I’ve been wanting some cool weather and we got it. When I got up this morning it was in the thirties and the high would only get to about 49 degrees. My kind of weather. A friend came over and we worked his dog first thing. When he left I left the release traps where they were for his dog and I worked the puppies, Abby, Daisey, Josie and Hunter. With the exception of Josie they don’t stay on point long enough for a picture.
Josie pointing a pigeon.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
I had 4 release traps out. I turned the 3 puppies, Abby, Daisey and Hunter out and I rode the 4-wheeler to the chain gang. These three have been on the chain gang several times. You would think they would try to keep away from it if they didn’t like it. They never try. They come right to me to be hooked to the chain gang. I reloaded the release traps.
When I came back Daisey was the closest to me so I unhooked her. I don’t unhook the puppies when they are jumping around. They must either stand still or sit. I stand close but not close enough they can get their feet on me. I don’t say anything. I wait while they try a lot of different things but the only thing that works is to stand still or sit. Since they have been on the chain gang before it doesn’t take long for them to settle down. I don’t want them to use the chain hitting the ground as a release signal, either. I pet them, after dropping the chain, for several seconds before releasing them.
The puppies have been run on a couple of birds the other times I have worked them. This was a different with there being 4 birds. None of the three hold point very long, not even long enough for me to get a picture. But I’m watching for any movement on their part instead of getting the camera out. They point and at their first movement I flush the pigeon. If they point with a foot in the air then set it down I flush the pigeon. I want them to think that any movement on their part causes the bird to flush.
We had a good breeze and it showed how good the nose on these puppies are. They didn’t point at a great distance but when they got a little scent their tails started to work and they went toward the pigeon. When they got too close I flushed the bird but most of the time they made a point, if only for a few seconds. After I worked all three I took them back to the kennel.
Tur Bo’s daughter at 8 weeks old. Pointing by scent.
I brought Josie out. She’s only 12 weeks old but she thinks she’s as big as anyone. I put her on the chain gang while I reloaded the release traps. The chain gang teaches dogs a lot of different things. None of them bad. When I came back I stood near her until she calmed down and quit jumping. I released her and petted her for a few seconds then released her.
When Josie points she holds for about a minute, most times. Her front end is really rigid but her back feet wants to move. She never raises them she just twitches. Someone said it looked like her front brakes were good but her back brakes wanted to slip a little. She pointed 3 of the 4 pigeons. I tried to take her back to the kennel but she wanted to stay and find more birds. Finally, I picked her up and carried her back on the 4-wheeler.
I got some frozen quail and reloaded the release traps. I turned Sally loose with just an e-collar around her neck. The last time I worked her she moved after going on point a couple of times. This time she didn’t move on any of her birds. She was on the wrong side of the training grounds for the first bird but made a point on the second one. When I got off the 4-wheeler I dropped a frozen quail. I took pictures, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She took a step but didn’t chase.
I went to her and waved my hand in the direction of the frozen quail lying on the ground and said, “hunt dead”. She started hunting dead. She found the frozen quail and brought it to me. I threw it 3 times then released her to hunt.
Mann on the retrieving table at Lion’s Den Kennel.
She pointed each of her birds and each time I had her hunt dead. I made a game of the retrieves with lots of praise and petting. I was never in a hurry to take the quail from her. She seems to really enjoy retrieving. I took her back to the kennel.
I reloaded the release traps and heeled Tur Bo to the 4-wheeler. I released him and we went toward the bird field, rapidly. I have to slow down to cross a small creek and he doesn’t. When I could see down the training grounds he was on point on the second bird. He looked really good but by the time I can get a picture he curls his tail a little. He doesn’t do that on wild birds. I dropped a frozen quail as I left the 4-wheeler. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took a step when the bird flushed and another when the blank pistol sounded but he didn’t chase.
I walked to him and tapped his head saying, “hunt dead, hunt dead”. He started looking but he made huge circles. Finally, he started slowing a little and got close enough to the frozen quail to small it. He grabbed it and came in a rush. He doesn’t do anything slow. He comes to me and most times he faces out while he holds the bird. I pet him until he turns to me. He dropped the bird when I said, “give”. I threw the quail 3 times and he retrieved it each time. I released him to hunt.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
He did fine on the next pigeon he pointed, did great on finding the frozen quail and each of the retrieves but the next two after he went on point he took a step to get just a little closer. When he moved I flushed the pigeon and yelled, “whoa”. I set him back and kicked in front of him but didn’t shoot the blank pistol or let him retrieve. I took him back to the kennel.
Luke is old but he still likes to be included in the work on pigeons. I reloaded the traps and heeled him out. Luke is still the fastest of all of my dogs. By the time I crossed the creek he was on point on the second bird. I took pictures and walked in front of him. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I don’t try the frozen quail on him. He pointed two more pigeons just fine.
On his last bird he pointed but when I flushed it and shot the blank pistol, the pigeon didn’t fly away. It landed on the ground right behind the trap. Luke went after it. He chased it back and forth in the thicket until he caught it. I called him and he came toward me with it. I knelt down and called him. It wasn’t perfect but he came close to me, maybe a step away, and made sure the pigeon didn’t run off. I took the dead pigeon from him and took him back to the kennel.
I live inside the city limits and can’t shoot birds at my training grounds but having the dogs retrieve frozen quail works well. I now just drop the quail in some cover and after I flush the pigeon I have the dogs hunt dead. They are expecting this now and they do a good job. This will carry over to bird season, I think. I shot some quail over Sally and Tur Bo earlier and they both retrieved. By the time bird season is over they should be good at hunting dead and retrieving, I hope.
Sally pointing wild quail.
Mann on point.
Luke pointing a pieon.