This morning I worked my English setter puppies. Each time I work Babe she gets better. She has been showing something close to fear of the release traps. One day I think she is afraid then she shows me something where there is no fear. She really likes birds. When she is playing close to the pigeon pen she watches them all of the time. If I get one out she comes running to chase it as I let it fly away. When she hunts she really hunts hard and checks each place that I have hidden a pigeon for her before.
Babe pointed her first pigeon, this morning.
I sat on the 4-wheeler and watched Babe.
Mann on point.
I put an e-collar and hooking a check cord to Mann’s regular collar and walking him with the piggin’ string east to the highway then north to the fence line and then back to the retrieving bench with a stop at a place board. I whoaed Mann every few yards then said, “heel” and led him another few feet. When we got to the place board I whoaed him several times on it. I have an airline kennel near the retrieving bench where I worked him on kenneling. After he kenneled about 6 times I had him jump onto the retrieving bench. (I have to help him but he tries.) I use the retrieving bench as a loving bench. I put him on the chain gang.
I put an e-collar on Babe, hooked a 10 foot check cord to her collar and led her out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. The e-collar isn’t turned on and I don’t carry the transmitter. I just want the pups to get used to the e-collar. I walked her to the highway on the east then across the yard and back to the retrieving bench. I also worked her a few times on the place board. I had her kennel 6 or 7 times then put her on the retrieving bench. After a few minutes of petting I put her on the chain gang.
I still had Vince Dye’s release traps made by Dogtra. They are quieter than my DT traps. I hid two pigeons on the training grounds and led Mann away from the chain gang with the piggin’ string. I whoaed him several times as I led him to where I was going to turn him loose. I took the piggin’ string off and tapped him on the head saying okay. He was away in hurry. I jumped onto the 4-wheeler and followed him.
We had just a slight breeze from the north east and I had hidden both release traps on the neighbor’s side of the training grounds. I usually ride the 4-wheeler to the back on both sides so the puppies won’t learn to follow the 4-wheeler tracks to the birds. I want them using and trusting their nose. Mann missed the first pigeon by being on the wrong side as he came down the field. He smelled the next bird from quite a distance. His head was high and his tail was cracking as he went toward the pigeon. He went on point about 10 or 12 yards from the pigeon. I took pictures and after about a minute I walked in front of him scuffing my feet on the ground. I kicked the bushes 4 or 5 times then flushed the pigeon. He never moved until the pigeon flew. He chased then went back to hunting.
The next pigeon was hard to smell, I guess. Mann pointed but his tail was curled down at the end. Usually, he points with a straight, twelve o’clock tail. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. After a couple of kicks I flushed the pigeon. He chased just a short distance and went back to hunting.
I tried to get him to come to me so I could put him on the chain gang but he had other ideas. He went back through the training grounds. I called him a couple of times. He came close and I thought he would get close enough for me to grab the check cord but he stayed away. I rode the 4-wheeler to the pigeon coop and when he got close I stepped on his check cord. I put him in his kennel.
Mann pointing.
I reloaded the release traps. I led Babe from the chain gang with the piggin’ string whoaing her every few feet. I tapped her head for the release and jumped onto the 4-wheeler to follow her. She turned toward the back on the neighbor’s side after checking out my side. The first pass she went on the wrong side and I made a circle at the back on the 4-wheeler. As we started back toward the front she hit the scent cone and went on point. I sat on the 4-wheeler watching. She has been pointing then backing up or circling. This morning she stayed on point and I stayed on the 4-wheeler. I didn’t say anything or do anything. I took several pictures but other than that I just watched. After more than a minute she took a step toward the pigeon and I flushed the bird. The pigeon only flew up into a tree above the release trap. She jumped into the brush rearing up trying to reach the pigeon. I let her try for a minute or so and rode away calling her. She came past me hunting.
As we moved up the field she got a little smell off the next pigeon and pointed. She was on point for maybe 10 seconds then backed up a step. I got off the 4-wheeler and she came to me. I carried her back to where she had been on point and styled her up. She would stay as long as I stroked her sides and belly. I stepped away and she stayed styled up. I went back and stroked her some more then flushed the pigeon. She chased then went back to hunting. I went back to the chain gang and tied her when she came to me.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
I moved the release traps and reloaded them. I heeled Babe out and whoaed her several times before turning her loose to hunt. I rode the 4-wheeler so I could keep up. We covered my side but both traps were on the neighbor’s side. We crossed over and went toward the back. She pointed as soon as she hit the scent cone. Before I could take pictures she took a step toward the release trap. I flushed the pigeon and she chased then went back to hunting.
When I got to the second pigeon she was already on point. I knew she was close so I got off the 4-wheeler and went toward her. She stayed on point. I got close and saw she wasn’t right on top of the bird. I backed up and kept an eye on her. When she started toward the pigeon I flushed it. This was a young bird and it only flew a few feet and lit on a low limb. She reared up and jumped trying to catch the bird. She came with me when I rode away. I put her back on the chain gang.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
I moved the release traps to my side of the training grounds and reloaded them. I heeled Babe away from the chain gang and released her to hunt. She came to the first pigeon, pointed then circled. I let her move around. I’m trying to figure her out while she’s trying to figure this game out. She pointed again then moved. She pointed holding it for a few seconds then moved. I flushed the pigeon and she chased then went back to hunting.
The wind was only 3 miles an hour according to the weather channel and she was having a hard time finding the next bird. I got off the 4-wheeler. When I walked close to the pigeon Babe came beside me and went on point. I knelt down and stroked her sides and belly. As I brushed her tail I pushed her forward. She pushed back. After a couple of minutes I flushed the pigeon. She chased then went back to hunting. I let her play for a while then put her back in the kennel.
Babe is learning. All I have done is set her back and stroke her or flush the pigeons when she moves. Other than the noise of the traps I don’t know of anything happening to cause this. She seems better with the Dogtra traps than with the DT’s. But she seems like she wants the pigeons more every time I work her. I have some Dogtra release traps on the way. She won’t have to work with the DT’s until I get her through this. Most things can be fixed with enough birds and no harsh treatment.
As I cleaned pens and fed the dogs this afternoon I remembered something that happened after I finished training, that I thought was neat. The puppies always follow me when I ride back to pick up the release traps. Since Mann was in his kennel there was only Babe. When we got near the trap at the very back Babe pointed the trap. Normally, I would let her figure out that there was nothing there but I had two pigeons on the 4-wheeler. I grabbed a bird and went on the other side of the clump the trap was in and tossed the pigeon. It must have been a young bird and it flew into the tree near the trap. While she watched that bird I got the other pigeon from the 4-wheeler. I tossed it in front of her and it flew to a low limb on a nearby tree. She thought she could get this one. I called her and rode on back to the kennel area but she didn’t come. I waited a little while then rode back. She was still there trying to get that bird. I called her and she returned to the kennel area with me. She’s starting to like birds.
Mann on point.
Mann. Not enough scent for a straight tail.