Most of the mornings are still too warm to work dogs very much but I get the puppies out for a little while. They are young enough to take a little more heat and smart enough to lie down when they get too hot. The older dogs, usually, will not quit.
Babe on whoa.
Mann on whoa.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
I have a friends female here to breed to Tur Bo so I have the puppies in a run, together. I usually get them on their house to put the e-collars on but with both in the same run it’s too hard. I brought Mann out of the run and put the e-collars around his neck and flanks, snapped the check cord to his collar and led him away with the piggin’ string.
The e-collars aren’t turned on and I don’t even have a transmitter with me. I just want them to get used to the e-collars and dragging a check cord. While they are hunting and pointing the pigeons I’ve never even picked up the check cord. The only time I handle the check cord is when I’m teaching them to kennel.
I walked Mann to the front of my yard, heeling and whoaing him every few feet. This morning was the first time I dropped the piggin’ string and walked several yards out front and to the rear. Both puppies handled it real well. They have figured out that when I say, “whoa” they are not to move their feet but only when I have the piggin’ string on them.
When we got close to the retrieving bench I took the piggin’ string off and grabbed the check cord. I had Mann kennel 3 times from about 5 yards away from the air line crate. I had him jump onto the retrieving bench and petted him for a few minutes then put him on the chain gang.
Since Babe was now in the kennel by her self, I had her jump onto her house and put the e-collars and check cord on her. I led her out with the piggin’ string. I heeled and whoaed her all around the yard. I, also, dropped the piggin’ string and walked out front of her and then made big circles around her. She didn’t move until I tapped her head and said, “heel”.
She kenneled from a short distance, maybe 5 yards, in the air line crate. After 3 times I had her jump onto the retrieving bench and I petted her for a few minutes. I put her on the chain gang.
I hid two pigeons, in release traps, on the training ground. I take the e-collars and check cord off the puppies when I put them on the chain gang. If they are too hyper when I come to put the e-collars on them at the chain gang I go to the other puppy. They learn pretty quick that they must stand still for me to hook them up. As I take them off the chain gang I drop the chain and pet them for a few seconds. If you drop the chain and immediately lead them away they learn to move when the chain hits the ground. I want them to move when I say move.
I heeled Mann to the front of the 4-wheeler whoaing him several times before turning him loose to hunt. I followed on the 4-wheeler. I had hidden both birds on the neighbor’s side but had ridden the 4-wheeler down both sides so the puppies wouldn’t learn to just follow the 4-wheeler tracks. Mann went down one side and back the other on my side then crossed to the neighbor’s side.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
Mann hunted the middle then went on toward the back. A couple of days ago he was taking a step when I got off the 4-wheeler and I flushed his birds for him. This morning when he pointed I took pictures from the 4-wheeler and when I got off he didn’t move. He was pretty close to the hidden bird so when I kicked the cover I flushed the pigeon. He chased a few feet then went back to hunting.
We went back to the front. He pointed the pigeon from several yards away. Both pigeons he pointed when he hit the scent cone. The first one he was close to this one he was maybe 10 yards from. I took pictures then walked in front of him. I kicked the cover about 5 times then flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move until the bird flushed. He chased a short distance then went back to hunting.
I went to the chain gang, started petting Babe and called Mann. He came right to me to be snapped to the chain gang. I reloaded the release traps.
I put the e-collars and check cord on Babe and heeled her to the front of the 4-wheeler, whoaing her several times on the way. I tapped her head and said, “okay”. I tried to stay with her on the 4-wheeler. Both of these puppies hit the brush and move fast enough that it’s hard to stay with them. She went down one side and back the other on my side then crossed to the neighbor’s side.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
For some reason Babe has not decided to point and hold it. She wants to move to the other side, then move again, circling the bird and if I’m walking she comes to me. I have been flushing her birds as soon as I can tell she smells them. The first bird she was ahead of me and pointed then moved. I saw her when she moved and flushed the pigeon. She chased a short ways then went back to hunting.
The next bird I saw her when she smelled it and flushed the pigeon. The bird flew to a limb above the release trap. She pointed into the tree and jumped trying to get to the bird. I rode the 4-wheeler away calling her. She got in front of the 4-wheeler and we went back to the chain gang.
I moved the release traps, putting one on the front side of the neighbor’s and one on the front of my side. Most of the good places to put birds I have put birds in the past. It’s hard to find new places but I usually mix it up so the puppies have to hunt for the birds.
I heeled Mann out with all the stuff on. I tapped his head to release him and jumped onto the 4-wheeler. He ran both sides of my place without coming close to the bird I had hidden then crossed to the neighbor’s side. He hunted the middle then on to the back and started back to the front. I had hidden this bird in a tall strip of grass. He smelled it from a distance and pointed. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. After about 5 or 6 kicks I flushed the pigeon. He chased then went back to hunting.
We went over to my side. When I saw him on point I could just see his tail sticking up around a clump of brush. I took a picture and the camera focused on something else and he was blurry. I wish I had of taken another or noticed it wasn’t right to start with. I went in front of him kicking the cover and flushed the pigeon. He chased then went back to hunting.
I went back to the chain gang and called him. When I started petting Babe he came to me. I’ve been having some trouble with him wanting to continue hunting instead of coming to me. Petting Babe seems to make him want to come to me. I hooked him to the chain gang then reloaded the release traps.
Luke
I heeled Babe out with everything on. I released her to hunt. She went down one side then back the other but not even close to the pigeon hidden on my side. She crossed to the neighbor’s side. She went toward the front and smelled the pigeon. As she started to point I flushed the bird. It was young pigeon and came out really low, just skimming the ground. Babe was right behind it as it finally got some height. She went back to hunting.
We crossed over to my side and Babe was ahead of me enough that she smelled the next bird and pointed. I saw her just as she started to move and flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance then went back to hunting. I released Mann and let them run for a few minutes then took them back to the kennel.
Babe has a good nose and looks really good hunting. I wish she would point like Mann does but she doesn’t. Most of the time when she points the birds that have flown into the trees she has as much style as Mann does. The few times I’ve got pictures of her points she hasn’t had much style. At 5 months old I’m not going to give up on her any time soon.
Both puppies know; up, whoa, here, heel and kennel. Probably, this next week I’m going to start working them with the e-collar turned on. A very light correction. I will start with the kennel command and go from there. We will see how it works.
Mann on point.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
Mann in the brush, pointing a pigeon.