The Kansas City area has already had more 90+ degree days than all of last year. It’s extremely hard to find days that I can train the young dogs. When it’s not really hot it’s raining. All three of the young dogs, Abby, Josie and Boss, are coming along nicely. They just need more repetitions and I need more birds to work them on since the raccoons almost wiped me out.
I put some left over metal under the pigeons entrance, hoping the coons can’t climb the sides.
I have six pigeons left.
Another shot of the aviary.
Today I worked the dogs then worked on the pigeon house. It wasn’t that cool, even early, when I worked the dogs but it was really warm by the time I started on the coop.
I started with Boss. I put the e-collars on his neck and flanks and heeled him out of the kennel. The e-collars weren’t even turned on but I want him to get used to having the e-collars on. Also, I wanted him to think when the e-collars are on he’s going to have fun.
I have heeled and stopped with him twice before. I haven’t used any words. No “heel” and no “whoa”. I just walk a few steps then stop. I do tell him what a good boy he is. When we first came out of his kennel he tried to get on my right side but I tapped him with the piggin’ string and he went to my left and settled down.
By the time I got to the highway out front he was heeling and whoaing. Boss is staying right by my side without a lot of corrections. When I stop he stops without trying to sit or move around. After we went across the front of the yard I decided he was ready to hear the words. I started tapping his head and saying, “heel” as we stepped off. After just a few steps I would say, “whoa” and stop. He seemed to catch on pretty quick. Before we got to the back he was whoaing on my command before I stopped walking.
I like to let the young dogs have some happy time so I turned him loose to run after I reached the back. When we got back to the kennel boss wouldn’t come to me. He didn’t want to go back in the kennel. I called him one time and when he didn’t come I got on the 4-wheeler and we went to the back then around the house and to the back on both sides.
We got back to the kennel and I called him. He laid down a little way from me but wouldn’t come. We went to the back on both sides, around the house and back to the kennel. This time when I called him he came right to me. His tongue was hanging out but he came. I put him in the kennel.
Two hot wires around the bottom of the coop to discourage raccoons.
I turned the e-collars on and put them around Josie’s neck and flanks. I heeled her out of the kennel and attached the check cord to her collar. I heeled her and whoaed her toward the highway. It was getting warmer and I heeled her from one shade to the next. It seemed like I only whoaed her in a large shade then called her to me. When she started toward me some of the times I would whoa her midway or sometimes twice.
Sometimes, when I call Josie to me she moves really slow or not at all for a few seconds. It’s kind of like she has to figure out what I want. When she does it right, whether she is really slow or not, I make a big deal of it. Even when I have to give her a tug with the check cord I still pet her and act excited that she did it but it’s a bigger deal when she does it right, with out me tugging on the check cord.
I had her jump on the retrieving bench just to get some loving. She doesn’t like the retrieving bench but she does like the attention. And she’s getting better on the bench. For a long time she didn’t like walking to the end. Today she was still wagging as she moved down the bench. I set her on the ground and heeled her to the back.
A large door on the front.
When we got to the back I turned her loose to happy time. I got back to the kennel and she wasn’t with me. I got on the 4-wheeler and went to the back calling her. She doesn’t really like the 4-wheeler but it’s easier for me. I rode to the back and on to the kennel. Still no Josie.
I rode back to the retrieving bench and got off the 4-wheeler. When I called her I heard her yelp. When I found her she was buried in the brush with the check cord tangled. It wasn’t easy getting to her and getting her loose but she was happy I found her. I let her run back to the kennel.
Next I heeled Abby out with the e-collars on her neck and flanks. Abby reminds me of her grandfather, Tur Bo. Everything she does is fast. She is big for a female and strong. When they do things fast and they are strong too it’s sometimes disastrous for the handler.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
I heeled her to the front. I whoaed her several times and called her to me. Several times I whoaed her a couple of times as she came toward me and she handled it well. Before we got to the retrieving bench I whoaed her and called her to me. She ran by me without getting very close. I tried to step on the check cord but missed it even when I dived for it. She ran toward the back but came back near me and I grabbed the check cord. As soon as I stopped her with the check cord she came right to me. I petted her but took her back to the kennel. She was done for the day.
I went to the house and cut one hot dog into 18 pieces. I had it in a plastic bag and heeled Sally out with an e-collar around her neck. I had a Dokken quail retrieving dummy and tossed it for her. She ran out but acted like she couldn’t find the dummy. I hit the button on the e-collar transmitter on medium 2. She suddenly found the dummy and raced back with it.
I threw the dummy again and she had no problem finding it this time. She brought it to me and held it until I said, “give”. I fed her a chunk of hot dog. This is the first time I have used a treat for her retrieving. I can make her retrieve but she doesn’t really like it. I thought I would try the hot dog to see if she would get to like retrieving.
Boss.
Each time she retrieved perfectly I gave her a piece of the hot dog. I didn’t want to over do it so after 5 good retrieves in a row I let her run. I rode the 4-wheeler and let her run to the back then circle the house and to the back again. She’s not in real good shape and that was enough for her.
I brought Mann out for some retrieving too. I tossed the Dokken quail and he raced out, picked it up but dropped it at my feet. He knows better. I hit the e-collar on medium 2 and he picked it up. I petted him as he held the dummy. When I said, “give” he dropped it in my hand. I didn’t give him any hot dog on that retrieve.
I tossed the dummy and he raced out, picked it up, raced back and held it until I said, “give”. I gave him some hot dog. He did 6 or 7 retrieves in a row, perfectly. I whoaed him and got on the 4-wheeler. When I said, “okay” he was gone like a shot. Mann is skinny and he runs his kennel enough to stay in shape. We went to the back came back and circled the house and went to the back. After 3 times to the back he wasn’t even breathing hard. I put him in the kennel.
Josie pointing a pigeon.
I let Luke run to the back and would have taken him for more of a run but he went to his kennel gate. Maybe too hot for the old man. That’s okay, he’s retired. He gets to pick how long he stays out.
Three or four weeks ago I had 30 some pigeons and the raccoons killed them down to 6. Today I drove to near Columbia Missouri and bought 12 more. So now with their new house and some new pigeons I’m starting over. These are young birds but I’m hoping in a couple of weeks I will be able to use them.
I didn’t take a picture of them when I put them in the coop and now it’s dark. These pigeons are called rollers. They fly way up in the air and flip over backwards. They won’t home from a long distance but I’ve heard that they will home from a short distance, such as on my training grounds, earlier. If I use them here they won’t try to go back to where they were born but will home to my loft. I hope.