I wasn’t able to train until late today but it was a beautiful day to be out. I put the e-collar and check cord on Tur Bo then we started our trek around the yard. I heeled and whoaed him several times then I whoaed him then walked out in front of him and called him to me. When he started to me, I said whoa and held my hand up like a traffic cop. He stopped the first time then the next time when I whoaed him he stopped but when I called him to me he only took one step and stopped. I pulled on the check cord and made him come toward me then said whoa. He came all the way to me so I picked him up and carried him back to where he was when I said whoa.
When I put him down he tried to lie down. I said heel and stepped off again. We only went a few yards then I said whoa and he stopped. I stepped in front then went back, tapped him on the head, said heel and started walking. After a few yards I said whoa and he stopped. I walked out in front, holding the check cord. I called here and he took one step and stopped. I pulled on the check cord saying here. He came toward me but didn’t stop when I said whoa. I picked him up and carried him back. He laid down. I tapped him on the head, said heel and started walking.
I walked about a hundred yards, thinking, knowing that I was confusing him. I whoaed him and he stopped. I walked about 15 yards in front, holding the check cord. I said here and tugged on the check cord, keeping it tight, until I said whoa. He stopped. I walked to him and petted him. I varied the distance I walked in front but I continued to keep the check cord tight until I said whoa. After he did this correct 5 or 6 times I turned him loose to shake it off. This exercise is extremely hard on young dogs. You are giving 2 completely different commands but once they get this down they start to understand that they have to stop whenever you say whoa.
I took him to the retrieving bench and he jumped on. I petted him several times as we walked up and down the bench. I rolled the tennis ball down the bench and he pounced on it and brought it back. After 5 or 6 times I dropped it on the ground. He watched it roll away. I took a retrieving buck, placed it in his mouth, moving his lips away from his teeth. I put my hand under his chin to make him hold the buck. Then I held the end of the buck, telling him give and he moved his head away. We did this 5 times then quit. I like to get them holding and giving before I start the trained retrieve. If you get the hold and give real well, and they start retrieving without the trained retrieve you will not have trouble with them giving the bird up. I put him on the ground and he went after the tennis ball. He ran by me with it then dropped it on the other side. He came running to me. I said get that ball and he ran and got it and took it to the other side of me. I kept saying get that ball and he would go get it then take it anywhere but to me. Finally he brought it to me then rolled around on the ground as I petted him. I put him in his kennel.
I put Whitey, Blaze, pigeons and release traps in the truck and we went to the county park. I put three birds in release traps hid in the tall grass and weeds. The birds were about 50 yards apart.
The wind was out of the north so I heeled Blaze down the gravel road for about 200 yards whoaing her a few times. They are learning that if they pull ahead as we heel down the road I will turn around a walk back the other direction. This keeps them walking beside me but they are ready to be turned loose. I whoaed her, took the leash off, hooked the ends together, put it around my neck, then petted her. When I finally tapped her on the head, to send her, she was ready.
Blaze
This field is about 150 yards wide and she was going from one side to the other. She hit the first scent cone and whirled around, moved up about 4 or 5 yards and went on point. She was still about 20 yards from the bird. I walked around close to her, taking a couple of pictures, kicking the cover then flushed the bird. She never moved. I kicked the cover some more then tapped her on the head and sent her on. The next pigeon she pointed, she was about 15 yards from. She came into the scent cone and just froze. I kicked behind her, on both sides, then in front. Finally I flushed the bird and she never moved. I kicked around some more then sent her on. She was hunting into the wind but I flushed the third bird when she was about 40 yards from it and she stopped. She stood for about 10 seconds watching the pigeon fly a circle around the field then she started to go back to hunting. She wasn’t chasing she was going back to hunting but I whoaed her and she stopped. I kicked in front of her and near where the third bird had flushed from, then tapped her on the head and let her hunt back to the truck.
Whitey
I heeled Whitey about 200 yards down the gravel road, whoaing her a few times. I whoaed her and went through my routine of taking the leash off, hooking the ends together, put it around my neck, then bend over and petted her for awhile. Finally I tapped her on the head to send her hunting. She was going side to side as we moved up the field and she slammed into a point on her first bird. She to, was about 20 yards from the bird. I took some pictures, then kicked in front of her and when I flushed the bird she never moved. I kicked in front of her then tapped her on the head to send her back to hunting. She hit her second bird and she knew that she was real close. She was real rigid and looked like she was afraid to blink. I kicked on the sides and in front then flushed the bird. When I flushed the pigeon she never moved. I kicked the cover then tapped her on the head and she went to hunting. When she was about 35 yards from the third bird I flushed it and she started chasing it. I yelled whoa and she stopped. I picked her up and carried her back to where she was at when the pigeon flushed. I kicked around her then where the bird flushed from then sent her on.
I try to change the training so the dogs don’t just go through the motions. Sometimes I put 2 or 3 birds in one location and flush the bird the dog is pointing after I flush the other birds. Sometimes I flush all of the birds before they can even point them or I will let them point a bird and I will throw birds by hand. Do whatever you can do to keep the dogs from getting bored and to keep them using their nose to find the birds.