It rained last night making it too wet to do much with the dogs this morning but I did a little puppy training. I hid two release traps, with pigeons, in the tall grass strips. I put a check cord on Sally and turned her loose. I had hidden one on my side and one on my neighbor’s side of the training grounds. I rode the 4-wheeler near the training grounds, left it and followed her on foot. She hit the first part, where I sometimes plant a bird, and started slinking around. I walked on through at my usual speed. She came on through hitting all of the places I had hidden a bird for her before.
We went into the second bunch of cover and she smelled the pigeon. She wheeled and started toward it, not showing any indication of a point. I only let her take a couple of steps and flushed the bird. She chased a few steps then checked the release trap out. We hunted to the end of the neighbor’s side then crossed to my side. There was very little wind, but she was 4 or 5 yards from the pigeon, when she hit the scent cone and locked up. I walked in front of her, taking a pigeon from the bird bag, after taking pictures. I let her stay on point for about a minute and threw a pigeon in front of her. She chased but the pigeon I threw made her go toward the pigeon in the trap so I flushed it, too. She chased a few feet and came back to investigate the trap.
The reason I run her with a check cord is so I can tie her up between birds. I tied her to a tree and moved the traps. This time I put them in the edge of some brush with one on my side and one on the neighbor’s.
She went to the neighbor’s side when I turned her loose so I followed. I had hidden this pigeon almost to the very back so she had to hunt everything, on his side, to find it. It was in a clump of brush that she could circle. She first went on the wrong side but when she went around to the other side she flipped sideways and pointed as soon as she hit the scent cone. (I never get tired of seeing that when I am puppy training. Flushing the first pigeon caused her to be more cautious on the others, I think.)
She had one foot raised when she pointed and put it down when I went around the clump. She didn’t move until I kicked the cover the second time. I flushed the pigeon and she chased a few feet. She came back to check the release trap out. We hunted all the way to the back then crossed to my side.
I took her down the opposite side from where I had hidden the pigeon. We went to the back and started up the other side. She went around a small bush, hit the scent cone and went on point. There was very little wind and she must have been in the very edge of the scent cone. She kept looking around trying to figure out where the bird was located. She is looking away from the pigeon in the third picture above. After this she turned to look at the pigeon. She moved her head several times but didn’t move her feet for a couple of minutes. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. When she moved I flushed the pigeon. She chased a few feet. I walked away but she didn’t come with me. I got about 50 yards away and noticed she wasn’t with me. I went back and she was pointing the trap. I urged her to check it out. She finally moved in and then went back to hunting.
When I got back close to the 4-wheeler I still had a pigeon in the bird bag. I threw the bird in front of her when she came close. She chased a little way then went back to hunting.
Once, when I was running Tur Bo in a AKC hunt test I wanted to take a picture. He was way out front of me and I couldn’t get him in the view finder. I called him back and when he got within about 20 yards I held the camera up and he went on point. I took his picture and said, “okay”. He went back to hunting. The judge laughed and said, “I’ve never seen a dog pose for a picture before.” This morning as Sally ran in front of me I held the camera up and she stood. It wasn’t a great point but she stood until I took two pictures. Maybe, I take too many pictures.
When I’m training puppies I look for any excuse to flush the bird before they can point or if they point and move any part of their body I usually flush the bird. Sometimes, when they point with a foot up then ease it to the ground I will flush as the foot touches the ground. I want them to think any movement from them makes the bird fly. This also makes them point as soon as they hit the scent cone.
When you can walk out to your back yard and see a dog point birds you have a good life. I have been blessed with a great life.