I’m working Betsy and Sally on more things than the other dogs but all of them are being run for at least a few minutes several times a week. When I got Betsy she had never been taught to go with someone. She learned to self hunt because she was allowed to run with no supervision. I’m trying to get her to think that she must go with me because I know where the birds are. Sally is only 8 months old so she needs to be worked on all of the same things.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo after I flushed a pigeon.
Betsy pointing a pigeon at their house.
I put the e-collars on Betsy’s flanks and neck, snapped the check cord to her regular collar and heeled her out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. We headed to the east for about 150 yards then went north for about 50 yards then started back west. As we walked along I would say, “whoa”, drop the piggin’ string and keep walking. She would stop and not move. I walked to her front then all the way around.
To the east of my house is a highway so after we were away from the highway and were well started to the west I would say, “whoa”, drop the piggin’ string and walk way out front. I would kneel down then wait for about 30 seconds then call her to me. When she got to me I would give her a chunk of hot dog. Today she waited until I called her each time but the last time we worked on this she ran to me before I called her. When she did she didn’t get a hot dog. I picked her up and carried her back where she was. I set her down and said “whoa”. I heeled her away without her getting a hot dog. After a couple of times she waited until I called. She will work hard for a hot dog.
When we got to the retrieving bench she jumped to the top. I walked her back and forth petting her but also giving her a chunk of hot dog every once in a while. I took a bumper, opened her mouth and placed it behind the canines. I held her mouth shut telling her to “hold”. When she was holding the bumper without mouthing it I said, “give”, had her move her head away from the bumper and gave her a chunk of hot dog. We only did this about 5 or 6 times then I set her on the ground.
I put a half hitch around her flanks with the check cord and heeled her away from the bench. I whoaed her and took the piggin’ string off. I tapped her head to release her. When she drags a check cord she doesn’t run as hard as she does without it until she finds her first bird. She checked my side of the training grounds then went over to the neighbor’s side.
We crossed about the middle of the field so we went toward the back. She circled the edge of a clump of brush, smelled the pigeon and went on point. I stroked her sides then walked in front of her kicking the cover after taking some pictures. I let her stand for 45 seconds or so as I kicked the cover then flushed the pigeon. The bird didn’t even flap it’s wings. It went about 5 feet in the air then lit right beside the trap. Betsy didn’t move although she seemed to stand a little taller. The pigeon flew back over the top of Betsy. When it went over her she turned and watched it fly away. I stroked her sides then released her by tapping her on the head.
She hunted to the very back then we turned and started back. She missed the other pigeon I had hidden and when I found her she was pointing the pigeons that had flown back to the coop. I took a few pictures then led her away. We went back to the training field.
3 hot dogs cut into pieces.
She pointed the pigeon. She was standing in some short grass and I had to walk in front of her to flush the pigeon. Last week I tied the check cord to a tree with just a little slack but the check cord wasn’t long enough to reach anything. I stroked her sides then walked in front after taking pictures. I kicked the cover and flushed the pigeon. The bird flew straight away and she never moved. I went to her and stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is. I released her and we went back to the kennel.
I put the e-collars on Sally, snapped the check cord to her regular collar and heeled her away with the piggin’ string. We went toward the highway, across the front then back toward the west. The first time I said, “whoa” and walked in front of her she turned sideways and started smelling the ground. When I saw her I held the button on the transmitter down on 1 low, picked her up and set her back where she had started from. She looked at me like, “oh, when you say whoa I can’t move anything”. The rest of the time she did fine.
When we got to the retrieving bench she jumped to the top. I walked her back and forth, petting her and feeding her hot dog chunks. I placed a retrieving dummy behind her canine teeth and told her to hold. I have done this with her 5 or 6 times so she opens her mouth with just a little help from me. Most of the time she holds until I tell her to give. When I tell her to give I have a hot dog chunk ready for her as soon as she moves her head away from the dummy. I have her hold the dummy 5 or 6 times then put her on the ground. I heel her away from the table then release her to hunt.
We got to the very back of the neighbor’s side of the training grounds and my wife, June called. She was teaching a line dance class and had left some of her stuff at home. It was time for the class to start so she needed me to bring it to her. Sally and I started back to the kennels. Sally hit the scent cone on one of the pigeons and went on point. I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and she chased a short distance. We went on back to the kennel.
Sally on point.
After I came back from delivering the stuff to June I got Sally out again. I still had a pigeon in the release trap. The wind was really blowing and Sally was across a clump of brush from the pigeon when she went on point. I took pictures then went around to the other side of the clump kicking the cover. There must be a power saver on the release trap. When I hit the button to release the bird the trap had turned off. As I started into the clump to turn the release trap on Sally moved up a step. I whoaed her. She stopped so I turned the trap back on. She moved up to about 3 feet from the trap and pointed again. I went back around the clump, picked her up and set her back where she had originally pointed. I went back around the clump and kicked the cover then flushed the pigeon. She chased then came back and hunted through the clump. We hunted back to the kennel.
After I ate lunch I put the e-collars on Tur Bo, hooked the check cord to his collar and led him out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. Tur Bo has to take a little step when the bird flushes. His back feet don’t always move but the front ones do. He, also, thinks he can release his self when I whoa him. He only did that once during bird season but that is once too often.
I heeled him to the highway, turned north then back to the west. When we were well away from the highway I whoaed him, walked about 30 yards in front of him, knelt down and called him to me. When he got to me I gave him a chunk of hot dog. The second time I whoaed him and walked ahead he self released. (He came before I called him.) I picked him up, carried him back and set him where he was originally. I walked around him then heeled him away.
Luke on point and Lucky, on the left, honoring.
I whoaed him again. I walked about 30 yards, knelt down and waited. This time I was ready. I held my hand on the button on the transmitter. He took a step and I held the button down on the flank e-collar on 2 low. He stopped and I went to him. I led him away. I whoaed him again and walked about 30 yards in front of him. I knelt down watching him. After about 45 seconds I called him and gave him a chunk of hot dog. He did this 3 more times with no mistakes.
He jumped onto the retrieving bench and I petted him. I put 3 dummies on the other end and when he retrieved them I gave him a chunk of hot dog. I put him on the ground and released him to hunt.
I had 3 pigeons in release traps about 5 yards from each other so that whichever one he pointed I would flush the other two before the one he was pointing. I took some pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. The way he was pointing put him in line with a bird just the other side of the pigeon he was pointing. I flushed the farthest bird. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then flushed a pigeon to the right. Again, he watched the bird fly away without moving. When he looked back at the bird he was pointing I flushed it. His back feet didn’t move but his front ones did. I set him back and walked around him, making him stay on point. I released him and we went back to the kennel.
I also worked Luke and Dolly on some retrieves after running for a few minutes. Lucky just got to run for a few minutes then I fed him some hot dogs. At 13 years old he doesn’t have to work for his hot dogs.
Tur Bo moving after the bird flushes doesn’t bother me a bit but him thinking he can move once I tell him whoa does. During the season a dog that he couldn’t see was on point and I whoaed him then waited on my hunting partner to get there. Tur Bo didn’t see anything happening so he wanted to go back to hunting. He stopped when I whoaed him again but he shouldn’t have moved. We have a long time to work on this.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
Head shot of Betsy.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.