I know this is supposed to be about training dogs but we love Century Link for an internet provider. We pay for the fastest internet we can get which is 1.5 MB and we can usually get almost 1 MB.
Friends just a couple of miles from us get 10 MB and pay the same rate we pay.
Since June only has 30 days we may have internet for 24 or 25 days this month.
Century Link works on our internet every once in a while and we do without. This makes us realize less than 1 MB is a lot better than zero MB. Our internet has been out for 4 days. We love Century Link.
Now to the dog training but being without even a slow internet, when you write a blog, you kind of need an internet.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo, with shiny eyes, pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo encircled with brush.
I worked Sally on the retrieving bench then spread some bumpers out in a circle. I heeled her around the circle and when we got close I said, “fetch”. She’s starting to enjoy bringing the bumpers back to me. She isn’t crazy about the frozen quail. But before I started using the quail she didn’t like some of the bumpers. Now she thinks they are great. She will come around on the quail, soon, I hope.
I put her back in the kennel and hid 3 pigeons, in release traps, on the training grounds. I put the e-collar around her neck, the check cord hooked to her collar with a half hitch around her flanks and heeled Sally out with the piggin’ string. I put her on whoa and got on the 4-wheeler. I started the 4-wheeler, put it in gear and said, “okay”. She was off like a shot.
While I am hiding the pigeons I ride the 4-wheeler around the grounds a lot so the dogs don’t learn to just follow the 4-wheeler to the birds. I stayed right behind her as she ran both sides of my side then crossed to the neighbor’s side. She went in about the middle and as she circled a clump of brush slammed into a point. I shoved the stake into the ground right behind her and tied the check cord off. I kicked the brush, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I pulled the stake and untied the check cord. I heeled her away. After a few yards I whoaed her.
I had a frozen quail with me. I held it in front of her and said, “fetch”. She took the bird and held it until I said, “give”. She dropped it in my hand. I moved the bird toward the ground and had her fetch. She reached for it. She held it until I said, “give”. I laid the frozen quail on the ground and told her to fetch. She tried to walk away but I held the transmitter button on the e-collar down on high 1. She picked the quail up and held it until I said, “give”. I heeled her a few yards and turned her loose to hunt.
She circled the very back on the neighbor’s side. She was still a long way from the pigeon when she got just a little scent. She slowed to a point. I shoved the stake into the ground and tied the check cord. I kicked the brush, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. The pigeon came out on the far side of the clump but then flew toward Sally where she could at least see it. The only thing that moved was her head to watch the pigeon fly.
I pulled the stake, untied the check cord and heeled her away. After a few yards I whoaed her. I had her take the frozen quail from right in front of her and then about half way to the ground. When I dropped the quail on the ground she tried to circle me instead of picking up the bird. I held the transmitter button down on high 1 until she picked up the quail. I petted her for several seconds while she held the bird. I said, “give’ and she dropped it in my hand. I heeled her a few yards then released her to hunt.
The last pigeon was closer to the kennel than I usually hide birds but she nailed it. I pushed the stake into the ground right behind her and tied the check cord. I went around the clump kicking the brush, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I pulled the stake and untied her. I heeled her a few feet and whoaed her.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
I held the frozen quail in front of her and she took it when I said, “fetch”. Then I dropped it on the ground at her feet. I said, “fetch” and she picked it up and held until I said, “give”. I petted her and let her run on the way back to the kennel.
I reloaded the pigeon traps and led Tur Bo out with e-collars around his neck and flanks. I, also, had a check cord on him with a half hitch around his flanks. I put him on whoa, started the 4-wheeler and said, “okay”. I slowed down for the creek but he didn’t. When I came around a clump he was already on point. The check cord was straight so he had pointed as soon as he hit the scent cone. I pushed the stake into the ground and tied the check cord.
I kicked the brush, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He wanted to move but the stake and check cord held. I do make sure that the stake is in the ground, as far as I can push it, for him. I set him back, pulled the stake and untied the check cord. I heeled him a few yards and whoaed him. I pulled another frozen quail from my pocket and tossed it for him. He ran out, grabbed it and brought it back. I threw the frozen quail 3 times and he brought it back, sat by my side and held until I said, “give”. I heeled him a few yards then released him to hint.
He was on the wrong side of the next pigeon. He ran just upwind from it and whirled around on point but he was right over the bird. I set him back, pushed the stake into the ground right behind him and tied the check cord. I made him stay on point longer than usual as I kicked the brush. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He only turned his head. This time not even the dance with the front feet. I pulled the stake and untied the check cord.
Sally on another pigeon.
I heeled him a few yards and put him on whoa. I threw the frozen quail 3 times. He retrieved it each time. Once, he dropped the bird on the way back but turned around and grabbed bringing it all the way. Most of the time he sits beside me and holds the quail until I say give. I haven’t taught him to sit, he just does. I heeled him a few yards then released him to hunt.
He was almost in the same spot on the next bird as Sally had been. I pushed the stake in and tied the check cord. I went around the clump so I could see Tur Bo as I flushed the pigeon. I kicked the brush, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. This pigeon fluttered some and he thought he could catch it but the check cord held. I set him back then pulled the stake and untied the check cord. I heeled him a few yards.
I whoaed him and threw the frozen quail 3 times. He did a good job each time. He is holding it until I say “give”. Later, I may start hiding the frozen quail and having him hunt dead. I need some dogs that will retrieve. I let him run on the way back to the kennel.
Tur Bo pointing pigeons.
I used two frozen quail but each dog only retrieved their bird. I don’t know if that makes a difference but I know that it doesn’t hurt if only Tur Bo’s slobber is on his bird and only Sally’s slobber is on hers.
Training dogs is about making the training as much like the real thing as you can. If I can get Sally to liking the frozen quail and get to where I can hide the bird in the brush and get both of them to hunt dead, I may come up with some retrievers for the next season.
I know that dogs that retrieve over the years have brought me birds that I didn’t know I had hit. Dogs that don’t retrieve just pass these birds by.
Vince Dye and I were hunting in Kansas. The dogs pointed a covey and all of the birds came my way. Vince didn’t get a shot and I only got one. I had Lady, the best retrieving pointing dog I’ve ever had. I had knocked a quail down with the shot and she went to retrieve. As she came back to me I saw her jerk her head to the side. I told Vince I bet I had killed two birds with that one shot. She dropped the first bird in my hand and went right back to where I had seen her turn her head. Pretty soon she was back with the second bird. I need another retrieving dog like her.
You can see the stake in this picture.
Tur Bo
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.