We had a cool morning, upper 50’s, so I got out early, for me, to train the English setters. Sally is really close to having her puppies but I still worked her this morning. Tomorrow, 5/31/19, is the 63rd day from the first breeding. If it was the second breeding that took, that day will be Sunday. My vet says there are as many puppies born on 60 days as there are 63. I’ve had Sally in the shed for the last couple of nights, so I can watch her.
Sally one day away from having puppies. I hope.
Tur Bo pointing pigeons.
Luke pointing a pigeon.
My yard and training grounds are still really wet but I rode the 4-wheeler to the back and hid two pigeons, in release traps, in the tall grass. Since Sally is really heavy I heeled her out first, so she had the advantage of the coolest part of the morning. She had the e-collar and GPS collars on. I whoaed her near the 4-wheeler and when I got it started and in gear I released her to hunt.
Sally is a little slower than before she was carrying this extra weight but not by much. I still had to go pretty fast, on the 4-wheeler, to keep her in sight. She was on the edge when she passed the first bird, that was in the middle of the field. She went on to the back, smelled the second bird and went on point. I stopped the 4-wheeler but before I could get off she took a step. I flushed the pigeon and said, “what did you do”. She stopped when the pigeon flushed. I set her back then tapped her head to resume hunting.
As soon as she hit the scent cone on the pigeon she pointed. I got a phone call as she pointed so I watched her with my finger on the transmitter while I talked. After I finished my call I went to her and stroked her sides. I went in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I heeled her away.
I had a frozen quail in my vest. I tossed it for her. She ran out, scooped it up and came back. I petted her for several seconds then said, “give”. She dropped it into my hand. I threw the quail into some heavy cover. She ran out, grabbed the quail and came back. She stood in front of me holding the quail until I told her to give. She dropped it in my hand. We went back to the kennel.
After reloading the release traps I heeled Tur Bo out with the e-collar and GPS collar around his neck. I was afraid some of my pigeons wouldn’t fly real well so I put a check cord on Tur Bo. He’s caught pigeons before and I don’t want him to catch any more. When I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and put it in gear, I released him to hunt.
Tur Bo isn’t as fast as Luke is but he’s really fast. I followed on the 4-wheeler. He was just off the edge when he got the scent of the pigeon, hidden in the tall grass, in the middle of the field. He slid to a point. I took pictures then went in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon. He took his usual one step then stopped. I stroked his sides then heeled him away.
I took a frozen quail from my vest and threw it into some thick cover. He ran out, scooped it up and came back. He stood in front of me, looking out. I held my hand under the quail and said, “give”. He dropped the quail in my hand. I tossed it again and he retrieved it again. I released him to hunt.
He went on down the field and hit the scent cone on the next pigeon. He slammed into a point. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I went behind him and stood on the check cord because I thought this was a young bird, that might not fly. I flushed the pigeon and it flew just fine. Tur Bo took his usual step but didn’t attempt to chase. I heeled him away.
I tossed the frozen quail into some heavy cover. For some reason he didn’t see me throw the quail. He made a circle then a huge circle. I walked close to where I had thrown the quail but he was making larger circles. I started pulling grass and weeds. He came close, smelled the quail and grabbed it. He made a circle around me, stopping in front. I had him drop it into my hand.
Sally holding the frozen quail.
I threw the quail again and he retrieved it. I petted him then took the quail. We went back to the kennel.
I reloaded the release traps and heeled Luke out with the e-collar and GPS collar around his neck. I got on the 4-wheeler and released him to hunt. Even at 9 years old he’s hard to keep up with but when he points he will be there as long as the bird stays. Luke will hunt dead but he doesn’t retrieve so I don’t throw the frozen quail for him.
He made a cast to the north fence line then came back in front of me just before the first bird. He whirled to a point when he hit the scent cone. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon he didn’t move. I stroked his sides then released him to hunt.
He went on to the back and slammed into a point on the next pigeon. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move. I petted him then released him to hunt. I took him back to the kennel.
After reloading the release traps I heeled Mann out with e-collar and GPS collar around his neck. After a short distance I whoaed him and walked out in front of him. I walked back to him and around him before heeling him on toward the back. I whoaed him and walked out in front of him. I knelt down and called him to me. He came in a run. I heeled him to the retrieving bench. He jumped onto it.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
He knows the routine when he gets on the bench. We go down the bench with me petting him at 3 different spots then to the other side where I pet him at 3 different spots. He likes that but when I grab the canvas covered retrieving dummy he is not so happy. I’ve been holding my hand under his chin to help him hold the dummy but now I’m asking him to hold without my hand. When he drops the dummy I pinch his lip against his canine teeth. Not hard enough to make him yelp but firm enough to make it uncomfortable. I had him hold the dummy in 6 different places and he did fine on 4 of them. Two times we went through a few drops but he’s learning.
I heeled him away from the bench and whoaed him. I tapped his head for the release. He was running fast when he hit the scent cone on the first pigeon and slid into a point. I took pictures and walked in front kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon he never moved. I stroked his sides then heeled him away. I tapped his head to release him.
He ran toward the back checking the edges as he went. He was a long way from the next pigeon when he caught the scent and slammed into a point. I took pictures then walked in front of him. I like to vary how long I kick the cover before flushing the pigeon. This time I kicked for a long time then flushed the bird. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides then heeled him away. I released him to hunt. We went back to the kennel.
Luke pointing a pigeon.
Babe is a special girl. She, when she points, is so happy to find the birds she wags from her collar back. I’m trying to get her to quit wagging. I heeled her toward the back and after whoaing her a couple of times I put her on the whoa barrel. She’s been on the barrel several times and she doesn’t wag her tail. I put 4 release traps, with pigeons in them, right in front of the barrel. I styled her up on the barrel and as I walked back and forth in front of her I flushed a pigeon. She only moved her head to watch the bird fly away.
I stroked her sides, telling her what a good girl she is. I only flushed the pigeons when I was in front of her kicking the grass. I flushed all 4 pigeons over about 10 minutes. She never tried to move other than she watched them fly away. I set her on the ground and styled her up beside the barrel. She didn’t wag. I heeled her to the retrieving bench. She jumped onto the bench.
I petted her on both sides of the bench. I had her hold the canvas retrieving dummy. She’s better at it than Mann is. We are already past the point of her dropping the dummy. I’m trying to get her to carry it a few steps. When she gets it in her mouth I pull on her collar. As soon as she moves all 4 feet I say, “give” and take the dummy. After she holds the dummy in 6 different places I set her on the ground.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
Babe likes to run. If I turn her loose she will go to the west, a long way. So I run her with a long check cord and I hold the end. Some of the time she pulls hard enough to have me running but not for very far. I’m one of those people if you see me running there is something really mean behind me and probably really close.
When she got close to the first pigeon she stopped but her tail was going. I tried styling her up but as soon as I took my hands off she would wag. I went in front of her aggressively kicking the cover. Her tail quit wagging and she was ready for the bird to flush. I made her wait as I continued to kick the cover. I flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I went to her and stroked her. I heeled her a short distance then tapped her head to release her.
We went on toward the back. She hit the scent of the next pigeon and pointed. I went in front of her immediately, kicking the cover, aggressively. Her tail wasn’t moving. I kicked for about a minute then flushed the pigeon. She turned her head to watch it fly away but didn’t move her feet. Her tail was moving a little but not as much as she had before. I may be able to break her of wagging. Time will tell. We went back to the kennel.
Mann and Babe are just a year old and both are really doing great. Babe started out pointing then moving around the bird. She wasn’t trying to get the bird she just thought there was something else she should do. I, finally, got her to stop moving but she has always been happy that she found the birds. I’ve seen dogs that wagged from too much pressure but hers is different. And she has always wagged. She seems happy to have found the bird. I think in time she will stop.
I don’t field trial so the tail wagging is not a big deal other than I don’t like the looks of it. It’s better to have a dog that’s happy to have found birds than one that doesn’t find birds. Another thing about the wagging, other dogs may not honor because they don’t recognize her stopping as a point. I’ll keep working with her. I can already tell a little difference and that’s all I look for. A little change at a time.
The 4 release traps in front of the whoa barrel.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
Babe pointing a pigeon.