The grass I have let grow around my pigeon poles.
The whoa board and barrel near the pigeon poles.
I decided to just work Tur Bo and Blaze on the whoa board this morning. The last time I worked dogs, Blaze chased and even caught a bird, so I thought I would go back to the whoa board. Tur Bo needs to be steadied up some, also. I knew that the stake I have been using would hold Blaze but probably not Tur Bo so I drove a 2 feet long stake about a foot into the ground. I left enough slack in the check cord to make a half hitch around the dogs flanks and still attach to the collar.
About 10 feet in front of the whoa board and barrel I have let the grass grow so I can hide the pigeons and release traps easier. The grass has grown to about 2 feet tall and the area is about 25 feet wide and 75 feet long. The pigeon poles have strings that I tie to the pigeons feet then put them in a release trap. One of the poles is about 25 yards from the whoa board and the other is about 10 yards away. This morning I also put one bird in a trap to fly away when I released it. With the pigeons being tied to the poles I can walk them up time after time. Most of the time when I have a dog on the barrel or the board I flush the pigeon 10 or 12 times.
Tur Bo with check cord around his flanks.
Tur Bo
I put an e-collar around Tur Bo’s neck and around his flanks in the kennel then heeled him to the whoa board. When he stepped onto the board I whoaed him one time then put the check cord on him with a half hitch around his flanks and the snap to the d ring on his collar. I walked all the way to the other end of the tall grass and started back without him moving. When I got about half way back to him I turned and walked back to the far end. As I got close to the pigeon on that end I flushed it. Tur Bo moved a little but he didn’t come off the board until I shot the blank pistol. When I shot he went as far as the check cord would let him and stopped. I picked him up and put him back on the whoa board.
He went back on point and I walked back into the tall grass. I walked back and forth for a minute or so then flushed the second bird. He didn’t come off the board until I fired the blank. The check cord stopped him again. I picked him up and set him back on the board. I walked back into the grass, kicked around then flushed the fly away bird. I forgot to fire the blank pistol and he didn’t move.
I walked around then picked up the nearest pigeon, on the string from the pole, threw it in the air and fired the blank pistol. He went as far as the check cord would let him go. I put him back. He went back on point and I threw another pigeon in the air. He came off again. I put him back. When I flushed the next bird he came off again. This time I held the button down on the e-collar on his flanks until I picked him up and when his feet touched the whoa board I let off the button. I flushed another bird and he came off again. I turned the e-collar to level 3 and held it down until his feet touched the whoa board. I flushed another pigeon and he came off again. I held the button down while I carried him back and when his feet touched the board I let off. When I hit the e-collar the last time he moved sideways a little so I knew he was feeling it. The first times he was too keyed up about the birds to feel it. At no time was the collar high enough to make him yelp. I flushed another bird and he didn’t move. I thought that was a good place to end this session. I also thought I should put Tur Bo on a diet. He’s over 50 pounds now, I think.
Blaze on the whoa board.
Blaze
I heeled Blaze to the whoa board and put the check cord on her with a half hitch around her flanks. I took a few pictures then walked to the far end of the tall grass. When I started back toward her I flushed the pigeon, near me, and fired the blank pistol. She danced a little but she never came off the board. When she settled down I flushed the second bird and fired the blank pistol. This time she never moved. I walked around, kicking the grass then flushed the fly away bird and fired the blank. She never moved.
I walked around kicking the grass and sometimes the pigeons would fly on their on and sometimes I would toss them in the air but I flew probably 10 pigeons for Blaze and she never came off the whoa board. The time before she chased and even caught one bird but she knows better. In all fairness to Blaze, she’s in heat right now and that can sometimes make them crazy. Before the last session she had been doing really well.
I will keep working these 2 dogs on this exercise until Tur Bo quits coming off the board. It won’t hurt Blaze to get more repetitions on this, also. Figuring these dogs out and what it will take to get them to learn is the fun of dog training.