Tur Bo
Tur Bo
Another cool morning but this morning a friend, Austen Farley, stopped by and we worked one of his dogs on some pigeons. He normally has pigeons but he was out right now and he was running his dog, named Cat, in a field trial this weekend. I hid the pigeons for my first dog about 9:00 am but it was still cool. I put the e-collars on Tur Bo’s neck and flanks and heeled him out of the kennel. I whoaed him near the 4-wheeler, got on the 4-wheeler, started it and released him with an okay.
He pointed the middle pigeon I had hidden. I took pictures then walked around him kicking the cover. I said whoa and flushed the pigeon. He took a step, so I set him back. I said whoa and shot the blank pistol and, again, he took a step. I set him back, got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and said okay. He waited for me to say okay.
When I got to the farthest pigeon, he was already on point but he was right on top of the release trap. I think he had pointed farther back but moved up before I got there. I set him back about 10 yards from the bird. I kicked in front of him. There was a log lying close to the release trap and I kicked it really hard. When I kicked the log he ran back in to stand over the bird. I picked him up and set him back. I went back and kicked the log really hard and he ran in, again. I picked him up and set him back. I went back to the log and kicked it really hard. He ran in and stood over the release trap. This time I held the button, on the transmitter, down on the e-collar around his flanks, on level 4. While holding the button down I walked to him, picked him up and carried him back. I went back and kicked the log really hard and he ran in again. As he started to move I held the button down but I had turned the level to level 6. The e-collar stopped him before he got to the bird. I kept the button down while I picked him up and carried him back. I’m not sure how many times I put him back but finally he quit moving and I flushed the pigeon. He never moved until I shot the blank pistol, then he took a step. I picked him up and carried him back. I got on the 4-wheeler, wrote on the note pad, started the 4-wheeler and he took a step. I shut the 4-wheeler off, got off and carried him back. I got back on the 4-wheeler, started it, and finally said okay to release him.
He was about 10 yards from the last pigeon when he pointed the third time. I walked a big semi-circle in front of him kicking the cover. I said whoa and flushed the pigeon. He took a step. I picked him up and carried him back. I said whoa and shot the blank pistol. He took a step. I carried him back, got on the 4-wheeler, wrote on the note pad, started the 4-wheeler and put it in gear. He didn’t move. I released him with an okay and he hunted back to the kennel.
Blaze
Blaze
I put the e-collars on Blaze and heeled her out of the kennel. When we got close to the 4-wheeler I whoaed her. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and said okay to release her. She pointed the first pigeon and I took some pictures then kicked the cover in front of her. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol and she never moved. I continued to kick in front of her then got on the 4-wheeler, wrote on the note pad and started the 4-wheeler. She took 3 or 4 steps when I started the 4-wheeler. I got off the 4-wheeler and set her back. I got back on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and released her with an okay.
She went from the first bird to the very back to point the farther pigeon. This bird was close to a log and after taking pictures I kicked the log really hard. I flushed the pigeon and she took a step. I picked her up and carried her back. I kicked the log and shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I got on the 4-wheeler, wrote on the note pad, started it, put it in gear and released her with an okay.
Every once and awhile I like to flush a pigeon before the dogs can point them to teach them to stop to flush. This is what I did to Blaze and she stopped. I shot the blank pistol and she still didn’t move. I kicked in front of her then got on the 4-wheeler, wrote on the note pad and started the 4-wheeler and put it in gear and she took off. I held the button on the transmitter down, on level 4 but it didn’t slow her. She went on the other side of some brush and I thought she had stopped, so I let off the button. I rode the 4-wheeler around the brush and she wasn’t there. I went back near where the last pigeon had flushed from and waited on her. Pretty soon she came back by and I didn’t say anything but I had turned the e-collar on her flanks up to level 6 and this time when I held the button down she stopped. I picked her up and carried her back to where she had stopped before. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it, wrote on the note pad, put it in gear then released her with an okay. She hunted back to the kennel.
Luke
Luke
I put the e-collars on Luke, heeled him out near the 4-wheeler and whoaed him. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and released him with an okay. Luke is always so fast that he’s on point before I get to the first bird. This morning was no exception. I walked around him taking pictures and kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. I got on the 4-wheeler, wrote on the note pad, started it, put it in gear, and he never moved until I released him with an okay.
He went all the way to the back and pointed the farthest pigeon. I took more pictures, then kicked the log really hard that was near this pigeon. I flushed the bird and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. Finally one of my young dogs doing what he has been trained to do. I got on the 4-wheeler, wrote on the note pad, started the 4-wheeler, put it in gear and he moved. He took 3 steps and stopped. I shut off the 4-wheeler and put him back. I got back on the 4-wheeler, wrote on the note pad, started the 4-wheeler, put it in gear and released him with an okay.
When he got close to the middle I bird I flushed it and he stopped to flush. I got off the 4-wheeler and kicked close to where the pigeon had flushed from and shot the blank pistol. He never moved. I got on the 4-wheeler, wrote on the note pad, started it, and put it in gear. He never moved so I released him with an okay. He hunted back to the kennel.
These young dogs have been doing real well until this morning. I don’t know what was different today. I do know, if you lose your temper put that dog up or quit training. When I was putting Tur Bo back, over and over, I kept telling my self that he is only 14 months old. I didn’t get upset, I just kept putting him back.
This morning I added another thing for them to wait on. I have been getting on the 4-wheeler, writing on the note pad, starting it the releasing them with an okay. But today after starting the 4-wheeler I put it in gear. My 4-wheeler has no clutch so when you put it in gear it jumps. The young dogs think I’m going to ride off so they self release. I’m hoping that all of this will make them more steady.