Luke watching a pigeon fly away.
Luke
This morning wasn’t as hot as yesterday but it was still warm for the dogs, so I trained at home. I hid 3 pigeons, in release traps, on my neighbors side of the training grounds. I put e-collars on Luke’s neck and flanks then heeled him to the area where I had left the 4-wheeler. I whoaed him, got on the 4-wheeler and started it. I let him stand there for a few seconds then released him with an “okay”.
By the time I got close to the first pigeon he was already on point. I got off the 4-wheeler and walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. I kicked in front of him then went to the 4-wheeler and started it. Luke took a couple of steps when the 4-wheeler started so I shut it off, went to him and set him back. I kicked in front of him, then got on the 4-wheeler and started it. He stayed on point so I released him with an “okay”.
He went all the way to the back of the training grounds and pointed the farthest pigeon I had hid. I got off the 4-wheeler and kicked in front of him then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. I kicked in front of him then got on the 4-wheeler and started it. He stayed on point until I released him with an “okay”.
Luke had missed the middle bird on his way through because of where I had hid it. He was on the wrong side to smell it the first pass as well as this time so I called him in and told him to “hunt close”. He pointed and I kicked in front of him then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. I got on the 4-wheeler and started it. He stayed on point until I released him with an “okay”. He hunted back to the kennel.
Tur Bo
Tur Bo
I put the e-collars on Tur Bo and heeled him near the 4-wheeler. I said whoa and he stopped. I got on the 4-wheeler and started it. As soon as I started the 4-wheeler, yesterday, he went all the way to the back but today he didn’t even move. I let him stand there a few seconds then said “okay”. He wasn’t sure, so he started slow to, see if I was going to say whoa. After a few steps he was gone.
He came around the corner on the first bird and swapped ends. I got off the 4-wheeler, kicked in front of him then went to him and held his collar. I stroked his sides a few times then flushed the pigeon. He flinched but didn’t move his feet. When he went back on point I kicked in front of him then got on the 4-wheeler. As soon as I started the 4-wheeler he took off. I yelled whoa but he never slowed. I held the button on the transmitter down, on level 3, on the e-collar on his flanks until he stopped. He finally stopped, I rode to him and carried him back on the 4-wheeler. I set him up in the same spot he had originally pointed. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and he started moving, again. I held the button on the transmitter down, on level 5, until he stopped. I carried him back and set him up in his original spot. I went back to the 4-wheeler, started it and he never moved until I said “okay”.
He passed the second without coming close to it and went to the back where he pointed the farthest pigeon. I went to him and kicked the cover in front of him then held his collar as I flushed the bird. He never moved. He watched the pigeon fly away then went back on point. I kicked in front of him then got on the 4-wheeler and started it. He didn’t move until I said “okay”.
On the way back through the field he went far enough south to hit the scent cone on the second bird and pointed. I went to him, kicked in front then grabbed his collar. He never moved when I flushed the pigeon. He watched the pigeon fly away then went back on point. I kicked in front of him then got on the 4-wheeler and started it. As soon as it started he did too. I held the button on the transmitter down, on level 5, and it didn’t slow him down so I turned it up to level 7 then to level 9. He had run a circle and was almost back to me when he stopped. I carried him back and set him up. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and he didn’t move. I let him stand there a few seconds then told him “okay”. He hunted back to the kennel.
Blaze
Blaze
I brought Blaze out with the e-collars on and stopped her near the 4-wheeler. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and she never moved. When I said “okay” she took off. She went straight instead of making the bend where the first pigeon was but she pointed the second. I walked in front of her, kicking the cover then flushed the pigeon. The blank pistol was empty when I tried to shoot it but she never moved. I kicked in front of her then got on the 4-wheeler and started it. When the 4-wheeler started she took off. I held the button on the transmitter down, on level 3, until she stopped. I carried her back to the original spot. I kicked in front of her then got on the 4-wheeler and started it. She never moved until I said “okay”.
She pointed the pigeon that was all the way at the back of the bird field. I walked in front of her, kicking the cover then flushed the pigeon. She never moved. I kicked in front of her then got back on the 4-wheeler and started it. She took off when the 4-wheeler started. I held the button on the transmitter down, on level 5, until she stopped. I carried her back to the original spot. I kicked in front of her then got on the 4-wheeler and started it. She stayed until I said “okay”.
On the way back to the kennel she hit the scent cone on the first bird and locked up. I kicked in front of her then flushed the pigeon. She never moved. I kicked in front of her the got on the 4-wheeler and started it. When it started she went to moving. I held the button down, on level5, until she stopped. I kicked in front of her then got on the 4-wheeler and started it. She didn’t move until I said “okay” and hunted back to the kennel.
Teaching these young dogs not to move until I release them is one more way to teach them that when they are on “whoa” they are not to move their feet until I tell them “okay”. Luke is farther along than the other 2 because he has been run off a horse and I would put him on “whoa” then get on the horse before releasing him. Blaze and Tur Bo should figure it out in a few days. We will see.