Tur Bo pointing some pigeons.
Tur Bo pointing pigeons.
Tur Bo pointing pigeons.
When I went out to work dogs this morning it was cool, misty and foggy. I decided to only work Tur Bo. I am force breaking him to retrieve and the other dogs have been through it. He’s also still moving on his birds so I wanted to work on that, also.
I heeled Tur Bo to the retrieving bench with an e-collar around his neck and another around his flanks and he jumped onto it. I walked him back and forth petting him every few feet. I hooked him to the cable that runs from end to end on the bench. I put the string around his leg with a slip knot above the lower joint in his leg, slipped a clove hitch below the joint then circled the two center toes leaving about 12 inches of string hanging down.
This was the third time to work him with the string around his toes. I picked up a bumper and said fetch holding it in front of him. He turned his head and I pulled on the string. He turned back and grabbed the bumper. I petted him for several seconds then said give. He dropped it into my hand. I have been working him on hold and give for several weeks. I held the bumper in front of him again and said fetch. He didn’t try to take the bumper. I pulled on the string and he took the bumper. As soon as he took the bumper I released the string letting the pressure off on his toes. I petted him for several seconds then said give and he dropped it in my hand. After a few tries he started taking the bumper when I said fetch. He didn’t just gingerly take it, he grabbed it. That’s what I was looking for. That means he knows how to keep his toes from being pinched and that he wants to do what I want. He reached for the bumper even when I held it above and below his eyes. After about 20 fetches and gives I set him on the ground saying whoa.
I had 4 pigeons hid, on my side of the training grounds, in a square about 20 yards apart. I also, had 3 pigeons in a bird bag that I had slung over my shoulder. I tapped his head and said okay. The wind was out of the north east and he ran past the first bird then slid to a stop. He was in the middle of the square with 2 birds in front of him and 2 behind. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. He’s been standing pretty good for a pigeon that I drop from my hand and this was no exception. I dropped the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then flushed a pigeon, that was behind him, from a release trap and shot the blank pistol. He just turned his head a little. He knew the bird he was pointing was still there. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the other pigeon, in the release trap, behind him and shot the blank pistol. Again, he just turned his head. I went back to kicking the tall grass, dropped a pigeon from the bird bag behind me and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. The bird bag didn’t close when I took the bird out and the last pigeon flew from the bag. He watched the bird but didn’t move his feet.
I went to him and stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. I went back in front of him kicking the cover. I threw my hat but he didn’t move. I flushed the pigeon that was off to his right and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and threw my hat, again. He didn’t move. Finally, I was down to the last bird. I kicked in front of him then flushed the last pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He moved his front feet but didn’t really take a step. I stroked his sides then released him to hunt. I let him run for a while before going back to the kennel.
This is a really good exercise for pointing dogs. Last year I guided a church group near Macon, Missouri. I took Luke and Dolly. Luke has been worked on this exercise several times. According to my Garmin GPS he was on point off to my left at about 175 yards when Dolly went on point about 25 yards from us. Because Dolly was closer we went to her. I kicked a quail up in front of her and one of the guys shot it. She retrieved it and we started toward Luke’s point. Dolly pointed again. We went back to her and kicked up another quail that one of the guys shot. Dolly retrieved it and we went to Luke. After shooting both of Dolly’s birds, according to the GPS, Luke was still on point. Both of Dolly’s birds had taken us farther from Luke. We made the walk to him and he was still on point. We walked in front of him and a cock pheasant flushed that one of the guys killed.
Lucky and Dolly have not been worked on this exercise. If Dolly had been on point and we had gone to Luke’s point first she may not have stayed on point. I don’t know but before the next season I’m going to work all of my dogs on this exercise.
I went back and found some nice, old pictures of Tur Bo for these last 3. Thanks for clicking on the ads on this blog.
Tur Bo after the pigeon has flown.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo