# Things to Work On



## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

Okay, with my spring field trial season having concluded (ribbon-less, I must say:frown2, I have inventoried those things that my competitor is good at, and, more importantly, those things that need some work. The latter list, fortunately, isn't particularly long ... in fact, it can be summarized in just a couple words: Land Blinds (in every stake that we ran, nearly perfect land marks were wasted by running HORRIBLE land blinds).
I realize that marks are largely, though not exclusively, based on natural abilities and blinds are largely based on training ... so yep, it's mostly my fault and it's totally up to me to figure out what needs to be done so we don't waste great marks this fall.
[Of course, our blinds in training are really pretty good, but at trials we just don't seem to be able to get it together ... it almost looks like we have never run all-age blinds before, ever.]
I've received lots of suggestions for drills and approaches, so I have the resources from which to choose.

I'm looking forward to figuring out what to do and getting it done ... ALREADY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FALL FIELD TRIAL SEASON!

FTGoldens


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

Do you have any ideas about what you will do to clean this up?

What drills? Are you just going to run blinds everywhere new you can think of?


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## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

MillionsofPeaches said:


> Do you have any ideas about what you will do to clean this up?
> 
> What drills? Are you just going to run blinds everywhere new you can think of?


First will be a re-visit to FTP (actually, I've already started this), reminding pup that "back" means "BACK." FTP, of course, is with pressure.
Then a few no-no drills, including:
* re-visit to stepped WW lining drill with white bumpers short and orange bumpers beyond [to work on better initial lines]
* WW casting drill [to get better on straight backs, turning both to the right and to the left]
* disciplined casting drill (with 3 piles) [to get better, definitive changes of direction]
I have a few other drills that I will throw into the mix when the time seems proper, including a few that involve objects or other factors.
If something odd pops up, I will adjust the drill regimen to try to fit the need.
After that, I'll run cold blinds in as many places as I can legally do so. 
FTGoldens


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Just curious FT---What is your dog not doing at trials that he does nicely in training?


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## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

gdgli said:


> Just curious FT---What is your dog not doing at trials that he does nicely in training?


In training, land blinds (and water blinds) are actually pretty nice ... great momentum and fairly solid casting. In training, the dog performs at least at the level of a competitive Amateur-stake dog (not quite at the level of an Open dog). But at a trial, the performance plummets to Qualifying level or below. So, there's something "mental" going on and I must figure out how to break through.
For example, last weekend, after a beautiful set of marks, of course, when I sent pup on the land blind, which was really quite elementary, pup took off with decent momentum, but on a pretty poor initial line, then after about 40 yards pup slowed down and its head came up as if to look for something. Pup then veered toward a mound, which was not on line and it took 2 casts to get pup back on line ... then pup started overcasting. Pup got the bird, but it was not pretty.
My current theory is that pup is simply not disciplined enough (I don't mean that pup needs to be disciplined more, but that pup must understand that when I say "back," I am in control); hence, some drills are in order to show and enforce the proper and automatic response to a command. 
I'm looking forward to this process.
FTGoldens


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

Could it have anything to do with being test wise and blowing you off at the test? I know that I'm very curious to know how Proof will do on blinds at a test. He already has a rough time taking casts if they aren't going in the direction he feels is the right one..And that is in training when he knows there are consequences!


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## krazybronco2 (May 21, 2015)

this summer i know i need to work on marking the dog can pick up most hunt test marks with ease but the white coat game even with "puppy" marks blow her mind sometimes. I want to run some more Qs with her and here and lately i have been seeing retired marks on land and water in Qs so the big thing is singles off mutilple guns with lots of factors and retired guns (retired mostly on water) because we have not done many retired guns on water mostly just land. I talked to bodeys trainer and he was in the same situation i am in right now and gave me some ideas on how to introduce retried guns.


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## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

MillionsofPeaches said:


> Could it have anything to do with being test wise and blowing you off at the test? I know that I'm very curious to know how Proof will do on blinds at a test. He already has a rough time taking casts if they aren't going in the direction he feels is the right one..And that is in training when he knows there are consequences!


Oh, pup is definitely test-wise ... having run field trials since the tender age of 13 months. But, that's no excuse ... they ALL become test-wise, it's unavoidable ... it's something that we must overcome. That's why it's important for pup to get into the HABIT of responding appropriately to a command (especially on blinds), regardless of the circumstances ... hence, the emphasis on drills this summer ... habit-forming behavior.
Two additional thoughts that I've had:
* Pup had a very difficult time when learning retired guns, but once learned, pup became very proficient with retired guns, especially short retired guns, so I am quite confident that we'll get to where I want to go.
* I had a pretty nice dog a few years ago, who got titled at a relatively young age ... it is against that standard to which I have held all of my successor dogs ... I am probably expecting too much too early ... they are all different. Frankly, the current pup marks much better than the dog that titled early, plus current pup seems to want to please more than the prior one.

That said, I love training these animals and solving these sorts of issues.

FTGoldens


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

krazybronco2 said:


> this summer i know i need to work on marking the dog can pick up most hunt test marks with ease but the white coat game even with "puppy" marks blow her mind sometimes. I want to run some more Qs with her and here and lately i have been seeing retired marks on land and water in Qs so the big thing is singles off mutilple guns with lots of factors and retired guns (retired mostly on water) because we have not done many retired guns on water mostly just land. I talked to bodeys trainer and he was in the same situation i am in right now and gave me some ideas on how to introduce retried guns.


I would love to hear your ideas on how to introduce retired guns.


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## krazybronco2 (May 21, 2015)

hollyk said:


> I would love to hear your ideas on how to introduce retired guns.


if you have a bird boy have the bird boy stand close to the holding blind. have then shoot and throw and retire thrown as singles with mutiples keep the retired gun out till right before sending for the retired bird to help the dog kinda remember where the bird is. his next step is to retire the gun and have the dog identify the bird then have the gun stand up and give a fake throw retire the gun then kick the dog off. he wants the dog to identify the bird before helping and idenifying the bird is not looking right at the bird but coming back from a mark and basically idenitifing the general fall area. if they identify the fall area but looking behind the holding blind or not in the correct direction he will have the gunner help but if they come back and line up ready for the next bird he may kick them off. it is all about reading the dog knowing when to push them and when to help. and lots of balance short retireds long retired and middle distance retired marks mixing them up till the dog is running mutiple marks with one retired gun then working in a second retired gun like he did with one retired gun and im guessing teaching the second retired gun goes alot quicker than the first.

me with wingers and the thunder gun retired gunner is the same process but a little harder to get 300 yard retired guns with it cause my electronics bearly reach that distance in the fields i train in. also harder to help the dog if they need it.

it is pretty much what i think most people do to intro retired guns but his biggest thing with retired guns was the dog coming back from a mark and identifing the retired mark.


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