We had a little more excitement this morning than usual. After I loaded the pigeons into the bird bag, that I take to the county park, I released Blaze, Whitey and Tur Bo. It’s about 125 yards to my truck and they always beat me to it. This morning after getting to the truck they all three ran over to the vacant 5 acres south of my yard while I was walking to the truck. As I came up beside the house they came back toward the truck. I continued on to the truck and Blaze came from in front of the house, as fast as she could run, with a doe deer about 5 yards behind. I don’t know whether the deer was chasing her or another dog had chased the deer and it was running to get away. But Blaze and I believe it was after her. When she came back she was happy to stay close to me.
Whitey
Whitey
I put the birds out, came back and put the e-collars on Whitey. I heeled her to the edge of the field, whoaed her then walked around with her standing on whoa. I only whoa them one time, then walk around them for a couple of minutes. Finally, I tap them on the head and say okay to release them to hunt. Whitey is real steady on her birds. She hit the scent cone, on the first bird, and froze. When she and Blaze point, I don’t say anything. I walked in front kicking the cover. I’m walking around more on their points, so they will have to be on point for a longer time. After a couple of minutes kicking the cover I flushed the pigeon. She stood watching the bird fly away.
Blaze is back to barking while she is tied out waiting her turn. She barked when I heeled Whitey away. She doesn’t bark all of the time, just the first few minutes of the other dogs run. But that is more than I want.
On Whitey’s second bird I just saw the grass quit moving. I knew where the bird was so she was easy to find. I walked around her for a while then flushed the pigeon. The bird flew back over her and the dogs that were tied out, waiting. She turned her head to watch the bird fly away but didn’t move her feet. I continued to kick the cover then walked back and tapped her on the head to release her.
Tur Bo
Tur Bo
I normally work Blaze next but she’s been barking so I heeled Tur Bo out to the field and whoaed him, one time. He is so ready to find the birds but I make him stand while I walk around him. Sometimes, I come back and stroke his sides then without saying anything walk back in front. That is hard for him. Finally I tap him on the head. I would not want to be in front of him when he takes off. He is usually a long way off his birds when he points and this morning was no exception. He was about 25 yards from the first pigeon. He had an e-collar on his neck and was dragging a check cord with a half hitch around his flanks. I whoaed him one time when he went on point then walked to him and picked up the check cord. I was standing 4 or 5 feet behind him holding the check cord watching him suck the scent of the bird in. He wasn’t panting and his nostrils were going in and out. I let him stay on point for a couple of minutes then flushed the pigeon. He moved but only until the check cord started to tighten up. I set him back and walked in front of him kicking the cover. He took a step then stopped and I set him back. I walked around in front of him for a while then tapped him on the head to release him.
Blaze barked when I heeled Tur Bo out but she quit after a few minutes. I hope she figures out that barking causes her to get worked last. We will see.
Tur Bo pointed his second bird from about 15 yards. I whoaed him and grabbed the check cord. I was about 4 or 5 feet behind him. I let him stand for a little while then flushed the bird. It flew right back over his head and he hit the end of the check cord, hard, about 3 times before he stopped. I set him back, walked a circle around him then tapped him on the head to release him.
Blaze
Blaze
I heeled Blaze out and whoaed her. After I walked around her for a while I released her to hunt. She was going back and forth when she hit the scent cone and pointed then decided to get one step closer. I flushed the pigeon and she stopped. I didn’t say anything. I walked around her for a long time, making her stay on point with no bird there. If the dog can’t chase the only fun they get out of this is in pointing the bird. Finally I tapped her on the head to release her.
She went back to hunting and I was trying to watch her real close in the tall grass. She pointed her second bird then took a step and I flushed the pigeon. She stopped without me saying anything. Again I made her stay on point a long time before I released her. This is a smart dog and in my opinion she is trying to punish me for working her last. Sometimes smart dogs are harder to train but once you get them doing it right they make really good dogs. I’ve talked about her grandmother, Alley before. She was a good dog but she too would try to out figure me. Finally I tapped her on the head to release her.
The way I train takes longer than some other methods but if the dog is capable of learning (has good genes, good nose and desire) you can make a bird dog out him of him this way. I don’t put pressure on them by shocking or beating, just a lot of repetition. I do use an e-collar but it never makes them yelp unless they are chasing off game. That’s not to say I don’t punish them when they willfully disobey. If they know a command really well and disobey I punish them.
An example was Whitey and Blaze’s grandmother, Alley. When I clean kennels, I have a big pen that I turn my dogs into and when I’m through I can open the gate on each pen and the dog that belongs in it goes in. About twice a year Alley would go to the back of the big pen and act like she didn’t know she was supposed to kennel. I would pull my belt off and hit her one time with it and she would be good for about 6 months. But that was a command that she knew really well and she knew why she was being punished. She knew she had it coming.