Tur Bo
Blaze
Luke
The last time I trained these young dogs I put 5 pigeons in a circle and flushed all 5 birds before the dogs could move. I have 5 release traps and today I put 2 close together at the first part of the training grounds, 2 close together in the middle and 1 at the very back.
I put the e-collars on Blaze and heeled her out near the 4-wheeler. I started the 4-wheeler and released her with an okay. It was cold with a strong wind from the north and Blaze went by the first birds without getting the scent. She slid to a point on the pigeons hidden in the middle part of the training grounds. I walked in front of her, flushed the other pigeon that was about 10 yards from the one she was pointing and shot the blank pistol. She turned her head but didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the bird she was pointing. She didn’t move even when I shot the blank pistol. I stroked her sides and told her what a good girl she is. I started the 4-wheeler and released her with an okay.
She was on point on the pigeon hidden at the back fence row by the time I got there. I walked in front of her kicking the cover, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides, started the 4-wheeler and released her.
She was still hunting the grounds when we got back to the first part of the training grounds. She hit the scent cone of a pigeon and slid to a stop. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon that was about 10 yards away and shot the blank pistol. She turned her head but didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the bird right in front of her. I shot the blank pistol but she never moved. I stroked her sides and told her what a good girl she is. I tapped her head for the release. I let her run before returning to the kennel.
I put the e-collars on Tur Bo and heeled him out near the 4-wheeler. The last time, when I heeled him out and put him on whoa, he tried to say when it would end. Before I released him he took off. I yelled whoa one time then when he didn’t stop pressed the button on the e-collar around his flanks. I held the button down and turned the levels up until he stopped. He was about 150 yards down the field when he finally stopped. I rode the 4-wheeler to him, picked him up and rode back to the starting point. I set him down and said whoa. He stood until I released him. Today, I heeled him out and said whoa. He stopped and I took the piggin’ string off, hung it on a post in the kennel, got on the 4-wheeler, started it and looked around for about 30 seconds before I said okay. He didn’t move until I said okay. He really doesn’t like to ride on the 4-wheeler.
When I got to the first birds he was on point. I walked in front of him kicking the cover and flushed the pigeon that was about 10 yards away. He danced a little but didn’t take a step even when I shot the blank pistol. When he went back on point on the bird in front of him I started kicking the tall grass again. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took a couple of steps then stopped. I set him back, started the 4-wheeler and released him.
He slammed into a point on one of the pigeons in the middle of the field. I walked in front of him and flushed the other pigeon. It was a young pigeon. It hit a limb on a tree and flopped around then lit on a limb about 8 feet off the ground. Tur Bo thought he could catch it. When he moved I said whoa but that didn’t work. I held the button down on the e-collar around his flank. He stopped, short of where the pigeon was in the tree. I picked him up and carried him back. I set him down where he had been on point. I kicked in front of him and tried to flush the pigeon but the release trap wouldn’t work. I reached down to turn it on and Tur Bo came to help me. I whoaed him and set him back. I kicked in front of him and tried to release the bird but it still didn’t work. I knelt down to release the pigeon by hand and Tur Bo was trying to get the bird. I held the button on the e-collar on his flanks down, on level 3 and set him back. I released the pigeon by hand and shot the blank pistol. Finally, he didn’t move. I stroked his sides then started the 4-wheeler and released him.
He ran by the last bird then came back and pointed. I walked in front of him kicking the cover, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He danced some but didn’t actually take a step. I thought, “thank you, Lord.” I stroked his sides and told him what a good boy he is. I tapped his head for a release. I let him run before going to the kennel.
Blaze will be 3 years old in February but there haven’t been very many quail in her lifetime. She’s a year and a half older than Tur Bo but hasn’t seen very many more quail than he has. This year we have more quail so they both should become bird dogs.