I have been working the puppy, Boss, on pigeons. Since all of the puppies were about 3 weeks old I have shown them pigeons. I first, locked the pigeons wings and let all of the puppies play with them. The puppies got too aggressive, really quickly. After just a few times of locking their wings, I had to quit and start just teasing the puppies and then let the bird fly away. Each of the puppies in the litter were really chasing before they went to their new homes.
Abby pointing the pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler.
Josie pointing with 4 pigeons, in release traps, in one spot.
Abby watching one of her four pigeons fly away.
A few days ago, I put a pigeon in a release trap and hid it in a clump of grass I have allowed to grow on the training grounds. Rather than walk to the kennel and get Boss and walk back I rode the 4-wheeler to the kennel and then had him follow back to the training grounds. I had clipped a short leash to Boss’s collar. I let him drag the leash but it bothered him so I took it off for the time being.
I was watching him closely when he got close to the clump of grass with the pigeon hidden in it. As soon as I saw him react to the smell of the pigeon I flushed the bird. I tried to entice him to chase the pigeon by saying, “get that bird, get that bird”. He chased a short distance and came back to smell the release trap. I took him back to the 4-wheeler and snapped the leash to his collar. I took another pigeon and put it in the release trap in the same clump of grass.
He wasn’t too sure about being tied up. When I unsnapped him from the leash he just stayed close to me for a few seconds then went back to hunting. We were maybe 30 yards from where I had hidden the pigeon. The second time he came to the clump of grass he pointed. After just a few seconds he moved and I flushed the bird. He chased a few feet then came back to smell the release trap. I hooked him to the 4-wheeler, again and reloaded the release trap.
My intention was for him to anticipate the pigeon being in that clump of grass. The third time he got close he pointed as soon as he smelled the bird. I shot a video on my phone of this point. (I can’t put videos on my blog and I’m not tech savvy enough to put pictures from my phone on my blog.) He hadn’t moved for over 2 minutes on the video so I went ahead and flushed the pigeon. He chased a short distance. At 11 weeks old he’s not fast enough to chase far.
I put him in the kennel and the next day, yesterday, a friend came by. I put 4 pigeons in a bird bag and we took Boss for a walk. Before we got to the area where I had hidden the pigeons the day before I put a bird to sleep and hid it in some tall grass. I called Boss back and when he got close the pigeon woke up and flew away but that really wound him up.
We went on down the field and I put another pigeon to sleep, hid it in the tall grass and called him back. When he hit the scent cone he pointed then moved a little closer and pointed again. After about half a minute he jumped in waking the pigeon. It flew away with him in hot pursuit. When we got to the clump of grass where I had hidden the birds, in the release trap, the day before he checked every blade of grass.
Josie pointing pigeons.
I wound up hiding all 4 pigeons and he pointed them all. Most of them he held point for at least 30 seconds but the first day he held over two minutes. From now on I will use the release traps for him. I need to flush the pigeons at his first movement so he understands any movement on his part is what causes the bird to fly.
I have four DT release traps and two Dogtra release traps. Both brands of traps release the bird as soon as I push the button but the Dogtra’s make very little noise. I will only use Dogtra’s on Boss until he gets really used to the pigeon being flushed.
Now to the young dogs, Abby and Josie. I worked them some more, since my last post, on the place boards. They were pretty steady with me putting a pigeon to sleep right in front of the place board and walking around them. For me, the place boards work better than the whoa barrel. Seems like the pups learn, quicker, not to move.
I decided to try a new tactic, for them. I put 4 pigeons, in release traps, and placed them in a circle on the training grounds. I put the e-collars around Abby’s flanks and neck and heeled her out of the kennel, dragging a check cord, with the piggin’ string. I heeled her across 2 of the place boards, whoaing her on each, before going on toward the training ground.
Puppies trying to figure out how to hook up the trailer.
The wind was pretty strong out of the north and I brought her into the area of the 4 pigeons from the south east. I was still heeling her when she hit the scent cone on a pigeon and locked up. I took a couple of pictures then walked between her and the bird she was pointing. I took hold of the piggin’ string leaving it loose. I flushed one of the pigeons that she wasn’t pointing. She turned to look but didn’t try to move.
I waited until she got the smell again of the bird she was pointing, originally. When she stiffened up I walked around her again. I was on her right side and flushed a pigeon that was to her front but off to my right. She hardly even acknowledged this pigeon. She knew her bird was still there. I stroked her sides then flushed a bird that was in line with the pigeon she was pointing but farther out. This confused her for a few seconds then she got the scent of the bird she was pointing and stiffened again.
I let her stand for a while. She was getting the smell real well and I took more pictures. I stroked her sides and whispered to her, “you’re a good girl”. I held the piggin’ string but it was slack. I flushed the last pigeon and she didn’t move. I stroked her sides then tapped her head and let her run until we got back to the kennel.
I put the e-collars on Josie and heeled her out of the kennel dragging a check cord. We crossed two of the place boards and I whoaed her on each. Josie isn’t as steady as Abby so I whoaed her several times, on the way to the training grounds, to get her used to stopping. She was almost in Abby’s footprints when she went on point.
Abby
I stroked her sides and walked around her. I held the piggin’ string with some slack in the rope and flushed a pigeon off to our left. Josie wanted to chase but I held her with the piggin’ string. She watched the pigeon fly away. Her tail was wagging then she smelled the bird she had originally pointed and stiffened.
I took some pictures and walked around her. I flushed the pigeon that was off to our right. It came out low and my leg was in her way of seeing it. She looked in front of my leg then jerked her head to the back side of my leg but didn’t move her feet. I stroked her sides and told her what a good girl she is. She smelled the pigeon right in front of her and stiffened.
When I put the birds out I didn’t know where the dogs would be when they pointed. The next bird to be flushed was in line with the one she was pointing, just farther out. This is good training for the dog but it’s also confusing. But the dog needs to learn not to move as long as their bird hasn’t moved. I flushed the farther bird. She wanted to move but only took one step. I set her back.
Josie pointing a pigeon.
Her tail was really going then she smelled the bird in front of her. She went back on point. I took pictures then walked around her. I held the piggin’ string and flushed the last pigeon. She didn’t try to move. I petted her, took the piggin’ string off then tapped her head. Because of the check cord she thinks she’s still supposed to heel. For several feet, she stayed right by my side. Then she figured it out and ran back to the kennel.
After doing this exercise I felt really good about Abby and Josie. I’ll do this for several times then let them go on their own to see if they have really learned it. If not I have plenty of time before season to back up and work them on what they need.