Georgia 2015: puppy training on bobwhite quail
Jerry and I divided the puppies into two groups—younger and older—and they rotate days in the big puppy exercise pen. This day the young ones got their turn. Handsome male Mercury (Northwoods Parmigiano x Northwoods Rum Rickey) is surrounded by four litter sisters (CH Shadow Oak Bo x Northwoods Chardonnay), from left, Nickel, Mocha, Gold and Holly.
The word for this training season in Georgia is “puppies.”
Jerry and I have 11 puppies with us. Five are owned by clients Joe Byers, Paul Hauge and Dave and Rochel Moore; we own the rest. Mercury is the lone male but he’s definitely big enough (43 lbs. at five months) to hold his own.
Against a background of mature and sapling longleaf pines, Jerry and I watched as, separately, littermate sisters Nickel, on left, and Holly (CH Shadow Oak Bo x Northwoods Chardonnay) worked and then shared point on a single wild quail.
Here’s the roster:
• P.T. (CH Elhew G Force x Northwoods Prancer)
• Roxy (Northwoods Grits x Houston’s Belle’s Choice)
• Bonny and Biz (Blue Riptide x Northwoods Carly Simon)
• Bette and Sky (Northwoods Grits x CH I’m Blue Gert)
• Gold, Holly, Mocha and Nickel (CH Shadow Oak Bo x Northwoods Chardonnay)
• Mercury (Northwoods Parmigiano x Northwoods Rum Rickey)
We divided the puppies into two, age-based groups and alternate the exercise and training routines. Every morning, Jerry loads a group into the truck for a short ride to the big exercise pen. At the end of the day, that group also gets an extensive walk.
Littermate sisters look like miniature versions of their parents, Northwoods Grits and CH I’m Blue Gert. On left, Bette (mini Gert) and Sky (mini Grits) share and hold point on a single bobwhite.
In the beginning, the puppies simply learned about everything in the field: how to hunt, where the birds were and how to use their nose. They learned to handle to voice and whistle commands. Later the puppies learn to back and a blank pistol is introduced. Further maturity gains them individual time and/or work with a bracemate in the field with Jerry.
Intermixed with time in the field and exercise pen is yard work. Jerry walks the puppies on a lead, does barrel work and teaches HERE, WHOA and KENNEL.
Roxy (Northwoods Grits x Houston’s Belle’s Choice) is a talented, spirited puppy. She inherited the best of each parent—drive from Grits (thus the Garmin collar) and a swift, graceful gait from Choice.
Perhaps most importantly (and rather than a winter in the frozen north with little stimulation), our puppies get ample exercise, lots of socialization and a steady, busy routine. And Jerry and I love having them with us. No matter how frenetic or discouraging a work day might have been, a puppy walk in the afternoon heals all. It’s rewarding to see each puppy mature in size and strength and to watch the light bulbs in their brains switch on. Too, from our breeder’s perspective, this is a great opportunity to evaluate our 2014 litters.
So maybe in addition to the word “puppies,” I would add that this winter has been a “blast.”
This is puppy training! Bonny (Blue Riptide x Northwoods Carly Simon) nicely works bobwhite scent while Mercury (Northwoods Parmigiano x Northwoods Rum Rickey), even though he’s seven weeks younger, hasn’t yet figured out much.
Dragging a check cord and wearing an ecollar, seven-month-old P.T. (CH Elhew G Force x Northwoods Prancer) is now in staunchness training. Jerry flushed several birds out of a Johnny house and P.T. found, pointed and held them.
Littermate sisters Gold, on left, and Mocha (CH Shadow Oak Bo x Northwoods Chardonnay) find and share point on a wild covey of bobwhites.
