Tur Bo
Tur Bo
I took the whoa barrel off the platform and replaced it with a 2X6 on the first of July. Yesterday was the first day that I worked dogs on it. Blaze handled it pretty well but Tur Bo came off 3 or 4 times. Today is day 2. I hid 4 pigeons in the tall grass around the pigeon poles and heeled Tur Bo out with an e-collar around his neck and flanks.
After I put him on the 2X6 I took some pictures then walked to the far end of the tall grass. After kicking the grass for awhile I flushed a pigeon that was attached to a string. Tur Bo didn’t move at the flush and I waited until the pigeon started to land before shooting the blank pistol. Yesterday when I shot the blank was when he came off the board but on this first bird he didn’t move. I continued to kick the grass, flushed the fly away bird and shot the blank pistol. He never moved.
The first 2 pigeons were about 25 yards from Tur Bo and not as tempting as the next 2 would be. I had a fly away bird about 3 yards from him, hid in the tall grass. I always put the pigeon in the release traps facing the dogs so they will fly close, to the dog on point, for a little extra temptation. It works about half the time but this time it did. It flew right above his head and I fired the blank pistol. He never moved. I continued to kick the grass then flushed the second pigeon that was attached to a string. When it started to land I fired the blank pistol. He never moved.
I kicked the grass as I walked around then tossed the closer pigeon in the air and fired the blank pistol. When it started to land I shot again. He never moved. I was out of blanks but I tossed both pigeons, that were attached by strings to the pigeon poles, into the air several times and he never moved. I lifted him off the board and heeled him back to the kennel.
Blaze
Blaze
I heeled Blaze out to the whoa board with e-collars on her neck and flanks. Blaze doesn’t like being on this board. Usually she shows a lot of style but on this 2X6 she doesn’t show any. I took some pictures then walked to the far end of the training area, kicking the grass as I went. When I started back toward her I flushed the pigeon that was attached to the pole by a string and when it tried to land I fired the blank pistol. She never moved. I continued to kick the tall grass then flushed the fly away bird and shot the blank pistol. She never moved but both of these birds are about 25 yards away from her.
I continued to kick the grass until I was near the fly away bird that was about 3 yards from her. I flushed it and shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I continued to kick the grass then flushed the second pigeon that was attached to the pole by a string. I waited for it to land then shot the blank pistol. Again she never moved. I bent over and picked up a pigeon on the string and tossed it in the air. As it was landing I shot the blank pistol. The blank pistol holds 6 rounds and after I had shot all of them I walked around tossing the pigeons in the air. I flushed pigeons 12 or 14 times for her and she never came off the board. I lifted her off and heeled her back to the kennel.
I’m going to continue with this for 6 or 7 more days then move them to the ground. I may put a 2X6 on the ground for them to stand on for awhile then move them to the ground beside the board. After a few more days like this if they aren’t steady it’s because they are willfully disobeying. I believe in lots of repetitions to train a dog without putting a lot of stress on them but if they know what you want them to do and don’t do it, it may be time for a little stress.