CH Elettra del Subasio

Elettra with handler Laura receiving ribbon for Champion title, 6-15-13

In only her fourth dog show, Elettra earned her Champion title on Thursday and then followed it up with a Best-of-Breed on Saturday and a Select on Sunday. It’s hard to believe that the tough little huntress I’ve trained and hunted with for the past year is a show dog, but that she is.

It was an enjoyable weekend that came and went all too quickly but it was fun while it lasted. We had a nice barbecue with friends and opened our back yard to the dogs they were showing, mostly German Wirehairs, to give them some time to run and stretch their legs a bit. Elettra renewed acquaintances with our guys and then it was back to show business.

Overall, Elettra did well and the show champion is back to bird dog boot camp for a bit, then homeward bound. Having said that, apologies in advance to Team Laura for the work that was put into grooming her these past couple of months, because it won’t take many training sessions to undo.

Evening training with Mia

Mia holding a nice point, 6-4-13.

I haven’t been too consistent with my plans for nightly training, but this evening it was Mia’s turn. I put the e-collar on her but it’s hardly necessary anymore and the only setting I use is “tone”.

I planted both my partridge and a Pheasant for her. She hit on the partridge with a very nice point and when I flushed the bird, it took off running. I sent Mia after it but she didn’t really know what to do with a runner – catch it or point it? It disappeared into some tall grass which allowed Mia to get on it and retrieve.

Mia on point in heavy cover, 6-4-13

After putting the partridge away, we went after the Pheasant. At first, Mia worked her way up the scent cone to get right on top of the bird before going on point, which I didn’t want her to do. I pulled her off the bird and took a long roundabout back to the bird. The moment she caught the bird’s scent, I beeped her with the e-collar and she went on point.

Mia on point, 6-4-13

I flushed the Pheasant for her and she was on it, making a nice retrieve. Unfortunately for the bird, it was a death grip because it didn’t quite survive the retrieve.

Mia retrieves the Pheasant we were working with, 6-4-13

Family visit

Friday we went visiting and took Doc along with us, giving him a day to visit mom and brother Spumante. The only real excitement came, not with the dogs, but with an Icelandic horse roundup.

Doc and brother Spumante.

We opened the holding pen to allow them to feed on fresh grass, but limited their time in the pen; since they had been on hay all winter, gorging themselves on fresh grass could bloat them. In fact when I was a kid, our neighbor burst into the house one day asking to borrow our machete; he had a cow that was bloating. We loaned it to him and he rushed back out, whereupon he stabbed the machete into the cow’s side as it lay on the ground moaning. The cow’s stomach contents shot a geyser into the air but it died soon afterwards

So given a taste of fresh grass, the horses weren’t about to leave the holding pen without a fight. One of them, ears down and teeth showing, set to bucking, kicking and snorting. Although I had a healthy respect for its hooves, I wasn’t putting up with it and eventually herded it back into the pasture. Now that they were split up, one in the pasture and one still in the pen, the fun really started. I was doing double duty in trying to herd one from the holding pen to the pasture while at the same time stopping the other on the charges he made to get back in.

Nonetheless I succeeded in getting both back into the pasture, so I guess my experiences in growing up with three donkeys and a mule paid off.

Evening training with Elvis

After the Mia-Elvis-Dakota birthday dinner Thursday evening, I took Elvis out for some training in the pasture. I it just took a little maturing for Elvis to come around because he’s taking his training a little more seriously nowadays.

Elvis holding a steady point while I snap pictures, 5-30-13.

I had originally planned on letting Elvis hunt the pasture for a bit before bringing him onto the Pheasant but the wind wasn’t cooperating and shifted on me. Elvis hit onto it right after entering the pasture and he struck a nice point, head high, nose into the wind, it was nice to see.

Elvis on point while training, 5-30-13.

I replanted the bird and let Elvis hunt the pasture for a bit, then brought him onto it again. Once again he hit a nice point and did a good job of holding it while I flushed the Pheasant and sent him after it. He’s always been a good natural hunter but had no use for training, however now that he’s developing a desire to train, I can start working on refining those natural abilities of his.

Evening training with Doc

Since the days are getting longer, my plan is to work with one of the guys each evening and today I began with Doc. Putting Doc on a waistcord and using a wing-clipped Pheasant, we spent about half-an-hour training. I let Doc hunt the pasture for a bit before bringing him into the bird.

Doc on point, wearing a waistcord. 5-29-13

He did a very nice job of pointing and I let him get on the bird after flushing it, but he wasn’t sure what to do with something as big and strong as a Pheasant. He basically pinned it to the ground and nuzzled it. I then re-planted the Pheasant while Doc checked out other areas of the pasture.

Doc on point, 5-29-13

I brought him back onto the bird again and he hit a very nice point. Again I flushed it and let him chase it down but this time I think he was ready to literally take its head off because it’s head and half the neck was in his mouth. I gave him the “drop it” command and pried his jaws open, extricating the bird with nothing but its ego damaged. Well, strike that as he did injure its wing a little but nothing was broken.

Doc on point. By having to stay on point while I take pictures, they learn to hold their points for an extended period of time.

After putting the Pheasant back into the bird run, I let Doc run the pasture for a few more minutes before calling him in for the night. Tomorrow it’ll be Elvis’ turn, who howled up a storm when I selected Doc instead of him for training.

Doc holding a great point, as steady as a statue.

Ideas for a Memorial Day weekend

Hope everyone is having a nice Memorial Day weekend but if you haven’t decided what to do, the guys have some ideas.

Have a barbecue.

Ah, barbecued ribs.

Do some outdoor activities.

Mia still searching for the bird nest.

Elvis and Mia search for the bird nest.

Mia searching the tree for a bird nest.

Honor our military personnel.

A salute to our military personnel.

Bumpers and bird wings

After Doc shredded a rug and floor runner, I decided he was trying to tell us something, so I took everyone out in the pasture to stretch their legs and get in a little training. With the Labs it was bumpers in the pond and with the Spins, bird wings in the grass, although Doc really wanted into the pond but couldn’t get up the courage. It was just basic stuff, simple retrieves for the Labs and a waist cord for the Spins.

Dakota catches air while Sophie looks on, 5-11-13

Dakota hitting the water, 5-11-13

Dakota making a splash, 5-11-13

At 10 1/2 years old, Sophie can still catch a little air, 5-11-13.

Sophie hits the water with a little splash, 5-11-13.

Doc intensely on point, 5-11-13

Doc pointing a bird wing, 5-11-13

Doc ready to pounce on the bird wing, 5-11-13.

Elvis on point with his tongue out, the temperature was 80 degrees, 5-11-13

Elvis on point, 5-11-13

Mia on point, 5-11-13.

Mia on point, she’s lost some of her steadiness during hunting season, 5-11-13.

Fun with a stink bug

While I sitting out on the patio with the guys, Sophie and Elvis found a stink bug. By the time I began recording it on my cell phone, they’d had enough and didn’t want any more to do with it. As for Doc and Mia, they did a bit more investigating.

First swim of the year

Dakota retrieves, 5-3-13

Sophie retrieves, 5-3-13

Yesterday was such a nice and sunny day that I took the guys for their first swim of the year and introduce Doc to water for the first time. I made two trips, the first with the Labs and the second trip with the Spins; Dakota was so excited that she cried all the way out for her first retrieve. Doc’s a little a fish when it comes to water and just about dragged me into the water in his attempt to investigate the big orange buoys that marked the swimming area.

Mia heading out to retrieve a piece of driftwood, 5-3-13

Mia, Elvis and Doc, 5-3-13

Doc took to the water like a fish, 5-3-13

Mia made a couple of retrieves with a piece of driftwood, but I didn’t give Elvis a chance to retrieve. Doc had enough of watching retrieves, and when I tossed the driftwood for Elvis, Doc lunged, ripped the leash out of my hand, hit the water and went under, then paddled back to shore. I didn’t want that to frighten him of water so we returned to the truck where I crated Mia and Elvis, then let Doc retrieve a bumper several times. I actually thought he was going to swim in his first introduction to the water, but no, chest-deep is as far as he’d go.

Checking things out.

Doc makes his first water retrieve with a bumper, 5-3-13

Doc’s proud of his second retrieve, 5-3-13

This and that photos

We worked on tracking the other day and I was able to get some good video of our sessions – unfortunately the camcorder decided to kick the bucket so I don’t know when we’ll be able to retrieve the video. In place of the training video, I’ve substituted some photos that I took over the weekend.

The guys salute our son-in-law, who just joined the National Guard.

My 3 sons (some of them, anyway). Left to right: Spumante, Doc, mom Onda, and Elvis enjoying home on the range.

Elvis, Doc and Mia enjoy the morning.

A goose and pair of ducks drop in on our pasture.

Too close for comfort.