I would rather work the young dogs as I did a few days ago in Kansas but at home I only have pigeons. It would be nice to have enough wild birds to train a dog on but I don’t have that luxury. I don’t think the dogs really care as long as I’m doing something with them.
Abby pointing a pigeon.
Josie pointing a pigeon.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
I have started working Boss on whoa with the e-collar. I heel him around the yard, push the button on the e-collar on a real low setting, (low 1 or medium 1) then say, “whoa”. After just a few times he will stop before I say, “whoa”, most of the time. After he is stopping reliably I quit the e-collar unless he doesn’t stop when I say, “whoa”.
On this morning as I got to the front yard a friend, Dennis Garrison, saw me walking him and stopped to talk. I had the piggin’ string around Boss’s neck. When Dennis stopped I told Boss to whoa. We talked for maybe 15 minutes and Boss didn’t hop around or tug on the piggin’ string. He just stood still waiting on me. Dennis said, “Boy, that dog is calm”. A well mannered puppy is what I’m after.
Without putting a lot of pressure on Boss I want to get him whoaing really well. That will take lots of repetitions. In Kansas the other day, when Sally pointed a covey of quail Boss didn’t know what she was doing. He ran past her and flushed a couple of birds.
Once I get him whoaing really well I will work him on the backing dog. I ran all of the young dogs with Vince’s short hair and Abby and Josie didn’t back her either. Both of them have been worked on the backing dog but that was their first time seeing a dog with no tail pointing. I will run them with the e-collar on their flanks until I have reliable backers.
After Dennis left I heeled Boss on toward the back whoaing him on all 3 place boards on the way. When we got close to where I had two pigeons hidden just 20 yards apart I turned Boss loose with out the piggin’ string.
Leaving the piggin’ string on makes the dog think you still have some control, maybe. Without the piggin’ string they seem freer. There was very little if any wind and he ran across the top of the first bird, hitting the trap with a foot releasing the pigeon. It only flew about 3 yards and hit the ground. Boss pounced on the bird.
Abby on a pigeon.
He wasn’t hurting the pigeon just mouthing it. I walked up the check cord and the pigeon got away from Boss. He stood pointing, watching the bird run away. I petted him, then worked him toward the second pigeon hidden in the same grass strip. We had almost circled the bird before he smelled it and pointed.
I tied the check cord to a stake in the ground and walked in front of him kicking the grass. After a few seconds I flushed the pigeon. He tried to chase but the check cord stopped him. I set him back, untied the check cord and heeled him away.
I heeled him toward the kennel then released him to run. When I got close to the kennel he wasn’t with me. I got on the 4-wheeler and went to the back. When I got close to the brush on the small hillside I could see the end of the check cord. I got off the 4-wheeler and went into the brush. His check cord was tangled. As I got close I saw some feathers. He had caught the pigeon that had run away from him, earlier. I untangled him and picked up the pigeon. It was wet with slobber but unhurt.
When we got back to the pigeon coop I put the bird in the house and I ran Boss around the house and to the back of the training grounds then back to the kennel.
Josie on a pigeon.
I heeled Josie out, with the e-collars around her neck and flanks, with the piggin’ string. She was dragging the check cord with a half hitch around her flanks. She and Abby are better at whoa because I’ve worked them longer than Boss so I don’t walk them as far. Just across the yard then toward the back after we whoa on all 3 place boards.
This morning I did something a little different with the two older, young dogs. Just as we got to the place boards I said, “whoa”. The first time I did this Josie and Abby both tried to get on the place board then whoa. I made them whoa where they heard the word. After the first time they had it figured out. I want them to automatically stop, wherever and whenever, they hear the command.
I whoaed Josie when we got close to the pigeons hidden in the grass strip. I took the piggin’ string off and tapped her head to release her. Josie is usually a little sticky when I first release her but she’s getting better.
Boss on pigeons.
There was a strip of grass before she got to the one the pigeons were in and she had to check it out first. She got the scent of the pigeons when she got close to the other strip and pointed. I took pictures then pushed the stake in the ground behind her and tied the check cord to it. I walked in front of her kicking the tall grass. I flushed the pigeon that was about 20 yards away. She turned her head to watch it but didn’t move her feet.
I went to her and stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is. I went back in front kicking the tall grass and flushed the bird she was pointing. She tried to chase but the check cord stopped her. I heeled her away then released her to run. She ran in front of the 4-wheeler a couple of laps around the yard. I put her in the kennel.
Boss.
After putting the e-collars on Abby and heeling her out I attached the check cord to her collar after putting a half hitch around her flanks. Abby thinks she should lead so I take really small steps until she lets me lead. I worked her on all 3 place boards after whoaing her just before she stepped onto them. We went on toward the back.
When we got close to the back I whoaed her and tapped her head to release her. The wind was a little stronger and she caught the scent farther than the other two and pointed. I took pictures then pushed the stake into the ground behind her. I tied the check cord to the stake.
I went in front kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon that was about 20 yards away she flinched but didn’t move. She did turn her head to watch it fly away. I stroked her sides then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the bird she was pointing. She tried to catch it but the check cord stopped her. I set her back then heeled her away. I released her to run. After a couple of laps around the yard I put her in the kennel.
Me and Jim. February in New Mexico.
Since I was letting the young dogs run I ran the others. Sally is a little overweight and she needs the exercise. I ran her first then ran Luke and Mann. Luke heads right back to the kennel after one round but Sally and Mann will keep going.
The days are getting shorter and the nights cooler. It will not be long before the season is open. I need to make sure these young dogs are ready. Lots of repetitions should do that.