I didn’t train dogs this morning but for the computer to know the difference between the post from yesterday I had to change the date. I haven’t trained, Whitey and Luke until day before yesterday, for a while.
Whitey
Whitey
I put an e-collar around Whitey’s neck and flanks and heeled her to the 2X6 whoa board. In training, she has no style usually but when I lifted her on the whoa board her tail was up a little. I took some pictures then walked to the far end of the training area. As I started back toward her I flushed the first bird that was attached to the pigeon pole and shot the blank pistol. Whitey has been steady to flush and shot in the field during training and she was steady on this. I continued to kick the grass, then flushed the fly away bird. I shot then shot again and she didn’t move.
I had one pigeon in a release trap about 7 yards in front of her and when I got close I flushed it. It flew close to her but she never moved even when I shot the blank pistol. I had one more pigeon in a release trap that was attached to the pigeon pole. I kicked the grass for a minute or so before flushing the last bird. I shot the blank pistol when I flushed the pigeon and then shot again when it landed. She never moved. My pistol was empty but I tossed the birds, attached to the poles, into the air several times and she never moved. I lifted her from the board and heeled her back to the kennel.
Luke
Luke
Luke is 4 years old and is a good bird dog that covers a lot of ground but I have never tried to make him steady to wing and shot. Before the season started last year he was flushing and chasing birds. If I was close enough to see him flush the birds I could whoa him and he would stop. I would pick him up and put him back where he had originally pointed. I would make him stay on point while I kicked in front of him for a minute or more. Then I would tap him on the head to send him on. Finally, he quit busting his birds. Now I’m asking him to not move after the gun is shot until I tap him on the head. It would have been easier 2 years ago but we are going to work on it.
I lifted him onto the whoa board and took some pictures. He has been on the barrel a lot but this is the first time for him to be on the 2X6 whoa board. I walked to the far end of the tall grass, kicking as I went, then started back and flushed a pigeon. I shot the blank pistol then when the bird was landing I shot again. He never moved. I continued to kick the grass then flushed a fly away bird. I shot the blank pistol and he never moved.
I walked on up to the fly away bird close to him, kicking the grass as I went. This bird is only 7 yards from him and when I flushed it, it flew real close to him. I shot the blank pistol and he never moved. I continued to kick the grass and flushed the last bird. I shot when it flushed then again when it landed. He never moved. That was the last of my blanks in the pistol but I flew the pigeons several times and he never moved. I lifted him from the board and heeled him back to the kennel.
Whitey and Luke have been steady in the field but some more practice won’t hurt them. I have never broke my dogs to be steady to wing and shot before. Only steady to wing. If I can get these 4 steady to wing and shot and I don’t think they are fast enough, to the retrieve, I can always let them go back to just steady to wing. Plus this gives me something to write about on my blog.