Tur Bo in front Dolly in back
Luke pointing
These pictures have nothing to do with this post, they are here because I like them. I haven’t worked my dogs since the season ended. I have some friends that are getting ready for field trials and I have been helping them. Today, the wind chill is in the single digits so I’m waiting on the temperature to rise, if it does.
My friend Matt, has a young Vizsla, about 14 months old that he’s going to run in a field trial this week end. Sadie points real well but sometimes gets too close to her birds. We put 4 pigeons, in release traps, out on my training grounds. Sadie ran past the first two pigeons and pointed the third one. She was so far ahead of us, we weren’t sure whether she had moved after hitting the scent cone or not. She pointed with a front foot raised and when she put it down I flushed the pigeon. She pointed two of the next three pigeons fine but one she smelled and tried to get closer, so I flushed it.
We moved the release traps and put out 4 more pigeons. This time, I stayed on the 4-wheeler so I could keep up. Again, she ran past the first pigeon and pointed the second. As soon as she hit the scent cone she pointed. I watched her real close but there was no movement until Matt walked in front. At her first movement I flushed the pigeon. She pointed the next one just fine but on her third she hit the scent cone and took a step so I flushed the pigeon. She pointed the last one the moment she hit the scent cone.
On Monday, Matt brought Sadie over again. I put 4 pigeons, in release traps, out on the training grounds. She is so fast I followed her on the 4-wheeler. She blew past the first two and pointed the third pigeon. I saw her hit the scent cone and slide to a point. She stayed on point for a couple of minutes then started to move. I flushed the pigeon. The fourth bird was behind a log but the wind had changed where she couldn’t get the scent until she was right beside it. She pointed and after 15 seconds or so I flushed the pigeon. She was so close, she might have got to the pigeon if I had waited until she moved.
We went back toward the first part of the training ground and she hit the scent cone on the second pigeon. She started toward it and I flushed it. She had trouble finding the first pigeon but as soon as she hit the scent cone she pointed. She had a front foot up and when she eased it down I flushed the bird.
We hid 4 more pigeons, in release traps, for Sadie and she pointed them all as soon as she hit the scent cone. Sadie is real fast on the ground and she holds point real well. When we flush the pigeons she only chases a few steps then starts hunting the next bird. The only fun she gets out of this is pointing so if we flush the bird before she points, it teaches her to point when she first hits the scent cone. A couple of sessions like this stops most dogs from creeping in but sometimes it takes more. I think Sadie will do fine in her field trial.
Gailen Cooper is going to run Jack, Tur Bo’s brother, in a field trial this week end, also. He needs to be steady to wing and shot. Gailen and I have been working toward that end without taking anything out of Jack. He’s going to run him whether we get him steady or not.
The way we steady a dog is from the book written by Paul Long, Training Pointing Dogs. You use an e-collar on your dogs flanks and teach whoa real well. When your dog will whoa every time you give the command it’s time to make them steady to wing and shot.
With an e-collar around their flanks you let them run. Have a bag of pigeons and when the dog comes close throw a pigeon in front of him. He will try to chase and you hit the transmitter on the dogs flanks. Hold the button down without saying anything. The intensity shouldn’t be high enough to make the dog yelp. As soon as the dog stops let off the transmitter button. Usually, the dog stops on his own, without you pushing the transmitter button, by the third pigeon.
Gailen hadn’t worked with Jack very much on whoa but he thought he was far enough along to do this drill. I got six pigeons in my bird bag and we went for a walk. Jack came close and I threw a pigeon in front of him and he chased. Gailen pushed the transmitter button on the flank e-collar. He stopped after about 30 yards. Gailen went to him, stroked his sides then released him. He went back to hunting and when he came close I threw another pigeon. He chased for about 15 yards and Gailen stopped him with the e-collar. Gailen stroked his sides then released him. Jack went back to hunting and when he came close I threw another pigeon. He stopped.
Since I still had 3 pigeons in the bird bag I threw them for Jack. He stopped each time then Gailen put him up.
The next time Gailen brought Jack over we took 6 pigeons, in a bird bag, over to the county park near my home. Gailen turned Jack loose and he hunted down a tree line. When he came back close to me I threw a pigeon in front of him. He started to chase and Gailen held the button on the flank collar down until he stopped. He went to him, stroked his sides then released him. Jack went back to hunting and the next time he came close I threw another pigeon. He stopped. As he stood there I threw another pigeon in front of him. He took a step and stopped. Gailen stroked his sides then released him to hunt.
We let him run for a while then when he came close I threw another pigeon in front of him. He stopped. I waited a few seconds then threw another pigeon. He still didn’t move. I had one pigeon left so I threw it in front of him. He didn’t move. Gailen stroked his sides the released him. Gailen let him run for a while before putting him in the dog box.
Now Gailen needs to get some strong flying quail or chukars and repeat these exercises. This doesn’t make every dog steady to wing and shot but it does stop them from chasing the birds they point. The more chase you take out the easier it is to make them steady to wing and shot.