With all of the trees and brush on my training grounds it is hard to know which pigeon they are pointing. Stormy found the first bird but went so far into the brush to point that I couldn’t get pictures. When the white spot I could see moved I flushed the pigeon. She followed the pigeon out of the cover but didn’t chase far.
She crossed to the neighbor’s side and I followed. Stormy was rounding a clump of brush when she hit the scent cone and froze. She was pretty close to this bird but the way what little wind was blowing and the route she took that was the first opportunity she had to hit the scent cone. I took some pictures. She didn’t move. After about 30 seconds I flushed the pigeon. I don’t like to leave them on point for a long time at this age. The bird flew right toward her and she leaped up and came down with the pigeon. I thought the pigeon was safe at that height but she made a gigantic leap, for a little dog.
Annie pointing a pigeon.
I knelt down and called her to me. She came close then circled me. She ran toward the kennels. I waited a little while then decided she had probably taken it all the way to her house. When she wasn’t there I thought she might want to show it to Annie who was on the chain gang. Before I got to Annie Stormy showed up. Probably, she had been looking for me while I was walking around looking for her. She got close to me and set the pigeon down. I started toward her and she grabbed the pigeon again. This time I got my hands on her check cord and held her. I petted her for a few seconds and I think she was tired of holding the pigeon. She laid it down and I grabbed it. She had the pigeon for close to 5 minutes and it wasn’t hurt. It was wet.
We went to the next two pigeons and she pointed them both. At this age catching a pigeon is no big deal other than I think it gives them more desire to find birds. I never make a big deal out of their catching the pigeon. A pigeon is worth 5 or 6 dollars and a bird dog is worth a lot. Screaming at a puppy for catching a pigeon could really set them back or they might decide that I didn’t want them to find a bird. Then I wouldn’t have anything.
Stormy pointing a pigeon.
When we got close to the retrieving bench I put her on it. I styled her up, saying whoa, whoa over and over. I clicked the clicker and gave her some hotdog. After 5 or 6 times I set her on the ground and said, “whoa”. I styled her up, clicked the clicker and gave her a chunk of hotdog. I tapped her head and said, “okay”.
I took Annie off the chain gang and let them play for a while before putting them back in their kennel. I really enjoy working the puppies and just seeing them learn. Plus I need all of the exercise I can get.