Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
Blaze pointing a pigeon.
Luke pointing a pigeon.
I was able to train dogs this morning. I hid a pigeon in the weeds near the retrieving bench. I heeled Tur Bo to the retrieving bench and we walked back and forth, with me petting him every few feet, after he jumped onto the bench. I had 4 frozen quail and I told Tur Bo to whoa as I started to the other end of the bench. Putting him on whoa and walking away from him was knew. He tried to follow. I held up my hand like a traffic cop and said whoa. He stopped. As I started away he tried to follow again. I held up my hand and said whoa. He stopped. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench.
I went back to Tur Bo, petted him then said fetch and pointed at the quail lying on the other end. He raced down, scooped one up and returned with it. Just before he got to me I said hold. At first he didn’t want to give the bird to me then he dropped it in my hand. I pointed at the quail and said fetch. He ran down, grabbed one and raced back. I said hold just before he got to me. I said give while holding my hand under the frozen quail. He dropped it in my hand. I pointed at the quail and said fetch. He was really getting into this. He raced down, grabbed one and ran back. I said hold and petted him when he got to me. I put my hand under the quail and said give. He dropped it in my hand. He retrieved the last one just as fast as the other three. He figured out if he dropped the one he was holding in my hand he could go get another. That made him more ready to drop the quail.
I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end and he retrieved them all two more times for a total of 12 retrieves on the bench. I set him on the ground telling him to whoa. I threw the frozen quail and he retrieved it but didn’t want to hold it. I threw it again and just before he got to me I said hold. He held it until I said give then dropped it in my hand. I threw the quail 4 or 5 times and as long as I said hold just before he got to me he did fine. I released him to hunt.
He checked the area where I had hidden the pigeon in the release trap the last time we had worked on retrieving. Then he circled the brush pile away from where I hidden the pigeon. He came on around, caught the scent cone and slammed into a point. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took a step toward the pigeon as it flew off. I picked him up and put him back. I stroked him up then tossed the frozen quail in front of him and said fetch. He went to hunting instead of retrieving. I called him back and pointed to the quail. He grabbed it then spit it out. I picked it up and threw it again saying fetch. He rolled it around but didn’t pick it up. I threw it again and said fetch. He picked it up and dropped it at my feet. Maybe with more work on the bench he will get better. I decided to quit and let him run for awhile before going back to the kennel.
I heeled Blaze to the retrieving bench with the e-collar on her neck. She jumped onto the bench and I petted her every few feet as we walked up and down the bench. I put the 4 frozen quail at the other end of the bench then sent her to fetch. She retrieved them all and held them until I said give. I had her retrieve the 4 quail one time each then set her on the ground. I told her whoa then threw a quail. She stayed on whoa until I told her to fetch. She ran out, grabbed the quail and brought it back holding it until I said give. I had her retrieve the quail 5 or 6 times then released her to hunt.
Blaze went down the fence row on the north side of my place and I had to call her back. She was running all out toward me when she hit the scent cone and slid to a point. I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I went to her and threw a frozen quail in front of her. She waited for me to say fetch then picked it up and returned to me. She held it until I said give then dropped it in my hand. I threw the
quail 3 or 4 times and she retrieved it each time. I let her run for a while before going back to the kennel.
Luke was next. After he jumped onto the bench I walked him back and forth petting him every few feet. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end after putting him on whoa. The first one he retrieved just fine but the second one while I tried to take a picture of him holding the quail, he dropped it. I held the button on the e-collar, on level 3, down until I picked the bird up from the ground and he reached for it. As soon as he took the quail in his mouth I let off the button. I took his picture holding the quail then sent him to retrieve the other two. He didn’t drop any more of them. I set him on the ground.
I told him whoa and threw a frozen quail. He waited until I told him to fetch then grabbed it and returned. He held it until I said give then dropped it in my hand. I threw the quail 4 or 5 times and he retrieved it every time. I released him to hunt.
He ran past where I had hidden the pigeon the last time then circled the brush pile. He hit the scent cone and slid into a point. I took pictures then walked in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I went to him, threw a frozen quail in front of him and said fetch. He ran by the quail hunting another pigeon. I called him to me and pointed at the quail. He picked it up and followed me back to the original spot. I said give and he dropped it in my hand. I threw it 3 or 4 times and he retrieved it each time. I let him run for a while before returning to the kennel.
I worked Lucky and Dolly on the same exercises and they did just fine. They have been through this several times so they should do the exercises correctly. I have my daughters beagle over here and it cried each time I got another dog out of the kennel so I took it for a walk.
The younger dogs are getting this figured out. The more repetitions we do of these exercises the better they will get. I have to make sure they do them correctly each time. We have time for a lot of repetitions before season opens.
Blaze
Lucky pointing a pigeon.
Dolly pointing a pigeon.