B
Saturday, June 19, 2021
The Observer & Baker City Herald
D OG T RAINING
C LOSE T O H OME
■ Pointing dogs can hone their skills even inside a city
A
s an adult onset
handing her off on our
uplander living in
weekly visits. We both
UPLAND
the heart of the
sought urban greens-
PURSUITS
“big city” fl anking Walla
pace and any wildlands
Walla’s downtown shop-
on the outskirts to
BRAD TRUMBO
ping district, I never really
expose Finn to wild-
considered owning a point-
life. And while I knew
ing dog. A German shepherd and buff tabby
nothing of training a pointing dog, I learned
marauded throughout our 600-square-foot
quickly how to utilize birds like pigeons that
apartment space as it was. However, I had
had grown accustomed to humans on city
also never lived anywhere with legitimate
sidewalks, and found Rooks Park on the edge
upland hunting opportunity.
of town with a resident covey of valley quail.
When my fi rst rooster pheasant fell to the
While pups need bird exposure, they also
good fortune of arriving at a pheasant release need socialization, basic obedience, and
site behind a hunter with a seasoned Lab,
hunting commands, which can be taught
my interest in upland birds piqued instantly. indoors and on downtown streets. “Whoa” is a
Suddenly, the old Savage Fox double that I
standard pointing dog command to keep the
loved so dearly took on purpose and was car- dog steady and on solid point as you approach
ried in pursuit of the abundant valley quail in to fl ush a bird. It can also be used to stop
the public access beyond the city limits.
a dog in the fi eld in a dangerous situation.
I don’t credit my lovely bride with making Trainers use apparatus like barrels, tables,
the best impulse decisions, like springing for and elevated boards to teach this command,
a Llewellin setter pup while we both lived
which can be done in the corner of a small
in separate cities and apartments, fresh out
space. Similarly, “place” boards are typically
of graduate school and living paycheck to
used for retrievers, but can also be used to
paycheck. And that little pup was pure hell
teach “whoa” as an object which the dog is to
on our nerves and furniture. Yet, in hindsight, remain steady on when given the command.
she changed our lives profoundly, forever.
Once your pup has the basic obedience
Mine in particular as the hunter of the house- down, it’s time to practice in public. Start with
hold, and for that I am eternally grateful.
only a few repetitions, cycled with some time
Similar to a custody arrangement, Ali and in between. Pups still need time to be pups
I split the duties of caring for young Finn,
and it’s a big world in the city.
Brad Trumbo/Contributed Photo
A male valley quail forages on a park lawn.
Brad Trumbo/Contributed Photo
Beware of distractions like fox squirrels when seeking bird exposure in urban greenspace.
Slowly build up your fre-
quency and number of repeti-
tions as the pup becomes less
interested in the ancillary
surroundings. Remember to
start slow and simple with
high reward for good work.
Keeping a pup interested
in training is important to
ensure the lessons stick.
After a few jaunts down-
town, your pup should have
seen the fl ush of local pi-
geons enough to seek them
actively. It will remember
where the birds loaf and
feed from your prior walks
and anticipate the ap-
proach. Pointing behavior
may still be coupled with
the sight and sound of the
birds, providing a good
“whoa” opportunity. If pos-
sible, work with a partner
to steady the dog while the
other fl ushes.
The local valley quail
were our saving grace when
training Finn in her fi rst
year. She sought the usual
blackberry and brush pile
haunts and perked at the
sound of their calls. While
her maturation was slow,
the regular exposure to
covey birds on the edges of
natural wetlands instilled
early drive and positive
Brad Trumbo/Contributed Photo
The brushy margins of a manicured park lawn provide
quality food and cover for quail.
reinforcement for seeking.
Additionally, different
breeds mature at differ-
ent rates. My setters are
typically not hunting with
complete purpose until age
three, but that doesn’t mean
they don’t fi nd birds afi eld at
a young age. Maintain opti-
mism throughout the early
years, building the trust and
teamwork foundation.
See Training/Page 6B
Savoring storms
The fi rst drop of rain plunked the sidewalk with a splat I
could hear despite the two earbuds jutting from the sides of
my head, the plastic
appendages of the urban
ON THE TRAIL
pedestrian addicted to
podcasts.
JAYSON JACOBY
The drop left a dark
damp spot about the size
of a quarter on the concrete.
Raindrops rarely travel alone, of course, and within 15
seconds the sidewalk was stippled with dozens of similar spots,
the effect rather like a time-lapse series of photos of measles
speckling somebody’s torso.
My light-gray T-shirt quickly turned dark-gray, the clammy
cotton clinging to my skin.
It was refreshing, though, as welcome as a cool breeze wafting
through a window at the close of a hot day, which this day was.
A few blocks farther on I heard thunder off to the west, where
the hazy veil of rain had partially obscured the Elkhorns.
This thunderstorm that swept through Baker City on June
14 wasn’t the season’s fi rst.
But it was the fi rst tempest that coincided with my daily
walk, normally an afternoon excursion that I put off until eve-
ning in deference to the 90-degree heat.
I generally like thunderstorms.
My affi nity isn’t absolute, only because storms sometimes ig-
nite wildfi res that become devastating infernos, or spawn crop-
pounding hail, or, much more rarely, a deadly bolt of lightning.
Jayson Jacoby/Baker City Herald
See Storms/Page 6B
A cumulonimbus cloud looms over Baker Valley on June 13, 2021.