I haven’t been training dogs with all of the rain that we have been getting. It’s, also, starting to be pretty warm even early in the morning but this morning I worked Sally, Betsy and Tur Bo. I hid 3 pigeons in release traps on my training grounds. I also had 2 pigeons in a bird bag that I had slung around my neck.
Sally on whoa with a check cord tied to a tree.
Betsy on whoa with her check cord tied to a tree.
Tur Bo on whoa with his check cord tied to a tree.
I put the e-collars around Sally’s neck and flanks, hooked a long check cord to her collar with a half hitch around her flanks and led her out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. I heeled her toward the front of my yard then across to the other side and started toward the back. I had to drag her past where I had hidden a pigeon a couple of times before. I whoaed her several times as we went along. When we got on the north side of my house I whoaed her and tied the check cord to a tree. I had hidden the pigeon in the fence row. I walked down the fence row kicking the cover and the posts. I walked back across in front of her and kicked around a tree. I went back to the fence line and kicked the cover some more. I flushed the pigeon and Sally didn’t move.
I untied the check cord and went to her and stroked her sides telling her what a good dog she is. I heeled her on toward the back. When we got past the retrieving bench I whoaed her and took the piggin’ string off. I tapped her head to release her to hunt. She was at least 20 yards from a pigeon when she went on point. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. She was too far from anything to tie her check cord. I took one of the pigeons from the bird bag and let it fly. She never moved. She knew her bird was still there. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon. The bird came out and flew right over the top of her. Her back feet didn’t move but she turned to watch it fly off. I tapped her head to release her after telling her what a good girl she is.
The next pigeon was a problem for her. She was close on 3 sides of it before coming back around and going on point. She was pretty close to it but I wanted to see what she would do. I kicked the cover and threw a pigeon from the bird bag. Her head didn’t move, she didn’t even blink. She knew where her bird was. I flushed her bird and she turned to watch it fly away but didn’t try to chase or even take a step. I stroked her sides then tapped her head to release her. I took her back to the kennel.
I put the e-collars on Betsy’s neck and flanks, snapped the check cord to her collar with a half hitch around her flanks and heeled her out of the kennel. I heeled her around the south side of my house, across to the north fence line then back toward the rear. I had whoaed her several times as we came around the house. As we got to the fence line I whoaed her and tied the check cord to the tree. I walked around in front of her kicking the cover. I walked down the fence row and flushed the pigeon. Betsy never moved. I untied the check cord and stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is. I heeled her away.
I heeled her back past the retrieving bench and turned her loose to hunt. If anything she was farther away than Sally was from the pigeon when she pointed. She was far enough away I could tie her check cord to a tree. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I took a bird from the bag and let it fly away. She turned her head then right back to the bird she had pointed. I kicked the cover and flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I untied her and stroked her sides. I released her.
Sally after the pigeons have flown.
She too had trouble with the next bird. She was real close when she finally got it pointed. I walked in front of her and dropped a pigeon from my hand. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and let her hunt back to the kennel.
I put all of the stuff on Tur Bo and heeled him out of the kennel. Tur Bo is older than either of the others and should do this exercise better. I put him on whoa and tied him to the tree. I kicked the cover in the fence row and I went back across in front of him and kicked another tree. I went back to the fence row and kicked the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he turned sideways to watch it fly away. I set him back and stroked him. I heeled him toward the back.
After we passed the retrieving bench I released him to hunt. He was closer to the next bird when he pointed than the other two were. I walked in front of him and dropped a pigeon from my hand. He watched it without moving then went back to pointing the bird in the trap. I flushed the pigeon from the trap. He moved toward the pigeon. I whoaed him and he stopped. I picked him up and set him back. Evidently I didn’t get the bird bag closed because and I set him back and said, “whoa” a pigeon flew out of the bird bag. I still had my hands on him so he couldn’t chase. I made him stand for a while then tapped his head to release him.
Betsy after the pigeon has flown away.
He was a long way ahead of me when he pointed the next bird. Because of both of the other dogs having trouble with this bird I thought about moving it but I didn’t. I was watching him pretty close and saw him take a step. I flushed the pigeon and he tried to catch it. I yelled, “whoa” and he stopped. I went to him and set him back. I made him stand for a long time as I walked back and forth in front of him. I released him to run on the way back to the kennel.
Putting a half hitch around the dogs flanks and tying it to a tree or something solid makes the dog think someone is behind them. I’m in front kicking and flushing the bird. Sally and Betsy have both hit the end of the check cord. I will continue working with them on this and I think they will get really solid.
In a week or so I’m going to start using the blank pistol, too. I will shoot the pistol then say, “whoa”. They should start stopping after a while before I can say, “whoa”. They are getting pretty good, all except Tur Bo, on stopping to flush and if the sound of the blank pistol is another whoa command they will be really solid, I hope. That’s what training dogs is all about, trying different things to see what works.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
Betsy pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo on whoa and tied to a tree.