# Tito's second training session of 2011



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

was today, and it was a pretty nice day here. Cold by human standards, 45 degrees with a fair wind, but lovely if one is a dog running long marks!

I didn't feel like going this morning. Just tired and overwhelmed by all the stress in my life right now. But when I got there, we had a great time and of course I didn't feel like leaving when we were done.

Started with obedience work in the yard as always. Started with some 3 handed casting, the piles are about 10 feet away from him so there's a fair amount of inclination to go to the wrong pile. He only hit about 75%, but Dan and I both felt it was due to lack of interest more than anything else. A really *interesting* (read that as annoying) habit he learned in the obedience ring is how to look at you without really looking at you, which is what he was doing to Dan on the casting drill. He was really looking past Dan to the bird cage in the back of the 4-wheeler, not looking at Dan. Once his attitude got adjusted (snicker snicker) he did much better. The hardest combination for him seems to be right back, right back, right over, right back. He doesn't have nearly as much trouble on the left. Weird.
Then we moved to the cheating pond, and Tito did some awesome retrieves there. Dan stands on one side of the pond with Tito (this is the pond that's quite small) and whips a bumper across onto the opposite shore. Tito jumps in, swims across, gets out and gets the bumper, jumps back in, and swims back. He <knock wood> shows no inclination to run the shore line. We will move to the technical pond when the weather gets better, and that will be more challenging I'm sure.
Some lining drills, which went really well today. 
Now I may be getting this wrong (Dan gives me so much information I have a hard time processing all of it) but he said not to put my hand over his head on the lining drills. He puts his hand over Tito's head briefly to give him a general idea of which way to look, but then he removes his hand. He said that (I'm trying to get this correct) when you are trying to get the dog to differentiate between lines that are only a few degrees apart your hand will only make him head out wrong. Or something like that. When he explained it, it made sense. The examples he showed me, the bumpers were about 100 yards away and they were only 20 feet apart. (No, he did NOT send Tito on those, LOL).
Next was into the birdmobile and off to one of the fields. Dan picked this field because we had a pretty strong wind and he said this field was best for the NE wind we had going today, plus it's one of his more challenging fields and he wanted to stretch Tito's ability today.
The field has lots of interesting cover changes, is on a slope, and has quite a few trees and bushes in the middle of it. There's a creek running along one side of it, with a tree line behind the creek. 
We started out with me heeling Tito around a bit while Dan was walking around carrying birds. It was AWFUL. Tito was looking everywhere but at me. So finally Dan took him, and did some attitude adjustment on him, (he said "geez this dog is tough") and then I tried it again. Better, still not great. Birds on the brain. Dan being the way he is, we kept at it until Tito was heeling perfectly. 
Then the marks. Now I don't know if it was the wind, the fact that he was forced to concentrate on obedience right before running, or what, but WOW did he slam those marks today. Even Dan was astounded (or so he said) at how well he marked. Dan said they were some really hard marks and he had been prepared to help Tito out, but he didn't need any help. 
No blinds in the field. Tito standing in cover up to his shoulders at the starting line. Dan completely hidden, giving a duck call, and then tossing the bird. Angled cover changes (Dan said 90 degree cover changes are pretty easy, but angles are not), trees and bushes that he had to veer around. Dan threw a total of 6 marks at different places/distances in the field, ranging from 75 to 200 yards, and Tito nailed every one of them. I was so darned tickled at how well he did!!! Oh, and to make it more "realistic", I heeled Tito around with our backs to Dan while he moved from one place in the field to another so that Tito wouldn't see him moving around. 
We had a GREAT morning. I really needed it. Tito is exhausted.
Little does he know what I have in store for him tomorrow. I *met* a guy online on another forum that lives fairly close and is bringing his young lab out here tomorrow to train with us!! I'm excited! We've been looking for someone we can train with that's available on weekdays, and hoping that this will work out!


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## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

It sounds like you had a fun filled day!! Sounds like he is doing great! Remi graduated from the 3 handed casting this week to power work. So, I am nervous to email the trainer to see how she is doing!! 

That is awesome that he is not trying to cheat around. Remi is getting better with not even looking around the pond. 

Great work with him!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Interesting comment that Remi "graduated" from 3-handed casting. This is something that we apparently are going to do forever. Dan just makes it harder and harder each time we do it. For example, he adds distractions (like the live bird cage behind him today). He casts toward a bumper pile just a few feet from the water's edge, or right up against weeds that Tito thinks will contain birds. He moves the piles very close to Tito. He does several repeats of one cast and then throws in a different cast (right back, right back, right back, right back, right OVER). And he says the biggest thing in doing casting (you jogged my memory) is to do it everyplace. He says do it in every field you can find, every parking lot, every tennis court, every school, etc. He says that helps the dogs solidify the understanding that casting is a direction, not a destination. We haven't done casting in the same field twice.
Tito wishes we would graduate from 3 handed casting, LOL.


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## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

I did not mean "graduated" as in she will never do it again. Oh, no!! Even though that is how it sounded  She will be doing it forever just like Tito will! I just meant we added in Power work this week because she was 100% on the 3 handed casting drills. He is still doing the casting with her.

That is interesting to add in the distractions. We have a ways to go!!!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

ah, that makes more sense!! I pictured that she was DONE with it, never doing it again, and Tito was sitting here drooling with jealousy, it's NOT one of his favorite things to do!
What is "power work"?


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## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

hotel4dogs said:


> ah, that makes more sense!! I pictured that she was DONE with it, never doing it again, and Tito was sitting here drooling with jealousy, it's NOT one of his favorite things to do!
> What is "power work"?


Remi does not like it either! She gets very bored. The trainer says this is pretty typical. My dang phone!! I meant Pile work, not power work!

The reason I am nervous is because when she gets tired she likes to give up especially when she does not find it very interesting! And the weather down here is so HOOOTTT and of course she has all of her show hair! So, I am hoping she can get through it. Because most trainers down here just look at her as a "foo-foo" show dog. My trainer said she has already surpassed others' opinions that she would not get far.

At the last JH hunt test in November, she failed Saturday because honestly I do not think she saw the bird go. But, anyways....she looked at me and I called her name. She went in the water and was looking around. After I called her up to me and put her leash on, (now by this time, I am already upset) one of the judges made a comment that said : "She is to pretty to get in the water!"  I wanted to hit him!! haha! I just kept walking to the truck. Just because she is pretty, does not mean that she can not retrieve!

Anyways, I had to let that out! And most importantly, she loves it!


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Wow - sounds like an excellent training day !! Attitude adjustments? Oh my, Tito needed them ? (Just kidding)

I am glad you felt better after getting out and about! and with Tito? What a perfect day you must have had.


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

Sounds like a fun day! Way to go Tito. I got an e-mail saying Dooley is doing really well...not perfect....which is good as he is actually getting educated (which was the point for him going to Dave while I am in Tennessee). Your post just makes me want to get home even faster, as the weather has finally broken and I should be able to get out in the field without snow, ice or knee deep mud!


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> Some lining drills, which went really well today.
> Now I may be getting this wrong (Dan gives me so much information I have a hard time processing all of it) but he said not to put my hand over his head on the lining drills. He puts his hand over Tito's head briefly to give him a general idea of which way to look, but then he removes his hand. He said that (I'm trying to get this correct) when you are trying to get the dog to differentiate between lines that are only a few degrees apart your hand will only make him head out wrong. Or something like that. When he explained it, it made sense. The examples he showed me, the bumpers were about 100 yards away and they were only 20 feet apart. (No, he did NOT send Tito on those, LOL).


What are "lining drills?" I'm guessing sending the dog to a visible bumper?
As far as the hand over the head -- your trainer is right in that the hand does NOT tell the dog where it is going. The hand is a cue that the dog is going to be immediately sent. You do "here" and "heel" cues to line the dog up and looking in the right direction, say something like "Good" when he is locked on correctly, then I send with a hand over the head...but never is the hand used to point something out to the dog.
I use the dropped hand on both marks & blinds but the cadence is different with both. 
Sounds like a fun lesson!


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Very nice--hard to imagine Tito being stubborn. LOL, I get that from Scout occasionally and blame it on being a bitch with hormones!

To Kfayard--don't let those judges get you down about your dog!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

The way Dan sees it, bored is good. It gives us a training opportunity to explain to them that quitting is NEVER an option. If they never get hot, or tired, or bored, we never get to impress that on them. When we worked on Tito's "hold" last summer, Dan made sure he was good and hot first (Tito, not Dan, although Dan is pretty hot, too, LOL) so that he wanted to drop the bumper. Otherwise Tito will walk around with it in his mouth pretty much forever, he just likes something in his mouth.
Ok, I know what pile work is, I thought power work was something we'd never done!
Oh believe me, I've heard the "you're not going to let the pretty dog get all muddy are you???" routine several times. But Tito showed them, he did an awesome job and made me proud that he represents the Foo-Foo dogs.
And you're right, the most important thing is that our dogs are loving it!



kfayard said:


> Remi does not like it either! She gets very bored. The trainer says this is pretty typical. My dang phone!! I meant Pile work, not power work!
> 
> The reason I am nervous is because when she gets tired she likes to give up especially when she does not find it very interesting! And the weather down here is so HOOOTTT and of course she has all of her show hair! So, I am hoping she can get through it. Because most trainers down here just look at her as a "foo-foo" show dog. My trainer said she has already surpassed others' opinions that she would not get far.
> 
> ...


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

LOL, the monster boy can be a MAJOR bonehead when there are birds anywhere nearby!
Another interesting thing I've noticed about Tito in field work (probably others have noticed this, too, but it's new to me) is that he doesn't want me to give him any affection when he's working. Normally Tito is the biggest cuddly love bug in the world; he'd crawl inside of your chest if he could. 
But when he's on the line, looking out, if I reach down to pat the top of his head and tell him he's a good dog, he literally shakes my hand off and you can tell by his whole attitude that he's annoyed that I disturbed his concentration.
It's weird.




Sunrise said:


> Wow - sounds like an excellent training day !! Attitude adjustments? Oh my, Tito needed them ? (Just kidding)
> 
> I am glad you felt better after getting out and about! and with Tito? What a perfect day you must have had.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

The bumpers aren't visible, but they are next to cones which are visible (they're too far for the bumpers to really be visible). He knows there are bumpers by the cones.
Dan does exactly what you do, with heel and here, "no" or "good". 
It WAS a fun lesson. I wish I could retire and do nothing but train my dog, sheeeeeeesh. 





K9-Design said:


> What are "lining drills?" I'm guessing sending the dog to a visible bumper?
> As far as the hand over the head -- your trainer is right in that the hand does NOT tell the dog where it is going. The hand is a cue that the dog is going to be immediately sent. You do "here" and "heel" cues to line the dog up and looking in the right direction, say something like "Good" when he is locked on correctly, then I send with a hand over the head...but never is the hand used to point something out to the dog.
> I use the dropped hand on both marks & blinds but the cadence is different with both.
> Sounds like a fun lesson!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Someone (a breeding prospect) called Dan to talk about Tito's field instinct and abilities.
Dan told me that he told her that Tito has MASSIVE prey drive, and along with that goes stubborn and independent, you can't have one without the other two. He said you can train around them, but they will always be there in a highly driven dog.
Which makes me feel better when my dog is being a bonehead.




GoldenSail said:


> Very nice--hard to imagine Tito being stubborn. LOL, I get that from Scout occasionally and blame it on being a bitch with hormones!
> 
> To Kfayard--don't let those judges get you down about your dog!


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

hotel4dogs said:


> Someone (a breeding prospect) called Dan to talk about Tito's field instinct and abilities.
> Dan told me that he told her that Tito has MASSIVE prey drive, and along with that goes stubborn and independent, you can't have one without the other two. He said you can train around them, but they will always be there in a highly driven dog.
> Which makes me feel better when my dog is being a bonehead.


That makes me feel better then...  I have also heard that often (not always) dominance goes with strong ability.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> Someone (a breeding prospect) called Dan to talk about Tito's field instinct and abilities.
> Dan told me that he told her that Tito has MASSIVE prey drive, and along with that goes stubborn and independent, you can't have one without the other two. He said you can train around them, but they will always be there in a highly driven dog.
> Which makes me feel better when my dog is being a bonehead.


Well I would disagree -- you CAN breed a biddable yet very drivey dog -- but better to have drive and less trainability than neither! I think that temperament (hard driving but less biddable) is typical with many show-bred goldens. JMHO -- not saying anything bad about your dog as those are good dogs to learn field with, you can make mistakes and they are very forgiving. It also brings to light how much you learn about your dog by doing advanced field work. You probably never saw this with obedience because Tito didn't want anything in obedience more than your company, in field work you're just an anchor on his chain


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

K9-Design said:


> Well I would disagree -- you CAN breed a biddable yet very drivey dog -- but better to have drive and less trainability than neither! I think that temperament (hard driving but less biddable) is typical with many show-bred goldens. JMHO -- not saying anything bad about your dog as those are good dogs to learn field with, you can make mistakes and they are very forgiving. It also brings to light how much you learn about your dog by doing advanced field work. You probably never saw this with obedience because Tito didn't want anything in obedience more than your company, in field work you're just an anchor on his chain


And how does Fisher rate in there? Is he stubborn but driven as well?


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Boy did you hit that spot on.....in obedience, he was the easiest, most biddable dog you have ever seen. I feel like I never even KNEW the dog until we got into field work, you'd swear I had swapped dogs. Anchor on his chain. I like that description!





K9-Design said:


> Well I would disagree -- you CAN breed a biddable yet very drivey dog -- but better to have drive and less trainability than neither! I think that temperament (hard driving but less biddable) is typical with many show-bred goldens. JMHO -- not saying anything bad about your dog as those are good dogs to learn field with, you can make mistakes and they are very forgiving. It also brings to light how much you learn about your dog by doing advanced field work. You probably never saw this with obedience because Tito didn't want anything in obedience more than your company, in field work you're just an anchor on his chain


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