Luke
Luke
I had to do some errands this morning so I didn’t get to work dogs until it had started to warm up a little but it was still nice for July. I took Luke, Blaze, Tur Bo, 9 pigeons and 3 release traps to the county park near my home. Instead of putting all 3 pigeons near each other this morning I spread them out about 50 yards apart. The young dogs had done such a good job yesterday that I could hardly wait to get to the park this morning.
I heeled Luke to the edge of the field and whoaed him. I walked a circle around him, then tapped him on the head. He stayed in front me as he crisscrossed the field then went on point at a spot where I hadn’t put a bird. I went to him and tapped him on the head but he wouldn’t move. I kicked the bushes and the grass that were in front of him but nothing flew. I tapped him on the head and he went back to hunting the field. He went on point again and I took some pictures then went in front of him kicking the grass. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. I continued kicking in front of him then tapped his head to release him.
He went back to hunting. He disappeared into the tall grass but I could see him occasionally. I wasn’t sure which pigeon he would point next but he crossed an area that the grass was shorter with a dry ditch through the middle. He started across the ditch and went on point. He was about 5 yards from the bird and when I flushed it came back over his head. He whirled around and took 2 big leaps after the pigeon then stopped. I picked him up and returned him to the original spot he had pointed. I walked around him, kicking the grass then released him to hunt.
He went out of sight in the tall grass but there was only one pigeon left in the field and I knew where it was. As I got to the next bird he hit the scent cone and went on point. I walked in front of him, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. I tapped him on the head to release him and he hunted back to where he had been staked out.
Tur Bo
Tur Bo
Yesterday, Tur Bo had pointed and hadn’t moved while I flushed 3 birds in front of him. I had held his collar while I flushed the birds but he hadn’t pulled at all. This morning I heeled him to the edge of the field and put him on whoa. I walked about 15 yards in front of him then turned to walk back behind him and he was slinking along right behind me. I picked him up and carried him back to where I had originally whoaed him. I started walking a circle around him and he took 2 steps. I held the button on the e-collar down on level 3, picked him up and set him back. When his feet touched the ground I released the button. I made him stand, on whoa, as I walked 3 circles around him. Finally I tapped him on the head to release him.
He hunted through the tall grass and was out of my sight for the first couple of minutes then I saw him go on point. I took some pictures then went in front of him kicking the grass. Since he hadn’t moved yesterday, I thought I would see if he would stay steady to wing and shot. I flushed the pigeon and the race was on. The pigeon flew a circle around us and Tur Bo was right under him. I yelled whoa once then held the button on the e-collar down. I started on level 3 and he finally stopped when I got to level 5. I carried him back to where he had originally been on point. I made him stand, on whoa, while I kicked the grass all around him. I tapped his head to release him.
He went back to hunting and pointed his second bird. I could tell, before I got to him, that he was right on top of this bird. As I got close to him, he jumped in trying to grab the pigeon. I whoaed him and picked him up and set him back. I walked in front of him, kicking the grass and as I came toward him he moved up a step. I set him back, walked in front again then came back to hold his collar. When I flushed the pigeon he tried to chase but I had hold of his collar. When he went back on point I went in front kicking the grass. I came back and tapped his head.
He went back to hunting and pointed his third bird. I walked in front of him then went to him and took hold of his collar. I flushed the pigeon and he didn’t move. I walked back in front kicking the grass. I went to him an tapped his head to release him. He hunted back to the stake out chain.
Blaze
Blaze
I heeled Blaze to the edge of the field and put her on whoa. I walked a big circle around her then came back to tap her on the head. She disappeared in the tall grass and I saw the grass move in an area but when I got there she was not there. I continued toward the pigeons and saw her on point. I took some pictures then walked in front of her kicking the grass. I flushed the pigeon and it came out low, right over her head. She whirled around and started to follow. When I whoaed her, she stopped. I picked her up and carried her back. I went back to kicking the cover and started back toward her to tap her head but she took a step. I put her back again. I went back to walking in front, kicking the cover. This time she stayed on point and I tapped her head to release her.
She went back to hunting and I followed the moving grass. She pointed her second pigeon and I walked in front kicking the tall grass. I made her stand for a long time before I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I kicked the grass for a very short time then tapped her head.
I saw her point the third pigeon. I walked to her, then in front, kicking the cover. Again, I made her stand for a long time as I kicked the cover. Finally, I flushed the bird and shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I walked in front of her kicking the cover but I went to her and tapped her head to release her pretty quickly. She hunted back to the truck.
Yesterday, I felt like my training was going really well and today it was terrible. All 3 dogs were steady yesterday and they all moved today. I’m going to release them quicker when they do everything right and have them stay longer, after the bird flies away, when they make mistakes. This will be a reward for doing things right. Maybe today was just a bad day for the dogs.