When I trained Wednesday the winds were over 40 MPH. Thursday they were a little less but not much. This morning it looked like rain after having rained Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I knew when I started it would probably rain me out but I made it all the way through. I may become a foul weather trainer for fowl dogs. Wow, that’s bad.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
I ran Luke and Mann for a few minutes, petting them on the retrieving bench and as I sat on the rock wall around the water faucet. I worked the rest, Abby, Boss and Sally, on the whoa post. Abby and Boss have learned to acknowledge real quick on the whoa post. Sally does most of the time but usually on one of the three whoa posts she will try to wait me out. That will not happen. We will be there until dark before I quit.
I hid two pigeons, in release traps, on the training grounds. One on my side and one on my neighbor’s side. The e-collars double as bark collars and I had one on Sally, Abby and Boss. I have a bark collar that I put on Luke. The dogs don’t bark a lot except when I have pigeons out and when they sit on the landing perch outside their coop.
I put a GPS collar on Mann and heeled him to the 4-wheeler. I whoaed him, got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and said, “okay”. Mann went toward the back in a dead run. I tried to keep up on the 4-wheeler but I have to slow down to cross the wet weather creek. Mann went across to the neighbor’s side. The strong wind was out of the south east and when he pointed he was standing on the south east side of the pigeon. The way the land lies causes the wind to change from minute to minute.
I took some pictures, stroked his sides, then walked in front of him kicking the cover. Mann, almost always looks really good. He was standing with a high head and tail. I flushed the pigeon, waited about 2 seconds and said, “Okay, get that bird”. He stood until I said, “okay” then he chased back toward the pigeon coop.
When he figured out he wasn’t going to catch that bird he quit and went back to hunting. The next pigeon was on the fence line on the north side of my place. It’s not a normal hiding place and it took a few minutes for him to find it. He was going really fast when he hit the scent cone and his front stopped and his rear end slid around. As I watched he straightened up.
I took pictures, stroked his sides and told him what a good boy he is. I walked in front of him kicking the cover. I went back to him and stroked his sides again telling him what a good boy he is. I went back in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and after a couple of seconds said, “get that bird”. He chased. When we got back to the kennel area I sat on the rock wall around the water faucet and petted him. Then I put him in the kennel.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
I brought Abby out of her kennel wearing an e-collar and a GPS collar. I whoaed her near the 4-wheeler, got on the 4-wheeler, started it and said, “okay”. She was gone. When there are birds hidden on the training grounds these dogs don’t mess around. They go in a hurry.
Abby had moved on both of her birds the day before and I had picked her up and set her back. Then I stroked her sides then walked in front of her kicking the cover before flushing the pigeon. Today she didn’t move on either one. She had gone to the neighbor’s side and was on the opposite side from where Mann had pointed. And farther away.
I went to her and stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon it hit a limb and fluttered a little bit before flying away. Had she been closer she would have had it. As it was she almost caught it anyway. She chased it back toward the pigeon coop.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
She checked all of the neighbor’s side and started checking my side. She made two passes down the divider between me and the neighbor before checking the north fence line. She hit the scent cone and locked up. I watched her for a few seconds but she didn’t try to move. I went to her, stroked her sides and told her what a good girl she is after taking some pictures. When I flushed the pigeon she chased it back toward the pigeon coop. I petted her at the water faucet and put her in the kennel.
I heeled Boss out wearing the GPS and an e-collar and whoaed him near the 4-wheeler. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and said, “okay”. He was off. I followed but couldn’t keep up. I need a smoother crossing of the creek. He crossed to the neighbor’s side.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
When I saw him on point he was almost in the same place Mann had pointed with the wind in his butt. It must swirl around really bad. I took pictures, stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. I went in front kicking the cover and flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move until I said, “get that bird”. He didn’t chase very far before going back to hunting.
He checked the neighbor’s side then went back to my side. As I got close to the bird on the north fence line he was ahead of me. I didn’t see him go on point but when I saw him he was wagging. I didn’t even get off the 4-wheeler, I just flushed the pigeon. I didn’t say anything to him I just rode back to the kennel area. I petted him at the rock wall around the water faucet and put him in the kennel.
This morning, thinking it would rain any minute, I let Luke and Mann run then worked the dogs on the whoa post. Abby and Boss acknowledge on the whoa post really quick, today. Sally not so much. I thought she was doing really well until it dawned on me that she may be beating me. The way dogs acknowledge is, licking their lips, sighing, yawning or moving their feet to get more comfortable. Sally moves her feet.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
Some of dogs will move a foot to get more comfortable. This morning Sally started moving backwards. She moved all 4 feet backwards. I didn’t notice the first time but she did it on the second whoa post, too. I pulled on the check cord to tighten the whoa post rope, again. I held the check cord where she couldn’t back up. She finally licked her lips and I took her off. We went to the third whoa post and again she tried to back up. I think, if I let her get by with this I have taught her to back up on whoa.
I held the check cord where she couldn’t back up on the third whoa post and we waited. After a couple of minutes she licked her lips. When she did I dropped the check cord and petted her as I took her off the whoa post. I let her run then jump on the retrieving bench. After petting her on the retrieving bench I petted her at the water faucet. I put her in the kennel.
Because of the rain and really wet training grounds I only hid two birds for Boss and Abby. I led Boss out first with the e-collar and GPS collar on. I whoaed him, got on the 4-wheeler, started it and said, “okay”. He ran, fast. Because of the muddy grounds I hid both birds on my side. By the time I got across the creek he was rounding the fence line at the back.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
As he came back toward me he hit the scent cone and locked up. The last time he wagged on his second bird. He wasn’t wagging today. I took pictures, stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. I walked in front kicking the cover and flushed the pigeon. The pigeon lit just a few feet above the release trap. If he had of jumped a little higher he would have had the pigeon. It took a little persuading to get him to leave that bird and look for another.
Finally, he came away. He was a long way from the next pigeon when he hit the scent cone. He started to wag then took about 2 steps and went back on point. He must have had a lot more scent. Now he wasn’t wagging. I took pictures, then stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. I went in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and it only flew to a limb right above the release trap. I encouraged him to try to get the pigeon but this one was higher in the tree. We went back to the kennel.
Abby on point with Ally honoring.
After reloading the release traps I heeled Abby out. I whoaed her, got on the 4-wheeler and Abby took off. I whoaed her and she stopped. I started the 4-wheeler and she took off, again. I whoaed her and she stopped. I should have carried her back but I didn’t. I said, “okay” and she was gone.
I try to make sure that Abby’s birds are good flyers. If she gets the chance she will catch them. And she’s fast. All I have to go on is size. I always hope the larger birds will fly good.
Abby on point, peeking through the milo stalks.
She was on point on the west side of a clump of brush as I came across the creek. I took pictures then went to her and stroked her sides. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and she chased it back toward the pigeon coop. I don’t have to encourage her to chase.
When she came back we went on to the west. As she came around the end of my side she hit the scent cone and locked up. After I set her back twice a few days ago she hasn’t tried to move. After I took pictures I stroked her sides then walked in front of her. I flushed the pigeon and she chased it back toward the kennel. I took her back.
Boss on a pigeon.
Both of these young dogs try different things to see what they can get by with. Abby chases farther and harder than Boss does. Boss did sometimes wag if he was a long way from the bird. I have decided that I will tap him on the head and encourage him to get closer, instead of worrying about him wagging. The other day I flushed his bird when he was wagging and he hasn’t wagged since. Maybe he’s decided that doesn’t work. Time will tell.