The mornings are cooler, right now, than they have been. At least the puppies will lie down in the shade when they get too hot. The older dogs aren’t that smart. I think, they would run until they passed out. Usually, July and the first part of August is too hot for the older dogs.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
I have a real good camera that I don’t really know how to use. Babe looked better in some of the pictures I tried to take but the camera went to videos. I don’t know why. Trying to watch a puppy and flush the pigeon at the puppies first movement is a full time job. To take pictures just adds to the problem.
Delmar Smith said that the sire and dam put the tail where it is going to be and I believe this. When I’m working puppies, especially as young as these, I never touch their tail or push on their butt or talk to them. I just stand and watch for any movement. If they have a foot in the air and put it down I flush the pigeon. If they take a step I flush the pigeon. I want that puppy to know that any movement on his part will flush that bird. It will, most of the time, on wild birds.
I left the puppies in the kennel until I hid three pigeon, in release traps, on the training grounds. I turned Babe out and we started down to the training grounds. When she got about 40 yards ahead of me I called her back and gave her a little piece of hot dog. The puppies have been running away from me when it comes time to put them up or put them on the chain gang and the hot dogs help. Babe came to me and I petted her after giving her the chunk of hot dog. I released her to hunt.
I walk the puppies on these same grounds, sometimes, without having any birds hidden. The puppies seem to know the difference. When I have birds out they hunt harder. Babe has been a little slower than Mann on hunting and pointing but the last couple of times she has done better. She came to the first bird and slammed into a point. I took the top picture then as her tail came up my camera went to video. My blog won’t take a video. She took a step and I flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance then went back to hunting.
There was almost no wind this morning. On her next bird she got too close and I flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance then went back to hunting.
She smelled the third bird hidden on the training grounds and went toward it without pointing. I flushed the pigeon. She chased then went back to hunting.
I’ve been wanting to see this in Babe. She hasn’t been hunting or even acting as if she cares for pigeons at all but now she’s trying to find the birds. It just takes some puppies longer than others to let their prey drive kick in. I called her to me, gave her some hot dog chunks and put her on the chain gang.
I reloaded the release traps and turned Mann out. I rode the 4-wheeler so I could keep up with him. He went to the neighbor’s side. He went on wrong side of the first bird and went on to the back. He came around the fence row on the back and hit the scent cone. He pointed with a lot of style. He decided to turn into the scent better and I flushed the pigeon. He chased then went back to hunting.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
I left the 4-wheeler thinking I could keep up with him. He started back toward the first bird then crossed to my side. He went to the back on the south side, crossed the back then back toward me on the north. He crossed back to the neighbor’s side. We went on to the front. When he hit the scent cone he pointed. I took pictures and didn’t move. He stood for a long time with a rear foot in the air. I’m surprised how many times he points with a rear foot in the air. I stood watching him until he set the rear foot on the ground and I flushed the pigeon. He chased then went back to hunting.
The bird hidden on my side was close to the front along the north fence line. When we crossed to my side I called him to me and gave him some hot dog then walked toward the north fence line. He was well out front when he caught the scent and slammed into a point. I stopped and took some pictures. He took a step and I flushed the pigeon. He chased then went back to hunting. I called him to me, gave him some hot dog and put him on the chain gang.
I reloaded the release traps and came back to the chain gang. I gave both puppies some hot dog. I want to be the nice guy and let the chain gang be the bad guy. I rescue the puppies from the chain gang. I released Babe and went hunting.
I had moved all of the release traps and she got birdy where the first pigeons had been hidden. Dogs remember places really well. She was hunting hard but when she hit the scent cone on the first bird she went toward it. I flushed the pigeon. She chased and then went back to hunting.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
Went to the neighbor’s side. There still was almost no wind blowing. She was close to the next bird when she pointed. She had her front foot in the air and when she put it down I flushed the pigeon. She chased then went back to hunting.
When she pointed the third bird she held for a little longer than she had been. I quietly watched her until she decided to take a step. I flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance.
On the way back to the chain gang I called her to me a couple of times and gave her some hot dog chunks. For me, this works well. I put her on the chain gang.
I reloaded the release traps. I gave both dogs some hot dog chunks then released Mann to hunt. After he’s run one time and fought the chain gang for a while he’s not too fast for me. I can keep up, most of the time. I may not be able to keep up when he gets a little older though.
Another dash for hot dogs.
I had the pigeon, on my side, close to the crossing to the neighbor’s side and he nailed it. He stood for quite a while with me watching for any movement. He took a step and I flushed the pigeon. He chased then crossed to the neighbor’s side.
He headed to the back. Even at less than 14 weeks old these puppies remember where I have hidden birds for them in the past. They check them all. He hit the scent cone and wanted to get a step or two closer. I flushed the pigeon. He chased for a short distance.
It was all I could do to be there when he smelled the next bird. He had to check all of the places he thought there might be a bird. I knew where the bird was and I cut across. When he hit the scent cone he pointed. His rear foot was raised and when he put it down I flushed the pigeon.
On the way back to the chain gang I called him back and fed him some hot dog. I released Babe and let them play. I usually let them play for 15 minutes or longer. As the puppies play I sit in the shade thinking about what a great life I have.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
Mann pointing a pigeon.