# September Training



## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

In my region, the first weekend of September brings with it dry skies and slightly cooler temperatures ... I know that the fairer weather won't last long, so I intend to make the most of it while it's here. The pasture has been cut and baled (yea!), so the makings for a great weekend of training seem to be converging. 

With it being the opening weekend of dove season, I may also _have_ to take a break from training and try to find some winged appetizer bites. 

So far as training details, I need to sharpen up the pups' marking skills, so we'll be running singles all weekend (with multiple gun stations) and walking singles ... and probably several poison bird blinds to remind them that I'm in control when I tell them "dead bird."

I may try out a new poison bird drill from Dennis Voight's "Essential Drills," where the dog has to take a cast into the water ... I don't remember what he calls it. It seems like it will work on about 3 elements at once (I don't believe that it would be good young dog, or even a dog in transition, but instead it seems appropriate for an all-age dog).

Anyway, have a great holiday weekend!

FTGoldens


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

FT - did you get a new pup?


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Cooler now but we need to take some steps backward because we haven't trained in the past 3.5 weeks. Well, maybe 2x which is not enough. And now I see Tropical Storm Hermine making its way to Long Island. This Summer has been a tough deal.


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## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

@;


Claudia M said:


> FT - did you get a new pup?


No new pup, but am considering one from a very soon-to-be-born litter.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

We trained for the derby on Saturday and on Sunday we ran the WC and WCX. I am just so pleased with the WCX because I had never run her on a triple or an honor. I don't even know if she had EVER honored. I know the honor took every ounce of self-control she had, so I am so happy she did it for me in a testing situation and in the third series she had run that day. To be honest I think it helped that she had a controlled break before going on to honor.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Vivian, that honor on water (and you can't talk to them!), scares the heck out of me!


Winter is around the corner. Every day we look out and see if there is snow on the hills in town. The temps are still good. 


I took 2.5 weeks off with Riot. I just let him be a puppy. I walked him on leash around the neighborhood and let him experience all the things around him without training for tests/trials. I've pushed Riot too hard. The last hunt test he dropped a bird at my feet, which he has never done. He picked it right up, but I had to say, fetch it up. Which he did. But to me it scared me that he's stressed. Then later that week he no-go'd 3 times to the pile. I sent him from my side and the pile was only 30' away. He's done pile work before. But I had to say Back twice, which I've never had to do. Then he popped on 1 bumper 1/2 way to the pile. That's when I knew he needed a break for sure! So he's had no training except the daily obedience, here, heel, sit, come, etc. around the house and office.


So this week, we'll get back to the beginning. I'll start with basic obedience again, then run through FF. Then we'll get to pile work again. He's a good boy. He just needed some time off to have fun. Sometimes I'm too much of a task master and forget to have fun! This time his basics will go quickly since he's probably remembered everything really well. I just want to make sure we don't have any holes in the program. Then we'll get through pile work again. Hopefully the weather stays relatively warm and we can start water handling. But who knows if we'll have time and the water stays warm.


Next month I'm thinking of entering him in beginner novice obedience trial. He is so awesome to heel with. I think we'll have fun in the arena together.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Lucy has gone back to attacking dogs again. I thought we were over her aggression issues. She hasn't attacked any dogs since we stopped her from attacking the puppy last winter. Wednesday night we met up with her brother and his owner. We hadn't seen them in 2 years. Lucy didn't go right for him, she waited for a few minutes. Then launched on him in the parking lot. She was of course growing and snarling at him. It took me forever to get her off of him. I don't like getting bit, so I kicked her and kicked her and kicked her. She would not let him go. So I took a leap of faith that she wouldn't bite me and reached in and grabbed her collar. Luckily she had a pinch collar on, so I was able to get my hand under the collar. I pulled up on the collar, she had her brother by the back of the neck. She would not let go at all. So I took another leap of faith and pried her jaws off of him. Then I dragged her to the car and threw her in and slammed the door. Her poor brother who is a harmless soul ran for cover when he was released from the jaws. So anyway we didn't go for a walk that night or do any field training together. Her brother just had saliva all over his neck but no puncture wounds that we could see. He has a very very thick furry coat ready for our Alaska winter to start. So hopefully that protected him from damage.

Now my delimna is what they heck do I do with Lucy? That evening I was ready to pack her off to her breeder. The next day she was fine of course. DH took her for a run with his bike last night. She was fine, but running with the bike on the trails is her favorite thing to do. DH rides very fast so Lucy didn't have any time to get ahold of any other dogs, it's all she can do to keep up. In fact she was quite submissive when she ran into other dogs. DH was prepared for her if she did get ahold of another dog. So one day she's a killer and the next she's submissive. She's got a screw loose that is for sure. I'm definitely not training her for the field anymore.

Riot is as wonderful as always. Training him is a dream. He retains so well and wants to learn more every day. We're trying to get in as much water work as possible before freeze up. I'm not sure if I'll have him handling on water before winter hits. I was hoping I would have him that far.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Alaska/Stacy

There may be many who do not agree with me but...

1. I do not give my dogs the opportunity to interact with other dogs like this.
2. Even in obedience class, although we have been together for quite a while, we do not let dogs interact with each other. Not a rule, we just don't do it.
3. I absolutely never go to dog parks for this reason. Plus I do not like the other dogs.
4. I do not even approach other dogs even when both are on lead.
5. My dogs interact with each other but even then I manage it. After all, I am the pack leader.
6. I think you need to learn how to break up a dog fight.
7. Learn to use a break stick in the mouth of an offending animal. You did say Lucy would not let go.
8. In the field during training I absolutely keep my dogs under control at all times and I don't like it when my training partners let their dogs "run around and play". The field means work.
9. It is a good idea for all of us to learn and pay more attention to dog body language. 

I can hear my mentor right now "Come on, get your dog under control". I really don't want to sound critical but you may be expecting too much from Lucy.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Sorry I derailed this thread. Thanks for your advise gdgli, I guess you just had to be there.


So back on track. I've been trying to get Riot in the water as much as possible. We are on 3 handed casting and whistle sits. I want to make sure his whistle sits are super solid before I go any farther. I don't want that maybe sit when we are running blinds. He's over the top excited to get the bumpers wherever they are. So Saturday I did pile work on water at our local swim by pond. He took like 1/2 a second to figure out what was going on. He very nicely followed my direction on overs to exit wherever I wanted him to on the pond. Very nice puppy! I think when we get to swim by, it will go pretty quickly.Then afterwards we did big water marks. He's doing super well. I had planned on entering him in the obedience trial next month. So last night I met up with a friend at the arena they will be held at. Riot has never been there. I will only say that I don't think Mr Riot and I are ready to enter Beginner Novice. I'm sure we would NQ on the heeling pattern pretty quickly. So back to work on heeling.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

woohoo!! I got my boy back!! I'm so happy and at peace again. I can't believe how well Jason took care of him, his ears were perfect and clean, no hot spots, no mats, no tangled furnishings, nothing! Shoot he didn't even stink really. He was so happy to see me. When we got home he flipped over the rest of the family and the dogs. I opened the door up and he took off straight to the treat jar. ha ha! He remembered everything in the house. He even went into the study to look at his ribbons, ha ah! I'm serious! He loves the ribbons. Its really cute. Some things I forgot he did. One of his favorite things to do is try to get me to take his ball out of his mouth with my mouth. he kept sticking the ball in my face and I was thinking what the heck? And then I remembered his game. He is so funny. I have laughed so much this week. He really is the funniest dog I've ever met. His humor kills me. 

Yesterday and today I did yard work and OB. Tonight I met B and did walking singles and a blind. Holy crap! He is so polished and it is scary...before we were both learning and now I'm the one that is left in the dark, ha ha! Proof was super steady for me, he honored for Belle when I threw for her, and heeled great. What was really scary was when I went to run him on the blind. Ugh, hello. I need to get better. He took off like a light. Now his casts are so literal that I can just give him any cast at any position and he takes it. So I messed up and gave him a back cast which he took too perfectly, ha ha. I'm not used to such perfection. Now I know that this year it is all about me becoming a better handler. I do not want to hold him back!! 

It felt so good to stand next to him. I think he is excited about it too. I am so happy!!


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