I worked Sally and Tur Bo on pointing dog stuff and Sally on the retrieving bench. It was about 45 degrees when I started but today it got warm in a hurry. I had trouble with Tur Bo not being able to smell one of the pigeons. There was almost no wind and where I hid the pigeon made it hard. I moved it to another place for Sally.
Tur Bo on his first pigeon this morning.
I like the seriousness of this look of Sally’s..
Tur Bo on another pigeon.
I heeled Sally to the retrieving bench. She jumped onto the bench and I walked her back and forth petting her. I whoaed her and put 2 bumpers about half way down the table. I said, “fetch” and walked her down the table. I put my hand close to the bumper and she picked it up. We went back to the other end of the bench.
Both bumpers had ends that would raise them off the bench. I put another smooth bumper down with them. I walked, each time, down the bench and placed my hand near the bumper. On the smooth bumper she started to pick it up then turned back without it. I held the button on the transmitter down and held the end of the bumper up an inch or two. She grabbed the bumper and I let off the button. That was the only time I had to hit the button on the transmitter. When I got back to the kennel I found that I had the transmitter on the wrong e-collar. So she turned around and retrieved on her own. Sometimes, I think she needs another trainer.
After she retrieved each of the bumpers several times I let her run for a while then took her back to the kennel.
Now it was time for the pointing dog stuff. I hid 3 pigeons on the training grounds and had 2 in a bird bag. I brought Tur Bo out of the kennel with an e-collar on dragging a check cord with a half hitch around his flanks. I have been heeling them through my yard to start with but this morning I went to the neighbor’s side. Anything for a change.
I put Tur Bo on whoa and tied his check cord to a tree. I walked in front of him, put a pigeon to sleep and placed it about 5 feet in front of him. The pigeon awoke within about 15 seconds and flew away. I shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move.
I got the other pigeon out of the bag, put it to sleep and placed it a few feet in front of him. Before I could start kicking the grass the pigeon awoke and flew away. I shot the blank pistol. He did his dance with his front feet but didn’t take a step. I untied the check cord and heeled him away. I released him to hunt.
He ran half way down on the neighbor’s side then crossed over to my side. When I crossed over I could see the back half of him on point with the front half blocked by a big tree. I took pictures then tied his check cord to a tree. I walked in front kicking the bushes. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I untied the check cord and heeled him away. I released him to hunt.
The next pigeon was in a little thicket. He knew it was in there but he couldn’t get enough scent to point. I don’t know how many times he circled that thicket. Finally, when he got close I whoaed him. I stood on the check cord, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took a couple of steps. I set him back and heeled him away. I released him to hunt.
The next pigeon was almost as bad. With no wind it makes it really hard for the dogs. He went on both sides of the pigeon before he got enough scent to go on point. I held the check cord in my hand, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took a step and I stopped him with the check cord. I’m usually in front of him when I flush the birds but this time I was behind. I set him back then heeled him away. I let him run until we got to the kennel.
Sally stretched out.
I reloaded the release traps and put a couple of pigeons in the bird bag. I brought Sally out with the e-collar around her neck pulling a check cord with a half hitch around her flanks. I heeled her to the neighbor’s side then put her on whoa. I tied the check cord to a tree and walked in front of her. I took a pigeon from the bird bag, put it to sleep and placed it about 5 feet in front of her. I walked around the pigeon then went to her and petted her. I walked around the pigeon again and rolled it over with my foot. The pigeon woke up but just stayed in place. I let her watch it for a few seconds then took a step toward the pigeon. It flew about 10 feet never getting much above the grass. I shot the blank pistol. Her front end was saying, “I can catch that bird” and her front feet moved forward but her back feet stayed put. This really stretched her out.
I took the other pigeon from the bird bag, put it to sleep and placed it in front of her. She was still stretched out. I walked around this bird kicking the grass. I rolled it over waking it up. It flew away and I 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 watching me get a pigeon from the bird bag.
She went all of the way to the back on the neighbor’s side and pointed the pigeon I had hidden there. This was the one that was hard for Tur Bo and I had moved. It worked better in the new place. I tied her check cord to a tree and walked in front of her. I kicked the cover, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I untied the check cord and heeled her away. I released her to hunt.
She checked everything back to about the middle and we crossed to my side. She ran the edge toward the back and went on point when she hit the scent cone. I tied her check cord to a huge tree. Kind of over kill. She hasn’t been moving. I walked in front of her 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 out my side then crossed back to the neighbor’s side. Again, this scent cone was hard to come up with but she did get enough to point. I stood on her check cord, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I heeled her away. I let her run on the way back to the kennel.
When we got back near the pigeon hutches there were about 7 or 8 pigeons on the ground. Sally went on point. I walked by the hutches flushing the pigeons. I shot the blank pistol and she never moved. I put her in the kennel.
This morning I spent about 2 1/2 hours with these two dogs on pointing dog stuff. I got six points and a lot of retrieves right in my back yard. I don’t know how life could get any better.
This pigeon woke up and only flew a few feet in front of Sally.
Sally on point.
Tur Bo watching the pigeon that is asleep.