It was pretty warm when I went out to work dogs this morning. It’s been a while since I have worked Mann and Babe so I went out early. By the time I cleaned pens it was already getting warm. Mann and Babe don’t care, they just want me to work them on pigeons.
Babe on the barrel watching a pigeon fly away.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
I put two pigeon, in release traps, in front of the whoa barrel and four more release traps, with pigeons in them, on the training grounds. I brought Babe out with an e-collar around her neck and dragging a long check cord. I heeled her toward the whoa barrel with the piggin’ string. Before we got to the barrel I whoaed her and walked about 25 yards in front of her. I turned and watched her for a few seconds then called her to me. She came in a run.
We went on to the whoa barrel. I whoaed her beside the barrel then set her on top of the barrel. I styled her up but she did most of it herself. She likes the whoa barrel. I stroked her sides and belly telling her what a good girl she is. I took pictures and walked back and forth in front of her kicking the grass. I flushed a pigeon and it only flew to the chicken house and lit on the roof. Maybe 20 yards.
After I stroked her sides and styled her up again I went back in front of her kicking the grass. In a few seconds I flushed the second pigeon. She didn’t move. The second pigeon flew to the roof of the chicken house with the first. Babe looked good as she watched the pigeons on the chicken house.
I set her on the ground and styled her up, beside the barrel, before heeling her away. When we got to the retrieving bench she jumped onto it. I walked her down both sides of the bench, petting her. I placed the retrieving dummy behind her canine teeth and had her walk half way down the bench. At the middle of the bench I had her give then placed it back in her mouth and had her walk the rest of the way down the bench.
When we got to the end of the bench I had her hold the dummy as I petted her. I said, “give” and she dropped it into my hand. We walked both sides of the bench with her carrying the dummy and giving when I asked her to. I set her on the ground.
She was dragging the long check cord as we went toward the bird field. Actually, she was dragging me. I hold the check cord to keep her from leaving my property but I have started dropping the check cord when we get close to where I have hidden a bird so she has to stop on her own.
She got close to the first bird and was going with the wind. As she went past the bird she caught the scent and whirled around and went on point. Her tail was wagging a little but she wasn’t moving. I walked to her and stroked her tail softly saying, “whoa”. She would stop wagging then start again. I tapped her tail and she stopped. I walked in front of her, watching her to see if she started wagging but she didn’t. I flushed the pigeon and she turned to watch it fly away. I tapped her head while holding the check cord.
Before we got to the next bird I turned loose of the check cord. She was moving really fast when she caught the scent of the next bird but didn’t stop. She turned and started toward the pigeon and I flushed it and yelled, “whoa”. She stopped and watched it fly away.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
I carried her back to where she first smelled the bird and whoaed her. I stroked her sides and made her stand there for a few seconds then grabbed the check cord, tapped her head and started to the other side.
When we got close I dropped the check cord and she had trouble finding the next bird but she was looking hard. There was not much wind and it was swirling. This gave me the opportunity to use the phrase, “look in here”. She came by me and I repeated the phrase, “look in here” and she went on point. She stopped the instant she smelled the bird. I stroked her sides softly saying, “whoa”. I watched her as I went in front of her and her tail didn’t move. I flushed the bird and she took a step to see better. I stroked her sides, grabbed the check cord, tapped her head and we went toward the front of the training grounds.
To check her out I turned her loose long before we got to the next bird. I would like to work her without the check cord but I don’t want her just coming back when she gets ready. She hit all of the edge on the way to the next bird. When I came around a small thicket she was on point on the last bird. She was quite away from the pigeon so she had stopped when she first smelled it, I think.
Her tail was wagging. I went to her and tapped her tail, softly saying, “whoa”. Her tail would quit for several seconds then start again. I tapped it again and stroked it up. I pushed on her tail until she resisted. Finally, she quit wagging and I walked in front of her, kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and it went right over the top of her and she raised her head to watch it but didn’t move her feet. I stroked her sides, grabbed the check cord, tapped her head and we went back to the kennels.
Mann doesn’t like or do good on the whoa barrel so I don’t put him on it. But he doesn’t need it. He almost always has good style when he points. I didn’t use the release traps by the barrel but I reloaded the release traps that were hidden on the training grounds and heeled him out. After a few yards I whoaed him and walked about 25 yards in front of him and called him to me. He came in a run. We went on to the retrieving bench.
As I crossed to my side I saw Mann.
He jumped onto the bench. I walked both sides of the bench petting him. He takes the retrieving dummy better than Babe does but he doesn’t hold or walk the bench as well. I put the dummy in his mouth and drug him down the bench. It’s funny. His front feet move pretty easy but his back feet don’t want to take a step. After we did both sides of the bench I set him on the ground.
I had him drag the long check cord because some of the pigeons are young and don’t fly too well. If he catches one he takes it into the thick brush where I can’t get to him. He doesn’t kill the bird he just plays with it but with the check cord I might be able to make a retrieving exercise out of it, if I can catch him.
I turned him loose and he crossed the other side then came back to my side, made a circle and went back to the other side. We went toward the back with him checking most of the places I had ever hidden a bird for him. I lost sight of him with all of the clumps of brush. As I called him I saw him standing, looking good. With the swirling wind he had pointed on the opposite side than I thought he would. I’m often fooled on the places the dogs find the scent.
I took some pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he didn’t move. I went to him, stroked his sides then heeled him away. I tapped his head to release him.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
He was running hard and was on point long before I got to the next pigeon. The check cord was lying in a straight line showing how he had turned when he hit the scent cone. He stopped immediately, I think. I took pictures then stroked his sides before going in front of him. I flushed the pigeon and he didn’t move. I stroked his sides, heeled him a few yards then tapped his head to release him.
He checked this side out then crossed back to my side. When I came through the crossing I could see him on point through the brush. I took a picture through the brush then went on to him. I took more pictures then stroked his sides. I went in in front of him kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon he didn’t move. I heeled him a few yards and tapped his head to release him.
He was wound up and checking every where. He hit the scent cone and whirled around with his hind legs stretched out. He straightened up to stand tall and didn’t move. I took pictures then went in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he only turned his head to watch it fly away. I took him back to the kennel.
Babe has always, even from a puppy, wagged her tail when she points. It’s not a little tick, it’s like she’s the happiest dog in the world. I’ve been working on her to stop. It’s a fine line between her thinking I don’t want her to point birds and I don’t want her to wag. I don’t field trial so the wagging is not a big deal for that reason but she wags so much the other dogs can’t tell she’s on point. They won’t honor her.
She has a lot of style on the whoa barrel and she likes being on it. With the whoa barrel and a few low level things I’m trying I think I will be able to break her from this. She hunts hard and looks good on the ground. Her tail is up and wagging a lot when she’s running, also. She is worth all the work.
Mann on point.
Babe on the whoa barrel.
Mann on point.