# Teal: Year Two



## tikiandme (May 16, 2010)

Good luck at the test. It will be nice to have her trainer run her, so you can watch Teal work. I marshaled at a Senior once. It was a great experience to watch the dogs do their thing. It was amazing.


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## NewfieMom (Sep 8, 2013)

Good luck to Teal!

NewfieMom


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## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

I'm still getting used to it being "Year Two" for Teal! We will need a full report - with photos - from the test. Good luck!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Good luck! It must be fun to be able to watch your dog run. But handling is so fun! I bet you wouldn't mess her up!


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

I told my husband the next test he's running her. He thinks I handler her well but I'm also just nervous/self conscious to be waddling around up there at 31 weeks pregnant lol. If she failed for some reason I'd probably blame myself and cry.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

ArchersMom said:


> I told my husband the next test he's running her. He thinks I handler her well but I'm also just nervous/self conscious to be waddling around up there at 31 weeks pregnant lol. If she failed for some reason I'd probably blame myself and cry.


Doh!! I forgot you are pregnant! Not a good time to accidentally fall into a pond, either! And for SURE, you will blame yourself if you do something to mess them up! We like to say in my group, 10% is the dog, 90% is the handler. And I find that is more and more the case as you go higher. The dog knows her job - it's up to her handler to do every thing to help her - and not to mess her up! :grin2:


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## 2golddogs (Oct 19, 2009)

Good luck at the test this weekend! I'm sure Teal will do great.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Teal*

Good luck to Teal. Teal is beautiful!00


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Go team teal! Be sure to let us know right away how she does. Oh, and photos!


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

That's the one benefit of not handling her myself. I can take lots of photos! I usually just use my phone, although my husband does own a very nice Nikon camera. It's too much work for me to get them onto the computer.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Bad news for Teal, she didn't pass her test. She marked her first bird great, but it was a live flyer and it was pretty floppy. She put her nose on it but wouldn't pick it up. Now we go back to building some more prey drive. Seems much harder to train that than simple drills!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Awww...sorry to hear that. Next time!


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

She's got another shot in 2 weeks. Hopefully by then she'll have decided that live birds are fun too!


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## 2golddogs (Oct 19, 2009)

What a good girl to mark her bird. She will get it next time.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

If nothing else, she looked great doing it


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Aw, just seeing this now. First tests can be hard - I'm sure she'll do better next time!


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

I hope so! She's been training with live pigeons this week, trying to not be so shy with the birds. I hear she's running them down and fetching them now :crossfing: I won't get to see her run her next test because I have a baby shower out of town but my husband and her trainer will both be there. My husband has been lead trainer parent for the first time since he can get out to the trainers with her more than me since I commute.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Teal had a great training session yesterday! She had a very feisty live duck but she toughed it out and fetched him for us several times. The duck even managed to slip out of his sock and hiss and nip at her a bit, which she'd never dealt with before. We ran a sort of demo trial up with her trainer. From one of the three stations she either got a live pigeon, which she loves, or the live duck. As her trainer stated, "she's either going to get ice cream, or broccoli." She wasn't thrilled when it turned out to be the broccoli-duck. But by the third time she was really getting a good hold on him and hustling back to her handler. My husband is still learning to be primary handler and he's really loving it. It's nice to see him get so involved since I was the one who really wanted to get us into competing and brought home all of the dogs. He was always supportive, but now I think he's hooked. Only a few more days until her next test! I'm so disappointed I can't be there. Especially when I learned that another forum member will competing her dog at the test. And a potential stud for Teal that I wanted to meet in person will be running Master. My husband is going to do his best to see him run and get an opinion on him in person. Too bad I can't reschedule my out of town baby shower, if only I'd known about the test before we planned :doh:


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

My sweet girl with her hard earned duck


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Go Teal go!


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## NewfieMom (Sep 8, 2013)

ArchersMom said:


> Teal had a great training session yesterday! She had a very feisty live duck but she toughed it out and fetched him for us several times. The duck even managed to slip out of his sock and hiss and nip at her a bit, which she'd never dealt with before. We ran a sort of demo trial up with her trainer. From one of the three stations she either got a live pigeon, which she loves, or the live duck.


Do I want to know what happens to the live pigeons and ducks used in this training?

NewfieMom


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

No you do not. It's sometimes tough for me. At least Teal is delicate when she carts them around. One of the older dogs with the trainer who's working on his last MH pass crushes them. His owners kind of ruined his training there. No trophy ducks are coming back from him.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Live training birds are expensive, so we try to keep as many of them alive as we can. Generally most of the ducks are returned to the bird pen unharmed, after all, Goldens are supposed to have a soft mouth and not damage game birds.
Those ducks that do not make it are dried off, frozen, and used repeatedly (often for months) for training. By far most birds used in training are these already dead birds, its just too expensive to do it any other way. Same with pigeon, although pigeons are really a nuisance bird and there are plenty of people who are all too happy to have trainers come remove them from their barns etc. to use for training.
The exception is the upland game birds, which have to be shot because there's really no other way to teach upland hunting. Those we eat!! Especially the pheasants.
Here's Tito training with a live duck, during the retrieve. Notice the duck is very much unharmed, pecking at Tito's face the whole way back. Duck is pissed off, but not hurt.



NewfieMom said:


> Do I want to know what happens to the live pigeons and ducks used in this training?
> 
> NewfieMom


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Good luck this weekend! 
We were entered but scratched. My training partner's girl, who is still in the hunt for MH passes, is on the DL for a couple weeks. I decided to stay home and run HRC this weekend instead.
Are you entering any other tests coming up?


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

The HRC test sounds like a lot of fun. We're planning to run in Carnation the last week of August and in Gervais on 9/10-9/11. Those are the only two I've found that are within driving distance. We might have to try an HRC test later this month though, especially if we can get to one nearby.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Did you see the test 8/20 on Sauvie Island? In popped into EE just a couple of weeks ago and closes on the 8th.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

hollyk said:


> Did you see the test 8/20 on Sauvie Island? In popped into EE just a couple of weeks ago and closes on the 8th.


No, I hadn't seen that one. I must have just missed it. We'll be entering now though. The test grounds are only 45 minutes from my house and I'll even get to go! Thank you


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

If my training partners girl is off the DL we might see you there.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

She passed! I wasn't there to watch today, so I don't have any pictures to share. He didn't even stick around for her ribbon! He didn't know she'd get one. My hubby took a video for me. In another two weeks he'll be running her himself.


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## tikiandme (May 16, 2010)

Congratulations!


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## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

Great job Teal! Next time you can be there with the camera. And once your husband gets hooked - I hear hunt tests are addicting - you'll have plenty of ribbons.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

We're already planning 2-3 more tests this year. And a training schedule for the winter to be ready for next summers Senior tests  We're hoping after a busy season of actual pheasant and duck hunting she'll be more confident and really love it like the rest of our dogs.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

wooo hooo, way to go Teal!!!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Way to go, Teal!


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Today Teal got JH pass #2 with DH handling! She's really gotten confident with birds and her tail just wagged the whole slow swagger back to heel.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Yay! 
At an upland test someone told me I should have named Tito "Swagger"! Nothing prettier than a Golden proud of their bird!


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## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

Great job Teal - and your DH too


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

She's on the way! Well done, Teal!


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Teal passed her Working Certificate today! She is now Four Lakes Dreams of Golden Wings WC. We had a great time meeting new people and dogs. It was a great event hosted by the Evergreen Golden Retriever Club. After next weekend she should have her JH title as well :crossfing


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## tikiandme (May 16, 2010)

Well done, Teal!


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## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

Great job! Congrats to you and to Teal.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Way to go girl! The first of many titles


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

Go Teal! Great meeting you today!!


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Vhuynh2 said:


> Go Teal! Great meeting you today!!


You too! You and Maisey are such a great team


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Well done! Fingers crossed for next weekend, too!


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Congratulations! It was fun to see Miss Teal! Good luck this coming weekend.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Good news! Teal passed eyes and heart clearances at a health clinic this past weekend  other than that she's been very busy nibbling baby toes.


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## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

What a precious picture! Hope you all are doing well!


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## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

So cute. Teal is going to be a good babysitter


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Love the picture, it's priceless.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Beautiful photo!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

What a gorgeous photo! Congrats. again!


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Teal has been very busy hunting with my husband. She still hasn't totally figured out that there will eventually be ducks for her to retrieve if she's on the boat so she naps in between shots lol 

Here she is after a weekend of hunting at the families lake house. DH and his friend shot 10 canvasbacks, 15 scaup and one bufflehead.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

A closeup with one of her cans  we love this little girly. We recently got her genetic testing back and she's clear of ichthyosis and PRA-2!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Beautiful!!! Glad to hear that she's clear of Icthy, since Dad is a carrier.


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## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

Go Teal - way to get those ducks! Of course all the water is frozen solid around here :-( And great re ICT and PRA-2!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Great photos! And good news about the DNA test. What is PRA-2?


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## 2golddogs (Oct 19, 2009)

Teal is just gorgeous!! Wonderful news on test results. Sammy is a carrier for ichthyosis but everything else was clear.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Sweet Girl said:


> Great photos! And good news about the DNA test. What is PRA-2?


Just another gene that causes PRA. Teal, and of course Shala and Sammy, are clear by parentage for PRA-1 and prcd-PRA OptiGen GR_PRA2 for Golden Retrievers


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## brianne (Feb 18, 2012)

Teal is such a beautiful girl and so clever too! She's a heart-stealer for sure! :grin2: Glad to hear all her tests were clear.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Teal loves her little brother still  I've had to become a mean mom and stop allowing the dogs on the couch so it's safe for Branch to sit with us. In retaliation, she's starting hogging the bed at night and stealing all the covers.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

We had a record amount of snow earlier this week and the dogs are all loving it. For some reason they feel the need to dig down to the dirt though.


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## HappyNY (Oct 6, 2016)

Beautiful Photo


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## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

You got snow and we just got... freezing rain, lots of it. The whole outdoors is a giant skating rink. I hate using salt but wow, it's hazardous out there. Snow sounds good!


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Usually we get the freezing rain and not snow. Luckily we get to just hunker down at home and stay warm. DH had to work extra because so many people lost power. Lots of downed trees and power lines. Hopefully this is our last snow storm for the year!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Beautiful photos! We got your freezing rain, you got our snow.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Ms. Teal has finally come into heat! Her last cycle started at the end of May so I've been waiting for her to come in since November. Maybe she'll cycle every 8 months instead of 6. She's very clean and I almost couldn't tell. It's too bad she didn't start last week since we were snowed in and couldn't go for walks anyway. She does have competition obedience classes on Thursdays and I think we'll still be able to attend those.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

It's been 10 months since Maisey started her first cycle. I'm OK with some more time in-between cycles  But, I'm starting to wonder what is normal and what isn't.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Vhuynh2 said:


> It's been 10 months since Maisey started her first cycle. I'm OK with some more time in-between cycles  But, I'm starting to wonder what is normal and what isn't.


Me too, much less hassle! I'm not sure yet if she'll wear a doggy diaper so she can sleep in the bed with us still. And its too bad she won't get to swim for the next few weeks. We're planning a hunting trip to the coast next weekend and she hasn't had any water work in weeks since everything here is iced over and snowy.


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## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

Some girls are very regular at 6 months, others not. Sofie always went into heat exactly 6 months after her last one.... until I wanted to breed her and had a full waiting list of people wanting summer puppies. Then she went over 9 months. So I'm not sure there is a normal. You want to be very careful with the girls around 10-14 days after they start heat. I keep them isolated and they are not allowed off leash. And you should check with your obedience class instructor. Often they don't want girls who are in heat in a facility where they hold trials. It throws the intact males way off.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

I hadn't thought about the scents affecting the location even when we weren't there. They don't hold any trials and the website says they can come, but I'll talk to the instructor just to be safe. Poor Teal is going to be a prisoner for the next 3 weeks  she doesn't even go out into our fenced yard without supervision. She'll miss out on swimming and hunting at the lake though, poor girl


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## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

Many years ago when I was living in town in Madison I had an intact male dog - a rescue who had just been adopted from ??somewhere??and wasn't neutered yet -- arrive at my house while one of my girls was in heat. He had ripped out the screen of the house 12 blocks away and come over. He had tags so I took him home--and he ripped out another screen and came over again. And I have heard of girls in heat running off to look for a mate too. And of dogs mating through a fence! So it's good to be very careful with the girls in heat.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Talk to the obedience people, many allow girls in heat as long as they are wearing britches. I was always glad to have them there, so we could train through it, and I would make Tito do the sits/downs stays as close to her as possible, often next to her.
They WILL encounter girls in season at dog events of all types, and hunt trials . A lot of people just come anyway if she's at the start or end of her cycle, they just don't care. Others really don't know she has just come in if the girl is real tidy.
Better to have trained through it than try to deal with it for the first time at a trial or show!


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## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

Still good to check with the instructor so you don't get there just to be sent home, which happened to me once.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Time is flying by, but Teal has been doing great in Obedience. The instructor called her "little miss overachiever" in class earlier because she's zooming through the proofing class and nearly ready for competition! Just have to train the human end of the leash what to do. In field, we have a JH test next weekend which will hopefully be her last pass for the title. In April we start going for SH. I'm nervous being the handler but I know she can do it if we put in the hours to get her ready.

Teal continues to be obsessed with Branch, especially his feet. I am a little bit too, but I don't find them quite as tasty as she does. Now that he's sitting up and grabbing things I have to watch their interactions more. So far she's done wonderfully. She likes to shove her face in his when we sit on the couch and he will grab her lips or pull her whiskers if I don't stop him but she just keeps coming back for more.


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## G-bear (Oct 6, 2015)

Teal has become such a gorgeous girl! I love the fact that she has apparently appointed herself Branch's guardian. Oh what fun he will have growing up with her!


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## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

Teal looks good. Love her eyeing the little foot  And sounds like you have been busy with obedience and hunt training. Way to go!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Great update! And good for you for doing both obedience and hunt at the same time! I have great aspirations for an obedience title one day... but for now, we just have time for hunt. I love that she loves Branch's little feet!


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Sweet Girl said:


> Great update! And good for you for doing both obedience and hunt at the same time! I have great aspirations for an obedience title one day... but for now, we just have time for hunt. I love that she loves Branch's little feet!


I think her favorite is Obedience, by far. Probably because she gets her little face stuffed with treats at class. I was thinking once she got through SH we would focus on Obedience for a little while, but one of the other students invited us out to an Upland test in September. We might have to give that a go too


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Oh my gosh I can't believe the Gervis test is next weekend already. I always think of that test as the kick off to the HT test season. You have nice friendly judges. Good luck.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Teal earned an HRC seasoned hunt test pass at a nice test hosted by the Lower Columbia Hunting Retriever Club. It was a tough test with some rough weather and conditions. We had a great time and met a lot of really nice people. Plus, look at this nice ribbon!


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

She still thinks these colorful things are for eating


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## KKaren (Oct 29, 2014)

Congratulations!


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

Nice job, Teal and Katie!


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## G-bear (Oct 6, 2015)

Teal, you are amazing! Congratulations to both you and Katie


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Great job Teal!!! Way to go!


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## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

Congrats you two! Great job!!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Way to go, you two!!


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## 2golddogs (Oct 19, 2009)

Congratulations!! How awesome and great pictures too.


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

Great job Teal & Katie!!!!:smile2::smile2:


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Miss Teal passed Senior test #2! Much like the last test, she struggled a bit with the land series but crushed it on the water. I think it helped that it was over 90 degrees today and she was more than ready for a swim. I was eying the pond for a cool down too. So proud of my little princess golden girly.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

Congratulations!!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Yay!!! Great job!


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## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

Good job! Congrats!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

HUGE CONGRATS!!! That's so impressive for your young girl!


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Thank you! It was a tough test and I ran her myself. Quite a few nice dogs didn't make it through or handled on the land too.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

And pass #3! Only one more to go


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Awesome! You guys are on fire!


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## 2golddogs (Oct 19, 2009)

How awesome!!! Congratulations! Sammy sends big congrats.


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## George_M (May 25, 2017)

Goog luck with test!


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

congrats to you both!!! How exciting!!!!!:smile2::smile2::smile2:


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

WooHoo!!!!!


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

I can't believe Teal and all of her littermates turned 2 today! Seems like just yesterday we were flying home from Wisconsin. Teal had her own steak for dinner to celebrate and went out to the park for some fun drills and field training. Tomorrow we go out the train on some ponds and then we're off to the vet for hip and elbow xrays. Hopefully everything looks great :crossfing and then she passes her last Senior test this weekend.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Teal borrowed Branch's hat for something red, white and blue


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## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

Happy Birthday pretty girl! That was quite a litter: the Gang of Thirteen! :surprise:


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

fourlakes said:


> Happy Birthday pretty girl! That was quite a litter: the Gang of Thirteen! :surprise:


I can only imagine how much work it must have been for you and Abby! But they've all become such wonderful dogs


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Happy Birthday from me and Teal's older sister! Sounds like you had a great day!


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