I decided to work the dogs at home this morning rather than going to the county park. I have gone to the park for the last couple of weeks to train. Training at home showed me what I already knew, you need several places to train, to get the dogs to understand that they have to do what you are teaching them, everywhere. I hid 2 pigeons, in release traps, in the cover on my training grounds. At home it’s much easier, I can use my 4 wheeler to put the birds out instead of walking back and forth. I do walk when I run the dogs.
Blaze
Blaze
After putting the e-collars on Blaze I heeled her to the training grounds, whoaing her several times on the way. I turned her loose and she was on point, on the first bird, when I got to it. I walked in front of her, kicking the cover, flushed the bird and fired the blank pistol. She stood and watched the bird fly away until I shot the blank pistol. She started to chase until I whoaed her. I carried her back to the original place she had pointed. I walked in front of her, kicking the cover and fired the blank pistol. She started to move as soon as I shot the pistol. I carried her back again. After I kicked in front of her again I released her to hunt.
She pointed the second bird. I went in front, kicked the cover, flushed the bird and shot the pistol. She was steady until the pistol shot. In her defense, she has been hunted for 2 years and has been able to chase or retrieve after the shot. Now I’m trying to take this from her. She doesn’t see the necessity. I held the button down, on the e-collar on her flanks, on level 2. She stopped and I held the button down until I carried her back to the spot she had originally pointed. When her feet touched the ground I let off the button. I walked in front of her and shot the blank pistol. She flinched but didn’t move. I released her to run.
When she ran toward me, I shot the blank pistol and said whoa, loudly. She was running really fast but when I shot she went faster. I held the button on the e-collar on her flanks down, on level 2, until she stopped. I carried her back. I made her stand there for awhile then released her. The next time she came close, I shot the pistol and said whoa she stopped. I let her run until we got back to the kennel.
Whitey
Whitey
I heeled Whitey back to the training grounds and released her to hunt. She was on point when I got to the first bird. I walked in front of her, kicking the cover, flushed the pigeon and fired the blank pistol. She never moved. I continued to walk in front of her kicking the cover, then shot the blank pistol. She took 1 step and stopped. I put her back. After I walked in front of her again I released her to hunt.
She pointed the second bird and I walked in front of her. There was a dead tree lying on the ground near the bird and I started kicking it making a lot of noise. She was standing with all of the noise and I flushed the pigeon then shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I kicked the log some more then shot the pistol again. She didn’t move. I tapped her on the head to release her to run.
When she ran close to me I shot the blank pistol and said whoa, loudly. She continued to run and I held the button on the e-collar down, on level 2, until she stopped. I carried her back where she was when I yelled whoa. I made her stand there awhile then tapped her on the head to release her. The second time she ran close to me I fired the blank pistol and said whoa, she stopped. I let her run until we got to the kennel.
Tur Bo
Tur Bo
If you recognize that these pictures of Tur Bo have been posted before there is a good reason for this. I heeled Tur Bo back to the training grounds and released him to hunt. If I had put him on the chain gang he may have been a little calmer but I doubt it. He didn’t come close to the first bird on his first explosion. He wound up at the back of the training grounds, on point, on the second bird. I could see him through the trees and brush about 75 yards in front of me. Before I could get close he moved and I flushed the bird. He has to learn if he moves the bird flies. He chased.
When he caught the scent of the other pigeon he pointed but the bird was behind him. He decided to turn around and move toward the pigeon. I flushed the bird. He chased a little way then came back by me and I put the piggin’ string on him and heeled him back to the kennel. Hopefully, he will learn that if he doesn’t do things right he has to heel back to the kennel. If he does it wrong there has to be consequences.
At the park he had been letting me walk in front, take pictures, kick the cover then flush the pigeons. He doesn’t realize that he has to do that everywhere. This morning I didn’t even have time for one picture.
These 3 young dogs are learning but it seems real slow but this is different than the way I have done in the past. They have always been allowed to chase, which is really fun for them, but now I’m asking them to quit chasing. They are all really smart dogs but right now they are saying “NO”. At least Blaze is saying no. Whitey is saying maybe. Tur Bo at 11 months old is about where he should be although he hunted last year and was allowed to chase after the shooting. I will continue to work with them until they get where I want them.