Not often in July do we get this kind of cool weather, 60 degrees early, for training my English setters. I have been thinking about more ways to get Tur Bo and Sally to retrieve. One of the ways I had in mind was to put a frozen quail in the release trap with the pigeon. I would need to keep a long check cord on them to grab in case they went away from me with the bird. That was my plan, anyway.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
Luke pointing a pigeon.
After putting two release traps out on the training grounds with a pigeon and a frozen quail in each I put an e-collar around Tur Bo’s neck and hooked a long check cord to his regular collar. I heeled him out near the 4-wheeler and put him on whoa. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it, put it in gear and told Tur Bo, “okay”. He went toward the training grounds in a dead run.
I followed on the 4-wheeler. When I had to slow to cross the little creek, he gained a lot of ground on me. When I came around the brush pile he was on point about a hundred yards ahead of me. When I got close I got off the 4-wheeler and took some pictures. I kicked the cover in front of him then flushed the pigeon. The frozen quail landed right beside the trap without going very high. The pigeon was a young bird and tried to land close to the trap.
Tur Bo didn’t let it land. He grabbed it before it could hit the ground. I stepped on the check cord and knelt down. I called him to me. Because I was close he came to me. I petted him then held my hand under his mouth and said, “give”. Tur Bo has been trained to give on command but just before he gave me the bird he clamped down on it to keep it from harming me. He dropped a dead pigeon in my hand.
I petted him some more then told him to hunt dead. He did but without much enthusiasm. He kept trying to go farther away from me so I grabbed the check cord. I kept him close telling him to hunt dead. He ran his head into the grass, grabbed the frozen quail and came to me with it. I petted him then took the quail by the legs and said, “give”. He dropped it in my hand. After petting him I tapped his head to release him.
He went toward the back and when he hit the scent cone he went on point. I took more pictures then walked in front of him. He moved up a step expecting to catch another pigeon. I whoaed him then picked him up and set him back. I made him stay on point, as I kicked the cover for a longer time than usual. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. Again, the quail only went up a few feet then landed near the release trap. The pigeon flew away and Tur Bo took his normal step but didn’t chase.
This time the frozen quail was lying in the shorter grass. Tur Bo saw it and brought it to me. I took it and threw it for him to retrieve, again. Tur Bo doesn’t do anything slow. He ran to the quail, scooped it up and raced back to me. I took it and threw it again. He retrieved it. I tapped his head to release him after petting him for a while. I took him back to the kennel.
Sally on point.
I reloaded the release traps and brought Sally out. Sally has been cooped up with the puppies for 7 weeks and for several days before they were born. She was ready to be worked on some birds. She, too, beat me to the first pigeon. As I came around the brush pile I could see her on point. After taking pictures I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon, the frozen quail and shot the blank pistol. She watched the pigeon fly away without moving.
The frozen quail landed close to the release trap in the tall weeds. I told her to fetch and tapped her head. She must have seen the quail fall. She went straight to it scooped it up and brought it to me. I petted her for a few seconds before saying, “give”. She dropped it into my hand. I tossed the frozen quail a few feet and she ran out, grabbed it and brought it back. I released her to hunt.
She ran down the training grounds and near the back went on point. More pictures then I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon, the frozen quail only went a few feet, and I shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I tapped her head and said, “fetch”. The quail was lying in the shorter grass and she grabbed it and returned. I petted her for a few seconds then said, “give”. She dropped it into my hand. We returned to the kennel.
Luke was next. He doesn’t retrieve so when I reloaded the release traps I didn’t use the frozen quail. I brought him out of the kennel and put him on whoa close to the 4-wheeler. I got on the 4-wheeler, started it and put it in gear. Luke took off in a big hurry. I whoaed him and he stopped. I let him stand for a few seconds then said, “okay”. He was in a dead run in just a few steps.
When I came around the brush pile he was just coming back from the neighbor’s side. The dog’s know when I use both sides because the smell of the 4-wheeler is over there. I hadn’t been over there so the dogs don’t spend much time there. Luke was going with the wind when he passed the pigeon and slid around into a point. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I tapped his head to release him.
Tur Bo on point.
He went on to the back and went on point. After taking some pictures I went in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He moved his front feet a little to watch the pigeon fly away. I stroked his sides then tapped his head to release him. We went back to the kennel.
Babe was next. Instead of riding the 4-wheeler I walked Babe toward the back. I put her on whoa and walked about 25 yards ahead of her. I turned and called her to me. She came in a run. We went to the retrieving bench. She jumped on to it.
I walked her up one side then down the other, petting her. I placed a retrieving dummy in her mouth and walked her down the bench, had her turn and carry it back to the other end. The turning was new but she held the dummy with no problem. I walked her down the other side then turned back to the other end. She is holding real well. I set her on the ground.
I released her to hunt but held the end of the check cord because she will go to the west a long way. When we got close to the first pigeon I turned loose of the check cord. When she hit the scent cone she pointed. She has been wagging on her points. Not just a little but like she’s the happiest dog in the world. This morning her tail moved a few times but when I got close it stopped. I walked in front kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon she didn’t move. She watched the pigeon fly away without moving her tail. I tapped her head to release her.
She was dragging me down the training grounds so I dropped the check cord. She hit the scent cone and pointed. A couple of slow wags of the tail and she quit moving it. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. Again, when I flushed the pigeon she only turned her head to watch it fly away. I stroked her sides then took her back to the kennel.
Babe on point.
Mann was the last dog to be worked. On the way toward the retrieving bench I whoaed him and walked about 25 yards in front of him. I called him to me. He came in a run. Not as fast as Babe but fast. We went to the retrieving bench. He jumped on to it.
After walking him back and forth petting him I placed a dummy in his mouth. After he took a step I had him give the retrieving dummy. I placed the dummy behind his canines and as he started to take a step he spit the dummy out. I pinched his lip against his teeth and replaced the dummy. He spit it out. I pinched his lip against his teeth and replaced the dummy. He held it while he took a step.
We went to the other side of the retrieving bench and when I put the dummy in his mouth he spit it out before he could take a step. He spit the dummy out 4 or 5 times and I pinched his lip against his teeth each time. Not real hard just hard enough to be uncomfortable. Finally, he held the dummy and took a few steps. I had him hold it several times then set him on the ground.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
This was what he was waiting on. I had worked 4 dogs before him and he wanted to find a bird. I released him to hunt. As I came around the brush pile I saw him go on point. I took pictures and walked in front of him, kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon he didn’t move. I stroked his sides then tapped his head. He went toward the back.
He was moving pretty fast when he hit the scent cone and slid to a point. After taking some pictures I walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. This wasn’t the first time I had shot the blank pistol but it has to be only the third or fourth time. When I shot he took a step but stopped without me saying anything. I set him back and petted him. I took him back to the kennel.
This morning while I was working dogs I thought I should put a disclaimer on here. If you have read my posts for a while you know that Mann has been shot over a lot during hunting season and over the chukars I’ve bought. If you’re new to the post it looks like I have only shot over him a few times. Not the case. He is used to gun fire.
What a great life I have been blessed with. During this cool weather I was able to work 5 dogs and get 10 points in my back yard. It’s not as good as a real bird hunt but it’s close.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
Luke pointing a pigeon.