It was cool this morning, after last nights rain, so I worked the young English setters. I have been putting both of them on the whoa barrel with 6 pigeons in release traps in front of the barrel. I haven’t used the whoa barrel for a long time until I thought it might stop Babe from wagging her tail. She doesn’t just barely wag, or tic, she wags like she’s the happiest dog in the whole wide world.
Babe with the 6 release traps in front of the whoa barrel.
Babe on the whoa barrel.
Mann on the whoa barrel.
I put the pigeons in the release traps in front of the whoa barrel and heeled Babe out with the e-collar and GPS collar on. She was dragging a long check cord. Just a short distance out of the kennel I whoaed her and walked about 50 feet in front of her. I watched her for a few seconds then knelt down and said, “here”. She came in a run. I heeled her away.
When we got to the whoa barrel she jumped on when I said, “up”. You would think the dogs wouldn’t like the barrel but they don’t show it. I took the check cord and piggin’ string off and styled her up. She looks great on the barrel and doesn’t move or change her style. I walked in front of her, kicking the grass, and flushed a pigeon. She didn’t move. I went to her and petted her telling her what a good girl she is.
Today, I put another wrinkle in the exercise. I walked back in front, kicking the grass and flushed another pigeon. I waited just a second or two and shot the blank pistol. This was new and she flinched but didn’t come off the barrel. I went to her and straightened her up. She styled up. I went in front, kicking the grass. I flushed another pigeon but didn’t shoot the blank pistol. She didn’t move and still looked great. I went to her and stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is.
After kicking the grass for a few seconds I flushed another pigeon then a second or two later I shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. This time she didn’t move. After flushing each pigeon I went to her and stroked her sides then walked back in front. After the sixth pigeon I set her on the ground and styled her up. She looked good. I put the piggin’ string and check cord on her and heeled her to the retrieving bench.
Luke pointing a pigeon.
When we got to the bench I said, “up” and she jumped onto it. I walked her back and forth petting her. I took a wooden dowel rod and opened her mouth and had her hold. I had her hold in three places on the bench before I remembered that I had been trying to get her to walk with the dowel. The fourth time I had her hold then pulled on her collar and made her walk. As soon as she moved all 4 feet I stopped pulling and had her give the dowel. I had her walk in one more place then put her on the chain gang.
I reloaded the release traps and brought Mann out with an e-collar on and dragging the long check cord. A short distance out of the kennel I whoaed him and walked about 50 feet ahead of him. When I called him he came in a run. I heeled him to the whoa barrel and he jumped on when I said, “up”. I styled him.
I walked out front kicking the grass. When I flushed the pigeon he only turned his head to watch it fly away. I went back to him and stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. I went back in front, kicking the grass and flushed another pigeon. After a second or two I shot the blank pistol. He flinched but didn’t come off the barrel. I went to him and stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is.
I walked back in front kicking the grass. I flushed another pigeon but didn’t shoot the blank pistol. I went back to him, stroked him up then went back in front. I flushed another pigeon and a second later shot the blank pistol and said, “whoa”. He moved just a little but never came off the barrel. He watched the bird fly away. After I flushed all of the pigeons I heeled him to the retrieving bench. He jumped onto it when I said, “up”.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
I walked him back and forth petting him on both sides of the bench. I opened his mouth and placed the dowel behind the canines. He’s just now holding the dowel. I’m not trying to get him to walk with it, yet. I had him hold it in 6 different places on the bench then put him on the chain gang.
I put two release traps close together in two different places on the training grounds, for a total of 4 pigeons. I heeled Babe away from the chain gang, whoaed her, took the piggin’ string off and tapped her on the head to release her. I held onto the long check cord because if I let her go she goes to the west for a long ways. She drug me down the field.
She was quite a ways from the pigeons when she got a snoot full and pointed. Her tail was going like she was the happiest dog in the world. I walked in front of her, aggressively kicking the cover. The last couple of times she quit wagging when I really kicked the cover hard. Today it didn’t matter. I flushed the first pigeon. She continued to wag. I walked back in front kicking the cover.
I decided I would kick really aggressively until she quit wagging. After a few minutes I picked up a large stick and started beating the cover. She was still happily wagging her tail. I stood still and waited. That didn’t work. She was on point for a good 15 minutes. Finally, I went to her and styled her up. I pushed on her tail and stroked it up. With me stroking the tail she wasn’t wagging. I flushed the pigeon. She started to chase then stopped. I heeled her away. I whoaed her then released her to hunt with me holding the check cord.
It has finally dried up enough I can hide birds on the neighbor’s side. That’s where the next two were. She drug me to the other side and when she got close to the pigeon she went on point. She was wagging just like before. I went in front aggressively kicking the cover. She continued to wag. I went to her and stroked her tail and pushed forward. She quit wagging. I flushed the first pigeon. When I took my hands off her tail she went back to wagging. I stroked her tail and pushed her forward. I flushed the pigeon she was pointing. She didn’t move. I heeled her away then back to the kennel.
Sally one week before the puppies were born.
I reloaded the release traps and heeled Mann away from the chain gang. I whoaed him and tapped his head to release him. I don’t have to run him with the check cord. He checked most of the places I had ever hidden a bird for him in the past. When he got close to the birds, hidden at the very back on my side, he went on point. The last time I worked him on pigeons he took a step after going on point. Not today. I walked in front kicking the grass and flushed a pigeon. He watched it fly away without moving. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon he was pointing. He didn’t move. I heeled him away then tapped his head to release him.
He continued to check my side of the training grounds out then went across to the neighbor’s side. When he hit the scent cone he slammed into a point. I walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon that was farthest away. He didn’t move. I flushed the bird he was pointing. He watched it fly away. I heeled him away. I tapped his head to release him.
When I got back to the 4-wheeler I let him run in front while I picked up the release traps. We went back to the kennel.
I will continue trying to get Babe to stop wagging. Stroking her tail as she points seems to help some. I may try to get some quail or chukars to work her on to see if that helps. She is too nice of a dog, with too much potential, to give up on.
Babe on the whoa barrel.
Mann on the barrel with the traps in front.
Babe on the barrel.