Tur Bo
Blaze
Luke
I got back to working the young dogs this morning. The dogs and I enjoy working the pigeons in the backyard. I hid 2 pigeons in release traps and carried another 3 pigeons in a bird bag. As I heeled Tur Bo out with the e-collars on his neck and flanks Luke started barking. I whoaed Tur Bo next to the 4-wheeler and went to put a bark collar on Luke. When I came back Tur Bo was lying down. He knew Luke was in trouble but he thought he was in trouble, too. I stood him up but he went right back down on his belly. I put the piggin’ string on him and led him a few feet. When I whoaed him he stayed up.
I got on the 4-wheeler and released him with an okay. There was a bush between me and him when he went on point. I parked the 4-wheeler and went in front of him kicking the cover. I took a pigeon from the bird bag and dropped it. Tur Bo watched it fly away without moving. I shot the blank pistol and he still didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon in the release trap. He flinched without moving his feet when the bird flushed but when I shot the blank pistol he moved his front feet. I set him back then led him away. I tapped his head and he went back to hunting.
He pointed the second pigeon hidden in the release trap. I went in front of him kicking the cover and dropped a pigeon from the bird bag. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon in the release trap. He didn’t move until I shot the blank pistol. He moved his front feet without moving the back feet. I stroked his sides then led him away. I tapped his head and he went back to hunting.
I still had one pigeon in the bird bag. He was running toward me when I threw a pigeon right over his head. He almost did a back flip but stopped at my whoa. I let him stand for a few seconds then tapped his head to release him. I got on the 4-wheeler and let him run to the back side of my place then back to the kennel.
I put 5 more pigeons in my bird bag then reloaded the release traps hidden on the training grounds. I put the e-collars on Blaze’s neck and flanks then heeled her out near the 4-wheeler. I released her with an okay. She missed both birds on the way through but came back around and pointed the first one. I walked in front of her kicking the cover after taking pictures. I dropped a pigeon from the bird bag 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 led her away and released her to hunt.
She pointed the second pigeon. I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I dropped a pigeon from the bird bag and shot the blank pistol. She watched it fly away but didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon from the release trap and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides then led her away. She went back to hunting.
I had another pigeon in the bird bag. It’s really hard to tell a young pigeon from a full grown bird. When Blaze came close I threw a pigeon in front of her and she stopped but the bird lit right in front of her. She started to the pigeon and I whoaed her. She stopped and the pigeon started walking away. I went in front of her to catch the pigeon and Blaze started moving. I whoaed her again and she watched the pigeon walk away. When the pigeon got in the fence row I led Blaze in the other direction. I kept her moving away from the pigeon even though she wanted to go back. I let her run to the back on my side of the training grounds then back to the kennel.
I had to wait for about 45 minutes for my pigeons to return to their coop before I could work Luke but when they returned he was ready to go. I replaced the 2 pigeons in the release traps then with 3 more in the bird bag I put the e-collars on Luke. I followed him to the first bird on the 4-wheeler.
Luke was pointing so far from the first bird that I didn’t think he could smell it. I said “okay” and he moved about 5 or 6 feet and pointed again. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I dropped a pigeon from the bird bag and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon from the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides then led him away. He went back to hunting.
He pointed the second pigeon. I took more pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I dropped a pigeon from the bird bag in front of him and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then flushed the pigeon in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He still didn’t move. I led him away after stroking his sides and telling him what a good boy he was. I released him to hunt.
I still had a pigeon in the bird bag and when Luke came close to me I threw it in front of him and he stopped. This is a good exercise to get dogs used to stopping to flush. Luke and Blaze usually stop but today with the bird landing right in front of Blaze, it made her want to catch it. Tur Bo will stop when I whoa him but he will soon learn to stop on the sight of the pigeon.
If dogs stop to flush you might be able to get a shot at any birds that didn’t fly when the first bird or birds flew. This also makes them steadier when a covey or group of birds flush. There is often a bird or two that doesn’t flush when the covey does. This might give you another shot.
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Tur Bo
Luke