# Hunt and Field Summer 2018 What's new?



## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

We're out of the HT game for the season since Teal's on mom duty, but I'm planning to go watch the Master National this fall. I'll be busy getting the new pup and Teal ready for our clubs WC/WCX in March.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

ArchersMom said:


> We're out of the HT game for the season since Teal's on mom duty, but I'm planning to go watch the Master National this fall. I'll be busy getting the new pup and Teal ready for our clubs WC/WCX in March.



Puppy pictures!! Please Share!!


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

This is my thread for them. I have a link to their live webcam near the end https://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/golden-retrievers-main-discussion/493345-new-adventure-13.html


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

I just returned from Laconia, NH. Laconia offers me a terrific training opportunity at Ahern State Park so I trained 2-3 hours a day for five days straight. Fields, roads, weed filled drainage ditches, hills and a lake. All this 4-5 minutes from where I was staying at my cousin's house. I will be returning for another week. While there I will build a punt (I am assembling materials right now) that I will keep there.



For you bikers---Laconia is known for Bike Week. Lots of cool bikes. I caught the end of it.


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## Edward Lee Nelson (Jan 2, 2017)

Train,Train,Train and more training. Ran her first Derby last week Did very well in the first series, but the 2nd series was a strange setup for a Derby that knocked out more than half of the field. I was one of them. Derby season starts in Aug and continues through Oct. We will miss the final 3-4 months because of her birthday unless we really go South to Ga or Fl in Dec or Jan. We will see


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## myluckypenny (Nov 29, 2016)

I am training for the WC this Sunday. We are ready for the water portion, its really just the land double that is giving me a little hesitation. He can do it perfectly about half the time, so I'm really hitting those hard this week. He can do a double perfectly in the water, its just on land that he struggles a little bit. This is my first dog event outside of dock diving so if we fail it will likely be my fault  

After that then we will start HRC hunt tests and hopefully be able to get our Started title. I'm more confident about that since we've been training for that all summer. After we get that title then I have to switch to conformation mode and get him ready for his first show. I'll also be duck hunting with him this season, which I think will be a blast!


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

Maisey is a new MH! 

Molly and I are just plugging away at that next Senior ribbon.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Vhuynh2 said:


> Maisey is a new MH!
> 
> Molly and I are just plugging away at that next Senior ribbon.


 Congratulations!
Photos?


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Living vicariously through Tito pups. Hoping to see one of them run the qual at National


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Doing very little field work. Just got back from my annual summer trip north, where we did train a bunch -- but OMG is summer in full swing in Florida. Holy crap. 
Brix did get two JH passes two weeks ago in Ohio, which was very cute. 
Also all three boys earned titles in Canada...Brix & Slater WC, and Bally WCI. You have to start back on the bottom when you go to Canada. Their WC/I/X tests are held on Thursday nights with a limit of 15 dogs total, and they break for BBQ dinner in between land and water series...so fun!!!
I'm mainly doing obedience now, have Slater & Bally entered in upcoming trials.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Training, training, training. We hit a little hiccup, so we have been working through that (she lost some confidence and started to not go on blinds, and then it actually bled over into doubles, so she would go for the go bird, but not the memory). We are slowly building back up her confidence - we had an excellent class on Sunday, and she was full of excitement and confidence. We won't be doing the WCX next week that I had hoped we would (WCX in Canada has a land and a water blind), but we are aiming at an August one. And depending on how things go, we might try for an SH test in September. But we have lots of work to do before then!


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Sweet Girl said:


> Training, training, training. We hit a little hiccup, so we have been working through that (she lost some confidence and started to not go on blinds, and then it actually bled over into doubles, so she would go for the go bird, but not the memory). We are slowly building back up her confidence - we had an excellent class on Sunday, and she was full of excitement and confidence. We won't be doing the WCX next week that I had hoped we would (WCX in Canada has a land and a water blind), but we are aiming at an August one. And depending on how things go, we might try for an SH test in September. But we have lots of work to do before then!


Why do you think she lost confidence? How are you helping to increase her confidence?


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## Sweese (Sep 25, 2013)

I kept a puppy out of my breeding this winter between my HRCH Cassie and GRHRCH Yeti. This summer will be lots of socialization (land, water, gun, birds) and simple marks. Meet the Resolute Red King of Texas ("Rory"). He is a super cool pup. Picture is at 8 weeks on his first water day. I will continue to work Cassie on more advanced marks and blinds.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Alaska7133 said:


> Why do you think she lost confidence? How are you helping to increase her confidence?



I made a mistake when we were practicing whistle sits close to the pile (to prevent them from blowing off a final whistle if they wind the bird). We were doing whistle-nick-whistle. But her whistle sit is rock solid, and she didn't need the nick, and it startled her and she came running back to me. Then she was afraid to go again. She got very stressed. So over the next few weeks, we went back a few steps and did her simple pattern fields - which she knows very well, so could feel confident that she would be right. Did some simple line drills. And for marks, went back to some simple singles, lots of success, lots of praise. Built back up to doubles, and this weekend, she did them all very enthusiastically. She ALMOST broke - which was because I was building up her excitement - and I was okay with that for this weekend. She has always been very solid on the line - never breaks - but I didn't want to suppress her re-found enthusiasm. She watched the memory bird fall, then when the go bird fell, she jumped up each time, but she still didn't go until I sent her - so I was okay with that. My trainer said I did the right thing not correcting THOSE times - but next weekend, we will make sure she gets a firmer sit as we come to the line, and she will have to sit through the go bird. I felt like it was a very fine line between breaking her enthusiasm and being controlled - she was right up at that line - and now I can't let her think she's okay to go over that line and break. I think we'll be okay. 

I have had to build my confidence back up, too, so I could sympathize with her. I was so upset at myself for "breaking her" and I was worried I'd never get her back to where we had been.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

Ledger and are training for the upcoming JR Hunt Test at the end of July and WC test in either August or September. He has been doing really well. He loves birds and has nice skills.
HOWEVER, he is now 10 months old and has entered into a fear stage (lousy timing)!! Unfortunately, this fear has affected his training as he is terrified of decoys. Not so much ducks, but the larger goose decoys. And not so much on land, but in the water. And, at a recent picnic trial, he also balked at a land mark, which he has never done. After some deduction, we attributed that to the gunners in the field as he has no issues with land marks with someone familiar to him throwing. 

So we've been doing extra work in the water and land with decoys trying to convince him that they aren't going to kill him. My other boy, Lexx, is helping him out as he has no fear of the decoys. 

I'm afraid if we don't get past this pretty quick that running the hunt tests will be out of the question for this year.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Laurie said:


> Ledger and are training for the upcoming JR Hunt Test at the end of July and WC test in either August or September. He has been doing really well. He loves birds and has nice skills.
> HOWEVER, he is now 10 months old and has entered into a fear stage (lousy timing)!! Unfortunately, this fear has affected his training as he is terrified of decoys. Not so much ducks, but the larger goose decoys. And not so much on land, but in the water. And, at a recent picnic trial, he also balked at a land mark, which he has never done. After some deduction, we attributed that to the gunners in the field as he has no issues with land marks with someone familiar to him throwing.
> 
> So we've been doing extra work in the water and land with decoys trying to convince him that they aren't going to kill him. My other boy, Lexx, is helping him out as he has no fear of the decoys.
> ...



Decoys can be a problem for a lot of dogs. We've had dogs get tangled in the anchor lines. It makes them really scared. Or they don't understand what to retrieve and bring back a decoy. Can you buy some decoys (maybe some on Craigslist) and put them in the yard at first. Then in the water after he gets used to them again. I'd put a holding blind in the yard too that he has to walk past or sit inside. Desensitize him to everything. Have someone peek out from behind a blind like a gunner would.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

Alaska7133 said:


> Decoys can be a problem for a lot of dogs. We've had dogs get tangled in the anchor lines. It makes them really scared. Or they don't understand what to retrieve and bring back a decoy. Can you buy some decoys (maybe some on Craigslist) and put them in the yard at first. Then in the water after he gets used to them again. I'd put a holding blind in the yard too that he has to walk past or sit inside. Desensitize him to everything. Have someone peek out from behind a blind like a gunner would.



I actually bought a few duck decoys and Ledger is fine with them on land. I also brought home a goose decoy from training the other night and have taken it with us when we go out to play. He's pretty good with it now on land. At training the other night, he was retrieving a bumper in between decoys (in the water), but not without giving them a sideways glance! We will just have to continue working with the goose decoys in the water. 

A month ago, he had no issues at all doing land marks with gunners. The blind in the yard is a good idea.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Re decoys


Not a bad idea to put them in shallow water without lines for the pups. The lines can frighten them if they wrap their legs.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Lucy and I competed in the bird dog club's Chukar Challenge last weekend. One of her birds was not shot (it flew back at the people watching), so she lost. Darn bird! We were the defending champs from last year.



Riot and I have run a couple of qualifying field trials this summer. They have been fun and I hope to run another one later this summer if I have time. I did finish Riot's CD and RA and we're ready for Open obedience. But obedience trials are always on the same weekend as hunt tests or field trials. 

I'm judging junior-senior-master spaniel hunt tests and a retriever junior hunt test in July. I'm not sure if I want to run Riot in master retriever hunt tests. I know he'll fly through senior. He's solid on walk ups, honoring, and his memory is good, but master is a whole other world from senior. 

I'll run them both in spaniel hunt tests this summer too. Also finish a NAHRA hunt test title for Riot.


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## 2golddogs (Oct 19, 2009)

Sammy and I ran our last master test 2 weeks ago in PA and it was hot and humid. It was a challenging test and Sammy did a great job, so good that the judges wanted to show me his score sheets, and he came through thr test with all 10s! Couldn't be more proud of him. Our next test won't be till early fall. Focusing on onedience and hope to enter a few trials this summer.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Here’s the power of having the Master National in your region. 60 dog master filled in less than 6 minutes.


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## 2golddogs (Oct 19, 2009)

Getting into tests is going to be a bear.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Come to Alaska. Entries generally with less than 10 dogs entered


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Alaska7133 said:


> Come to Alaska. Entries generally with less than 10 dogs entered


A Master test in one day? Are you done by 2PM? 

We have the double whammy happening right now. The Master National cut off is end of July but the Master Amateur Invitational cut off goes until the end of February. The MAI is in Montana next year which is pretty close to us.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Masters are over in one day. We have double header weekends. Friday test 1. Saturday test 2. July 20-22 is the next one. Turnagain Pass. You should come up!


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

This weekend was Master pass #6 for Maisey and Senior pass #2 for Molly!!! Molly did great work but with some trepidation which is the norm at a test. But she’s doing the work! When I got my ribbon the judge said “and they had the best water blind!” That just made my day to hear compliments for my “slow” golden. It was a fun day, very efficient team. I co-marshaled with my friend. We were done and handing out ribbons by 2:30, when usually it’s around 5pm. I think it helps to run Senior on Sunday when the pros might have less Master dogs to run than on Saturday.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Sweese


Good luck with that cute pup Rory.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Ran Riot last weekend in 2 NAHRA intermediate hunt tests. Passed Saturday. Sunday he flipped me the paw on the land blind and said he'd find the bird himself. Guess we have a lot of work to do. His quartering was also way out of hand, and should have got us dropped. I guess my standards were higher than the judges and they kept us in. My dog is getting out of control. I need to reel him in. I've pulled his entries for the next hunt tests and field trials. We'll be spending the next month working hard on blinds before we enter anything again. Nothing like middle of a very short Alaska season to have your dog decide he knows better than you do. I'll start another thread regarding this issue.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

The only SH test Tito ever failed was his 2nd one ever. He had a big gorilla hunt for the flyer, having a good old time out in the field, finally found it, and brought it in. When I sent him for the memory bird he got out to the AOF, turned and looked at me, and I immediately sat him and whistled him in. Leashed him up, thanked the dumbfounded judges. 
They couldn't believe I had picked him up. 
I told them that I didn't like the look in his eye. I could tell (we all know our dogs, no?) that he was about to go big time self-employed. Since I planned to run more hunt tests with him, ribbon be danged, I couldn't let it happen. And it never happened again. He learned a VERY important lesson that day.




Alaska7133 said:


> Ran Riot last weekend in 2 NAHRA intermediate hunt tests. Passed Saturday. Sunday he flipped me the paw on the land blind and said he'd find the bird himself. Guess we have a lot of work to do. His quartering was also way out of hand, and should have got us dropped. I guess my standards were higher than the judges and they kept us in. My dog is getting out of control. I need to reel him in. I've pulled his entries for the next hunt tests and field trials. We'll be spending the next month working hard on blinds before we enter anything again. Nothing like middle of a very short Alaska season to have your dog decide he knows better than you do. I'll start another thread regarding this issue.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Summer is drawing to a close and I’m pretty happy with our progress. Flyer and I started running Master in July and we managed 3 passes. In line marks seemed to be the flavor of the year around here. At the beginning of the summer the in line concept was hard for Flyer. It was tough not to throw it every time we trained since we were seeing it in tests so much. But we just kept it in the rotation and about a month ago it seemed to click in for Flyer.
Last weekend was the last test of the season and the first series of coarse was a big old in line. We were dog 47 and watched dog after dog not handle it well. You picked up a flyer first then it was 50/50 dogs picking up the long vs short bird. Lots of talk in the gallery on how to run it. 
Flyer picked up his flyer. Coming back in I though he glanced over his shoulder at the short bird and it felt like he was looking short when we lined up so I told him ”easy” and sent him soft. He picked up the short bird. I took my time lining up for the long and sent him hard on the 3rd bird. I’ve noticed on these in line marks he doesn’t run as hard, I guess he is still a little unsure and is being careful. On Saturday as soon as he broken through the cover strip the short mark was in I knew he had it and he stepped on the long mark. We lost 1/4 of the flight on that series and Flyer was one of a handful of dogs that went clean. He went clean for the test with 1 not so great blind, 1 ok blind, and 1 really nice blind.
So our hunt test season is over for the year. We have lots of stuff to work. I’m still learning how to read him and we have a ton of room to get better as a team. One of the big take away from the summer was that I really have to watch the small stuff in training. I have heard this for years but I’m finally understanding why. We will train field through the winter but the focus will switch to obedience until early spring.


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