Tur Bo holding a frozen quail.
Blaze pointing a pigeon.
Luke pointing a pigeon.
The dogs and I went through their retrieving drills this morning. The dogs enjoy being out of their kennel and being with me. I really enjoy it as well. Before getting the first dog out I put 4 frozen quail on the retrieving bench and hid a pigeon in the tall grass on my side of the training grounds.
I heeled Tur Bo to the retrieving bench with an e-collar around his neck. He jumped on the bench and we walked back and forth with me petting him every few feet. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the retrieving bench and sent him to retrieve. Tur Bo bounds down the bench shaking everything, pounces on a frozen quail and races back. He holds until I say give. He retrieved all 4 and I put them on the other end for him to retrieve two more times. He retrieved them all for a total of 12 retrieves. The last few he would slow down just before he got to me, when I said hold. He may be having trouble with 2 commands, whoa and hold, that sound the same to him. He will figure it out. I set him on the ground and said whoa.
I threw a frozen quail and said fetch. He raced out, grabbed it and brought it back. I said hold and petted him for a few seconds before saying give. He dropped it in my hand. I threw it again and he retrieved it correctly. He has been refusing after 3 or 4 retrieves so I stopped at two. After this weekend we will start the force fetch. I released him to hunt.
He pointed the pigeon I had hidden, in a release trap, in the tall grass. I walked in front of him kicking the tall grass after taking pictures. I took my hat off and threw it out in front of him. He moved up a couple of steps and stopped. I carried him back then walked out in front of him again and threw my hat. He took one step. I carried him back. I walked out in front of him kicking the cover and threw my hat again. He moved up 2 steps and stopped. I held the button down, on level 3, on the e-collar, picked him up and carried him back. I went in front of him and threw my hat again. He didn’t move. I continued to walk back and forth in front of him then flushed the pigeon. He moved up about 2 steps. I held the button on the e-collar down on level 3, picked him up and carried him back. I went back in front of him and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the tall grass then went back to him and stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. I let him run for a while before returning to the kennel.
I heeled Blaze to the retrieving bench and she jumped onto it. I walked her back and forth petting her every few feet. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent her to fetch. She gets in no hurry but she retrieves correctly most times. She brought all 4 back holding until I told her to give then dropped them in my hand. I set her on the ground and said whoa.
I threw a frozen quail and told her to fetch. She trotted out, picked it up and trotted back. She’s not much faster on the ground than she is on the bench but her tail is up and she looks happier. I threw the quail 5 times and she retrieved each one correctly. I released her to hunt.
She pointed the pigeon in the release trap. I walked in front of her after taking pictures. I threw my hat in front of her and she didn’t move. I picked my hat up and continued to walk through the tall grass. I threw my hat again. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I went to her, stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is and released her to run. I let her run for a while before returning to the kennel.
I heeled Luke to the retrieving bench with the e-collar around his neck. He jumped onto the bench and we walked back and forth with me petting him every few feet. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent him to retrieve. Luke does everything at top speed. He raced down the bench, grabs a quail and races back. I have to caution him on the hold or he will turn loose of the bird before he gets to me. He held each of the birds when he came back with them after I said hold. I set him on the ground and said whoa.
I threw a frozen quail and said fetch. He raced out, grabbed the quail and raced back. I said hold just before he got back and he did. I petted him for a few seconds before saying give. He dropped it in my hand. I threw the quail 5 times and he retrieved it correctly each time. I released him to hunt.
He pointed the pigeon I had hidden in the release trap. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I threw my hat in front of him. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and threw my hat again. He didn’t move. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I went to him and stroked his sides telling him what a good dog he is. I let him run for a while before taking him back to the kennel.
I heeled Lucky to the retrieving bench and he jumped onto it. I walked him back and forth petting him every few feet. Lucky has been through all of this many times before but he enjoys the attention. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent him to retrieve. He gets in no hurry but walks down the bench, picks up a quail and comes back. He usually waits for me to say give before dropping the bird. He retrieved all 4 quail and I set him on the ground saying whoa.
I threw a frozen quail and said fetch. He’s a little faster on the ground than on the bench. He brought the quail back, I petted him for a few seconds and he dropped it in my when I said give. I threw the quail 5 times and he retrieved it each time. I released him to hunt.
He pointed the pigeon I had hidden in the tall grass. I walked in front of him kicking the cover after taking pictures. I threw my hat and he didn’t move. I picked my hat up as I continued to kick the tall grass then threw it again. He didn’t move. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is then led him away. I let him run for a while before taking him back to the kennel.
Dolly was next. I heeled her to the retrieving bench and after she jumped on we walked up and down with me petting her every few feet. Dolly craves more attention than the other dogs. As we walk back and forth she sits wanting me to pet her more often than the other dogs. I put the 4 frozen quail on the other end of the bench and sent her to retrieve. She races down the bench, scoops a bird up and races back. Then she sits there wiggling all over wanting me to pet her before I take the bird. She’s so needy. She retrieved all 4 correctly. I set her on the ground and said whoa.
I threw a frozen quail and said fetch. She raced out, scooped it up and raced back. I petted her for a few seconds before saying give. She dropped it in my hand. I threw the quail 5 times for her and she retrieved it correctly each time. I released her to hunt.
She pointed the pigeon in the release trap. I took pictures then walked in front of her. I threw my hat in front of her. She didn’t move. I continued to walk in front of her and threw the hat again. She still didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is. I led her away and released her to run letting her go for a while before we went back to the kennel.
Today I threw my hat in front of the dogs for a new distraction. It had no effect on the older dogs although Tur Bo wanted to move but he likes to show me he can move a little if he wants to. We’re still working on this. I like to come up with different things to keep the dogs from knowing exactly what I’m doing with them before they leave their kennel. One of the guys, Rob Downen, that trains with me sometimes always throws his hat in front of his young dogs. I stole that idea from him although I sometimes throw sticks or grass. Thanks Rob.
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Lucky pointing a pigeon.
Dolly pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.