Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
Blaze on her third pigeon.
Luke’s pigeon flew into a tree above him.
Monday and Tuesday were really hot so I didn’t work dogs. It was raining when I got up this morning but had moved out by 9:00 am. The temperature was in the low 70’s so I worked the young dogs, Luke, Blaze and Tur Bo.
I hid 2 pigeons, in release traps, on my side of the training grounds and 1 on my neighbor’s side then heeled Tur Bo to the retrieving bench. He jumped onto it and we walked back and forth with me petting him every few feet. I put the string on his foot and held a bumper in front of him saying fetch. He grabbed the bumper and held it until I said give. I held it above his head and at his feet. No matter where I held the bumper he grabbed it when I said fetch. He gives it up immediately when I say give.
I whoaed Tur Bo and placed 2 bumpers on the other end of the bench. I pointed with my hand and said fetch. As Tur Bo moved down the bench I went with him and placed my hand on the end of the bumper. He picked the bumper up and returned with me to the other end. He dropped it in my hand when I said give. I pointed and said fetch. This time I didn’t go with him. He moved down the bench, grabbed the bumper and came back. He dropped it in my hand. I put 3 bumpers on the other end. I pointed and told Tur Bo to fetch. He grabbed the first one and brought it back. I sent him for the second and he went down the bench and came back without a bumper. I pulled the string that was still around his toes and went down the bench with him. He was trying to get something in his mouth. He grabbed a bumper and we went back. He dropped it in my hand. I pointed to the bumper and said fetch. He grabbed it and came back. I petted him for several seconds then said give. He dropped it in my hand.
I placed the 3 bumpers on the other end, pointed and said fetch. He went down the bench and came back without the bumper. I didn’t say fetch again I just pulled on the string and walked to the other end with him. He was trying to get something in his mouth. He grabbed the bumper and I let off the string the instant he picked up the bumper. We went back to the other end and when I said give he dropped it in my hand. I pointed and said fetch. He ran down the bench, grabbed the bumper and came back. After he dropped it in my hand I pointed and said fetch. He ran down the bench, snatched the bumper off the bench and came back. I placed the 3 bumpers on the other end again and he retrieved them without a problem.
I set him on the ground and said whoa. I got on the 4-wheeler and released him to hunt. As we went down my side of the training grounds the wind was at our back. He ran by the first pigeon and whirled around going on point. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. The pigeon he was pointing was about 10 yards in front of him but there was another about 20 yards behind him. I flushed the pigeon behind him and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon he was pointing and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I went to him and stroked his sides then led him away. I whoaed him then got on the 4-wheeler and released him to hunt.
We hunted on to the back on my side then to the back on the neighbor’s side. We worked back toward the front when Tur Bo hit the scent cone and locked up. I took more pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took a couple of steps then stopped. I set him back and kicked the cover then led him away. I whoaed him then released him to run before going back to the kennel.
Blaze jumped onto the retrieving bench next and we went back and forth with me petting her every few feet. I put 5 bumpers on the other end of the bench and sent her to retrieve. She retrieved them all one at a time dropping them in my hand when I said give. Blaze starts off on the bench real slow but when I’m upbeat about her retrieves she speeds up and acts like she enjoys retrieving. I set her on the ground and said whoa.
I threw a bumper and said fetch. She ran out, picked up the bumper and came back. When she picked the bumper up I clapped my hands and said here. She ran to me with her tail up and wagging. She retrieved 5 times with no problems. I said whoa, got on the 4-wheeler and released her to hunt.
The last time I worked Blaze she was right on top of her birds. She was far enough ahead of me that I didn’t see if she pointed then moved up before I got there. I decided that I would flush her birds when I saw her hit the scent cone. We started down the training ground and she hit the scent cone but tried to get closer. I flushed the pigeon. She stopped to flush. I shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I had a pigeon hid just a few yards away. I released her and I walked toward the back.
She hit the scent cone on the second bird and instead of pointing started making a circle to get closer. I flushed the pigeon and she stopped. I shot the blank pistol. I kicked the cover then stroked her sides and led her away. I whoaed her then got on the 4-wheeler and released her to hunt.
We went to the back of my side then crossed over onto the neighbor’s side. We hunted to the back and started to the front. Blaze hit the scent cone on the pigeon and locked up. She was about 20 yards from it and wasn’t even thinking about taking a step. 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 started toward her and she took off. She ran into a grove of trees with her nose on the ground like she was trailing something. I whoaed her. She stopped. I picked her up and carried her back to the place she had been on point at. I set her up and walked in front of her kicking the cover. I made her stand for a couple of minutes before releasing her to run before going back to the kennel.
I heeled Luke to the retrieving bench and he jumped onto it. I petted him then put 5 bumpers on the other end of the bench. Luke doesn’t like to retrieve, he just does it to humor me. Usually, he drops the bumper when he gets close to me. The first time through he dropped one to the ground before he got back to me. I pinched his lip against a tooth and put the bumper back in his mouth. He finished those and I put all 5 on the other end and he didn’t drop another until I said give. I set him on the ground and said whoa.
I threw a bumper and told him to fetch. He retrieved 5 times in a row with no mistakes. I whoaed him then got on the 4-wheeler and released him to hunt.
Luke is really fast and he was running flat out when he hit the scent cone. His front feet stopped and his back feet slid around. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon that was behind him and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. He knew his bird was still in front of him. I continued to kick the cover then flushed the bird he was pointing and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move but the bird lit in a tree above him. He kept his eye on it until I led him away and released him to hunt.
We went on to the back on my side then crossed over to the neighbor’s side. We hunted his side to the back and started toward the front. It had warmed up quite a bit. Luke knew there was a bird close but he couldn’t figure it out. What little wind we had was out of the north east and Luke went on the east side of the pigeon. After he was past the bird he turned west. He should have pointed and let me figure it out. I flushed the pigeon. He stopped to the flush. I shot the blank pistol. He still didn’t move. I led him away then released him to run before going back to the kennel.
Flushing birds before the dogs point will make them stop in the edge of the scent cone. Pointing dogs like to point and mine don’t get to chase so the only fun they get is pointing. I flushed 2 pigeons in front of Blaze before she could point them and she pointed the third one from a good distance. I may flush a few more before she can point them just to reinforce the fact she has to stop on the edge of the scent cone.
Luke pointing a pigeon.
Blaze on her third pigeon.
Tur Bo watching a bird fly away.