Tur Bo
Blaze
Luke
I worked the young dogs on pigeons again. Most times, Blaze and Luke are pretty steady on the birds even when I throw one as they are running. Tur Bo is still jumping at the flush. When he’s running and I throw a pigeon he takes a few steps before stopping. He’ll get it. He’s a young dog and I’m not using much pressure.
I put 5 pigeons in a bird bag then hid two of them, in release traps, on the training grounds. I put e-collars on Tur Bo’s neck and flanks then heeled him to the training grounds. The ground is still wet and I’m trying to limit how much I use the 4-wheeler. After the grass greens up it won’t make much difference but now it creates ruts and mud holes. I released him and when I got to the first pigeon he was on point. I circled around the brush the pigeon was hidden in, after taking pictures. I kicked the cover and dropped a pigeon. I was about 15 yards from him with some brush between us and he never moved. He just watched the bird fly away. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. His front feet moved at the flush and at the shot. I set him back and stroked his sides. I led him away then released him.
He hunted all of my neighbors side of the training grounds then crossed over to my side. He pointed the next pigeon and I went around to the other side of the brush he was pointing into. I dropped a pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He was steady when the pigeon flew away but his front feet moved at the shot. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took one step then stopped. I picked him up and set him back. I let him stand as I kicked the cover then led him away and released him.
We started to the back of the training grounds and as he came close I threw a pigeon in front of him. I said whoa and he stopped. He stood and watched the bird fly away. I tapped his head to release him. He hunted back to the kennel.
I heeled Blaze to the edge of the training grounds with the e-collars on her neck and flanks. I released her and she missed the pigeon I had hidden, on her first pass so we hunted to the back. On our trip back through, on my neighbors side, she pointed the bird in the release trap. I walked around to the other side of the brush she was pointing into, dropped the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then flushed the pigeon in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides, led her away then released her.
She’s hard to fool. I tried to get her to hunt on my neighbors side some more but she knew she had already covered it and started hunting my side. She pointed the pigeon and I walked to the other side of the brush. I dropped a pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon in the release trap. She never moved even when I shot the blank pistol. I led her away then released her.
She ran down the tree line, across the fence row at the back and was coming up the ditch that splits the neighbors property from mine when I threw a pigeon in front of her. Without me doing anything she stopped. I didn’t say whoa or hit the e-collar. This is the start of her learning to stop to flush. I went to her and stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is. I tapped her head and she hunted back to the kennel.
I heeled Luke down to the edge of the training grounds with an e-collar on his neck and flanks. I released him to hunt and he was on point when I got to the first pigeon. I walked around to the other side of the brush after taking pictures. I kicked the cover, dropped a pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides and led him away. I released him to hunt.
We hunted on to the back then crossed to my side. After he pointed the pigeon in the release trap I walked to the other side of the brush. I dropped a pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover. I flushed the pigeon in the release trap. He never moved even when I shot the blank pistol. I stroked his sides then led him away. I tapped his head for the release.
We hunted toward the back. He went into some woods and when he came out he was behind me. When he ran by me I threw a pigeon in front of him. If he had of been coming toward me he would have stopped but this was something new. When he came by I threw the pigeon right in front of him and he went with it. I yelled whoa and he stopped. I will try this again but I think the next time he will stop. I stroked his sides then tapped his head. He hunted back to the kennel.
Next week I should be able to ride the 4-wheeler to keep up with the dogs. It’s getting dryer. With the nicer weather I may start force fetch training on all 3 young dogs. I would like to be able to send the dogs to retrieve instead walking to the area then getting them to hunt dead. I worked a continental hunt at Bird Fever Hunting Preserve this weekend and saw some great retrieves from Keith’s Labs. There is no reason that pointing dogs couldn’t learn to go in a straight line then over as necessary and do the retrieve. It will be fun to try. We will see how it works out.
Luke
Tur Bo