Tur Bo
Blaze
Luke
I finally got to work the young dogs today. The dogs, pigeons and I needed the exercise. Plus it was fun for the dogs and me. I put 5 pigeons in a bird bag and hid 2 of them on my side of the training grounds. I rode the 4-wheeler on my neighbor’s side and on my side of the training grounds. If I don’t drive on both sides the dogs learn to follow the 4-wheeler tracks to the hidden birds.
I put the e-collars on Tur Bo’s neck and flanks then heeled him close to the 4-wheeler. I released him and we went down on the neighbor’s side of the grounds. I make all of the dogs run to the very back and check the back fence line each time. If I don’t make them finish out their casts here they will not finish them when I’m hunting. We checked all of the neighbor’s side then went across to my side.
Tur Bo came in front of me and down the edge to the very end. He crossed the back to the north and slammed into a point. I took pictures then walked in front of him. I kicked the cover, dropped a pigeon from the bird bag and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the bird from the release trap. The pigeon flew about 4 feet high and started back down. As Tur Bo started after the pigeon I shot the blank pistol. He grabbed the pigeon and I knelt down saying, “bring it to me”. He dropped it in my hand. The pigeon wasn’t hurt.
If I had started yelling “whoa”, “no” or anything else he could have gotten the idea that I didn’t want him to retrieve. Even if he had killed the pigeon, it is worth about $4. A dog that will point, back and retrieve is worth a lot. Sometimes it only takes a few words to stop a dog from retrieving.
I stood him back up in the same place he was on point originally, dropped a pigeon from the bird bag and shot the blank pistol. He really watched the pigeon to make sure it flew away but he didn’t move. I went to him and stroked his sides then released him.
He ran the edge back toward the front and went on point when he hit the scent cone. I took more pictures then went in front of him kicking the cover. I dropped the pigeon from the bird bag and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the bird in the release trap. He flinched and really watched the pigeon but it flew well. I stroked his sides then released him. He ran back to the kennel.
I brought Blaze out with the e-collars on her neck and flanks. I followed her on the 4-wheeler toward the back of my neighbor’s side. About half way through the neighbor’s side she went on point. I thought she was just anticipating where a bird would be so I rode on to the back. She didn’t come on back so I started back to the front. She was still on point. It wasn’t a bird I had put out. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. Nothing flushed. I tapped her head and she went back to hunting. We covered the neighbor’s side then crossed over to my side.
She ran down the south edge to the end, turned to the north and went on point. I took pictures then walked in front of her. I dropped a pigeon from my hand and shot the blank pistol. She 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 released her to hunt.
She ran the edge toward the front and went on point when she hit the scent cone. I took more pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. 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. She didn’t move even when I shot the blank pistol. I stroked her sides then released her.
I still had a pigeon in the bird bag so I walked toward the rear of the training grounds. Blaze hunted in front of me and when she came close to me I threw the pigeon in front of her. She stopped and I shot the blank pistol. She still didn’t move. I stroked her sides then released her. She ran back to the kennel.
I put the e-collars on Luke’s neck and flanks. I heeled him out near the 4=wheeler and released him. We started through the neighbor’s side and when he got near where Blaze had pointed he went on point, also. I walked in front of him and he acted like a bird was going to flush at any moment. Nothing flushed. I took a pigeon from the bird bag, dropped it on the ground and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked him then released him. I think a turkey had stopped in this area and both dogs had pointed it.
We hunted on to the back on the neighbor’s side then crossed over to my side. Luke went down the south line then turned north on the west end and went on point. I took pictures then walked in front of him and dropped a pigeon from the bird bag. The bird dropped to the ground right behind me. I kicked the ground beside the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. The pigeon flew about 5 feet and fluttered down. Luke’s eyes were bulging out but he didn’t move. I walked out to the pigeon and it flew before I got to it. This time it flew south then right back over us. Luke watched the pigeon but never moved. I stroked his sides then released him.
Luke was on point when I got to the next bird. I took more 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 the released him to hunt.
The pigeon that didn’t want to fly shows that Luke really understands being steady to wing and shot. It’s easier for him than for Tur Bo because Tur Bo really likes to retrieve and Luke doesn’t. Later this off season I’m going to work on force fetch with all three of these young dogs. I would like to work them on pigeons and after the shot throw a frozen quail for them to retrieve. That would get them used to pointing and retrieving each time.
Tur Bo
Blaze
Luke