Luke
Luke
This morning I decided Whitey and Luke needed to be worked on the 2X6 whoa board so I put e-collars around Luke’s flanks and neck. I heeled him to the whoa board and lifted him into place. After taking pictures I walked to the far end of the tall grass and started back toward him. When I got close to the bird attached to the pigeon pole I flushed it, shot the blank pistol and shot again when it started to land. Luke never moved. I continued kicking the grass and flushed the fly away bird. He didn’t move even when I shot the blank pistol.
I walked close to the other fly away pigeon, kicking the grass, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. The bird flew over Luke and landed on the shed just behind him. He turned his head to watch it fly but his feet never moved. When he turned back to the bird field I started kicking the grass again then flushed the second bird tied to the pigeon pole. I shot the blank pistol when I flushed the bird and again when it started to light. He never moved. I tossed several birds in the air after I shot all of my blanks and he never moved. I heeled him back to the kennel.
Luke has only been on the 2X6 whoa board 4 times but he was on the whoa barrel a lot so he knows the routine pretty well. All of my dogs have been allowed to chase after the birds flush so even if they do these exercises right doesn’t mean they are going to be steady to wing and shot in the field until I reinforce this while hunting.
Whitey
Whitey
I put the e-collars on Whitey and heeled her to the whoa board. After lifting her to the board I took some pictures then walked to the far end of the tall grass. I turned the corner where I could see Whitey and flushed the bird on the pigeon pole. I shot the blank pistol when the pigeon flushed and again when it started to land. She never moved. I walked through the tall grass toward Whitey and flushed the fly away bird. I shot the blank pistol and she never moved.
I continued walking, in the tall grass, toward Whitey and when I got close to the fly away bird I flushed it and fired the blank pistol. Normally, Whitey is steady but this morning she started moving her front feet. I held the button down, on the e-collar that was around her flanks, on level 2 until she quit dancing. I worked my way around the next pigeon so I could watch Whitey while I flushed the bird. I shot the blank pistol when I flushed the pigeon and again when it started to land. She never moved. My pistol was empty but I tossed several more pigeons in the air and as they flew around she never moved. I heeled her back to the kennel.
I think all of these young dogs are ready to go to a whoa board on the ground. I may try that tomorrow. If they aren’t ready I can always go back to what I have been doing.