Tur Bo
Blaze
Luke
I worked young dogs this morning while it was still cool. The scenting conditions must have been real good because all 3 dogs pointed well off the pigeons. I was going to flush Blaze’s birds if she took a step after hitting the scent cone but she slammed into a point both times.
I started by putting 5 pigeons in a bird bag. I hid 2 pigeons, in release traps, on the training grounds then heeled Tur Bo out with the Sport Dog collar on his neck and another around his flanks. I tried to stay up with him on the 4-wheeler but by the time I got to the first bird he was on point. I walked in front of him kicking the cover after taking pictures. I took a pigeon from the bird bag and dropped it behind me 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 flinched but he didn’t move his feet. I went to him, stroked his sides and led him away. I released him to hunt.
He pointed the second pigeon and I walked in front of him after taking more pictures. There was a large tree between where I was kicking and where Tur Bo was standing. I took a pigeon from the bird bag, dropped it behind me and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon in the release trap. Again, he flinched at the flush and at the shot but he didn’t move his feet. I stroked his sides, led him away and released him to hunt.
I walked toward the front of the training grounds then back toward the back. Tur Bo was checking everything and staying in front of me. I still had 1 pigeon in the bird bag and when he was about 40 yards in front of me, coming toward me, I threw the pigeon. The bird flew toward him but off to his right and he whirled sideways and stopped. I stroked his sides then released him. I let him run to the back on both sides of the training grounds before taking him back to the kennel.
I reloaded my release traps with 2 more pigeons then heeled Blaze out with the e-collars on her neck and flanks. I really wanted to stay up with her so I could flush her pigeons if she got too close. Lucky for me she went on the wrong side of her first bird so we went on to the back. She pointed just as soon as she hit the scent cone on the bird at the back of the field. She was looking the wrong way but she had stopped at the first hint of scent. Instead of kicking where the bird was I kicked in front of her. I dropped a pigeon from the bird bag and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover in front of her and flushed the pigeon from the release trap. It was about 15 yards behind her and she turned her head to watch it fly away but she didn’t move her feet even when I shot the blank pistol. I stroked her sides and led her away. I released her to hunt after I got on the 4-wheeler.
She was really going when she hit the scent cone on the next pigeon and dug in with her front feet and her rear end slid around. I walked in front of her kicking the cover after taking more pictures. I took a pigeon from the bird bag, dropped it behind me and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and led her away. I released her to hunt.
I walked her to the front of the grounds then back toward the back. She was crossing about 25 yards in front of me and I threw a pigeon in front of her. She slid to a stop and watched it fly away. I went to her, stroked her sides and released her to hunt. I let her run on to the back on both sides then back to the kennel.
I knew I was going to have to wait on some pigeons to come back before I could work anymore dogs so I got my lawn mower out. Last fall I had lost one of my transmitters, to the release traps, on the training grounds. I had a spare but it didn’t work as well as the one I had lost. I thought it was probably lying in the grass where I had been hiding birds the day I lost it. I took the lawn mower to the strip of grass where I thought it would be and raised the mower deck real high. I made one round and I saw it lying on the ground. The mower had just nicked the transmitter. I think after replacing the battery the transmitter will be just fine.
After my pigeons came back I put the e-collars on Luke and heeled him out near the 4-wheeler. I released him and followed on the 4-wheeler. He pointed the first pigeon and I walked in front after taking pictures. I was kicking the cover and dropped a pigeon from the bird bag. I shot the blank pistol and he never moved. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. I stroked his sides the led him away. I released him to hunt.
He was headed up the hill when he hit the scent cone on the next pigeon and pointed. I had the big tree between us and took a pigeon from the bird bag. I dropped the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon from the release trap. He didn’t move even when I shot the blank pistol. I stroked his sides and led him away. I released him to hunt.
I walked toward the front then went toward the back. Luke stayed in front of me. When he came by about 25 yards in front of me I threw a pigeon in front of him. He stopped without me saying anything. I stroked his sides then released him. We hunted on to the back on both sides before going back to the kennel.
If you read most of these posts about dog training you think he does it the same every day or I’ve already read this one. Well, that’s dog training. Dogs learn by repetition. You set up the exercises so the dogs will have success then do it over and over. Luke and Blaze are ready to move on to different exercises but this is still good for Tur Bo. Tur Bo is still less than 2 years old.
I may get another place that is a lot larger to run the dogs on soon. If so, it is close enough my pigeons will come home and I may be able to use some call back pens with quail. Being able to work the dogs on quail would really help the training program.
Tur Bo
Blaze
Luke