I did the training over the last week. It’s raining today as it has many times this month but, hopefully, this is making cover and bugs for the quail. Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico are getting rain so it certainly can’t hurt anything.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
A friend, Vince Dye, was needing someone to take care of his German short haired pointer female, Ally, for a few days while he was out of town. I have an empty kennel run so I kept her. Vince really doesn’t need for her to lead. He just goes a few feet from the kennel to the truck when he goes hunting. I have to walk the dogs a little farther so I needed her to lead.
Ally, also, gets out of my big pen if I turn her loose while I clean pens. I tied her once with Vince’s leash and she ate that. I have some short drops made out of cable that I lead her out with and hook her to the fence, while I clean kennels. When I would lead her out she would jerk me around so I decided to teach her to heel.
When I told Vince I was going to teach her to heel, he said it would be alright if I got her steady to wing and shot before he got back. He brought her over on Wednesday and was going to pick her up on Sunday.
Because of the weather I was only able to work Ally two mornings but she is pretty smart. She figured it out pretty fast. I put the piggin’ string on her and when we got out of the kennel I just went in the opposite direction she did for a few minutes. Some dogs buck like a bronco but she didn’t.
After a couple of minutes of her trying to lead me she started watching me to see which direction I was going to go next. We started around the yard. I walked for a few yards then stopped. With young pups I don’t even give it a name for quite a while but I could tell she had been worked some. About half way around the yard, about a quarter mile, I started saying, “heel and whoa”. She still tried to get ahead and lead me. Sometimes I turned to the rear and sometimes I tightened the piggin’ string.
I was only able to work her two mornings, Friday and Saturday, but she really was doing well. When I put the drop cable on her of the evening, to tie her to the fence while I cleaned pens, she heeled. She wasn’t perfect but she didn’t hurt my shoulders pulling, either. Vince is going to need someone to watch her again in a few days so I may get her back. If so, I will work her some more. She’s a smart little dog. I enjoyed working with her.
After working Ally I put the GPS collar on Luke and let him run for a few minutes. I wish he would stay with me in the field as well as he does at home. He has always run big but he stayed in front of me. With the way he runs and other things I think he’s had a stroke. If he would stay with me he wouldn’t be retired. He seems to be in good health, for his age. He still may be the fastest of my dogs. He’s only retired because he goes wherever he wants when I turn him loose to hunt.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
The last time he pointed birds I was about a quarter of a mile from the truck and Luke was 800 yards farther, on point. I went to him and when I got close he moved up about 30 yards and went back on point. He was pointing a covey of scaled quail that got up 20 yards ahead of him. There were cows in the direction the quail flew and I had one long shot off to the side that I missed. All of the covey went toward the cattle so I went back near the truck and Luke came with me. But most of the places I hunt aren’t big enough for a dog to just go where he wants.
After I put Luke back in his kennel I brought Mann out wearing the GPS collar, e-collar and dragging a check cord. We worked on heel and whoa several times on the way to the back. After he ran for a little while he jumped onto the retrieving bench. I petted him as we walked up and down the bench. I put him on whoa and placed 3 retrieving dummies on the other end of the bench. He retrieved each one, held until I said give then waited for me to send him after the next one.
I set him on the ground said, “whoa” and placed all 3 dummies out past the end of the retrieving bench. He retrieved each one, held until I said, “give” then waited for me to send him for the next. After the third one I let him run.
Petting Abby.
Mann likes the petting at the rock wall around the water faucet more than the others. He would stand with his head on my leg and let me pet him for a long time. He never gets through first. I put him in his kennel.
Boss was next. I brought him out with the GPS, e-collar and dragging a check cord. It has taken him longer to get used to the check cord than most. But now after I heel and whoa him several times and tap him on the head, he goes. After he ran for a while he jumped onto the retrieving bench. I started to make him hold better on the bench but since he’s going to be leaving in about 3 weeks to go to North Dakota I will wait until he comes back.
I petted him as we walked up and down the bench. Then I had him hold, with my hand under his chin, then give. I just hold the end of the retrieving dummy and he has to move his head off. I forgot to have him hold after I set him on the ground. I did have him whoa then I tapped his head to release him. We went to the water faucet where I petted him. I put him in the kennel.
I’m sitting on the rock wall petting Boss.
I heeled Abby out, with the GPS and e-collars, dragging the check cord. After heeling and whoaing her several times I let her run. All of the dogs are a little different. When she knows there is no birds planted on the grounds she will get just the west side of my brush pile and stop. I must have whoaed her there a couple of times and she thinks she must every time. But never when there are birds out.
Usually I have to help Abby onto the retrieving bench but on this day she jumped on as I was reaching for her. I knew she could do it, she wasn’t sure until today. I walked her back and forth petting her. I had her hold and give 6 times on the bench. I’m not going to force break her right now either. I think she will retrieve naturally, but I would still force break her, but she’s going to be having a litter of puppies near the end of June. I wouldn’t be able to get it done before then.
I set her on the ground, had her hold and give then tapped her on the head to release her. We went to the rock wall around the water faucet. After petting her for a while I put her in the kennel.
There’s a pigeon in a release trap in there.
Sally was waiting just not very patiently. I put the stuff on her and led her out. I let her run then helped her onto the retrieving bench. I petted her as we walked up and down the bench. I put her on whoa then placed 3 bumpers on the other end. She retrieved each one, held until I said, “give” and waited to be sent for the next. After the third one I set her on the ground and said, “whoa”.
I have been putting the retrieving bumpers on the ground but I had already tapped her on the head to release her before I remembered. Oh well, we went to the rock wall. After petting her for a while I put her in the kennel.
We have had so much rain it’s wet everywhere. I put two pigeons out on my side of the training grounds. It’s been so wet I haven’t used the neighbor’s side all year, I don’t think.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
The only way I can come close to keeping up, with Boss and Abby is on the 4-wheeler, when there are birds out. I heeled Boss out with the piggin’ string. He was wearing an e-collar and GPS collar. I whoaed him near the 4-wheeler, took the piggin’ string off, got on the 4-wheeler, started it and said, “okay”. I had to slow down for the creek but I was already well behind.
When I put the birds out I had rode the 4-wheeler to the west then made a ninety degree turn to the north and hid a bird on the north fence line. It isn’t uncommon to put a bird there but it’s not done often. Usually the pups run down the edges but the north fence line is not the usual way. Boss crossed the little creek, hit the north fence line, went straight to the pigeon and pointed.
It was almost like he hid the bird or at least knew exactly where to go. I rode to him, got off after taking some pictures, stroked his sides then walked in front of him. I kicked the cover then flushed the pigeon. He didn’t chase right away. I said, “get that bird, get that bird” and he chased a short distance.
Abby.
We went on toward the back and he missed the bird at the back. The way the hill behind the bird is may have blocked the wind. As I tried to get him to scent the bird he went into some heavy cover. He was pooping when he got the scent of the bird. He didn’t change his posture he just quit pooping. I watched him for a while before deciding he was pointing. I kicked in front of him and flushed the pigeon. This bird came out low and he chased for a short distance. As I rode back toward the kennel he checked everything out. I petted him then put him in his kennel.
I had Abby whoa until released. By the time I crossed the little creek she was on point on the north fence line. Both dogs had gone straight to this bird. I took pictures then stroked her sides, kicked in front of her and flushed the pigeon. The pigeon flew toward the back with her right behind.
When I got to the back Abby was standing right over the bird. I don’t know whether she pointed then moved up or didn’t smell it until she was on top. This was the bird that Boss had trouble smelling. I moved her back, stroked her sides then walked in front of her. I flushed the pigeon and she chased it back toward the pigeon coop. I petted her and put her in the kennel.
Abby on point on wild quail.
Both dogs had gone straight to the first bird and then had trouble with the second. This is the same way wild birds can be. Sometimes they are in areas that it’s difficult for the dogs to smell them. Sometimes we curse our dogs when it isn’t their fault. I’ve seen the dogs, numerous times, go to the birds like they hid them and other times almost step on them before they could smell them. I’ve never been bit by a dog after missing birds but I’ll bet they’ve cursed me more than a few times.