Justus :: Training Journal

[Ayres]

This won't come near being updated consistently, but if noone else reads it, it will at least give me an online journal to consult if I forget where to go next.

Today I used a pigeon with a clipped wing in my bird launcher. When I took Justus out, he pointed it (locked tight) from about fifteen yards away. There was a light breeze into his face, so I'm sure he caught scent from about that distance.

I took a few steps ahead of him and when he took a step I launched the bird. It flew (flapped) away a little ways, and I check-corded Justus away.

Then I re-planted the bird in the launcher in a different spot, in some knee-to-waist-high cover. When I took Justus out the second time, I corded him near the spot of the first plant. He again pointed the spot, and I stepped ahead of him. When no bird flushed (none there), I called him forward and he investigated the spot and didn't find anything. I don't think that it was good to let him break point like that, but I thought it was a good lesson for him to learn that just because he points dosn't mean there's always a bird there. I won't be doing that again. (Anyone know what I should do when he points an area without a bird in it next time?)

Then I led him into the higher cover on a hillside, and he caught scent from about five to seven yards away from the launcher (wind was blowing in his face, bird was to his front left). I kicked the brush in front of Justus, and when he moved a step I launched the bird again. Same result, and I check-corded him out again before retrieving my bird and equipment and packing it up for the day.

If I get a chance tomorrow, I'm going to try tying a piece of cardboard to a different pigeon's leg (one that doesn't have a clipped wing) to make it fly further away upon the launch. I plan to keep working this way and introducing the blank pistol by the end of the week if possible.

[PA_Sportsman]

When Justus points old scent (no bird), don't say a word to him. Let him go in and learn that there is no bird there.

Sounds like he is progressing nicely!!

[Ayres]

Thanks for the tip!

Today I got back from school quickly and walked Justus for about 20 minutes on the Wonder Lead. He pulls every few seconds, but immediately lets up to the pressure of the pinch behind his ears. It's a little difficult to keep the lead positioned properly, because if he dips his head down toward the ground it just slips down his neck. But after awhile I just kept pressure enough on it to keep his head up without the pinch, and we had a good normal paced walk after that.

I knew that couldn't be too much fun for him, so I had to get him on birds today as well (to heck with preparing for arguments this evening, I just winged it and did fine). I cut about a 4"x6" piece of cardboard and slipped a piece of string through, and then tied it off to both legs of a pigeon. Then I tested the pigeon. It flew, but couldn't go very far (it almost landed in the neighbor's fenced in yard!!). Satisfied, I took out the launcher and planted it in some cover that I hadn't used yet.

Justus did very well in the light breeze and pointed from about ten yards out. I had Danyelle hold the check cord while I stepped ahead. He's so tense on point, his little hind leg muscles just quivver with anticipation. He finally took a step when I kicked the brush a couple feet in front of him and I launched the bird when he did.

So I had Danyelle take him away and out of sight, and I re-planted the bird in the launcher in a different spot. This time Justus started getting tense and walking slowly from about thirty yards away. I didn't know if he was picking up scent or if he was just being cautious (we were coming up on an area I had used yesterday, but not quite to the place where the launcher was planted this time). I thought he was just pointing the area he knew, so I called him into that area playfully, saying "There's no bird here man, that was yesterday! Stop pointing the area and get a scent, boy!"

About that time he got antsy and then locked up in the direction of the launcher. He was about fifteen yards out but I knew he had scent this time because there was a light breeze into his face. Again, Danyelle check-corded him while I walked out in front. He got away with taking a step while I wasn't looking (Danyelle told me), but on his second step I launched the bird.

After that we cleaned up and went back home. Lucky for me it's just about a 200 foot walk to my front door.... makes those quicky training sessions possible. Hopefully tomorrow we can have enough time to get on a bird more than twice, and by the end of the week I'm looking to start firing the blank pistol upon launch.

[ezzy333]

Steven,

Was good to meet you. Hope the birds are working out well. I took Rush out yesterday and finally got 3 beautiful points on quail. Had to relocate the first one and he flushed it. Yhe second he held till I flushed it and the third he was gone for several minutes so I went to find him and he was standing on point. Let me walk past and i kicked around for a couple of mins without him moving. When I couldn't find it I came back to look rught in front of him and he broke when I did but we never found the bird.

Still made me feel good. It was a good day.

Al

[Ayres]

Al - Good to hear that Rush is doing well! I would like to get together and run them together sometime.

Today I walked Justus to get the mail and back on the Wonder Lead.... about five minutes. I didn't do any field training because tonight was his last conformation class. Danyelle took him in and told me that he did very well, and the instructor has noted a large improvement over the six week course. At the end she pointed to the front of the line (where Justus and another dog were) and said "there's my one and two!" (because they were the only dogs stacked within the entire line)

Tomorrow I don't think I'll be able to get him in the field, but Friday I'll try and make up for it with a longer training session, or at least a couple short ones.

[Ayres]

Picked Justus up from the vet's kennel this morning (spent yesterday visiting family) and did a little training this afternoon. I carded my pigeon and put it in the launcher, then took Justus out. He always knows when a training session is happening, and gets all excited and barks in anticipation while I go out and plant the bird.

He came up on it from the right, breeze blowing in his face, and pointed it from about five yards away (I think he would've pointed it sooner had he not decided to go potty as he started through the brush). He froze and let me step ahead of him a couple steps before taking a step, and I flushed the bird when he did. He took off in a slight chase and I fired the blank pistol. He didn't even notice.

I lost my pigeon though. It flew from the north hillside over top of the hill and landed somewhere on the south hillside in the 6ft. tall prairie grass. I searched for it for about 45 minutes or so, trying to have Justus help me, but no avail. Justus got to the point where he was just running and having fun rather than using his nose, and Lord knows he covers ten times the ground I cover when searching so I could've used that sniffer. I'll check in the morning for the bird (since it's still carded) but I'm not sure it will survive the night what with the cold and/or predators.

I also lost a different pigeon this morning. It was dead in my loft. For the past few days it hadn't been looking very well... it lost a great deal of feathers on the back of its head and down its neck, and its eyelids looked wrinkled as if old age had set in rapidly. It also wasn't keeping itself very clean. Anyway, now I'm left with six pigeons... 5 fat and healthy looking homers and one little white guy with a wing clipped. The homers need to stay in the loft for a couple more weeks, so if I don't find that lost bird in the morning it might put a temporary cramp in the field training.

Oh, and Justus needs a bath. I'm not looking forward to that either.