I went hunting near Emporia, Kansas on 1/10/17. I moved 4 coveys of quail and didn’t fire a shot. Not a single bird held for the dogs. It was really windy but the birds were even more crazy than usual, for a windy day. I had several points but the quail ran then flushed way in front of the dogs. I was going again today but the wind was really strong so I worked young dogs instead.
Betsy working on heel and whoa.
Sally Joe on the retrieving bench.
Betsy pointing a pigeon.
I put e-collars on Betsy’s flanks and neck then clipped a check cord to her regular collar and heeled her out with a piggin’ string. We walked from the kennel to near the road in front of my house then to the retrieving bench in the back. I would heel her for a little way then say “whoa”. When she stopped I dropped the piggin’ string and continued to walk in front of her. Some of the time I walked to the front 15 yards then walked 15 yards behind her. While she is on whoa I sometimes pick up sticks and throw them or throw my hat. Anything to make her understand that no matter what she must stand still.
When we got to the retrieving bench I had her jump on. I like to walk the young dogs back and forth on the bench petting them every few feet. The dogs enjoy smelling your breathe when you are happy. I always set the dog on the ground from the bench. I don’t allow them to jump down. When it comes time to force break them to retrieve I don’t want the dog to jump down to end the session. I set her on the ground and heeled her to the chain gang. I took the e-collars and the check cord off.
I put the e-collars on Sally Joe’s flanks and neck. I had her drag a smaller check cord as I heeled her out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. I haven’t been working on heel and whoa with Sallie very long. Most of the time she heels pretty good but occasionally she wants to lead. Whichever way she tries to go I go the opposite. If she goes forward I go to the rear, if she goes to the left I go to the right. After a couple of these turns she starts watching me to see which way I will go.
I started stopping without saying anything for a couple of sessions. Now, I have started saying, “whoa” when I stop. Today I tried to walk around her while she stayed on whoa. A couple of times she let me walk around her but more often she wanted to move with me. When she moved I picked her up and set her back. Before I said, “heel” I tapped her on the head. Soon she will stay on whoa until I tap her head, I hope.
When we got to the retrieving bench I had her jump on. I put a little pressure on the piggin’ string and said, “up”. I also use “up” whenever they jump on their house or on the tail gate of the truck. I walked her back and forth petting her every few feet. I set her on the ground and heeled her to the chain gang. I took the e-collars and the check cord off her.
I hid 3 pigeons, in release traps, on the training grounds. I put the e-collars on Betsy’s neck and flanks, hooked the check cord to her regular collar and heeled her toward the training grounds. I whoaed her a couple of times before releasing her to hunt. It doesn’t take very many times before the dogs know exactly where the bird field is. I live on a busy highway but I never worry about the dogs getting into the road after a couple of sessions on the birds.
Betsy raced through the first part of the training grounds. I could tell she was checking each spot that she had ever found a pigeon before. The wind was out of the north and she went by the first pigeon on the wrong side but when she came by the second bird she slid into a point. I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. She didn’t move and when I got close to the pigeon I pushed the button to flush the bird. She chased the bird almost back to the pigeon coop.
Luke pointing a single.
When she came back we went on toward the back. She was pulling a really long check cord and it got tangled a couple of times. I had to get her untangled but I’ve had trouble with her going hunting by her self. With the check cord she thinks I have more control than I really have. The wind was swirling around and when she got on the down wind side of the third bird she pointed. I took pictures then flushed the pigeon. She chased again a long way.
Before I got her she was allowed to run with no one around. She learned to find and chase birds. It’s almost like she gets more out of chasing than pointing. When we got back near the first pigeon she was running really fast. She hit the scent cone and froze. I went to her and stroked her sides and belly. I told her what a good dog she is. I stepped on her check cord and flushed the pigeon. She hit the end of the check cord and stopped. She tried a couple of different directions then finally stood still. I set her back where she had originally pointed and stroked her sides. I tapped her head to release her to hunt.
Sally pointing a quail.
I walked back to the chain gang but Betsy didn’t. She was running really hard after her third bird so I was afraid she had decided to go off on her on. I got on the 4-wheeler and started looking for her. I found her just a short distance from the last pigeon she had pointed with her check cord hung in some bushes. I won’t run her again without a GPS collar. If she had of went hunting on her on and got hung up it would have been really hard to find her. I put her on the chain gang.
I put pigeons in the release traps. I took Sallie Joe off the chain gang with the e-collars on her neck and flanks. She really wanted to drag me to the birds but I made her heel and whoa a couple of times before releasing her to hunt.
She went on the wrong side of the first pigeon and went on toward the back. She was cutting through some brush when she got the scent of the pigeon. She pointed. I took pictures and walked in front of her. She hasn’t been worked on birds very long and it’s a big deal for me to get in front of her. Most of the pictures I took today were from the front. I could get in front but when I got close to where the pigeon was hidden she would move. At the first movement, even if she had a foot up and put it down, I flushed the bird. I want her to think any movement on her part will make the bird fly.
She was really hunting on the way to the back. Checking all of the clumps of brush. She went through some brush and hit the scent cone of the third pigeon at the back of the field. She was already standing looking in my direction. I walked straight toward her taking pictures as I walked. I got close and at my first kick she moved. I flushed the pigeon. She seldom chases but on this pigeon she chased a little way.
By the time we got back close to the where she had passed the first pigeon she had decided she had found all of the birds. She ran through the scent cone, turned, came back and pointed. I let her stand for a little while before I walked in front of her. She took a step and I flushed the pigeon. She watched it fly away. I got on the 4-wheeler and she ran in front around the yard. I took her back to the kennel. I heeled Betsy to the kennel from the chain gang. I whoaed her a few times on the way.
Today the weather was warm, 65 degrees, with strong winds. After the birds ran and flushed ahead of the dogs yesterday it was nice to be able to work the young dogs on birds that acted exactly as I wanted. With me having the button to control the release traps I have total control. I got 6 points in my back yard and all 6 birds held until I pressed the button. Perfect.
Betsy pointing a pigeon.
Sally Joe pointing a pigeon.
Sally on another pigeon.