I started a little earlier this morning but it was already hot by the time I got to the county park. Instead of tying the dogs to the fence I found a shady spot and tied each of them to a branch or small tree. Whitey never pulls much so I wasn’t worried about what I tied her to. I put the birds out and put the e-collars on Blaze. While I was fastening the collars on Blaze, Whitey came to me pulling the small tree I had tied her to.
Blaze
Blaze
I heeled Blaze out to the field, whoaed her then tapped her on the head to release her. I figured out yesterday, she isn’t stopping the instant she smells the bird. She wants to stand right over the release trap, so today, I flushed the bird when she showed any sign that she smelled it. On the first bird she was going real fast and when she smelled the pigeon her tail started going 90 miles per hour. I flushed the bird and said whoa. She stopped and I let her stand until the pigeon flew out of the field. I tapped her on the head.
On her second bird, she slowed down but her tail sped up and I flushed the bird. She stopped without me saying anything. I kicked the cover some and made sure the pigeon had flown out of the field before I tapped her on the head to release her. She hunted back to the truck. She didn’t get to moving up on her birds in a day and I’m not going to break her in a day. I will probably flush her birds for 4 or 5 days then try her to see if that fixes her.
Whitey
Whitey
I heeled Whitey to the field, whoaed her then tapped her on the head to release her. She worked back and forth across the field in front of me until she hit the scent cone. She whirled into a point. I walked in front of her and flushed the pigeon. She never moved. I continued to kick the cover, then tapped her on the head to release her.
She went to weaving back and forth across the field. When she pointed the second bird she was about 20 yards from it with her head up high. I walked in front of her kicking the tall grass and flushed the bird. She never moved. I continued to kick the cover then tapped her on the head.
When I ran Blaze I never tried the blank pistol because I flushed the birds before she pointed but I was going to shoot for Whitey and I had forgotten to reload. Me being forgetful doesn’t bother Whitey.
Tur Bo
I have been flushing two birds from one point for Tur Bo the last few times but today I left the pigeons separated by about 50 yards to get 2 points from him. He is always fired up because he’s had to wait on the other two. He goes all out then slams into a point. Today was no exception. He was about 30 yards from the pigeon when he pointed. I walked to his side after taking some pictures. I stroked his side then hooked my hand in his collar and flushed the bird. He tried to chase but I held him. He went back on point and I tapped him on the head. He was gone in a flash.
He pointed his second bird and I stroked his sides. I hooked my hand in his collar and flushed the pigeon. He tried to chase but it was half hearted. I stood him back in the original spot and he went back on point. I made sure the pigeon had flown out of the field before I released him.
There are a lot of side effects of working these dogs almost every day. They jump on the tail gate without any help from me then all I have to do is open a dog box and they walk in. When I’m through in the field I just walk back to the truck and they follow and load up. No matter where I am in the field they get in front of me and cover the field. They handle.