Tur Bo on a stop to flush.
Another stop to flush.
Tur Bo on the retrieving bench.
The temperature was in the fifties this morning so I worked Tur Bo on the retrieving bench then on some pigeons hidden in release traps. The first thing, when I go down to the kennels, I clean all of the runs. I have a big pen, that surrounds my kennels, that I turn the grown dogs into. After I put the older dogs back in their kennel I turn the puppies out into the yard.
This morning, I took a handful of Puppy Chow and threw it in the grass for them to find. Two of the pups have already gone to their knew homes so I only had 2 English setters and an English cocker spaniel. The pups just pick at the food in the grass. Each of them will eat a few bites then go play. A few minutes later they will take another few bites.
I have some lawn chairs set up in front of the pigeon coops, in the shade. I sit in the shade as the pups play and every once in a while I will turn a pigeon loose. As soon as I open the door, to the pigeon coop, the puppies are trying to get in. I dizzied 3 or 4 pigeons and threw them in front of the pups. Before the pups would get close the pigeons flew away. The puppies chased. They have seen a lot of pigeons this way and it has made them bird crazy.
After I put the puppies back in the kennel I heeled Tur Bo to the retrieving bench. He jumped onto the bench and we walked back and forth with me petting him every few feet. I took a bumper and held it above his eye level and said fetch. He grabbed the bumper. I held it at his feet and he grabbed it. I told him fetch as I walked down the bench with the bumper touching the bench and he grabbed it. I told him to fetch 10 or 12 times and he grabbed the bumper each time holding it until I said give. While he was holding the bumper I set him on the ground.
I took the bumper and held it about chest level on me. I said fetch and he jumped up and grabbed the bumper. I had him hold it while we walked around. I said give and took the bumper. I held it near the ground and said fetch. He took the bumper but dropped it on the ground. I pointed at it and said fetch. He didn’t pick it up. I picked it up and held it about chest level. I said fetch and he grabbed it. We walked around then I said give and he dropped it in my hand.
I held the bumper close to the ground and said fetch. He grabbed it but promptly dropped it. I picked the bumper up and pinched his lip against his teeth. When I got close to him he grabbed the bumper. We walked a big circle with him holding the bumper until I said give. I held the bumper about chest level and said fetch. when he jumped to grab it he put his front feet on my chest. When he went back to the ground he dropped the bumper. I held the transmitter button down, on level 3, until I replaced the bumper in his mouth. We walked around with him holding the bumper. When I said give he dropped it in my hand.
I had him fetch several more times and he held it each time until I said give. I’m trying to be upbeat when he is retrieving on the ground to make him enjoy retrieving. He seems to enjoy the petting and me being upbeat but he could do without the retrieving bumper. I put the bumper away and told him to whoa.
I got on the 4-wheeler and released him to hunt. The last time he was worked on pigeons he was right on top of the release trap when he pointed. I think he is pointing then moving up a few steps. I decided to stay with him this morning and if he didn’t slam into a point I was going to flush the bird.
We went down my side all the way to the back then crossed over onto the neighbor’s side. I saw him smell the first pigeon and turn toward it. I flushed the pigeon. He stopped to the flush and I shot the blank pistol. I let him stand while I kicked the cover looking for another bird. I led him away and whoaed him. I got on the 4-wheeler and released him to hunt.
He got close to the next pigeon and wheeled around to point. I flushed the pigeon and he stopped to flush. I shot the blank pistol. I walked around kicking the cover then led him away. I had another pigeon real close so I whoaed him then tapped his head to release him.
He checked the release trap I had just flushed the last bird from then went back to hunting. He was on the wrong side of the next pigeon but when he got close I flushed it, also. He stopped to flush and I shot the blank pistol. I shot the blank pistol and said whoa. I continued to kick the cover then shot the blank pistol and said whoa. I had one more blank in the pistol so I shot it and said whoa. He’s stopping to the flush because I’ve always said whoa after the flush. Now I’m shooting the blank pistol and saying whoa. He should get to anticipating the whoa after the shot. This will give him two things telling him to whoa. The flush and the shot. let him run for awhile before returning to the kennel.
This evening after cleaning kennels I turned the 2 setters and the cocker spaniel out in my yard. The puppies hung around the chair I was sitting in for a little while wanting to be petted then crossed the yard to play in the fence row on the other side. While they were away from me I put 2 pigeons to sleep and hid them in the tall grass on my neighbor’s side. When they came back I called them and started walking toward the cover on my neighbor’s side. All 3 dogs were in front of me when they smelled the first pigeon. The male setter started toward the pigeon with the other 2 right behind. Before they got to the pigeon it woke up and flew away.
We continued on down the edge of the cover until they smelled the other pigeon. All 3 dogs turned about the same time but the female setter got there first. This pigeon was slower to wake up and she pounced on it. The other 2 dogs were coming to help when the pigeon woke up and flew away. They didn’t chase the first bird very far but they followed this one almost back to the pigeon coop. I let them play for a while before going back to the kennel.
I enjoy having puppies but I’m also happy when they go to their new home. Tomorrow will be ten weeks for the puppies and I have had to stay pretty close to home to take care of them. Every day I went down to the kennels twice. Some days 6 or 7 times when several people came to see them. But I have some well socialized puppies that really like people, birds and they aren’t afraid of the country. They have crossed fences, ditches and heavy cover. I’m ready for them to go to their new homes.
Another stop to flush.
Another pigeon.
The puppies like pigeons.