# Necessary products for field training



## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

OMG! It would be easier for me to take photos of my "essential training 'stuff'" on the shelves in my workshop and drawers in my trailer (which, itself, is now deemed essential) than to make a list.
And there are the "true" essentials, the "make it easier on me" essentials, the "to make an FC" essentials, and the "I want" essentials.  
Nonetheless, I'll work on my list.
FTGoldens


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

FTGoldens said:


> OMG! It would be easier for me to take photos of my "essential training 'stuff'" on the shelves in my workshop and drawers in my trailer (which, itself, is now deemed essential) than to make a list.
> And there are the "true" essentials, the "make it easier on me" essentials, the "to make an FC" essentials, and the "I want" essentials.
> Nonetheless, I'll work on my list.
> FTGoldens


I'd love to know what you have as essential!


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## myluckypenny (Nov 29, 2016)

My essentials:
1. Starter pistol
2. White Jacket
3. 5 - 3in plastic bumpers (white or b/w), 
4. 5 - 3in canvas bumpers (b/w or a dark color if throwing on top of snow)
5. Crate for the car
6. Radio for talking to your bird boys
7. E-collar & whistle
8. Orange flags, stake, or tape to mark blinds

My like to have list:
1. Place Board
2. Wingers
3. Holding Blind
4. Stickmen
5. Freezer for dead birds

Wishlist:
1. 4-wheeler to haul stuff around 
2. Truck with topper so I can keep my nasty smelling wet dogs out of the vehicle!


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## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

Here goes my list (this is a building list, what is needed for an early stage is to be included in each successive stage):

Force Fetch - not much needed for this phase, at least not if FF is done in the traditional fashion (which is what I've done 90% of the time): strap collar with a buckle, a wooden dowel (typically a 10" piece of a broom handle or similar item), a short lead, and patience. For first timers, although there are DVDs and videos on line, a mentor is certainly nice to have.

Collar Conditioning (basic) - a good quality variable intensity electronic collar, a whistle, a short lead, a 30'+ check cord, and patience. For first timers (and some second, third, etc. timers, a mentor is suggested).

Now the fun starts ....

Marks (basic/just starting out) - a minimum of 6 white pliable rubber/plastic bumpers (depending on the age/size of the dog and length of the marks, these can be 2" or 3" diameter), at least one training partner or a launcher of some sort [e.g., Gunners Up, Slinger, Bumper Boy (BBs haven't been made for many years due to a patent issue, but in my opinion BBs were the best of this type of launcher], two-way radios if you have a training partner, a starter or other type of primer or .22 pistol, holding blind for the line, camo umbrella or holding blind to retire the gunner behind.

Blinds (pile work) - when running the double T, I like to put out at least 3 bumpers at the four side piles and twice as many at the long pile, so I need at least 18 (color doesn't matter); 5 blind stakes or traffic cones; white jacket/shirt; patience.

Drills for blinds - the tools and materials depend on the drills you are running ... currently I am running a 7-8 pile casting drill with the spots marked with pots that hanging flower baskets came in, so "official" gear isn't always necessary or even the best (FYI: for this drill I have also put out a couple of standard edition blind stakes, but I don't put anything at those stakes ... reason is that at several locations around my circuit there are gas line markers which look like blind stakes, so I have to teach my dogs to ignore them unless I'm casting them directly to those stakes); I'm also running 5 semi-permanent blinds, but no special or additional equipment is needed for them.

Drills for marks - at least 5 stickmen; training partner (who can walk from one stickman to another) or multiple launchers (note that you can set up pretty much any concept with just two launchers); a retiring gunner is nice to have, or at least a way to retire a gunner (a training partner showed me how to use a pulley on a launcher to make a retiring station ... works beautifully and costs nothing).

Field trial essentials - pheasants and ducks; training partners are essential, at least weekly; holding blind is now essential; mat for the line; orange surveyors' tape to mark the blinds; access to multiple and varied training grounds; access to multiple and varied ponds/lakes; fans to keep dogs cool; eye wash; binoculars to inspect cover changes and terrain details; shotgun for flyers; shotgun for blanks; hearing protection; white surveyors' tape (for tying to birds or bumpers when visibility is poor); nice to have a UTV or 4 wheeler (if you often train alone and use launchers, a UTV like a Polaris Ranger is excellent); perseverance.

Reserving the right to amend and supplement,
FTGoldens


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

• friends to throw
• land
• good dog
• ecollar
• bumpers
• blind stakes
• whistle
• starter pistol
• birds


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## PalouseDogs (Aug 14, 2013)

Time
Money
Better eyes would be good.


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## Edward Lee Nelson (Jan 2, 2017)

All the mentioned above plus a wife who throws birds/bumpers every evening after getting up at 3am. Plus running the older pet Golden and the puppy.


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