Training English Setters In The Mud, 3/11/19

We have had a lot of snow and ice, this winter, and the ground is saturated with the melted snow. I have 5 English setters that have hardly been out of their kennels for almost a month. The dogs and I both need some exercise. I, also, have a bunch of pigeons that need to be working.

I put two pigeons, in release traps, out on the training grounds. I had two more pigeons, in a bird bag, hanging on my shoulder. The dogs know what’s going to happen and when I get back to the kennel after putting the birds out, each dog is trying to get me to pick them.

Mann was the first. I put an e-collar on him, snapped a short check cord to his regular collar and heeled him out with the piggin’ string. We went away from the training grounds, toward the highway in front. I whoaed him a few times then whoaed him and put a pigeon to sleep, from the bird bag, and placed it about 3 feet in front of him. I stroked his sides then walked around him kicking my feet. I flushed the pigeon and he didn’t move. Just watched it fly away.

We went across the front of the yard then toward the back. When we got about even with the kennels on the way to the back I whoaed him and placed a pigeon in front of him after putting it to sleep. I took a few pictures then walked around him, kicking the ground. I stroked his sides and told him what a good boy he is. I flushed the pigeon and he watched it fly away, without moving.

I heeled him a few feet then whoaed him. I tapped his head and sent him to hunt. When I hid the pigeons the wind was out of the north. By the time we got down to where I had hidden the birds the wind had changed to the south east. He knew the birds were there and he covered everything. I had hidden one of the birds on the north fence line thinking a north wind would blow the scent to him. When the wind changed it made it hard for him. He was pretty close when he finally smelled the bird but he slammed into a point. I stroked his sides then walked in front of him, kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon. He watched it fly away. I tapped his head and sent him on.

He had been close to the second bird a couple of times but before I got near it he hit the scent cone and locked up. He was standing in the cover, on the north west side, where the south east wind could bring the scent to him. I took some pictures then walked around the pigeon kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and watched Mann. He never moved except for his head. I went to him and stroked his sides. I tapped his head and he went to hunting.

I took him by the retrieving bench. After petting him for a while I put a retrieving dummy in his mouth and said, “hold”. When I put it in his mouth we had a small rodeo for a few minutes. Finally, he quit fighting and held the dummy. I changed to a smaller retrieving dummy and placed it in his mouth. He fought for just a few seconds. We went through this 3 times and I put him on the ground. I let him run until we got back to the kennel.

I put the e-collar on Babe but she got an extra collar. She has been finding her birds then going to the west and staying gone for a while. She may be chasing deer or turkeys or just getting in a few extra miles. I put a GPS collar on her in addition to the e-collar. I heeled her toward the front. I whoaed her several times then whoaed her and put a pigeon to sleep and placed it about 3 feet in front of her. I took pictures then walked around her, kicking the ground. I flushed the pigeon and she stood and watched it fly away. I heeled her away.

When we came back close to the kennel I whoaed her and put another pigeon to sleep and placed it about 3 feet in front of her. I took pictures then walked around her kicking the cover. I woke the pigeon and she watched it fly away. I heeled her a few feet then released her to hunt.

Since Mann had trouble locating the pigeons (the wind had changed) I had moved them where the dogs could smell them easier. Babe pointed the first one and I took pictures. I walked in front of her after stroking her sides and telling her what a good girl she is. I flushed the pigeon and she watched it fly away. I stroked her sides and released her to hunt.

We were close to the back when she pointed. She decided to go see what was to the west of my property before finding the other bird. I watched her on the GPS. When she got about a hundred yards off my place I beeped her collar and called her name. According to the GPS she kept going away from me. I beeped her collar, called her name and held the button on the e-collar down on level 2. She kept going.

I waited, watching her distance on the GPS. She was still going away from me. I turned the e-collar to level 3. I beeped her e-collar, called her name and held the transmitter button down on level 3. She was having a good time. She kept going. I turned the e-collar to level 4. I beeped her e-collar, called her name and held the button on the transmitter down on level 4 for a couple of seconds. She came toward me. She acted happy to see me.

I had moved close to the second bird. When she came close I said, “look in here”. She went in front of me and went on point. I stroked her sides after taking pictures. I flushed the pigeon and she watched it fly away. I stroked her and released her to hunt.

She went off my place to the south, this time. When she got about 200 yards from me I beeped her, called her name and held the transmitter down, on level 2, for a couple of seconds. She kept going. I beeped her, called her name and held the button on the transmitter down, on level 3. She came to me.

I put her on the retrieving bench and walked her back and forth, petting her. I put a retrieving bumper in her mouth telling her to hold. She fought but didn’t fight it like Mann did. I had her hold it 3 times then let her run back to the kennel.

All of the dogs had been in their pens since the last hunt in Oklahoma. I decided to work them all. I put the e-collar on Sally, hooked the check cord to her collar and heeled her out with the piggin’ string. I heeled her toward the highway in front whoaing her ever once in a while. I’ve put a pigeon to sleep in front of her before but not real close. I put a pigeon to sleep and placed it about 3 feet in front of her.

I watched her pretty close. I took some pictures and walked around her. I flushed the pigeon. She stood and watched it fly away. I heeled her toward the back, whoaing her occasionally.

When we got close to the kennel I put another pigeon to sleep in front of her. I stroked her sides and walked around her after taking some pictures. I flushed the pigeon and she stood, watching it fly away. I heeled her a few feet then released her to hunt.

I saw Sally go on point through some brush. She was about 150 yards in front of me. She has always been real staunch. As I went toward her I saw her move up a couple of steps. I wasn’t ready for that but I took the release in my hand to be ready. I saw her turn her head to see where I was and she moved another step closer to the bird. I flushed the pigeon and yelled, “what did you do? Whoa”. She didn’t chase. I set her back where she was originally, stroked her and released her to hunt.

She pointed the next bird and I waited. She didn’t move. I took pictures then stroked her sides. I flushed the pigeon and she watched it fly away. I released her to hunt.

I put her on the retrieving bench to remind her that she knows how to retrieve. I placed 3 retrieving dummies on the other end of the bench and had her retrieve them. The first time I sent her she came back without a dummy. I sent her again and held the transmitter button down on level 2. She ran down the bench, grabbed a bumper and came back. She did the other 2 without stimulation. I had her do 3 more. She did them like she should have on the first 3. I let her run back to the kennel.

I reloaded the release traps and brought Tur Bo out. Tur Bo is a free spirit. He’s too smart for his own good, I think. I have to really watch him. He doesn’t move on wild birds but he knows he can catch some of these pigeons. He’s really fast at whatever he does. I heeled him toward the highway. I put a pigeon to sleep about 3 feet in front of him. I held the piggin’ string for a few seconds but he was standing real well. I took some pictures then walked around him. I flushed the pigeon and he watched it fly away. I heeled him away.

I was feeling pretty good about him. I put another pigeon to sleep and placed it about 3 feet in front of him. I took pictures then walked around him. I was watching him pretty close. When I was several feet away I saw him rear back. I yelled, “whoa” and started to him. About the time I got a hold of the piggin’ string he pounced. I was too late to stop him but when I pulled back on the piggin’ string the pigeon flew away. He knew he had messed up. He laid down. I had to stand him up and set him back. It wasn’t easy but I got the job done. I stroked him then released him to hunt.

He was about a 150 yards ahead of me when he went on point. I had the release in my hand but as I watched him, through some brush, he never moved. I stroked his sides when I got there then took some pictures. I walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon. He turned to watch it fly away. I stroked him then released him to hunt.

He pointed the second bird. I was 50 yards from him and didn’t get in a hurry to get to him. He didn’t move. I stroked him then released the pigeon. He watched it fly away. I let him run until we got to the retrieving bench.

I petted him then had him retrieve 3 bumpers two times then set him on the ground. I let him run back to the kennel.

Luke will be 9 years old in a few weeks and I know I’ve never put him on whoa and placed a pigeon real close to him. It wouldn’t be fair to work all of the dogs except him so I brought him out. I heeled him toward the highway. I whoaed him and he looked kind of disgusted. Like he was saying, “I’m too old for these games”. So the next time I whoaed him I placed a pigeon, I had put to sleep, in front of him. He liked that better. I took some pictures, walked around him and flushed the pigeon. He watched it fly away.

The next time I whoaed him he had a little style. When I put the pigeon in front of him he got rigid and raised his tail. I took some pictures then flushed the pigeon. He watched it fly away. I released him to hunt.

He thought I had more pigeons in the bird bag and didn’t want to get away from me. I laid the bag on the retrieving bench. He went to hunting. He pointed both of his birds and held them until I flushed them, as he always does.

I put him on the retrieving bench and petted him. I didn’t even try to get him to retrieve anything. At his age, he’s paid his dues. I let him run back to the kennel.

I enjoyed getting the dogs out. I was able to be with my dogs, go in my backyard and get 10 points. Not as good as hunting wild birds but almost. The Lord has blessed me. I have a great life.