The weather has been excellent this week for about anything. I have done a little dog training but I have spent a large amount of time working in my yard. This time of year, it’s easy to put the dogs on the back burner. We think we have plenty of time, it’s only April but when I start putting things off it gets easier to put them off, then it’s opening day. I’m going to get back in the groove.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
Abby on point.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
I have worked the dogs on the whoa post, some. I had decided to not work Mann on the whoa post because he showed signs of stress from the training. But he may need this training and it may make him a little more used to training of all kinds. Sometimes the dogs learn more than just what the training is. They learn to learn.
Anyway I put him back on the whoa post and he handled it pretty well. It still takes him a few minutes to loosen from the stress after he’s turned loose to run. When I turned him loose he stayed close for a few minutes so I walked part of the way to the back. He finally started to run. Then I had to call him several times before he came back to the retrieving bench.
Mann does like the retrieving bench. I pet him as he walks back and forth. Then we go to the water faucet wall where I sit and pet him some more. All of the dogs except Luke want the petting at the water faucet. They get in front of me and it’s hard to get them out of the way to sit.
I had already run Luke for a few minutes so I put the GPS and e-collars on Boss and brought him out. He’s been worked on the whoa post for a long time. I still pull him until the whoa post rope tightens around his flanks but when he licks his lips I pick him up, set him back a few feet then pull the check cord tight. He doesn’t move and it doesn’t take long for him to acknowledge. I pet him then we go to the next whoa post. After the third whoa post I let him run.
After a few minutes I put him on the retrieving bench. Actually, he jumps onto the bench without help. I pet him for a few seconds then stick two fingers behind his canine teeth and say, “hold”. He’s fighting less all the time. When he quits fighting and holds my fingers for just a few seconds I wiggle them and say, “give”. He’s always ready to open his mouth. After 3 times I set him on the ground and say, “whoa”. This gives me time to get untangled from the check cord. We go to the water faucet where I pet him for a couple of minutes then put him in the kennel.
Abby was next. I worked her on the whoa posts just as I did Boss. She is more of a free spirit. When I hook them to the whoa post there is usually some slack in the rope. Abby always moves with me and takes all of the slack out of the rope. I gently pull on the check cord to make sure there is a cue on the flanks. She acknowledges real quick and I set her back a few feet and pull on the check cord. She doesn’t move until I tap her on the head. I worked her on all 3 whoa posts then let her run.
Mann on a pigeon.
After a few minutes I helped her onto the retrieving bench. Abby, too, is going to be force broke to retrieve, also. I placed two fingers behind her canine teeth. She fought some but both of these young dogs are fighting less each time. I petted her then released her to run while I walked to the water faucet. I petted her for a couple of minutes then put her in the kennel.
I also worked Sally on the whoa post. The only difference is she doesn’t have me put fingers in her mouth. She has been force broke to retrieve.
This morning I worked them all on the whoa posts but then I put out some pigeons out for Mann, Abby and Boss. I worked Mann first. When I put birds out the dogs in the kennel bark unless I turn the e-collars into bark collars. I have one bark collar and 3 e-collars so I put the bark collar on Luke and the 3 e-collars go on Sally, Abby and Boss. With everyone else quiet Mann doesn’t bark much.
Abby on a pigeon.
I put the GPS collar on Mann and heeled him out near the 4-wheeler where I put him on whoa. After I started the 4-wheeler and put it in gear I said, “okay”. He was gone. I followed on the 4-wheeler. By the time I crossed the creek and could see down the field he was rimming the very end. I had hidden the pigeon in a grass strip in the middle. Mann knew there was a bird close but didn’t immediately pin it down. He was coming up the north side when he wheeled around and went on point.
I took pictures then stroked his sides. I went in front of him kicking the cover then went back and stroked his sides. I went back in front and flushed the pigeon. He was watching it fly away until I said, “okay”. Then he chased it back toward the coop. When the pigeon got way ahead Mann went back to hunting.
Boss on a pigeon.
The next pigeon was close to the north fence line. Mann hit the scent cone and went on point. As I came up he took a step and I flushed the pigeon. I don’t know why he’s started moving on his birds but this is the perfect time to work it out. I’ll keep flushing his birds until he understands that his movement is flushing the birds. I took him back to the kennel.
Abby was next. I have to make sure I have good flying pigeons or she will catch them. She waited for me to get on the 4-wheeler and start it. When I said, “okay” she was gone. She was near the back when I got to the back. She went on point across from the bird along the timber to the north. The only thing I can think is Mann’s pigeon was on the ground in that area. I took a picture then tapped her head. She acted like there was a bird right in front of her but as she moved around she hit the scent cone on the hidden pigeon and went on point.
I took pictures, stroked her sides then went in front of her kicking the cover. I went back and stroked her sides then walked back in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and it flew real low back toward the coop with Abby right behind it. She came back and went to hunting.
There is a pigeon in a release trap right here.
When she got close to the next bird she went on point then before I could even get off the 4-wheeler she ran to the release trap. I went to her, picked her up and set her back. I whoaed her then flushed the pigeon. I didn’t want to take a chance on flushing the pigeon with her standing over the trap. The trap may have hit her but for sure she would have caught the bird. I took her back to the kennel.
Boss waited for me to tell him, “okay” after I got on the 4-wheeler and started it. When I release these dogs after working them on the whoa post they take off pretty good but nothing like they do with birds hidden on the training grounds.
The rock wall around the water faucet.
I got to the back and Boss was on point. He was standing with a really high head and tail. I took pictures then stroked his sides. I walked in front of him kicking the cover. I went back and stroked his sides then walked back in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and had to say, “okay” before he chased. He came back and went back to hunting.
He was well off the next bird when he went on point. Maybe he didn’t have a lot of scent because he wagged his tail. I waited just a second or two and he was still wagging so I flushed the pigeon. He will quit wagging on the pigeons if he doesn’t get to point for very long, I think. Early in the year like this I have plenty of time to get this worked out. He just does it when he’s not getting a lot of scent.
All 3 dogs made mistakes on their birds today but that is the time to do it. Here at home when we aren’t hunting. And we have lots of time to get these things worked out.