It was still real warm, this morning, so I started about 7:00 am training my English setter puppies. I walked Mann and Babe down to the chain gang and tied them. They bark and fight the chain gang but that’s it’s job. I like putting puppies and even older dogs on a chain gang. It is supposed to make soft dogs bold and aggressive dogs more biddable. It also makes them realize they must wait their turn, I think.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
Setter puppies on a chain gang.
I have two strips of grass that I have left, without mowing, on my side of the training grounds. I put a pigeon, in a release trap, in each strip. What little wind we had was coming from the north so I put another pigeon, in a release trap, on the north fence line. The birds weren’t very far apart. I wanted the puppies to have success, quickly, finding birds.
I took Babe from the chain gang and we walked toward the back. She runs out but she waits for me to catch up before going out again. She’ll get over this, I think. When she got close to the first strip she smelled the bird and started toward it. When she got close I flushed the pigeon. She chased a few feet then went back to hunting.
We got to the second strip of grass and she went up one side then down the other. Finally, she got on the south side where she caught the scent and started toward the bird. I flushed the pigeon and she chased.
We went on to the bird along the north fence line. She smelled it a long time before she got near. She was slinking toward the bird when I flushed it. She chased a ways. I let her run for a few seconds then called her to me. I put her back on the chain gang.
I reloaded the release traps and turned Mann loose. He was way ahead of me on the way to the bird field. He was on the north side of the first bird as he went through the strip of grass. He went on to the second strip and started slinking toward the next bird as soon as he smelled it. I was still a long way from him. As he started toward the bird I flushed it. He chased a few feet then went back to hunting.
He hunted that strip then we went back toward the first strip. When he smelled this pigeon he pointed then moved a step or two and pointed again. The next time he moved I flushed the pigeon. It only flew a few feet and tried to land in a tree. It missed the limb and went to the ground. Mann scooped it up and took off.
I tried to walk away from him and call him. Sometimes dogs want to show you their bird. Didn’t work. Mann went over on the neighbor’s side and when I got there he wasn’t in sight. I got on the 4-wheeler and started looking. I thought he might take the bird to the kennel. When I got close to the kennels I saw him. He was still carrying the pigeon.
I called him but he wasn’t going to share his bird with anyone. I got off the 4-wheeler and went toward him. He went away from me then came back and tried to run by me. I caught him. I didn’t try to take the pigeon. It was pretty warm and he needed to pant but he didn’t want to let go of the bird. I raised his front feet off the ground and petted him. His feet were on my knee. After about a minute of petting he released the bird and I grabbed it when it hit the ground. It was wet all over but still alive. I held the pigeon and petted him for a few more seconds then we went back to hunting. I put the pigeon in the box on the 4-wheeler.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
We went back to the training grounds. He smelled the pigeon on the north fence line a long way from it. He pointed then moved up and pointed, again. He was still a long way off. He moved up and I flushed the pigeon. He chased a little way then went back to hunting. I put him back on the chain gang.
I didn’t move the release traps, I just reloaded them where they were. I didn’t want the puppies to have trouble finding birds. I released Babe from the chain gang. We started toward the grass strips. She still ran ahead then waited. When we got close, she smelled the bird in the first strip of grass. She raised her head and started toward the pigeon. I flushed the bird and she chased.
We went toward the next strip of grass and she smelled the pigeon. She slowed down and started slinking toward the bird. I flushed the pigeon and she chased then went back to hunting.
I went toward the bird on the north fence line and Babe started with me but wound up going back close to the chain gang. When she didn’t come with me I went to the chain gang and snapped her to it.
I reloaded the release traps and turned Mann loose. This time I was within about 50 yards when he got to the first pigeon, hidden in the tall grass. He pointed then moved up. I flushed the pigeon. He chased a few feet then went back to hunting.
He was on the south end of the next grass strip and smelled the bird from a long distance. He pointed then took one step and pointed again. He held this point for a long time. I took several pictures. When he moved I flushed the pigeon. He chased then went back to hunting.
Another dash for hot dogs.
There wasn’t much wind but it was carrying the scent of the last bird a long way. He smelled the bird and never attempted to stop. He was slinking. I let him get within about 20 feet of the pigeon and I flushed it. He chased a ways then went back to hunting.
We went back to the chain gang and I released Babe. I rode the 4-wheeler to pick up the release traps and the puppies went with me. To get the puppies in shape I rode the 4-wheeler by the kennels, around my house then back to the kennel. I sat in the shade while they played for a while.
Mann is obsessed with birds but Babe isn’t. She likes them and she watches them when they fly close to her but she doesn’t try to catch them. Mann wants that bird. One is not better than the other, they are just different.
These puppies will be 13 weeks old tomorrow, July 17, 2018. In a week or two both of them may be chewing through chain link to get to the birds. May not be. I will let them move at their own pace. In a few weeks it could be the other way around.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
He caught the scent cone when he moved in front of her.
Babe pointing a pigeon.