Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
Luke pointing a pigeon.
Dolly in the bushes pointing a pigeon.
Another wet morning to work dogs but the dogs don’t mind. It has rained most days of the last two months and water is standing everywhere but it has kept the temperatures down. Any day I can work dogs is a good day.
This is the second day to work Tur Bo on the force fetch. I heeled him to the retrieving bench and he jumped onto it. We walked back and forth with me petting him every few feet. I hooked his collar to the cable that runs the length of the bench and put the string around his toes. I held a bumper in front of him and said fetch. He tried to look away instead of open his mouth. I pulled on the string and he took the bumper. I had to pull pretty hard the first time but after that I just had to tighten the string on his toes and he would open his mouth. I have worked him a lot on hold and give and it’s paying dividends. I used 4 different bumpers several times each to teach him that he has to retrieve anything I tell him to fetch. Before we quit he was reaching down a short distance to take the bumper. That means he is learning what he needs to do to stop the toe pinch. I set him on the ground and said whoa.
I had hidden a pigeon, in a release trap, at the back of my side of the training grounds and had 3 pigeons in a bag on my side. I had ridden the 4-wheeler on the neighbor’s side of the grounds but hidden the bird on my side. If I don’t do this the dogs learn to just follow the 4-wheeler tracks to the bird. I released him to hunt. As we started toward the back he made a swing onto the neighbor’s side then right back onto my side. When he got to the back fence line he pointed. I took pictures then went in front of him kicking the cover. I dropped a pigeon behind me, from the bag and shot the blank pistol. He took a step. I picked him up and set him back. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the bird in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He took 4 or 5 steps then stopped. I held the button on the e-collar down, on level 3, picked him up and carried him back. I continued to kick the cover then dropped another pigeon from the bird bag and shot the blank pistol. He took a step and stopped. I held the button on the e-collar down, on level 3, and set him back. I kicked the cover, threw my hat then threw a stick that was lying on the ground, dropped the last pigeon from the bird bag and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides then led him away. I let him run for a while before going back to the kennel.
I heeled Luke to the retrieving bench and he jumped onto it. We went back and forth with me petting him every few feet. I put 4 bumpers on the other end and sent him to retrieve. He’s always in a hurry and when he grabbed a bumper and whirled to come back the bumper flew out of his mouth. It hit another knocking them both to the ground. He started back to me then decided he should bring a bumper with him. He turned back around, grabbed a bumper and brought it to me. I took it and sent him for the remaining bumper. He brought it back and dropped it in my hand when I said give. I picked up the two bumpers on the ground and had him retrieve them, also. I replaced the 4 bumpers on the other end of the bench and sent him to retrieve, again. This time he did it correctly and I set him on the ground saying whoa.
My new rule is they have to retrieve the bumper, that I throw, 5 times correctly before we go to the next step. I threw the bumper and said fetch. He retrieved it 4 times then on the fifth retrieve he went out, touched it with his nose and came back. I held the button on the e-collar down, on level 3, and walked out with him to the bumper. When he saw it he picked it up and we walked back. I let off the button on the e-collar as soon as he picked up the bumper. I threw the bumper for him and again he did it perfectly 4 times. On the fifth retrieve he just put his nose on it and came back without it. He does this really fast and is pretty happy about it. I walked him out holding the e-collar down, on level 3 and when he saw the bumper he picked it up. We went back to where I had thrown it from. I petted him for several seconds then said give and he dropped it in my hand. I threw the bumpers 5 times and he did it correctly all 5 times, finally. I released him to hunt.
He made a short cast onto the neighbor’s side then right back onto my side. At the back he pointed the pigeon in the release trap. I took pictures then walked in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides then led him away. I let him run for a while before going back to the kennel.
I heeled Dolly to the retrieving bench and she jumped on. We walked up and down the bench with me petting her every few feet. I put the 4 bumpers on the other end and sent her to retrieve. She runs down the bench, scoops up a bumper, races back to me and sits in front of me wanting me to pet her. I do. When I say give she drops it in my hand. She retrieved all 4 correctly and I set her on the ground saying whoa.
I threw the bumper and said fetch. She retrieved it and sat in front of me holding the bumper wanting to be petted. I threw the bumper 5 times and she retrieved it correctly all 5 times. I released her to hunt.
Dolly, too, made a short cast onto the neighbor’s side then right back to my side. There is no fooling these dogs although I still try. She was buried in the brush when she hit the scent cone and pointed. 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 stroked her sides then led her away. I let her run for a while before returning to the kennel.
I heeled Lucky to the retrieving bench and he jumped onto it. I petted him every few feet as we walked back and forth. Lucky was one of the hardest I have ever force broke. He was natural retriever and in the off season I shot a pigeon that he had pointed. He ran out, picked the pigeon up then spit it out and never retrieved again until he was force broke. I started with him and quit then came back about 6 months later and started over. The second time I had made up my mind he was going to do it and we got through it. Now he enjoys retrieving as most dogs do after they get used to it. He retrieved all 4 bumpers, correctly. I set him on the ground and said whoa.
I threw the bumper and said fetch. He trotted out , scooped up the bumper and trotted back holding it until I said give. He dropped it in my hand. He retrieved the bumper all 5 times, correctly. He’s not real fast but he brings it back. I released him to hunt.
He hunts a lot faster than he retrieves. He made a short cast onto the neighbor’s side then back to my side. He pointed the pigeon in the release trap. I took pictures then walked in front of him. When the dogs go on point I usually don’t touch their tail for these pictures but in this one of Lucky I did. When he pointed he was rigid with a straight tail but it was only about 10:00 0’clock. I brushed it up for the picture. When he was young his tail was almost always high. He’s 11 years old. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took a step but I didn’t even correct him. He’s got seniority. I led him away and let him run before going back to the kennel.
The last one to be heeled to the retrieving bench was Blaze. She has really been trying to do what I want her to do. She is a good bird dog but she has a strong independent streak. I think a bird dog needs to be somewhat independent but sometime she knows exactly what I want and will do the opposite. But lately, she’s been doing everything, correctly. After we went back and forth with me petting her every few feet I put the bumpers on the other end. I sent her to retrieve and she retrieved each one correctly. I set her on the ground and said whoa.
I threw the bumper and said fetch. She ran to it, scooped it up and raced back. She held it until I said give. She retrieved 5 times in a row without a mistake. I released her to hunt.
She too, made a cast into the neighbors side but came right back to my side. All 5 dogs knew, after just a small cast, that I hadn’t hid the pigeon on the neighbor’s side. I don’t know how they know but they do. She pointed the pigeon in the release trap. I walked in front of her after taking pictures. I threw my hat and she didn’t move. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides then led her away. I released her to run before going back to the kennel.
I may be wasting my time by driving the 4-wheeler on both sides then hiding the pigeon. The dogs seem to know after just a short cast on the side with no birds. I do know that if I just have one set of tracks leading to the pigeon they will learn to follow the 4-wheeler straight to the pigeon. Putting the birds in different places makes them have to use their nose to find the bird.
One more time I want to thank the people that have clicked on the ads that are on these posts. I make a few cents for each click. I don’t get many but I get some and for those, thank you.
Lucky pointing a pigeon. I brushed his tail up for this picture.
Blaze pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.