I didn’t start training dogs until after 8:00 am this morning (just laziness on my part) and it started to get warm fast. I knew that Sally would honor another dog’s point but I wasn’t sure about Betsy. I probably worked Betsy on the backing dog last year but I couldn’t remember. I put two pigeons, in release traps, on the front part of the training grounds, separated by about 50 yards and I put two pigeons in front of the backing dog at the very back of the grounds.
Sally A stop to flush.
Betsy watching a pigeon fly away.
Sally and the backing dog.
My idea was to have the dogs point each bird, shoot the blank pistol then heel them away. In Sally’s case, I was going to flush the birds if she didn’t point at the first instant that she smelled them. She has been getting closer to the birds than I would like.
I put the e-collars on Sally’s neck and flanks and heeled her out of the kennel. We started down on the neighbor’s side. About every 20 yards I held the button on the flank e-collar down on medium 1 and said, “whoa.” A couple of times I just hit the button and she stopped. I knew she knew how to turn the stimulation off. When we got within about 50 yards of the first pigeon I whoaed her then released her to hunt.
She hit the edge of the cover and was running all out when she hit the scent cone. She whirled around and I flushed the pigeon. I said, “whoa” but she didn’t try to follow the bird. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”, again. She didn’t move. I took pictures then went to her, stroked her sides and heeled her away.
I had this set up so she would go right to the next bird and I could either let her point it or flush it if she got too close. The best laid plans of mice and men…….. I heeled her within about 50 yards of the next bird and turned her loose. When she went toward the back she was way south of the next pigeon. I figured that she wouldn’t stop when she saw the backing dog but would be right on top of the birds that were in front of the backing dog. Not what I had planned.
When I got to the back she was honoring the backing dog from 20 yards away but the best part, it was the first area she could see the backing dog. From where she was she couldn’t see the pigeons in front of the backing dog. I walked around in front of her taking pictures then flushed one of the pigeons, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the second pigeon that was in front of the backing dog. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.
I released her about 50 yards from the only pigeon that was still hidden. She went around the south side of the clump of brush the pigeon was hidden in. She knew there was a bird close and started around the edge toward the north. I flushed the pigeon and said, “whoa.” She stopped before I could say, “whoa.” I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa” again. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides then heeled her away. I let her run back to the kennel.
I reloaded the release traps and heeled Betsy out with the e-collars around her neck and flanks. I whoaed her 4 or 5 times, by holding the button on the flank e-collar down on medium 1 until she stopped, before releasing her to hunt. We were about 50 yards from the first pigeon when I turned her loose. She slammed on the brakes about ten yards from the pigeon in the release trap. I took some pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She did her dance with the front feet but didn’t try to chase. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.
We were about 50 yards from the next pigeon when I released her to hunt. She too, went way south and missed the next bird. I called her but she didn’t respond. I went on to the back and she was honoring the backing dog when I saw her. She was where she could see the birds in the release traps but her attention was riveted on the backing dog. I walked in front of her after taking some pictures. I flushed a pigeon, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She did her dance but didn’t try to chase. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the second bird, shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” She did the dance but didn’t chase. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.
When I started in Sally came in front of me, saw Luke and Lucky and honored.
About 50 yards from the remaining pigeon I turned her loose. She was coming around the edge of the clump the last pigeon was in but hadn’t got any scent when I flushed the bird. I said, “whoa.” She followed for a step then stopped. I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa.” Her front feet did their dance but she didn’t try to follow. I stroked her sides and heeled her away. When I released her she ran to the pigeon coops and went on point. I put the piggin’ string on her and heeled her to the kennel.
I felt really good about the dogs training today. Sometimes when you are training dogs you don’t see any major improvements for a long time. This morning both dogs did really well. I have been shooting the blank pistol and saying whoa for quite a while. Now, both dogs are anticipating the whoa command after the blank pistol is fired and are stopping.
Sally was younger, she’s only about 15 months old now, and has chased a lot fewer birds, when she is hunting, so she is more steady than Betsy. That makes me think that if you want steady to wing and shot you should start early. I haven’t put a lot of pressure on either of these dogs. I started heeling and whoaing them with e-collars on their neck and flanks. I went to a check cord with a half hitch around their flanks. After a while I tied the check cord to a tree or a stake and if they tried to chase the half hitch would tighten around their flanks. When they quit trying to chase I took the check cord off and just used the e-collar.
They aren’t perfect but they have the general idea. Soon I will be able to work them on wild birds and I will see how they are doing. I just want to take the chase out of them plus it gave me something to write about on my blog. And I enjoy training dogs.
Sally honoring the backing dog.
Betsy and the backing dog.
Another shot of Betsy and the backing dog.