The weather has finally cooled down and I have been working the puppies every day this week and the older dogs every other day. It was real cool this morning and I got out about 8:00 am. Mann has just come back from being force broke to retrieve and I want him to see the other dogs retrieving, on the bench. I then work him on the bench so he realizes that he has to retrieve for me, too.
Luke, pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo, pointing a pigeon.
Sally, pointing a pigeon.
I heeled Luke from the chain gang to the retrieving bench and had him jump onto it. I put 4 retrieving dummies on the opposite end of the bench. I sent Luke to retrieve each one and I made a big deal out of it to get the dog that’s retrieving to enjoy retrieving. Mann is a few feet away and has to listen to the other dogs being praised. I think this will help him when it’s his time on the bench.
After 4 retrieves I turned Luke loose and followed him down the field on the 4-wheeler. I only had 2 pigeons hidden on the training grounds. Luke went along the north fence line and hit the scent cone on the first pigeon and slid to a stop. I walked in front of him after taking pictures. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move.
I held a frozen quail under his nose then tossed it a few feet and said, “fetch”. He ran to it, grabbed it and came back. I had forgotten that he would do this. I tossed it again and he brought it back. I released him to hunt and followed him down the field.
He was at the back when he went on point. He was farther from the bird and in the wrong direction when he pointed, I thought. But there was no denying, he had the scent. I took pictures then walked in front of him, kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I tossed the frozen quail and he raced out, picked it up and brought it back. As soon as I took it he went back to hunting. I was okay with that. I took him back to the kennel.
After reloading the traps I put Sally on the retrieving bench. I had her retrieve the 4 dummies 2 times. I made a lot of noise, praising her. She enjoyed it and Mann had to hear me. I put her on the ground and released her to hunt.
She went to the north fence line and pointed the first pigeon. I took pictures then went in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I tossed the frozen quail 3 times and she retrieved it each time. I praise her a lot and she acts like she enjoys retrieving. I released her to hunt.
We went on toward the back and she pointed the next pigeon. I dropped a frozen quail on the ground. I took pictures and walked in front of her, kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I tapped her head and said, “hunt dead”. She started making short circles where I pointed. She found the frozen quail and brought it to me. I threw it 3 times and she retrieved it each time. I took her to the kennel.
I put Tur Bo on the retrieving bench and had him retrieve the 4 dummies twice each. I praised him a lot and he seemed to enjoy it. Mann didn’t watch all of the time but he had to hear me. I set him on the ground and released him to hunt.
Mann, pointing a pigeon.
I followed him toward the back where he pointed the pigeon. I walked in front after taking pictures. I kicked the cover then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took his customary step then stopped. I had dropped a frozen quail when I got off the 4-wheeler so I said, “hunt dead”. He went to looking but he was making large circles. Finally, he slowed a little, smelled the quail, scooped it up and came to me. When I said give he dropped it in my hand. I threw it 3 times for him and he retrieved it each time. I released him to hunt.
Just as I got on the 4-wheeler I got a phone call that I had to take. The phone call was probably 5 minutes long. I knew that Tur Bo was on point for most of this. After the call I rode to the other bird. I could tell by the way the check cord was laying that he had been closer to the bird but had backed up a little. Maybe when he heard me coming.
He still looked good on point so I took pictures then moved him back a little more. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took his one step. I had dropped a frozen quail and I told him to hunt dead. He made some circles then found the frozen quail and brought it to me. I threw it 3 times for him and he retrieved it each time. I took him back to the kennel.
Daisey, waiting her turn.
Mann was still on the chain gang. I reloaded the release traps and heeled him to the retrieving bench. Instead of using dummies for him I used two frozen quail. When Jim Lyons, from Lion’s Den Kennel taught him to retrieve he had only used a dummy for a little while then changed to birds. I put Mann on whoa then placed the frozen quail at the other end of the bench. When I sent him to retrieve he went in a hurry. He brought each frozen quail to me and wagged his tail as he did. He likes the loud praise.
After he retrieved each quail 4 times I released him to hunt. He pointed the pigeon on the north fence line, first. I took pictures then walked in front kicking the over. I thought he would move when I flushed the bird so I put a half hitch around his flanks with the check cord. I stood on the check cord, flushed the bird and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I don’t know why I thought he would. I tossed the frozen quail for him 3 times. He was wagging his tail when he brought it back. I released him to hunt.
He pointed the pigeon at the back of the property. I dropped a frozen quail then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon (I didn’t put a half hitch around his flanks this time) and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I tapped his head and said, “hunt dead”. That seemed to confuse him.
Mann on point.
I then said, “fetch”. He went in the direction I pointed, picked up the quail and brought it back. I tossed it for him a couple of times. That he understands. I took him back to the kennel.
Then it was time for the puppies. I turned all 3 of Sally’s puppies out and walked to the chain gang. They all came to me, jumping in my face as I hooked them to the chain. I went back and brought Tur Bo’s daughter down. Sally’s puppies are 18 weeks old and Tur Bo’s daughter is 12 weeks old. At that age there is a lot of difference in their sizes.
I put out 4 pigeons for each puppy, all on my side of the training grounds. I worked Sally’s puppies first. I turned Abby the puppy with the big black spot loose first. She ran along the north fence line and was quite a ways from the first pigeon when she went on point. I didn’t do anything other than take pictures. I stood and watched for any movement. When she made the least movement I flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance then went back to hunting.
She pointed 3 out of her 4 birds. Each time other than taking pictures I never moved or said anything. I think these pups have enough going through their mind when they first point without me doing anything. I put her back on the chain gang.
I turned the male puppy out. I was going to call him Hunter but with all of the problems of Hunter Biden I changed it to Gabe. I don’t intend to do politics but I don’t want to saddle a puppy with a name that he can’t be proud of. Plus, this isn’t the first time I’ve changed his name.
We went along the north fence line and he pointed but was looking in the wrong direction. I took a picture and he moved away from the bird. I waited and he came back and went directly toward the bird. When he didn’t stop I flushed the pigeon. He chased a short distance. We went on to the next bird. He pointed two of his 4 birds. I put him back on the chain gang.
Daisey was next. Daisey is the puppy with two black eyes and ears. As we went down the north fence line she hit the scent cone and went on point. I took pictures and she started toward the pigeon and I flushed it at her first movement. She pointed 2 of her 4 birds before I put her back on the chain gang.
Then it was Josie’s turn. She’s small and young but she doesn’t know it. She thinks she’s as big as anyone. We went down the fence line and she pointed. She knew exactly where the bird was and she was probably 15 yards from it. I took pictures and when she made the smallest movement I flushed the pigeon. She pointed 3 of her 4 birds. She pointed the first 3 and I thought she would be the one to point them all but her last one she smelled and went right toward it, without stopping. When she got close I flushed it. I took her back to the kennel.
I had returned the older puppies to the chain gang so I released them and had them run in front of the 4-wheeler for a little more exercise.
Daisey, pointing a pigeon.
There is a road near the gun range that I like to take the puppies for walks on. The closest they can get to the range is 800 yards, according to my GPS. This gets them used to gun shots a little and also teaches them not to go to someone that is close to me, that is shooting. I lost a dog once that went to some other hunters and they took her with them, I think.
My puppies have heard the gun conditioning CD from Master’s Voice but Josie hasn’t. She is my stud fee puppy from another kennel and most kennels don’t use the CD. A few days ago I took her by herself to the road. Since it’s near a highway I put a leash on her for the first part of the walk. Just until we got away from the highway. She wasn’t wanting to come with me. The wind was from the gun range to us and the gunshots were loud. Not like being there but you could hear them, easily.
I didn’t say anything to her, just drug her down the road. She was walking but was pulling back at every step. I didn’t say anything but just kept walking. Probably, a hundred fifty yards down the road she starting walking in front of me. I took the leash off. She ran just in front of me then started going off the side. When we got about a half mile down the road there were some boy scouts camping in the park.
She went to about 3 boys, then some more scouts came to pet her. I didn’t need to do anything but wait on them to get tired of petting her. She ran from boy to boy for a while. The scouts had some activities for the boys so we went back to the truck. The shooting had no effect on her the way back to the truck. I will take her back another time or two before shooting around her.
Josie, at 12 weeks, pointing a pigeon by scent.
Gabe, the male puppy, pointing a pigeon.
Abby, pointing a pigeon.