On Thursday, 10/4/18, the high was only 62 degrees and I was able to train the puppies and I also worked Tur Bo and Sally. The temperature when I started was in the low fifties and on the 4-wheeler I needed a light jacket. It’s getting closer to my kind of weather.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
Another picture of Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
I walked both puppies around the yard heeling and whoaing them before working them on the kennel command. This week I have started using the e-collar on a real light setting on the kennel command. Both puppies were kenneling about 95 per cent of the time before I went to the e-collar. I hold the button on the transmitter down, on a light setting, then say, “kennel”. Usually, the puppies start in before I can say, “kennel”. This shows that the puppies are learning how to turn off the e-collar.
After the kenneling lesson I put them on the retrieving bench and pet them. I think this is really important to take some of the stress, from the heeling, whoaing and kenneling commands from them. After a few minutes on the retrieving bench I put them on the chain gang.
This morning, because it was cooler, I heeled Sally and Tur Bo to the retrieving bench and after petting them for a few minutes I put some retrieving bumpers on the end of the bench and had them retrieve.
When Sally went to retrieve on the bench the first time she went about half way and came back. I held the button on the transmitter down on a light setting and walked with her to the bumpers. She grabbed one and we went back to the other end. After the first one she retrieved the other two with no problem. I put 4 more out for her and she retrieved them like she should have. I put her on the chain gang.
I heeled Tur Bo to the retrieving bench, petted him then put some bumpers on the other end. When I sent him to retrieve he put his nose on one but came back with out it. I held the button down, on the transmitter, on 2 low and he went back, grabbed a bumper and came back, holding until I said, “give”. Both of these dogs have been through the force fetch and know I have the button. They must think, “this time he doesn’t have it”. I had him do 4 bumpers two times then put him on the chain gang.
Finding new places on the training grounds, to hide the birds, isn’t easy but I keep trying. I put the e-collars on Sally’s neck and flanks, hooked a check cord to her collar with a half hitch around her flanks and heeled her out ahead of the 4-wheeler. I whoaed her, got on the 4-wheeler, started it and put it in gear then said, “okay”. Sally has played this game before and she was gone in a flash.
She ran down one side of my place to the back, across the back and up the other side where she crossed to the neighbor’s side. I was right behind her on the 4-wheeler. She checked out the front and each patch of brush on her way to the back. The wind was swirling. Where I thought she would catch the scent she went on through and was almost totally on the other side when she slid to a stop. I tried to push the stake into the ground behind her but I only got it into the ground a few inches. We really need a rain. I tied the check cord to the stake, took some pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and she reared back a little as the pigeon flew over her but she didn’t move her feet. I heeled her away.
Tur Bo
I had a frozen quail with me and whoaed her then threw the quail saying, “fetch”. Sally ran out grabbed the quail and ran back. That was the first time I have seen her enjoy retrieving. I threw the quail a total of three times and she seemed to enjoy it each time. I released her to hunt.
She checked out the neighbor’s side again then crossed back to my side. Sally smelled the next bird from a long way. It was hidden in the fence row on the north fence line and at the top of the hill the wind blew the scent a long way, to her. I pushed the stake into the ground, tied the check cord to it and took pictures. I walked in front of her kicking the cover then flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I heeled her away.
Again, I threw the frozen quail for her. When I worked her a couple of weeks ago, with the frozen quail, she would retrieve if I only threw the bird a few feet but today she’s having a good time and is going as far as I can throw it. What a change. I released her to run then took her back to the kennel.
When I had the release traps reloaded I brought Tur Bo out with the e-collars on and dragging the check cord. I whoaed him in front of the 4-wheeler, got on and started it, put it in gear then said, “okay”. Tur Bo is faster than Sally and without the 4-wheeler I would be left out. By the time I got to the cross over to the neighbor’s side Tur Bo had been down one side and was coming back the other. I crossed behind him to the neighbor’s side.
The sky in Kansas several days ago.
He checked the front then each clump to the back. He was crashing through a clump when he hit the scent cone and locked up. I wished I had of had a video camera on him. I went behind him and pushed the stake into the ground, tied the check cord to it and took pictures. I walked in front of him kicking the cover. I decided I would leave him on point for a little while so I picked up some limbs that had fallen and threw them on a brush pile and cleaned up around the area. I came back in front of him kicking the cover and flushed the pigeon. He jumped but didn’t take the slack out of the check cord. I heeled him away.
Tur Bo always likes to retrieve. I threw the frozen quail for him three times. Once I threw it into a clump of brush but it didn’t matter to him. He ran into the clump, picked up the bird and charged back to me. Tur Bo doesn’t do anything slow. I released him to hunt.
He checked the neighbor’s side back to the front then crossed to my side. He ran down to the back then up the other side then along the fence line to the north. He was quite a ways from the bird when he pointed. I pushed the stake into the ground, tied the check cord to it and took pictures. I walked in front of him then flushed the pigeon. It’s a good thing he didn’t move because I only had the stake a short distance in the ground. I heeled him away.
Mann on point.
For Tur Bo I threw the frozen quail as far as I could and he ran to it grabbed it and raced back. I’ve never taught him to sit but he usually sits until I say, “give”. I released him to run then took him back to the kennel.
Mann and Babe had been waiting, staked to the chain gang. Mann doesn’t wait as well as Babe does. He wants to bark.
I reloaded the release traps, put e-collars on Babe and hooked the check cord to her regular collar. The puppies have a shorter check cord than the older dogs and I don’t put the half hitch around their flanks. I held the check cord until we got close to the first pigeon. As soon as she smelled it she pointed. I stroked her sides then walked in front of her kicking the cover. About the first or second kick I flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance then went back to hunting.
Because she had pointed the first bird I didn’t hold the check cord. I let her hunt. When she got close to the next bird she knew it was close but she ran everywhere trying to get enough scent to point. She wasn’t even close to where the bird was but she knew she was near. Finally, she got close enough and went on point. I took a step toward her and she came to me. I picked her up, set her back and stroked her sides. As Long as I stroked her she stayed on point. I went in front of her and flushed the pigeon. She chased then went back to hunting. I put her on the chain gang.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
When I had the release traps reloaded I turned Mann loose with the e-collars on and dragging the check cord. He’s hard to keep up with even on the 4-wheeler. He ran to the back on my side but when he came back he headed for the fence row on the north. When he got close to the pigeon he pointed. I started to take pictures but as I got the camera he took a step. I flushed the pigeon. He chased then went back to hunting.
I followed him as he crossed to the neighbor’s side. When we got close to the pigeon he whirled around but took a step and I flushed the pigeon. He chased but went back to hunting. I put him back on the chain gang.
Mann’s head when he is on point.
Austin Farley has been working his puppies with a bag of birds by telling his pups to whoa and holding a bird in his hand then letting it fly. I thought this might help Babe so I put 6 pigeons in the bird bag and let her run. When she came close to me I said, “whoa” and held a pigeon in front of her. She came to me and pointed with a lot of style. I let the pigeon fly and she chased.
I was going to let her have 3 of the pigeons and use 3 for Mann but she liked this game so much I let her have 4. I put her back on the chain gang. I got more pigeons and turned Mann loose. He didn’t like the game as much as Babe did. He came to me for 2 birds then he was bored with that and stayed away but hunted all of the places I had ever hidden a bird for him. I turned Babe loose and we went back to the kennel.
I keep doing whatever I can to get Babe to just point and stay there. She’s getting better but she’s not there, yet. She is really bird crazy now which is a big step. I will keep working them both on obedience and a few birds until she comes around.
Mann on point.
Babe on point.
Babe pointing a pigeon.