Teasing the puppies with a pigeon.
More puppies with pigeons.
Puppies with pigeons.
This morning I cleaned kennels early then turned the puppies out in the yard. They don’t always stick around me like they did when they were younger. I called them back and got a pigeon from the coop. I teased them a little and let it fly away. They chased a short distance. It doesn’t do much good for them to chase the pigeon. The pigeons are really fast. I let them play for a while then put them in the kennel.
After it started cooling down in the evening I went out and cleaned kennels again. I turned the puppies out to play while I fed the pigeons. Some of the puppies always go from the kennel to the shed, to get pigeon food, with me. While I was in the shed I grabbed a bird bag. After I fed I put 6 pigeons in the bird bag and called the puppies.
The puppies are getting more confidence and are going farther from the kennel each time. Some of them were up near my house. When I got all of them near me we started on a walk toward the back. The pups have started in this direction but haven’t gone as far as I’m taking them this time. After we got a little way past the kennels I threw a pigeon in front of them. Before I threw the pigeon the puppies were under foot making it hard for me to walk. After I threw the pigeon they went exploring.
Before long they were right back in front of me. I tried to dizzy one where it would stay on the ground for a few seconds but I didn’t get the job done. The puppies didn’t care. They chased anyway. We went on toward the back and I hid a bird in the tall grass and 2 or 3 puppies were there before I could get my hand off the bird. It flew away with the puppies chasing. It’s hard to do anything with 5 sets of eyes watching.
We continued to the back and I threw another pigeon after teasing them with it. They chased but they were getting tired so we started back. I had a strip of grass that I hadn’t mowed all year. I finally hid a bird that the puppies didn’t see me hide. They were a little way ahead of me so I called them back. A couple of them smelled the bird but the first two went the wrong way but one of them pounced on the pigeon then all 5 were after it. They were in each others way and the pigeon was under one pup after another. They were all trying to grab it but were bumped out of the way by another pup. I grabbed the pigeon and let it fly away. They chased again.
We continued on toward the kennel but now the puppies were staying out front. All but one. One wouldn’t leave where the pigeon had been in the grass. I kept calling but it didn’t come. I released the last pigeon for the puppies that were with me. They chased then the stay behind puppy caught up. When we got back to the kennel I let them play for a while before I put them away.
This morning, 8/12/15, Isaac my grandson, came over early. His mom and dad are teachers and they went back to work. Isaac has a few more days of freedom. I had already cleaned kennels and had the puppies playing in the yard. When Isaac showed up the puppies all ganged him. All but the smallest one.
Isaac had on shorts and had to get on a chair to stop them from scratching his legs. I got a pigeon out of the coop and teased the puppies with it then let it fly away. The puppies all chased it except for the smallest one. She wasn’t there. I saw her under a cedar tree just a short distance from where we were sitting. Looked like she was taking a nap. I called her and she stood up but didn’t come. I walked over and all of the puppies went under the tree. Finally, I saw her rope was tangled on a little twig. (The puppies still wear a rope tied to their collars.) I fought my way into the center of the cedar tree and untangled her rope.
When I turned another pigeon out all 5 puppies were there to chase. When I bend over with the pigeon they really get excited. After all 5 try to get the pigeon I usually have blood running out of me. I turned several more loose that the puppies chased before we put them back in the kennel.
This evening after cleaning kennels I took the puppies for another walk. I had 6 pigeons in a bird bag. As we walked toward the back 3 pups were in front of me and 2 were playing around behind me. I called the ones that were behind but they didn’t pay any attention. I took a pigeon from the bag and teased the 3 pups in front of me then let it fly away. The 2 pups that were behind caught up.
We walked on to the back. I was hoping the pups would get ahead of me but they stayed right in front of me. I tried to hide a pigeon in the tall grass but the puppies came over as soon as I bent over to hide it. I finally separated the pigeon from them and let it fly away.
As we walked along I took a pigeon from the bag and dizzied it. I threw it to the ground and it stayed until the pups almost got to it then flew away. That really fired the pups up. The next pigeon I dizzied hit the ground but didn’t fly away. It was really dizzy. The pups caught it and I had to rescue it. The puppies chased as it flew away.
As we started back I let a pigeon fly right above the puppies as they ran in front of me. They chased a short distance then came back. I only had one pigeon left and I dizzied it and threw it down in front of them. The pigeon flew just before the pups got to it. They all stopped and watched it fly away. I let them play awhile after we got back to the kennel.
This morning, 8/13/15, I cleaned kennels about 8:00 am and turned the puppies out to play. I teased the puppies with 3 or 4 pigeons that I let fly away. I also dropped some Purina Puppy Chow in the grass for them to find. This makes them use their nose to find the food. The more they use their nose the better they should get. I put them back in the kennel.
While I as eating lunch I got a call from Keith Olsen saying he would like to look at the puppies. He came by and we turned the puppies out. I dropped some puppy chow in the grass for them. I turned a couple of pigeons loose after teasing the puppies with them. The puppy Keith wanted to look at was chewing on something under a willow tree about 100 yards from us. I went to him and took whatever he was chewing on, away. He just started hunting something else to chew on.
I went to the shed and got my bird bag. I put 4 pigeons inside and we took the puppies for a walk. Keith was wanting to look at the male puppy with 2 black eyes. He and the English Cocker Spaniel stayed in the brush for quite a while. After I released the first pigeon they came out of the brush. I teased them with a pigeon then let it fly away. I dizzied another pigeon and threw it in front of the puppies. They chased. I teased them with the last pigeon I had with me then let it fly away. They chased.
On the way back they found some water puddles to get in. They were really muddy but we got them back into the kennels. Keith decided to buy the male pup with 2 black eyes. They are all sold except the almost all whiter female. If no one takes her she will fit into my kennel just fine. Keith is going to leave the pup with me until he’s 9 or 10 weeks old.
About 4:00 pm my door bell rang and a friend and his helper stopped by. They had a flat on their trailer and needed a jack and a place to leave the trailer until they got the tire fixed. I talked them into petting the puppies. I put more food in the grass and teased them with a couple of pigeons. The pups are glad to be let out of their pens and to be petted. When they came back for their trailer they petted puppies again.
I will only have the setter pups for another 2 weeks or less. I really enjoy having puppies and it’s usually hard to see them go but I can’t keep them all. With the daily walks, all the ways I show them pigeons and hiding the puppy chow in the grass, the pups are learning things that they will use all their life. If I can sell people well socialized dogs then I have done my job.
More puppies.
Puppies hunting puppy chow.
Hunting dog food.