Friday, October 1, 2010

Dog Training (Backing)



I went out Saturday morning to work the dogs,  I took some chuckers and pigeons and worked Blue Collar Bron on backing and steady to flush exercises.  I used VC Black Canyon Gin as a pointing dog, I took three
launchers out, bought her in and she pointed, since she will hold forever, I just left her there. I then got Blue Collar Bron out and released him from behind a haystack, as he came around the haystack,  he pointed Gin,(honoring) I released the first homer, I blanked it, then again with the second not saying anything just moving in front of both dogs when I got to the traps I released the third bird, this time I shot it,  Gin stayed so I walked back to Bron and gave him the retrieve.  I later ran the dogs though the traps, old scent. I went out and worked Bron with VC Blue Collar Asia on some planted chuckers. Both were steady on all birds and both backed each other.  After that I refilled the tree traps at the exact location, and took two dead chuckers with me.  I brought Bron in, before he could smell the birds I popped them, he stopped to flush on the first and second and then the third, each time I released a pigeon I would fire my shotgun.  Then I took out a dead chucker  threw it a long way out, came in closer and threw a another bird out closer crossing over the path of the first bird.  I then released Bron on the first close bird, when he came in, I brought  him to heel and then sent him for the longer memory mark, he handled both correctly.

Sunday morning I took out the dogs this time all three running together, all were just having fun.  I just wanted a photo shoot.  I wanted the dogs just to run and have a great time.  I wanted to see if I could get a photo of all three on point, not a lot of training just letting the dogs run and come back to me naturally.  I dropped three chuckers down, I did not plant them just set them down,  I made a large circle after taking the dogs to water.  I circled them back towards the birds,  all three birds had moved, but the dogs found them and pointed them.  They remember the training from the day before. I was able to handle all three dogs,  We found all three birds, and the dogs pointed and honored each other.  This was without the aid of e-collars.   It's great to have three trained dogs and hunting season just beginning.