# January 2015 field training



## boomers_dawn

Between work and the holidays I haven't been very motivated. Today I waited for it to "warm up" but it never really did so I had to force myself to get dressed and go training.

It's the perfect time for the pattern field but the club that leases it is still releasing birds and selling hunting permits for daily use, so I'm hesitant to go there because I don't want to set something up only to be in someone's way that's actually paid to use the field.

So .. went to a new location and set up some new pattern blinds. I put out stakes to help myself and the dogs orient to them, ran Gladys on all of them, she needed some help so obviously I didn't teach them correctly and need to back up and teach the steps better. I ran Dee Dee on 2 of them, she doesn't quite get the concept and hasn't been f.o.b. yet but did ok anyway.

Poor Gladys was huffing and puffing after all the running she did. I tried to give her a drink but the dog water container was frozen solid.

I thought it was RIDICULOUS and only IDIOTS are out training in such cold weather. But when I carried the dummies in at the end, Dee Dee did a full kangaroo hop for each footstep I took, jumping with the bumpers but not grabbing them hard enough to take them.

I did think it was cute how happy the dogs were and how excited they are to even just pick up bumpers at piles :


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## Alaska7133

I like training in the cold! I think the dogs enjoy the crispness. Mine love a good roll in the snow after a run.

I thought we were getting pretty good on whistle sits until today. Went to Potter Marsh and darn it if Lucy decided that whistle sits are for sissies. Yesterday she was as good as gold. So we'll continue on the march. Darn dogs sure keep us humble. But you do the whistle sits somewhere new and you have to work on it from the beginning again.

Trained today for a bit on the frozen marshes with another forum member - AKGOLD. Haven't seen John in awhile. He's got very nice field trial dogs. He gave us some good clues to watch for with our dogs on retrieves. Ears, tails etc. All those little clues to make sure you know your dog is locked on. It was a beautiful 15 degree clear skies day. The mountains were about as perfect as it gets. Winter in Alaska is like nowhere else!


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## MillionsofPeaches

Did the wagon wheel again and Kat did that really well. Then I let her pick up the white bumpers. Turned around and did the T type thingy with the orange pile at the end and it was TERRIBLE. Matt was with me and said he thinks it was because I let her pick up the white bumpers after the orange were all picked up in the wagon wheel. While I know that she should go where I send her, do you guys think that letting her pick up the white bumpers right before that effected her??? Last time she didn't do as well on the wagon wheel but changed right over to the T and did really fantastic but I hadn't let her pick up the white bumpers.

Also, I don't know how to fix her cheating me out on blinds. While she is completely lined up AND facing that direction she will still take off immediately to the white bumpers. Now, I know to nic her and all that but it doesn't work. What really works is making her come right back in and sending her again, she HATES that. So I do that and by the end of the six bumpers I'm not fighting her on the last two, meaning she will take the straight line to the pile. Do you all think that is adequate or is there something else I am doing wrong? I know I'm lining her well, matt stands behind me to make sure her spine is perfectly straight to the pile. 

Before all of it I ran her on doubles. I did walk ups with one very short visible bumper nearly next to the line and also not far off the line of the go bird which was far and in deep cover. I wanted to try to taunt her on the walkup, as if it was a live flyer. She didn't break and she didn't go for that one when I sent her on the hidden go bird. I switched it up after she did four of those and made the memory bird the hard hidden one. 
One thing that Matt did comment on was her lining of the hidden far birds were dead on, that has improved greatly.


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## K9-Design

MoP : I think the lining to orange bumpers past white bumpers is a drill that is very easy to us and very difficult for a young dog. I don't know where you're at in your blind training -- if you're still in transition or if you're beyond that and running cold blinds -- but it is a tall task to ask a dog you've spent a lot of time forcing to bumpers to bypass a very visible bumper for something they cannot see. Now with an advanced dog I would do this if they were being naughty and lying to me on lining on real blinds. It's sort of like proofing in obedience : I really don't do it unless the dog tells me he needs it. 
I run 2-tiered wagon wheel a lot but I use white bumpers on each. I also do a LOT of what is called differential lining (I think???) but basically you set out 6-12 white stakes or buckets with bumpers and line the dog randomly to the different piles. Piles are anywhere from 10-100 yards away, and close together. It's the same idea as W drill (look up W drill in Carol's book) but more random, there's no set pattern to where you put the piles. All piles are white, well marked and very visible. On this drill if the dog takes a good initial line but starts to cave, I will handle (and it's a GREAT drill for fine tuning literal casts!). If the dog takes a bad initial line I will immediately stop, recall and resend. If the dog gets buggy because we are having a battle I move up. My dogs LOVE this drill and it's a lot more about fine tuning skills than battling through confusion. 
Each trainer has a set of drills they like to use that works for them. You have to be careful and really make sure you and the dog are on the same page -- is what you think you're teaching, what the dog is actually learning? Remember -- dogs learn what they practice most. So if you aren't getting it right most of the time, they are practicing how to get it wrong and how to get in trouble. Is that the take home message you want the dog to understand?


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## ktkins7

Alaska7133 said:


> I like training in the cold! I think the dogs enjoy the crispness. Mine love a good roll in the snow after a run.
> 
> I thought we were getting pretty good on whistle sits until today. Went to Potter Marsh and darn it if Lucy decided that whistle sits are for sissies. Yesterday she was as good as gold. So we'll continue on the march. Darn dogs sure keep us humble. But you do the whistle sits somewhere new and you have to work on it from the beginning again.


What are you doing for training the whistle sits? I'm trying to work on this with Ella right now. She's perfect when she's right next to me but has a problem if she isn't. If I'm at a distance and she doesn't sit, when I walk toward her to give her the correction with the the choke collar she sits before I get to her.


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## hotel4dogs

I hate to admit that I'm too busy being a new Grandma to give my dog much thought at all! But I supposed I'd better, we've got a couple of agility trials coming up soon and I need to at least go run him around the building a couple of times. The dog, not the new grandson!


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## MillionsofPeaches

Thanks for going through that, Anney. I have done the W drill in the past but I haven't in a while. 

Kat seems to do better on cold blinds than on drill exercises. I think it is because on a cold blind she can't see anything and lets me tell her where to go. On drills if she sees anything than she will get it in her mind that that is where she is going to go and it can be a fight. 
Is this normal for most dogs? 

I'm also glad you explained when you cast and when you call back. I always worry about that. Do I cast at all or is that giving her a crutch as I'm trying to teach her to take the farthest straight line as possible, that is usually my worry. Kind of like knowing exactly when or if you help a dog out during marks. 

Today I'll go do the W to see how she does.


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## MillionsofPeaches

oh BARB he is beautiful!! Wow what a perfect new baby!! Congratulations!


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## hotel4dogs

he's not quite as cute as a Golden puppy, but he's pretty good looking for a newborn


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## Alaska7133

Barb, congratulations!! Looks like you will have someone new to spoil. Hope Tito enjoys the new baby also.


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## Alaska7133

Ktkins7,
I am the worst person to ask on whistle sits. Ask anybody but me! All I can say is your dog is young and younger is better. Carry your whistle wherever you go and have her sit whenever you whistle. Like dinner. Make her whistle sit before food. Just replace verbal sit with the whistle. I know that sounds easy. But it's hard. Whistle sits have not gone quickly and easily in my house. Now that we have whistle sits down at home, I've found that she completely ignores me away from home. So we need to practice all over.. The other day I was with a friend and his 10 week old show puppy. He had her whistle sitting so nicely. Now that I know, in the future all my pups will be whistle sitting as baby puppies.


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## hotel4dogs

he is totally fascinated by the baby! Sits next to the carrier, ears alert, and waits and watches endlessly.




Alaska7133 said:


> Barb, congratulations!! Looks like you will have someone new to spoil. Hope Tito enjoys the new baby also.


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## Claudia M

Barb, your grandson is just gorgeous. Congratulations!


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## MillionsofPeaches

ugh just got back from training her. I want to strangle myself. 

We did a W drill with white cones but they were slightly staggered with the middle cone being the farthest out. Matt stood behind me and we worked very hard and seeing how she did with lining her body.

So here is what I know. I can line her body up perfectly but if her head isn't looking exactly in the direction I want she will go wherever she has locked into, even if she doesn't seem to be locked into it from my vantage point. 

If I don't line her perfectly, meaning she is slightly off, but her head is locked in exactly where I want her to go she will go in that straight line. This is sort of helpful to me as I'm not so good at lining her spine without making it a big a$$ ordeal like getting behind her and all that crap. BUT if the lines are tight it is hard to make sure that she is really looking at the cone I want. 

Here is the real kicker though, the problem I want to strangle someone over, in fact I was taking out my frustration on my husband and we were getting mad at each other. About 25% of of the time Kat will be trick me. She will be lined up perfectly, her body and her head exactly to the cone, and yet she will take off and veer to where she wanted to go all along. She is such an a$$hole sometimes! Its like she is smart enough to know that I won't release her unless she is pointed where I want so she does it just to get released so she can go where she wants to!!!! The only way to correct this is to stop her immediately when she takes off in the wrong direction and praise her when she does it the right way. But man, it is tiring for both me and her. She does this on the l*ong cones*.....it is because she is LAZY and wants to get to the short ones and that just irritates the crap out of me...grrr

So after fighting for awhile on the W I put her up then did some minor stuff with peaches and got Kat back out. I simplified to two piles that were pretty close together and she did really good on that. So to me this shows that maybe she needs to go back a few steps. 

After that I set up a cold blind 120 yards away along a small slope with a tree line at the bottom of the slope. She took the line to about 40 yards. Then wanted to go down the slope to the trees. I sat her and cast her back to the line and then stopped all her scallops to the trees. 
I ran it again and this time she took a pretty good line, although she seemed to make a show out of avoiding the tree line by slightly taking the line a bit to the right but not enough that I felt like correcting her. She finally starting veering down at about 100 yards and I stopped her and gave her an angle back cast that she took to the bumper. I was using orange ones. 

So I guess I'm going to focus on less piles on these lining drills for a while, increasing distances again and move forward from there. I thought we were past this concept but taking a few weeks "off" seemed to push her backwards again.


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## gdgli

Barb-

Congratulations!


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## gdgli

MoP

Maybe a looking glass drill.


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## boomers_dawn

MillionsofPeaches said:


> On drills if she sees anything than she will get it in her mind that that is where she is going to go and it can be a fight.
> Is this normal for most dogs?


MoP I think what you're describing is fairly common, I hear people refer to it as the dog is "lying". 
It's also something I've struggled with and your description in the subsequent post of the head and eyes vs. spine thing is also confusing. 

I struggle with how long to spend lining up and get some mixed messages which may just be a function of the need to learn good judgment and reading the dog instead of being so "black and white" about it.

Ex. being told "take your time and line them up right" vs at some point you have to ship them
Ex. being told to make sure their spine is lined up vs "she's looking there, send her already". Our trainer said this one time and I was like but you said to make sure her spine is lined up, that's where she's going, now you're saying where she's looking is where she's going .. which is it? 
It's probably both/either/depends, I think he is just more skilled in reading their body language and knowing what they will do without having "rules".

Our dog skool teecher tells us in training when they do that "lying" thing when lining, to bring them in and start over (IN TRAINING). I think the attitude is "no, you're going where I tell you not where you want" no matter how many times it takes. If it takes 50 times, they are NOT getting what they want, they're getting what they're told. So the dog gets the idea in it's head that he/she WILL be going where you say and resistance is futile. 

I would say a lining drill isn't the place to be stopping and nicking or handling on lining. Your idea of widening the angles and simplifying is consistent with the W drill instructions. 

I'm not sure but some dogs might be "liars" and some dogs more "honest" just like water cheating - my Boomer was a water cheater, Gladys and Dee Dee aren't. 

If we know we have "lining liars" we just have to make sure to be ready to stop them quickly in events before they get in complete trouble. Even though you have the problem now with drills only, some day there will be a test with that pesky white styrofoam cup floating in the lily pad pond that they can't get out of their doggie brains :uhoh:


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## MillionsofPeaches

Thank you for the feedback, Dawn! Okay so I'm correcting her right then, I just keep stopping her and bringing her back in the minute she leaves when she is caught lying to me. She HATES that and usually after a few bring ins (stopping her and bringing her back in) she will relent and take the line I am telling her to take. It is just so frustrating and draining but I know that is just something that we have to keep working on. And yes, that is exactly my issue at the line, I don't want to spend all day lining her up, but at the same time I don't want to line her up wrong and then stop her for veering when in reality she WAS taking the line I sent her on, that is MY fault, and will only confuse her more. 

She has always been a pretty good at being honest on marks, it is these blind drills that she is such a liar! (now I'm knocking on wood, as I don't want to jinx the marks!) 

George, I'm not sure what the looking glass drill is, I'll look that up.


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## K9-Design

MoP ::
With a young dog you have to build up to the full drills gradually. You can make lining drills easier or harder by tightening or loosening lines, and moving up or moving back. If you're having that much trouble, then it's over the dog's head and you need to simplify.
These drills can be VERY FRUSTRATING for everyone involved if you ask for too much precision too quickly -- as you've found out!

In the situation you described I would have called and re-sent only twice. After that -- move up. Carol Cassidy has a mantra that if you have the same problem two times in a row, on the third mess-up you better change something because doing to same "fix" a third time is not going to change the outcome. The easiest way to help a dog on a lining drill is to move up and take away the suction of the other piles. Then you can back up and repeat that line and they usually get it. If they mess up again on the repeat then you can either move up again or correct.

Drills are THE place to hammer out issues -- NOT on cold blinds -- but drills are also where you can develop a good attitude and work ethic so you can't just beat up on the dog. 

As far as the dog "lying" -- that absolutely will be improved with lining drills -- but you have to simplify the drill so the dog is successful almost 100% of the time. Again -- dogs learn what they practice. You have to set up and run the drill so what the dog spends most of the time doing is lining up quickly and going to the correct pile. NOT fidgeting and fighting for control on the line, bugging, getting called back, etc, etc, etc. Simplify, simplify, and soon enough you'll find that the dog is starting to get really good at the drills. Those skills WILL transfer over to the field.

Now I am almost hesitant to write this, but as far as the lying/bad lines -------- again lining drills are the best way to help it --- but you CAN correct it even more so than just re-calling by adding nicks to your recall. So whistle (dog sits) -- NO -- HERE -- nick nick nick on return. This is for an obvious bail out/being bad and lying. But I must emphasize to use this with discretion, and in fact it may not be appropriate at all for your dog's level. But it DOES work to communicate "NOT THAT LINE" and can be very effective in some situations. Maybe I say this more to tell you -- there is hope out there and always other options!

BTW you said she wants to get the closer bumpers because she is too lazy to run far and get the long bumpers. No. You spent umpteen hours forcing her and taking her through a force program -- she wants the nearest bumper because you've taught her to get the freakin bumper as fast as possible! And the nearest one is the most available! The more drive and commitment your dog has for the bumper -- the harder these drills can be! 

In general ----- if they take a good line but veer off in the last half of the blind, I will handle. If they immediately veer off when I send them, I recall. This is a good general rule for marks and blinds, as far as handle vs. recall.


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## MillionsofPeaches

Hmm thanks for the food for thought. I have never thought about that concept about Katniss just trying to get to the bumper quickly and get it back to me. Makes me look at things differently. A lot differently. It is hard sometimes because my old trainer detested Katniss and constantly told me what a crap dog she was, so sometimes that little voice gets inside of my head and it is good to hear from other golden trainers that give the dog the benefit of the doubt when things are going rough. 

I will keep the twice and move on concept in mind as well. 

I hope everyone knows that I really appreciate your advice and I take it seriously and use it in my training. It doesn't go in one ear and out the other. 

I am going to go backwards and hopefully this will do the trick. It looks like I've been doing some of what people have suggested as far as correction goes, so hopefully I didn't mess the poor girl up too bad. Thanks again!


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## MillionsofPeaches

oaky did some lining drills again today before the storms rolled in. I did the looking glass drill that George suggested and low and behold, even though we were not far from the pile as suggested in the directions, Kat still tried to fake me out. Every two times that she did what she was supposed to I took two steps back. If she had to be resent twice I took two steps forward again. It seems that about 10 yards from the suction bumpers start making her want to lie to me. 

We also did two piles at 75 yards with about 30 yards between them. Just bumpers no cones. she did that really great, no problems at all. 

I'm thinking that she has a hard time lying when she has clear distractions such as birds or bumpers that are along the way. So I will just keep on keeping on. 

I did bring her chuck it ball for after, she loves that thing more than anything else in life and after she has been busting away for the last three days I felt like she needed some major rewarding. That is one thing about her, she keeps working hard for me no matter what.


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## gdgli

MoP

Glad you found the looking glass drill. I was going to describe it for you today. Don't expect to get exactly what you want on the first day. Simplify so she does it right. Give it a few days. And she should be giving you a good line out and on the return. Patience. I personally wouldn't use collar corrections for this.


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## MillionsofPeaches

Thanks, George, I didn't use any today, especially since it was such a short distance drill. I used this example of it 
https://books.google.com/books?id=C...Q#v=onepage&q=looking glass dog drill&f=false


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## gdgli

MillionsofPeaches said:


> Thanks, George, I didn't use any today, especially since it was such a short distance drill. I used this example of it
> https://books.google.com/books?id=CFXqzQGi_LQC&pg=PA102&lpg=PA102&dq=looking+glass+dog+drill&source=bl&ots=IKwOQQJOl7&sig=J0tWBsTV1ElX90arQ3f9jpf0Xys&hl=en&sa=X&ei=MDGoVN79L4muggTsnIDoDw&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=looking%20glass%20dog%20drill&f=false


And your link goes to the right source. Bill Tarrant trained a bit with Mike Gould who used the drill. Include a little Ah-Ah for a mistake if you like.


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## hollyk

MOP
Are you doing a bunch of different lines drills? I'm not quite sure where you are in this but if you are in the beginning steps I might pick one and stick with it until you two are really commucating at the line and nailing it. I would make it something basic that can be made more difficult as you progress. Once we were nailing it I would take my lining show on the road and do it many different places before I made it more difficult.
Our go to lining drill is pyramind shaped and we learned it post FTP and after pattern blinds.
I was taught that no collar pressure is allowed inside the pyramind, I call back and step forward even if I have to step all the way to the pile. No handling either " Do not turn my lining drill into a handling drill". This language you are working out takes along time to develop and it comes in bits and starts. Also with my lining drill I had memory blinds established that I ran, long memory blinds. I was probably only running cold blinds maybe once a week and was trying to do pyramind 2x and memory one a week. Also, I was throwing a lot of singles to take the pressure off and keep her attitude and momentum up.
I'm still running memory blinds and a harder version of pyramind nearly weekly. 
Just a few thoughts.


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## MillionsofPeaches

I think you are right, Holly. 
We were on a great schedule and then my husband came back and has been on leave for nearly two months. Now, I feel like I'm out of sync and that really drives me nuts. Matt starts back to work officially tomorrow so I'm going to write out a schedule and get back into a rhythm. Work on the same drills on the same days. Before I did marks twice a week and drills twice a week and water stuff once a week. Basically Thursday was her day off and once a weekend. I realize now that I'm all over the place and that probably really bothers her as much as it does me.


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## Claudia M

Little Miss Claudia got cocky today and got spanked. After the nice long marks and surprised how quick Rose got the blinds down and the nice compliments last week I got cocky. 

We went to the big group training today. Started the first session with singles. All good with both girls.

The we switched places and thought I can do doubles with my girls. Those are much shorter marks than what they have ran in the past month and they can do it. Darcy did, but Darcy also does not go handling very well. Rose spanked me on the double. First I took too long to align her so I went into handling mode, the group leader said go ahead and help; I thought he was talking to me and instead he was talking to the people in the working station; so I stopped her and handled her to the bird. 
Was glad to see one of the FT trainers at the meetings after the training and talk to him about what I did. He said - keep it simple, stupid during the handling drills. No doubles and NO NO handling on a mark. Only single marks during handling training.


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## gdgli

Claudia

It happens to all of us.


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## hollyk

Sounds like you are working with a great training group Claudia.


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## Claudia M

hollyk said:


> Sounds like you are working with a great training group Claudia.


Yes Holly. It is a very nice group (majority of the people). We had 40 dogs today split into two groups. As anytime you have large groups you get some miscommunication; probably that is also accentuated by staying up all night doing the rain dance and then drive for 2 hours at 6am. The rain was viciously pouring down last night but pleasantly nice today during training.

Do you guys train in rain? The tests go no matter of sun or rain. So I guess it would make sense to train during all kinds of weather.


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## hollyk

Claudia M said:


> Yes Holly. It is a very nice group (majority of the people). We had 40 dogs today split into two groups. As anytime you have large groups you get some miscommunication; probably that is also accentuated by staying up all night doing the rain dance and then drive for 2 hours at 6am. The rain was viciously pouring down last night but pleasantly nice today during training.
> 
> Do you guys train in rain? The tests go no matter of sun or rain. So I guess it would make sense to train during all kinds of weather.


I live in the Pacific Northwest, yes I train in the rain.


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## Vhuynh2

All this lining talk made me want to go out and do lining drills. I am always all over the place with drills. I should probably start journaling so I can keep track of what drills I'm doing and what I don't do often enough. Molly did a good job and had fun. Then we did two short and easy singles. 

As I watch Rose run, I see that she runs with her nose almost to the ground basically the entire way out to the mark. She doesn't do that all the time but I can't figure out why she does it when she does, although I haven't thought much about it.

I am going to ramble about how training alone has changed Molly's attitude so much because I think about it a lot and am still in awe. I can't say enough how much I love how Molly runs for me now. She has amazing water entries and runs back from her marks instead of trotting and then slowing down to a painfully slow walk. When we first started field work, her water entries were good and then they became ugly. My former trainer thought Molly had developed a water issue after one year of field training. He actually said that he had never seen a dog love water so much and then come to hate it. I started going to a new trainer and he has never seen Molly's "water issue". I started going out alone and saw how much happier she was to do the work and did not see a water issue either. It was only with that former trainer's group. We would do his marks one day and she would slowly slink into the water, and I would go back alone the next day, set up the same marks, and she would fly into the water. It was then when I realized that something was wrong. I couldn't keep putting her in the position to run so poorly. So we started training alone and I began to see that it wasn't even just a water thing; she ran differently for me in all aspects. I came across photos of Molly at the WC in Oct 2013, and she was running back with the birds. At the WCX in fall 2014, she was coming in painfully slow. What changed? 

I also think that I think building her drive is key to me being able to push her harder on blinds simply because she wants to do it more than she used to.

We did go back to a group session the week before Christmas and everyone right away commented that Molly had a lot more go. There was a lot of carryover from training alone to training with the group, but it wasn't 100%. Makes me wonder what exactly is "style"? Is it something a dog is born with? Is it something you can develop and/or ruin? I always thought that the dog either had it or not.


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## K9-Design

You guys inspired me to break out some more drills for Bally. Overall we are progressing on double T but there are so many drills he hasn't done that are fun to teach him. Tonight I did one of Mitch White's drills, a back pile, remote sit, toss bumper to the dog's side then cast back. This was perfect as Bally definitely needs committment on his back casts vs. ignoring overs for his T. I also set up two piles with stakes and did sorta diagonal lining making it harder and harder. He did very cute


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## MillionsofPeaches

Today after all the rain I went to a field by my house and found some "channel" like water areas and worked on lining and not cheating the bank. It went really nicely and Kat was in a great mood about it, as she LOVES anything involving water.


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## hotel4dogs

Stuck at work ALL the time, since my daughter is on maternity leave. Well, at least it was nice of her to have the baby when it's too flippin' cold to train anyway. It's -2 on the thermometer this morning, wind chill -25, and we got 4 inches of snow overnight. We're trying to enjoy it, though, as it's supposed to be colder tomorrow.


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## hotel4dogs

Start them out right, from the very beginning. Notice what he's lying on, LOL


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## Vhuynh2

hotel4dogs said:


> Start them out right, from the very beginning. Notice what he's lying on, LOL


He's so handsome!!!!


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## Vhuynh2

Molly became a real hunting dog today! My trainer took us duck hunting this morning. The original plan was to let Molly sit outside of the blind but she would not stay still or quiet. She eventually calmed down some but she figured out when my trainer was about to shoot and would get really antsy so I held her collar the whole time. So she sat inside the blind and got the first three ducks as water blinds. The fourth duck was clipped and flew very far before it finally fell. We walked to where we thought it fell in the corn fields and I told Molly to hunt it up. She quartered really nicely in the corn fields but kept wanting to go way out towards the pond next to the corn field. Molly was right the whole time as we were still walking in the corn fields when we saw Molly going after our culprit that had taken flight. My trainer said "aw crap" as he could not shoot in Molly's direction, so I immediately called Molly back and he shot it and it went down. The duck was very much alive when Molly got to it.

I am so proud of my girl! My trainer was nice enough to cut out the meat and clean it for me. I love duck, so I can't wait to prepare it. I hope to take shotgun lessons from him sometime, so I can do this myself, but will need someone to hold my wiggly dog.

I am such a city girl at heart -- I had to find a stick and take down the small cobwebs in the blind before walking in there, and I very cautiously sat on the very edge of the bench that had duck blood on it.. lol! For a second I asked myself how I got here! The answer is Molly -- she got me here!


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## hotel4dogs

woooo hooo, way to go!! Molly was able to "put it all together" and see what the point to all of this stuff is!



Vhuynh2 said:


> Molly became a real hunting dog today! My trainer took us duck hunting this morning. The original plan was to let Molly sit outside of the blind but she would not stay still or quiet. She eventually calmed down some but she figured out when my trainer was about to shoot and would get really antsy so I held her collar the whole time. So she sat inside the blind and got the first three ducks as water blinds. The fourth duck was clipped and flew very far before it finally fell. We walked to where we thought it fell in the corn fields and I told Molly to hunt it up. She quartered really nicely in the corn fields but kept wanting to go way out towards the pond next to the corn field. Molly was right the whole time as we were still walking in the corn fields when we saw Molly going after our culprit that had taken flight. My trainer said "aw crap" as he could not shoot in Molly's direction, so I immediately called Molly back and he shot it and it went down. The duck was very much alive when Molly got to it.
> 
> I am so proud of my girl! My trainer was nice enough to cut out the meat and clean it for me. I love duck, so I can't wait to prepare it. I hope to take shotgun lessons from him sometime, so I can do this myself, but will need someone to hold my wiggly dog.
> 
> I am such a city girl at heart -- I had to find a stick and take down the small cobwebs in the blind before walking in there, and I very cautiously sat on the very edge of the bench that had duck blood on it.. lol! For a second I asked myself how I got here! The answer is Molly -- she got me here!


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## MillionsofPeaches

Barb your grandson is beyond adorable. He is just perfect and not all babies come out looking like that so soon! 

Vivian you are so lucky to have that opportunity! I'm glad for both of you, I think it is just amazing!


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## Alaska7133

Looks like Molly had a great time!

Little Miss Lucy and I have had our come to Jesus meeting and she's getting the idea that she needs to get out and get that bumper and high tail it back. Now before she's sent FTP she chatters her teeth. I've only gotten that on retrieves from her, not on FTP. So I'm not sure what's going on there. She's excited now and crazy when I get the bumpers out. Nice change of pace. So we'll keep going now that we've hitched up the wagon to progress. Her whistle sits are always improving. She's getting much better now. I'm definitely making sure to throw some fun bumpers after an FTP session and when I do she's crazy for them. On her retrieves she's started screwing around. She goes out to the bumper and now sniffs for a bit before picking it up. If it's not one thing, it's another. She's definitely making me work hard on being a better trainer.

I looked at the field calendar the other day. This summer we have 3 AKC double header hunt test weekends. One each month. That's it. I know Lucy will go into heat one of those months, it's a given. So that means we'll have only 4 chances to pass senior tests. Dang. That's going to be tough. Anyone out there pass senior in 4 tries? What's the trick? I'm hoping for an early spring so that we can do water work ASAP. Most years though that means no water work until mid-May.


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## MillionsofPeaches

man, Stacey, it sounds like things are clicking with Lucy, that's great!!!

As far as senior, I like your thinking, I wish I had more of it. I'm so scared of going to senior and we have so many opportunities this spring yet, I fear that we're not ready, we're not ready. you are brave, I like that about you.
In fact, I'm going to drive a far way to go to my first senior test because I've run under this judge twice (Pat Kopco) and she is so cool and laid back. I feel more confident breaking the ice under a judge that makes me comfortable to ask questions about exactly what I'm doing and so forth. If Kat fails I also think she is fair so that will make it more clear on what I need to improve on, if that makes sense. 
It is so funny, I"m okay in the obedience ring, it doesn't stress me out that much but going to the line at a hunt test puts me over the edge. I hate that about myself! I got used to junior and did fine and low and behold Kat's last two legs were pretty flawless probably because I was more confident. Now I feel back to square one with the nerves and this senior, hence why I'll drive 5 hours to do my first test under a familiar face. 
Are you nervous at all?


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## Alaska7133

Of course I get nervous! But it's always a learning experience if I don't do well. I normally blame myself, usually I didn't train for something. I do run my dogs in NAHRA, so we'll have those tests also to run. Which definitely helps. We are a pretty small group up here. Normally only 6 or 8 dogs are in a senior test. We root for each other and we all pretty much know each other. I'm thinking about running Lucy in JH tests the same days. So the plan would be maybe warm up earlier in the day on a JH run then run senior later in the day. But I don't think the timing would quite work out that well. Do you ever think about maybe running 2 different tests in the same weekend just to get warmed up? Something that you know is easier to maybe give you something that you know you don't have to pass, but just relax and have fun? When I run Reilly in hunt tests, I have no care if he passes or not, he loves it and we have fun. So it's actually a relief when I run him from Lucy. He's full of joy, she's so serious and focused. Different dogs, really different attitudes. Reilly has huge physical limitations which will always keep him in JH or NAHRA started/hunter levels. But Lucy I think, could take me to the moon. Hey right now I'm pretty excited that the dog shows I have her entered in later this month, are both 5 point majors. This would be an amazing year if I could get an SH and a Ch on her!


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## hollyk

Go Molly Mo!


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## MillionsofPeaches

do you mean run a JH and a SH or two SH tests in the same weekend? Normally it is Sat/Sun around here. This test happens to be only on a Saturday. 
The tests are really expensive for our family budget so I can't run Kat as much as I want so usually I stick to the ones within two hours so I don't have to get a hotel room. 
This first test, I'm pretty sure me, her or the both of us will mess it up but I also know that if I don't get out there and do it, even if we aren't ready, I'll never know what to expect. 
I want to just go out there and have fun but I am so new at this and such a perfectionist it is hard for my personality. I want to do it all right and I know that is the wrong way to think, I try hard not to but it just is that way. 
You are lucky your tests are such a small group. Down here we have so many pros and so many dogs, I don't know very many people. That is not to say I don't end up meeting new nice people at every test we go to. And usually my breeder will come down to support us and anyone else she knows. I think all these pros get under my skin, its hard to run your dog when you have them coming in and spitting out ten dogs at a time...its kind of intimidating to me and I know that is my own issue. 
oh well, I have to do it I have to do it!!! LOL!! And this cold weather has me stressed as I need to get in more water, I don't know how you do it up in AK!


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## Alaska7133

On Friday we run MH and SH, Saturday JH and MH, Sunday JH and SH. We get in 2 of each test. So I'd consider if I had a day like a Sunday run the JH and SH in the same day. Hoping to run the JH in the morning and SH in the afternoon. It won't happen that way. But it's a nice thought.

Running tests gets expensive. Our clubs lowered the amount for JH runs to $40. That helps. But the cost of my hobbies can get expensive. But the only kid is 31 years old now, so we're empty nesters, which really helps. In your situation with kids and a husband gone a lot, that's really hard. I give you credit for making the time and sticking with it. I have a DH I can drag out to throw birds whenever I need to...


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## MillionsofPeaches

wow running both of the tests in the same day is not something I've experienced here. mostly they are all running simultaneously. This test is going to be SH Sat and JH on Sunday which savannah will run Peaches and hopefully get her last leg. 
40$ for a JH test is A-mazing!!! They are 75 dollars here and higher for the Senior and Master. 
One cool thing I just read on the premium of this test I'm thinking about doing. They are giving a 50% rebate for any youth handler (doesn't have to be a registered junior) for each stake they run the entire series in! That is so neat and what a great way to promote a new generation of dog handlers!!!

While I will miss our kids tremendously I am looking forward to a little bit of independence and a cheaper household, ha ha! One day we'll be there and I'm sure I'll miss the kids being young.


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## Alaska7133

Juniors are awesome. I'm always so happy to see them. I would love to get more kids involved, but I'm not sure how. I can find kids interested in dog shows, but not field work...


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## hollyk

Yippee, I finally got to train on Thursday. We have had a ton of rain which has filled one of my favorite running/swimming water spots. Last year this place gave Winter and me some of our biggest water blind training opportunities. We started with cheating singles and had no problems then moved to the water blind, it was water, land, water, land. The blind is 200+ yards, which is a big water blind for us. In the picture below, the light brown is the first land. Go over it and the line to the blind is in the water just to the right of the dark brown land, then you carry the line back and hit the slot and run up the hill to the blind. Every time we pull in here to train we put up ducks so there is scent all over this hole and the dogs love to put their noses down and hunt. 
My instructions were to think about my dog and decide whether to I wanted to teach this blind or run it. I decided to run it. I then was told to not be a hero and error on the side of keeping her fat. I lined her up and sent her and she had a nice line but was fading left as she approached the light brown land. The more left the dogs were the easier going it was. Since she was close to the first land I decided to let her step on the land and then I whistled. I let her sit for a minute. The perfect cast would have been a slight right angle back but I was thinking, heck that's a lot of suction, we haven't run a water blind lately, that this is a really big blind and I was told to keep her fat. So I drifted right and gave her a right angle back. I'll be darn if she didn't take every bit of the angle into the water. The voice behind me said "that's ok she took all of that cast, let her carry it for a bit then put her back on line." I gave her one more cast back to the left to put her on line and she took all the way to the blind. I still worry that our water blinds aren't strong enough but oh my gosh, we have come so far since last year. We may crash and burn tomorrow but Thursday was a great day.
FYI the white dot under my red arrow is Winter at the blind pole not a bumper.


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## K9-Design

Alaska7133 said:


> Looks like Molly had a great time!
> 
> Little Miss Lucy and I have had our come to Jesus meeting and she's getting the idea that she needs to get out and get that bumper and high tail it back. Now before she's sent FTP she chatters her teeth. I've only gotten that on retrieves from her, not on FTP. So I'm not sure what's going on there. She's excited now and crazy when I get the bumpers out. Nice change of pace. So we'll keep going now that we've hitched up the wagon to progress. Her whistle sits are always improving. She's getting much better now. I'm definitely making sure to throw some fun bumpers after an FTP session and when I do she's crazy for them. On her retrieves she's started screwing around. She goes out to the bumper and now sniffs for a bit before picking it up. If it's not one thing, it's another. She's definitely making me work hard on being a better trainer.
> 
> I looked at the field calendar the other day. This summer we have 3 AKC double header hunt test weekends. One each month. That's it. I know Lucy will go into heat one of those months, it's a given. So that means we'll have only 4 chances to pass senior tests. Dang. That's going to be tough. Anyone out there pass senior in 4 tries? What's the trick? I'm hoping for an early spring so that we can do water work ASAP. Most years though that means no water work until mid-May.


That is GREAT to hear your progress on FTP! Good for you. FYI I wouldn't collar condition to sit or really work too much on your whistle sits at the same time as FTP. It's asking the dog to do opposite things and you can cause yourself a lot of grief because of confusion. Once she is running to the pile with great momentum you can go back and work on whistle sits. And something I meant to comment on from some other post maybe last week -- just like every other step in the modern program we start with obedience and refine and perfect with compulsion with the ecollar. Whistle sit is the same. Do not dismay if the dog isn't perfect on her whistle sit if all you've done is basic obedience with it. They have to be collar conditioned to the sit just like they were with come and fetch. That makes it much more solid and gives you a tool to correct if they do not comply. I highly recommend the Dobbs Tri-Tronics book for a very complete and easy way to learn to collar condition sit, here, go and fetch.

Fisher earned his SH in 5 tries and Slater earned his SH in 4 straight tests. There is no trick to it, if you have a trained dog. Most dogs fall flat on their face on the water blinds in Senior, without a doubt. To give you some timeframe, I can remember Slater working on pattern blinds in the summer and we ran Senior the following February (two back to back weekends and he was done). Bally is on double T right now and I would like to run him in Senior in July/August up in Ohio but I won't push it, if he's not ready that's OK, he can run in the fall down here.

Your time frame certainly is reasonable, and I understand geographically you only get so many shots. Train, train, train and I think by entering the tests you will learn a lot, even if you don't pass. 

Senior is a hard test to prepare for. Almost every Senior test there will be dogs that are way over prepared and to them it is easy, dogs who are no where close and struggle mightily, and dogs who with a little better prep and training, would have an easier time of it.


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## MillionsofPeaches

Worse training day in the history of training days. Katniss was completely out of her Danm mind! When I say out of her mind, I mean running to the wingers and taking the bumpers from there??? *** she's never been like this. The whole thing was completely out of control and honestly it freaked me out. Training wasn't anything unusual and in a field she trains in a lot. 

So my question is.... Can a spayed dog go nuts when her dog sister goes in season? Peaches is on day five of bleeding. That came to me as I was scratching my head as we were done training. Peaches has only been in heat twice and it is once a year. So Kat isn't around it often but I would think she wouldn't be effected as she is spayed???

Maybe Kat was just out of her mind today? Who knows.


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## Vhuynh2

Shelby, I'll let you know my observations on Molly when Rose goes into heat (any day now). I watched a dog who hunted for a long time and could not find his mark so he ran to another winger and took the bird out of there.


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## MillionsofPeaches

thanks Viv. No she didn't even hunt she just ran to the winger. That was just one example. I can't even begin to tell you the rest, it was out of control. Not sitting on whisltes, barking, running around just being crazy. It was like she's never been trained at anything, she was nuts.


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## MillionsofPeaches

oh and EVERYTHING was distracting her. Everything. A leaf blowing and normally when I tell her mark she is locked


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## hotel4dogs

deep breath Shelby. Have you ever had a bad day? I sure have! Our dogs are entitled to the same.


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## Vhuynh2

It sure sounds like Kat was having fun! It's so bizarre and out of the ordinary so I wouldn't worry.


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## MillionsofPeaches

No, I've had plenty of bad days with Kat. I understand that. I was just wondering if she can act wonky because of Peaches being in season. This was the weirdest thing.


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## Claudia M

More than likely there were smells in the field she was not familiar with. Foxes, deer, coyote, rabbits.


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## Claudia M

Went training some today and some yesterday. It was fun as new puppies were joining the training both days. Went late in the day for the weather to warm up some but then you have the sun setting which made everything worse. 
More sleet tomorrow and thru the week. I hate this weather.


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## Vhuynh2

Puppy Rose's love for chasing birds has revealed itself to be a somewhat neurotic, almost obsessive behavior yesterday when we were out on the field. I think it is the swallows that she really obsesses over. Once she sees ONE, she's constantly on the lookout for another one. She eventually comes back from chasing crows, seagulls, and ducks, but when she is on the lookout for swallows, she does not hear me at all, and I have to go and catch her. Her dam is the same way with swallows. I'm definitely going to need to start collar conditioning her. This is an accident waiting to happen. She went into the pond and started swimming and would NOT come back. She just kept looking left and right and swimming in zig zags and was clearly on the hunt for something. There were NO birds around, but she was on the lookout for one. The whole situation reminded me of how dogs get obsessed over lights and shadows by playing with a laser pointer. Sigh.


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## Alaska7133

MOP,
I think Kat is a bit crazy from Peaches being in heat. The hormones go no matter what. When Lucy is in heat, I can definitely see her affecting females and males in the vicinity. So it's completely possible that she lost her mind for a bit. It's something to work through I guess. Now you know why they don't allow bitches in season at obedience trials or field events. It's just too much for everyone.


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## Claudia M

Alaska7133 said:


> MOP,
> I think Kat is a bit crazy from Peaches being in heat. The hormones go no matter what. When Lucy is in heat, I can definitely see her affecting females and males in the vicinity. So it's completely possible that she lost her mind for a bit. It's something to work through I guess. Now you know why they don't allow bitches in season at obedience trials or field events. It's just too much for everyone.


I guess each dog is different. I have had Rose in heat (involuntarily - her second heat before the OSS and then her third heat after the OSS) at training. I see very little to no difference in the girls when on is in heat. Darcy is every 6 months and Rose is every 9 months. The one that is suffering the most is the one left at home due to the heat. 

However the foxes mating season is January February. And they do leave quite a bit of scent. Rose whose nose is pretty darn good to a fault can smell them. 
She smelled them yesterday at training. Ran a (range finder) 230 yard retrieve between the tree line and a dirt road. I say range finder because it was a land undulation down/up/down/up hill which does not calculate correct distance on a range finder. First she veered towards the dirt road. So I ran it again this time aligning her to avoid the dirt road. So proud, happy happy she goes in the middle to her mark more than half way to the mark. Then the moron dog veers to the right into the trees. I throw my hands up in the air, "What the H are you doing dog?"; it is a re-run, she clearly saw the bird despite the sun setting etc. Trainer behind me murmurs - That is ODD. I told the helper to shoot the gun again thru the walkie talkie. Rose finally gets out of the woods and gets her bird. I intentionally left her out of the truck. I figured she was still curious about that smell. Good enough she gets back into a hunting mode and goes back into the tree line, Mohawk up and she starts tracking. That emphasized to me that she indeed smelled something into those woods. I called back and played with her with a couple birds. I wanted her to know that I am happier when she tracks birds and not stupid foxes.


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## MillionsofPeaches

yeah Stacey I was talking to my breeder yesterday and she said yes, that Kat can act that way and that it is possible that Peaches is ovulating. She is actually acting super moody around the house too, kind of how she acted when she was in season.


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## Vhuynh2

Yesterday was not a good day. My car got stuck in the mud in probably the worst spot possible. Luckily someone was on the grounds to help me out but I don't think he realized what a tough spot I was in when he agreed to help me. It took a lot to pull me out and he almost got stuck himself. Molly had big problems on the water blind. Suddenly she is coming back to me when I sit her...??? I eventually decided let her carry a poor line across the pond and did not try to correct her line until she got on land. I won't do any more cold water blinds until I get some help. We also did a five-legged drill that she decided she was too smart for.


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## Alaska7133

17 launchers ordered! Wow what a heck of a great turnout up here for ordering launchers. The darn things will be everywhere! I just hope we don't have conflicting electronics setting each others launchers off in the next field. Gunners Up did a great job working with us. Now I'm sorting checks and making sure everything is paid for on my end. Of course at training tomorrow I'm betting I'll have one more person that wants to add to the order. The order doesn't ship until Tuesday next week, so I hope if I need to I can squeeze one more in. Shipping weight for 17 launchers, 9 blinds and assorted electronics is over 200#. Maybe I should become a dealer and bring up all kinds of field stuff. I have a warehouse with some extra space...

We should have a launcher party when they get here. 4 days from Oklahoma to Seattle, 5 days on the barge coming up, then 2 days for unloading off the ship and delivery to my warehouse. Long trip.


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## hollyk

Alaska7133 said:


> 17 launchers ordered! Wow what a heck of a great turnout up here for ordering launchers. The darn things will be everywhere! I just hope we don't have conflicting electronics setting each others launchers off in the next field. Gunners Up did a great job working with us. Now I'm sorting checks and making sure everything is paid for on my end. Of course at training tomorrow I'm betting I'll have one more person that wants to add to the order. The order doesn't ship until Tuesday next week, so I hope if I need to I can squeeze one more in. Shipping weight for 17 launchers, 9 blinds and assorted electronics is over 200#. Maybe I should become a dealer and bring up all kinds of field stuff. I have a warehouse with some extra space...
> 
> We should have a launcher party when they get here. 4 days from Oklahoma to Seattle, 5 days on the barge coming up, then 2 days for unloading off the ship and delivery to my warehouse. Long trip.




Stacey, you are amazing!


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## boomers_dawn

Vhuynh2 said:


> Suddenly she is coming back to me when I sit her...???


Mine do this sometimes. I "read" it as being a lack of confidence. 
I sit nick sit (because they're supposed to SIT) but they still don't do it and the collar isn't helpful and they keep coming in, so I think for some reason they want to be in and read it as confidence. Then I back up and make things easier and/or shorter - because it's not productive if they aren't sitting when told and coming in.

It's 17 degrees and windy here and 3 of us are going training. I don't even know what we're doing or care. I think the girls would like to just get out and do something. I have to go find my ice fishing outfit. I should probably stop procrastinating online ...


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## Vhuynh2

boomers_dawn said:


> Mine do this sometimes. I "read" it as being a lack of confidence.
> I sit nick sit (because they're supposed to SIT) but they still don't do it and the collar isn't helpful and they keep coming in, so I think for some reason they want to be in and read it as confidence. Then I back up and make things easier and/or shorter - because it's not productive if they aren't sitting when told and coming in.


I completely agree that it is a confidence issue. I set up two marks and ran the blind without any drama. Then I re-ran the setup as a double and ran the blind, not expecting any problems since she had already been there. For some reason the suction from one of the gun stations was affecting her more than when we ran the blind the first time. I whistled and she started coming back to me. I sent her again and same thing. She was also starting to offer avoidance behaviors. So I sent her a third time and let her take whatever line she wanted until she was out of the water. I whistle sat her when she got on land and she was OK. 

I an very wary about using the collar in a situation like this, especially without my trainer.. So I didn't get on her for not sitting.


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## MillionsofPeaches

wow Stacey that is a lot of wingers! You are the winger queen of Alaska!! So lucky for those folks that you are so proactive, ya know? 
This week I trained a lot. It was a good training week after such a crazy Sunday. Katniss did some of her stuff better than ever! Funny how dogs are.

Today was one of the funnest days I've had with my girl. WE went on a pheasant shoot and it was so much fun. She was the only retriever there and retrieved not only our birds but the birds falling on our area. People were so excited watching her and they were impressed! She was chasing birds and getting them up in the air, she lined and marked all the falls and best of all, she picked up only two dead ones, the rest were crazy cripples that were scratching and everything. She was wouldn't put them on the ground if they were alive because she knew they'd try to get away. I thought one was dead and I told her to drop so she did and then it started to try to run and she slammed that paw down on it to hold it down. It was so crazy, a different side of her that I loved!! As everyone carried the pheasants back she carried her own and sauntered off, people were laughing, she was a proud dog!!


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## boomers_dawn

Ha ha that pheasant shoot sounds like a ton of fun!

I was thinking more about coming in when sitting and the confidence issue.
I remember dog skool teecher telling me in the past, and I think we also had a thread on here with Evan in the past where it came to my attention that the whistle, even though it doesn't carry emotion like a voice would, is still a means of communicating "no", "stop that", and/or "you're doing it wrong" .

If I'm not getting anywhere, dog skool teecher has me move up and help. Because if there's too much whistle sit Gladys breaks down then everything goes to pot.

Anyhoo, we did go training today. For all my complaining, it wasn't as bad as it sounded on paper. There were only 3 of us so there was no sitting at a station working, and we were able to use a small field of trees with minimal wind. Since one of us decided to show up 1/2 hour late, we just set up walking singles around the periphery where there was no thick ice, then we did 2 blinds.

Dee Dee was a great surprise. All her marks landed out of sight behind trees and a brush pile, but she persevered and found everything!

Gladys' heeling was better, going to obedience and dancing class must be helping with that. She was steady (collar power!) did fine with the marks.

I wasn't sure if we should do the blinds because we weren't doing well all year but decided to move up and try it. I called her back on one, then she worked with me for the rest of the time. 

My learning moment of the day was when dog skool teecher asked me why I had given Gladys an over when she needed an angle back and I let her get too far over in the process of giving the wrong cast. 

I wasn't sure which specific cast he was referring to, but answered that when I do that is when I perceive some suction that I feel I need to use an over because an angle back won't be effective. He said that may well be, but since we're training, why not try the angle back, if she doesn't take it, stop her, bring her back in attrition, and cast again. If she doesn't take it, then nick. He suggested I could be protecting ourselves from learning opportunities. Point well taken.

It was so heartwarming and exhilarating to see Dee Dee do so well and Gladys and I work together on the blinds.


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## Vhuynh2

Sounds like so much fun, Shelby! Kat is such a good girl. My trainer asked if we wanted to go duck or pheasant hunting but for our first time, I picked duck hunting. So cool that you shot your own birds; I hope to be able to do that one day!


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## Vhuynh2

All we did today were three singles and then ran them as a triple. Molly did great and it was her first triple since Sept. The middle bird was where most dogs hunted a bit but Rose marked it perfectly. Despite the fact that she has a 3 second attention span for everything else, she is so focused on the line. The dokkens and jumbo bumpers are kind of big for her, but if she drops it, she'll quickly and clumsily pick it back up and keep coming in. She also naturally delivers to hand, at least on land. I think I would like to get a JH on her, but the thought of teaching her to deliver to hand coming out of the water seems like a really daunting task right now. Much harder than trying to teach Molly blinds lol. It is a lot of fun running Rose. I don't train her, so I have no expectations. I have no interest in training her right now (because of said three second attention span) but she is doing great with what she was born with. Molly was so easy to train and never had such a short attention span, so this is a new challenge for me.


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## Claudia M

We are up to over 300 yards in our retrieves. Pretty hard as well, undulating hills. Proud of both my girls, Rose especially for taking wonderful straight lines.


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## Alaska7133

Saturday training was good. Freezing rain and snow in squalls. Too warm for January. A bit windy. After 3 hours I called it a day. Wimping out in my old age! Lucy is going well. I'm happy with her pile work. Just moving along. Sold 2 more launchers! My gosh I had no idea everyone was getting so hot to train. Our retriever clubs should be happy that so many people are getting serious about their training. Hope the factory lets me add 2 more launchers.


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## gdgli

Alaska


Too warm for January? Don't tell me, the temperature rose to a balmy 5 deg.


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## Alaska7133

It was 28, way too warm. DH races snow bikes (aka fat bikes) and the rivers are open in places. It's going to make his races a bit tougher. Nobody likes to get wet on a winter race! When it's warmer it's also more humid. Colder the air is clearer and we can see for hundreds of miles. The colder weather is way better for outdoor stuff.


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## hollyk

I'm finally feel like we are getting in the training groove after the holidays. I'm still working on getting her to look past short holding blinds and out to the long marks as we are standing at the line. My plan is to throw a bunch of singles over the next month. I will have holding blinds up as if there were short marks but nothing will get thrown out of them and everything will be thrown long. I think we have made a bit of progress and she isn't quite so locked on the short holding blind now when I tell her "no, way out". Sometimes can see her looking off the short holding blind and trying to find something else. If the long mark is something I can slightly turn to it seems to work better, if they are more or less in line I'm not having great success. Last year I know that she sometimes she would not see all three stations as we were coming to the line. If two marks were in line or tight she would get locked on a close station and not see the other one before the mark went down. It caused her to flash mark some birds. She's a good marker but on tough bird placement flash marking killed us.. Between that and me not communicating the line on marks well, I ended up handling on a mark that more experienced teams were picking up clean. It's a work in process for us. My Pro has headed way down south to train for a few months but I have my instructions. 
This year making the trip with the Pro is a talented Gołden girl who is granddaughter of Anney's Fisher. Last week I watched her run the water blind that I posted a picture of in this thread. Now she didn't two whistle it but she did a really nice job on it and she is only just two years old and she has not trained full time with the Pro. She is amazing. I can't wait to see how far she has progressed when she comes home.


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## K9-Design

Oh cute! Is she a Puzzle puppy?


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## FTGoldens

What a weekend! The weather was very nice ... in January of most years, we don't generally get three days in a row above 50 degrees; plus, there was no rain.
We trained all three days, although not for an extended period of time on any day. 

On Saturday, two training partners joined in and we first did an ABCD drill, with marks thrown as singles off each of the four stations (at some stations, we threw two singles). We collectively decided that we need to do that drill at least once a week; it's a great drill and makes the dogs focus and gets them comfortable running close to and past short gunners. After the ABCD drill, we ran a couple of land blinds, again utilizing the stickmen (for push) and the marks.

On Sunday, with the air temp right at 60, we ran a couple of water marks as singles. The water was cold, so we kept the swims short at around 30 yards and 50 yards (the short mark was another 40 yards beyond the shoreline; the long mark was 200 yards beyond the shoreline. We pinched in the marks. There was a bit of a cross wind and the dogs seemed to succumb to the wind (and the influence of the short mark), with most of them heading behind the long gunner before help was provided by the gunner. After the water singles, we ran a land double (they were pinched in again), retiring the gunner on the long mark for the older dogs but keeping it out for the youngsters. It was good to see the dogs do well on this double ... they hung in pretty tight to the short mark when heading out to the long mark, even with a cross wind.

On Monday, only one guy showed up, so we started with a couple water singles ... but the short one wasn't "just a single!" It was a bear! There was a 10 - 15 mph cross wind; angle entry; the mark was across a small bay and the shore was to the side that the wind pushed the dogs; and the dogs lost sight of the gunner as soon as they hit the water; although the swim was no more than 40 yards, they had to fight the whole way to stay in the water. All of the dogs got the mark, but some did it much better than others. The long mark was again with the strong cross wind and inviting shoreline, but the dogs could see the gunner nearly the whole way. Most of the dogs did much better on this ... we could see them fighting the wind the whole way across the water. After the water singles, we did a couple land singles. Short mark was about 200 yards, long mark was around 300 yards; the birds were pinched in and the line to the long mark was under the arc of the short mark. The dogs did exceptionally well on these marks, which was a bit of a surprise because the young dogs had never had an over/under set of marks. After the land marks we set up a couple land blinds which were designed to be influenced by the land marks. The short blind was around 225 and its line was about 30 feet to the side of the short stickman. The long blind was around 350 yards, with the line between the short stickman and short blind, with a strip of cover about 300 yards out. For the old dogs, the blinds were not particularly difficult, but for the Qual level dogs, the long blind was very difficult. It was so hard for my youngster that I had to walk out most of the way to the short blind in order to get the pup to handle between the stickman and the short blind. Interestingly, as soon as the pup got through that slot, pup's confidence manifestly re-appeared ... as if to say, "Aaaahhhh, now I've got it!"

It was a successful training weekend.

FTGoldens


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## Claudia M

FTGoldens. 60 degrees must be nice in January. Both my girls ran into the frozen pond on Saturday. About to freak me out, the pond was full with ice, it looks like a frozen margarita from a distance. Had to nick them both out of it. Ran them both on land and then towel dried them and back into the running warm car.


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## John G

Sounds like a great weekend training. I had to work Monday but still found time to train. High 50's here. I envy those that migrate to warmer climes.

We ran from the far east mound of the triangle field yesterday and got a couple of 450+ yd. singles.


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## hollyk

K9-Design said:


> Oh cute! Is she a Puzzle puppy?


Yes, Rosa is from the Puzzle X Keener litter. 


I'm hoping that one of the Puzzle X Juice pups will be staying in the area. I think those pups will be fun to watch grow up too.


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## Alaska7133

This weekend I'm supposed to run Lucy around the dog show ring Saturday and Sunday. She actually has some coat right now (soon to be blown for the next show of course). The one thing about showing her is, in the photos she looks entirely bored. You can see on her face: Yes I'm doing this just because she told me too. Can you blame her? Saturday is field training also. We're in the show ring at 11 am and done by 11:30 at the latest. I think I might be able to get to field training by 12:30 if I change in the car. It's frozen solid up here, so no chance she'll get dirty. I could mist her and blow her out on Sunday morning before that show. What do you think? Show then field train? I think Lucy will be much happier chasing birds then going around the show ring. The only fly in the ointment is if by some crazy miracle we make best of breed and have to hang around for the next level of showing (which would be really crazy if that happened).

On another subject, *John G*, could you start a thread discussing the girl you took to MH without force fetch? I'm very interested in the training methods you used. Thanks!


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## hollyk

I don't know anything about showing but I have a friend that did jump her girl from field to show in the same week-end. Here is a thread.

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/golden-retriever-hunt-field/100318-conformation-girl.html

She did tell me she spent the night getting a thousand seed out of her coat. 

Good luck!


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## hotel4dogs

A lot of us did/do it at National


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## boomers_dawn

Ha ha! I took Gladys from a NAHRA test run in the cranberry bog in NJ one day to the CCA the next day. Why are events we want to run always clumped together?

The wonderful woman who helped me groom her told me to give her a bath AND blow dry her. It was late and I was so exhausted. I gave her the bath but said forget the blow dryer ... so she was a little curly 

BEFORE and AFTER :


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## K9-Design

Valentine's weekend is always my club's hunt test (Jacksonville RC) and a 4 day breed show in Lakeland that runs Friday thru Monday. Several times now I've done the HT on the weekend, got up early and showed on Monday. Luckily they have a nice bathing area at the show so I just groom that morning.


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## Vhuynh2

We did the five legged drill again and Molly was much better this time. We have done it several times before, but last week Molly decided to skip all the steps and go to the end of the drill. She sure is smart. I saw a little bit of that again towards the end but she had already done 95% of the drill so nicely that I just let it go. Although, maybe I shouldn't have. I like that she had great momentum despite all the whistle sits. I love this drill.


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## Alaska7133

Dog show weekend. One judge was sick, so the whole day got a lot longer and never got to field train. I like dog shows, they are pleasant and social and fun. But we would have been father ahead to get out and train instead. Last week Lucy and I were working on simple handling drills. She is getting super excited to communicate now. She anticipates every time now and doesn't let me raise my hand. I've also learned that since she's a super honest dog, I have to make sure there are bumpers where I send her, or she will keep going. She turns where I send her and goes very straight. If there is something laying there that isn't a bumper but it happens to be where I sent her, she will bring back whatever it is, like a glove. I've never owned such an honest dog. She runs and swims true as can be, never cutting corners or cheating. I definitely have to plan ahead when I do drills with her.

18 launchers in the way! Also got a ton of holding blinds. The shipment was 600#. Should be here on the Feb. 6 barge. Hope the ship doesn't sink.


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## MillionsofPeaches

that is crazy about all those wingers, it makes me laugh to think of it!

This past week was tons of training for Katniss. We did lots of lining drills, pattern blinds, walk up doubles, singles in lots of cover and hills, and yesterday my golden club had their field day. I used that opportunity to see how Kat would do with the new crowds and the holding blinds. I did a walk up double with "gun" (which is my blind stick, ha ha) and then I did a massive honor. I say massive because she honored to a field golden that blinked his bird and then ran all over the field. Kat was sitting there looking at that bird and just dying inside. I think she couldn't believe a dog would leave that sitting there! Then I thought the lady was going to get her dog and try again but she just started tossing the bird in the direction of Kat with her dog running towards Kat. I thought that is cruel, so I walked off the line and let Kat get some fun bumpers at the car. 
OH I also did three cold blinds there to see how she'd do, she did good, the first one was hard, I had set it out in a little harder suction than I realized, it was going in the opposite direction of the slope of a hill then past a hole in the cover that led down to a street. She first wanted to go up the hill then wanted to get in that hole but she took every sit and I got her to the bird. reran it and she took the line, also took the line for the other two which weren't too hard, one was about 120 yards up the hill past the old AOF. She took a straight line to that. I think it helped I used the dead birds, she only ever uses bumpers. Oh and I also did a triple for her, the first of a real triple not short distances like I usually do. I messed up the second mark by accidentally hitting it before changing the channel but even then she did it no problem, I was impressed!  Poor Katniss she is so patient with her always learning mother....
Anyway, she had a great training week. We are in the process of buying a new house so I'm not sure how much I'm going to get in the next weeks. ugh, poor girl.


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## Claudia M

Have not been able to train at all this weekend. Everywhere was nothing but mud. The farm was also impossible to go to. We are looking for pasture land. Not sure how the girls would do with cattle, sheep and horses around. You avoid the mud but you will have nothing but poop to run/walk into. Also not sure how the livestock may react to the shooting. 
Yesterday went to the club to help with the inventory and clean up the barn. Wow, was Rose in complete distress when she saw me leave with the dog car. While I closed the door behind me, the rascal went into the window. 
She will have fun in the snow today.


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## boomers_dawn

We were supposed to have group but it was snowed out. Dog skool teecher wanted to throw bumpers, I said ok I'll throw for his, but I didn't want mine running for bumpers. The snow was ok, but there's ice underneath it. (Ask me how I know.)
So I just let mine run around like fools and did some whistle practice with them.
They were good. 

We're getting 15 to 30 inches or more soon; prob be out of commission for outdoor field training for a while.


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## hotel4dogs

stay safe!


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## MillionsofPeaches

I know i'm worried about you guys up there


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## boomers_dawn

We got off easy at our house - just a butt load of shoveling and roof raking to do but no power outage or property damage. We just lucked out with the storn track and heavy bands.


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## Alaska7133

I wish we had that snow up here this year. Low snow year for us. Trails have been open for winter running most of the winter.


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## hotel4dogs

gdgli, are you okay?


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## Claudia M

Last time I checked George was shoveling lots of snow and taking care of the puppies.


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## gdgli

hotel4dogs said:


> gdgli, are you okay?



Thank you but I am very busy right now. Puppies are a lot of work. I haven't trained in a couple of months. I am learning about whelping and raising very young puppies. Example: buy puppy food, buy a blender (Ninja), blend food 3x a day, feed Buffy, try to adjust puppy food, clean up, laundering the fleece, feeding out of pasta bowls until I got the puppy feeding bowl (I didn't even know this existed), internet research, clipping nails, clipping hair for ID purposes, visitors, worming(had to buy a syringe and medication), etc.

AND I taught a Hunter Safety course which is also labor intensive. 

I need a rest.


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## hotel4dogs

Good to see you George!


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## MillionsofPeaches

George don't forget taking pictures for demanding puppy buyers.....


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## gdgli

Ok, will do!


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## MillionsofPeaches

LOL I was adding that to your list of crazy demands!


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## Alaska7133

We all want puppies in the snow pictures!


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## hotel4dogs

nice new sig picture Shelby!


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## MillionsofPeaches

thanks, Barb


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## MillionsofPeaches

Here you go, Stacey! George tells me this puppy is a strong possibility to be our Proof.


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## K9-Design

Water triple & double blind today. High of 75º sunny no clouds slight breeze. There is WATER EVERYWHERE and lots of cover making for interesting marks. Did all birds as singles then put together for the triple. Short blind was in-line of the shorter mark and long blind was under the arc of longest/middle memory bird. I entered our home test in 2 weeks so of course I'm cramming.


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