# Training plans for the week of Nov. 20 to 26



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

A lot of people are busy with the holiday this week, but I know some people are training/trialing/showing, so what's up for everyone???

The only day we might train this week is Tuesday. It's way too busy here at the pet hotel with the upcoming holiday to even think of any other day.

We're supposed to go to the tower shoot on Saturday, but right now that's not looking good as far as me getting off work, and leaving Toby here for that length of time. We will see.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

I have a busy week 

Sunday: I will work some obedience, rally & agility in my yard/house and/or Petco
Monday: I will work some on obedience at the Truck Stop, Read up on Rules 

Tuesday: I have obedience class with Ms Towhee

Wednesday: No classes so will wing something depending on the weather

Thursday: Faelan may be shown for an OA bumper leg
Towhee will be in the Rally Novice ring for her very first obedience adventure

Fri,Sat & Sun get interesting. I may miss some classes due to timing or decide they are not ready but the plan is:

Faelan: Agility Open STD & Novice JWW, Obedience: Graduate Novice
Towhee: Agility Novice STD & JWW. Rally: Novice

I also need to continue working weaves at speed, jump configurations, heeling with both Faelan and Towhee. Towhee still needs daily drop out of motion practice and a few of the fronting rally signs.

I will be setting up the training progress grids for Faelan's scent articles which I will start training after the Cluster.

Edit to add: I will also be setting up private lessons for Dec, Jan & Feb - possibly March as well as I start preparing Faelan for his Utility and Towhee for her Rally and Obedience. One of my instructors is also my agility instructors so I am hopeful I can do both Obedience and Agility during the same lesson.
I saw an 11 year old finishing his CDX yesterday and to say it was a happy occasion would be an understatement - perhaps if we can resolve Casey's stress issue, he too can finish his CDX; He heels like an angel until the person with the clipboard invites us into the ring <sigh>


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Monday is obedience
Tues., Wed. Some handling drills, also I will try to fit in some time for shooting
Thurs. and Fri. Working Buffy at a continental style shoot. On Friday, I will be introducing a new handler to this. He will sit with me and get to see what we do.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

So far I have worked Ms Towhee at the pharmacy and grocery store. You know, she is going to be very good if I get my act together about keeping her out 'n about - the only thing bothering her today was that golden girlie heeling right towards us (reflections in the bank door by the grocery store) She wanted to play meet n greet LOL

Faelan and I went to Petco - interestingly one of their trainers suggested I try a licking stick - she said she couldn't help but notice I train with treats and each 10 licks only has like 1 calorie; I thanked her. (Faelan is only 63 pounds and I have hard time keeping his weight up). I imagine those licking sticks are full of chemicals and more of a lure than a reward although I could be wrong. We then went to Stop & Shop and what a zoo; lots of crashing noises at the can returns, shopping carts; people petting him, a lot of wheel chairs, walkers, canes, kids, one screaming parent as her kid went running into traffic following shortly by one crying kid as he was sternly reprimanded etc. An elderly lady was watching me for a while and said Faelan was not only gorgeous but well trained and she should know since that is how she used to make her living. Lots of volunteers for his stands for exams and petting while heeling. 2 adorable little girls in Petco were quite entertained with him for like 10 minutes. 

Agility may not happen since I came home to Casey & Towhee among the missing; they are probably off hiking with my brother - also missing LOL

But that's okay, Faelan had quite a session so if they all get to just hang for the rest of the day, no problem. I also bought a few new dog beds in the (possibly forlorn) hope that Ms Towhee likes one of them enough to stop nesting in my couch.........


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## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

I will be working on getting Jige to like snow covered bumpers ( my thread I need help!!!). We are also working on whistle commands "sit" is coming along nicely. Working on off leash heeling too. We are doing our first upland training day at Huntspoint on friday. So I guess next week I will very busy training in that venue.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Hopefully we will get in a lot of training this week because there's no school this week and so far the weather is gorgeous - in the 70's. 

I just took Flip out to the backyard just a few minutes ago to do some retrieve over highs, a broad jump, two go outs, and some stays. I am hoping to do some more stays before it gets dark, but I am also feeling a nap coming on...


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## 3goldens (Nov 7, 2011)

The annual Thanksgiving Cluster show(agility/obed/conformation/rally) is going on this week at the Big E grounds in Springfield MA. Can't miss it, that's where I'll be for a few days.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

General V

Sounds to me like you are getting aggravated and maybe creating a problem where you don't need one. Work on something else until you don't have snow. I hate working in the snow. Canvas bumpers (mine, anyway) get waterlogged. I don't like it and I'm sure the dog senses it. Time for obedience. Not only that, how is your dog handling the snow forming ice balls between the pads? Dogs can have a problem, stopping frequently to bite at the ice and then their feet can start to bleed. My experience, maybe not yours.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

General V

PS I think that I read that you have chosen not to force fetch. Fine. There is another way. You could work on a trained retrieve with minimal force. Perfect time to do it. Although I have force fetched my dog, there are people out there that have chosen to use another method.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

yay, I did it, I said "no nap! gotta train stays!"

Now, since I am single with no kids and can do whatever I want, I am fixing a box of stovetop stuffing as my dinner :


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Jodie, these days making dinner for my dogs takes longer than making dinner for me and my husband. Well Toby, anyway


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

you should have seen me Friday night. I decided for whatever reason that I wanted the dogs to have peas in the current batch of food I was making for them. And I decided I wanted them smashed up. By hand. It took forever. 

Then I ran down the street to the nearest gas station and bought a slice of pizza for myself.

If I decided I want to use peas again I will at least take the time to get out the food processor.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Loisiana said:


> yay, I did it, I said "no nap! gotta train stays!"
> 
> Now, since I am single with no kids and can do whatever I want, I am fixing a box of stovetop stuffing as my dinner :


Ha!! I gave myself the day off from stays!! Been practicing them so much this past week I could not face them again today - well I practiced a bit with Ms Towhee but no out of sight stuff :--happy:


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Today was Flip's first time to be set in a sit in the backyard while he watches me go inside and shut the door behind me. that one always gets them the first time!


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## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

gdgli said:


> General V
> 
> Sounds to me like you are getting aggravated and maybe creating a problem where you don't need one. Work on something else until you don't have snow. I hate working in the snow. Canvas bumpers (mine, anyway) get waterlogged. I don't like it and I'm sure the dog senses it. Time for obedience. Not only that, how is your dog handling the snow forming ice balls between the pads? Dogs can have a problem, stopping frequently to bite at the ice and then their feet can start to bleed. My experience, maybe not yours.


Not sure what I wrote that made you assume I was aggravated with Jige. I am not he is a pup and I have plenty of time to work through any issues I have with him. Not sure about where you live but I will have snow on the ground from now until the end of april possibly the first of may. That is a long time to not work on retrieves. I had hoped to work on retrieves as long as possible. So far no build up of snow on his pads. Today was alot better I need to invest in 2-3 more canvas bumpers so I change them out as they get wet and cold and snow covered. Plus like I said I will get some dead birds for later in the winter.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Loisiana said:


> yay, I did it, I said "no nap! gotta train stays!"
> 
> Now, since I am single with no kids and can do whatever I want, I am fixing a box of stovetop stuffing as my dinner :


The breakfast of champions!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

General V

Perhaps frustrated would have been a better word and I don't mean frustrated with the dog but frustrated with a stumbling block in the training. I have been reading the posts quickly and may have missed something but it seems that you have a concern with the dog picking up snow covered bumpers. I am giving you advice that I would follow myself. I don't think that it is that important to have the dog pick up those bumpers. A freshly shot bird that falls in the snow will be no problem for your dog. I just think that your training time might be spent on something else. I am sorry if I sounded like I was being critical. I wish you luck and I hope you have a successful season.

PS Most of us don't train throughout the winter where I am.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I think you could have pulled off the nap...just claim you were practicing your own down-stays!



Loisiana said:


> yay, I did it, I said "no nap! gotta train stays!"
> 
> Now, since I am single with no kids and can do whatever I want, I am fixing a box of stovetop stuffing as my dinner :


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

we don't train thru the winter here, either. I'm a fair weather trainer. Tito wouldn't mind, but I justify it that if I'm miserable and not having fun, my dog isn't going to be having fun, either, and this is supposed to be fun for both of us.
So at least agility is indoors


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## sterregold (Dec 9, 2009)

Went hunting yesterday and got nothing!!! Spent 9 hours in a boat in the marsh but the birds had just disappeared--my friends shot a limit there by 11am on Friday, and the weather was perfect but the birds were just GONE!

So this week we are going to do some scouting to see if we can set up a field hunt for ducks and geese--we are hoping they are still hanging out getting fat in the cut fields! Sunday is my club picnic trial/test and AGM so we will get some training marks and blinds in there.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

We only train in the winter if it is above 20 degrees (F) and the snow cover is not too heavy. This is for many reasons, least of all our comfort :doh:, but it helps protect the dogs pads, feet and most likely their mouth from picking up frozen bumpers. We have also have bumpers crack in the cold. 



hotel4dogs said:


> we don't train thru the winter here, either. I'm a fair weather trainer. Tito wouldn't mind, but I justify it that if I'm miserable and not having fun, my dog isn't going to be having fun, either, and this is supposed to be fun for both of us.
> So at least agility is indoors


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Training? What's training?

My life is crazy right now. I am lucky I get my dogs out. Until I get into a rhythm my training is not really alive. This week should start to improve, as no dog classes, and short work week. I am planning (weather permitting) to go to the hunt trainer on Saturday. 

We had a dock jumping event this past weekend. Gabby jumped a new personal best 18'7". I was proud of her. We did a little obedience stuff off to a side. I was thrilled with her attention (with treats of course) so close to the pool. She gets GEEKED when she gets near "the pool". We did some DOR, heeling, worked on my foot work and just plain recalls. You should have SEEN her stays on the dock! HEE HEE!!! She is so freaking cute. 

I guess I will be better off reporting 'after' I train and saying what I did. LOL 

Well back to work! :wavey:


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Oh - my weekend schedule may actually work out - if everything goes according to plan LOL Still working out a few areas where I may need to ask to be moved but overall, while timing might be tight it should be doable! And I should be able to volunteer too - sweet!


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Sunday, we field trained. Singles, doubles, and short blinds. Winter's marking seems to be returning to pre blind form. I was told marking usually falls way off when you start to learn blinds and we certainly saw that. The last two weeks she has been great on marks. 
Blinds are slowly coming along.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Tito's marking didn't really fall off because of all the work on blinds, but good Lord his memory is shot to heck. I suspect it's because we continued to work single marks while working on blinds, but didn't do many multiples or memory work. 
We let our training get out of balance, which is fine, we'll bring things back together. I, too, have been told that when you concentrate on one thing, other things will fade.
edit to add....Dan says that it's not the SKILL per se that has suffered, it's the concept. He says a dog that is a good marker, which is probably mostly genetic, will continue to be one. A dog with a good memory will continue to have one.
What he says happens, and this might be Winter's case, too, is that they forget the concept of what we are asking them to do because we have concentrated so much on an opposite skill. For example, in the blinds you have concentrated on her NOT using her own nose/eyes/instincts, but relying on you. Now she needs to know when it's okay to trust herself, when it's time to rely on you. 
The thing with Tito and the doubles, according to Dan, is by the time he gets back with the first mark, he's confused whether the next one will be a blind or a mark, especially since we've been mixing singles and blinds. He's getting sent out to something that didn't *just* fall, so his mind thinks BLIND. 
That's why our homework right now is to work hard on handler cues to the dog as to which he's supposed to be running. I'm supposed to keep repeating "where's your mark" on the memory bird until he locks on it, even if someone has to throw another mark for him. Dan says I don't give Tito nearly enough information, and I'm sure that's true. I tend to be a silent handler.




hollyk said:


> Sunday, we field trained. Singles, doubles, and short blinds. Winter's marking seems to be returning to pre blind form. I was told marking usually falls way off when you start to learn blinds and we certainly saw that. The last two weeks she has been great on marks.
> Blinds are slowly coming along.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Great post Barb and I absolutely agree. There have been many times in training -- with both my dogs and my friend's advanced dogs -- that I think confusion on memory birds is because the dog was trying to be good and thought he was doing a blind. Geeze you throw in poison birds, delayed birds, interrupted multiple marks, in lines, under the arcs, pretty soon the dog is like "Okay I'm gonna go where sent but I don't know what I'm going for!!!" You have to cut them a little slack


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> Dan says that it's not the SKILL per se that has suffered, it's the concept. He says a dog that is a good marker, which is probably mostly genetic, will continue to be one. A dog with a good memory will continue to have one.
> What he says happens, and this might be Winter's case, too, is that they forget the concept of what we are asking them to do because we have concentrated so much on an opposite skill. For example, in the blinds you have concentrated on her NOT using her own nose/eyes/instincts, but relying on you. Now she needs to know when it's okay to trust herself, when it's time to rely on you.


Yes! Andy has told me the same thing, we must be training with twins. 



K9-Design said:


> Great post Barb and I absolutely agree. There have been many times in training -- with both my dogs and my friend's advanced dogs -- that I think confusion on memory birds is because the dog was trying to be good and thought he was doing a blind. Geeze you throw in poison birds, delayed birds, interrupted multiple marks, in lines, under the arcs, pretty soon the dog is like "Okay I'm gonna go where sent but I don't know what I'm going for!!!" You have to cut them a little slack


My unclear signals definately hurt us in blinds and sent us back to FTP. We are building it back up with "Dead Bird" in place _everytime_,things seem to be coming together. Still inexperiecenced but I think the concepts are starting to sink in. No goes and pops are not happening now (I know will reappear at some point) and Winter is sitting gathered, ready and eager to run. It's a start.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

rainy, breezy, cold day here. We went to drop in obedience training, in which you get 15 minutes in the ring by yourself (3 rings going at a time). Ran him thru open and utility, he did a great job, so we just did everything once and that was that. Oh, except lagging on heeling. Ah well.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

This afternoon we trained at the middle pond in Williston. Set up a triple, I ran the two memory birds as singles first with Fisher so he did a lovely job, then two blinds, one on the land to the right of the water, that angled down a road embankment and cutting into some cover, the 2nd blind was a straight entry into the water, skimming past a pond that one of the marks landed on. 
So I video taped!! However right after I loaded Fisher's marks on youtube, I accidentally deleted it. So it's loading again and will take a while. I do have his two blinds though, run in this order right after the triple. WARNING : GRAPHIC FOOTAGE OF FORCE-FETCHED AND E-COLLAR TRAINED DOG:


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

I realize watching the water one, I gave him a momentum cast on that first one, of GET OVER around the edge of the island....and he actually took it literally. Hence the weird no hands back cast. If the cover at the edge of the island wasn't there I would have liked to not stop him at all and see if he carried it over the island and back into the water, or curled back to the AOF which was on the other side of the island. In training I should give -- and demand -- the literal cast, and save those momentum casts for tests.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

great videos, was it the FF or the CC that made him learn to wag his tail like that while waiting to be sent?


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Okay here are the marks from yesterday (it loaded overnight). I think the middle bird and left bird are about 75 and 90 yards, the right bird about 50 yards.


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## marsh mop (Mar 13, 2009)

*Evil Anney*

WARNING : GRAPHIC FOOTAGE OF FORCE-FETCHED AND E-COLLAR TRAINED DOG:





 




[/QUOTE]


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Today we went back out to Williston with Slater and Harvin (Mom's dog). We did 8 land blinds with Slater....straight forward ones, just go. He did very nicely, only thing was on two of them, I stopped him with the whistle, he spun and sat, then instantly spun and kept going! WTH??! I stopped him again with a sit-nick and waited and told him he was good for sitting, then cast slowly. He didn't do it again. Weird!

Last time we worked with Harvin I tried him on a bird, which he ran right to, then was like, what the heck is this! I had to put it in his mouth for him, and he carried it back to Mom. Today we tried it again, and this time, he picked it up by himself!! He did three land marks with the bird and picked it up and held it no problem. GO Harvin!

We then went back to the same pond as above, went over where a finger of land forms a long, narrow channel (about 20 yards across), and had Harvin fetch the bumper in the water, on the shore, then up on the opposite land about 10 yards. He took a little help for the last one but otherwise did great. We then went to some deeper water and threw him two long marks with the bumpers which he got no problem, did those with Slater too. Then let them both run around while we walked around the big pond. They found one of Kristin's bumpers laying out in the field. Fun day!

Oh and Jim, Harvin is neither CC or FF but will be by the time he runs Junior


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## marsh mop (Mar 13, 2009)

Anney, this is not the place for CC or FF talk. You know that. Good luck with Harvin. I can't wait to see your mom bring him to the line. Go Harvin. You have a fan. Anney, their you go with that nick stuff. Bad girl. 
Jim


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

marsh mop said:


> Anney, this is not the place for CC or FF talk. You know that. Good luck with Harvin. I can't wait to see your mom bring him to the line. Go Harvin. You have a fan. Anney, their you go with that nick stuff. Bad girl.
> Jim


This is EXACTLY the place for her to talk about CC or FF. This is part of the Hunt and Field...Training Plans. I can't think of a better place to put it. 

This is NOT the place for "_oh dear, e-collars and force fetch are so evil"_. :curtain:

I enjoy and learn so much from those of you with advanced dogs. I would be sad if you all held back on sharing your knowledge.

Go Slater and Harvin!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Today Buffy and I worked a continental style shoot. There were three other handlers with goldens, We had a great time. And Buffy is starting to mature a bit. I hope she continues!:crossfing


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Back out today -- PERFECT weather, 75º bright and sunny, yay!
We checked out the Big Field near Kristin's which is 120 acres and really perfect for field training, but the cover gets too high in the summer. Today was our first day back since probably May or June. Cover was ankle- to knee-high and thick, with dog fennel all over, really nice cover!!!!
We set up a triple with the two memory birds in-line with each other, and three blinds. Two were blinds for big boys then one way off to the side for Slater. Well turns out the winger battery was dead (we had that on the close bird of the in-line) so it just turned into a double, oh well. Everyone did great on their marks, Fisher did a nice job on both blinds, I was pleased with them. Slater's "all alone easy blind" was an unmitigated disaster! I was dumb and set it up (with an orange blind stake) sort of on the back edge of a crest of land, and what with the terrain and the cover, when he got deep of the blind I couldn't see him at all. Real smart. So he basically ran around until I could see him in and whistle him in. When he came back with a bumper he was like "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE MOMMY THAT WAS FUUUUUNNNNNN!!!!!!" Bad dog! LOL
Because I didn't want to end on that I lined him up for the other blind we had, which was between the two marks, deep of the memory bird, and tucked in between a tree line and a palm tree. I think he took two whistles to it, he was lovely! In fact did a better job than Fisher or Sophie. I was quick on the whistle and didn't let him freewheel it too much. His attitude was great.
We broke down that setup and were getting ready to do a walk-up drill kinda thing, when two ATVs come rumbling toward us. Uh-oh. This is a 120 acre property and while it has no fence and we frequently see other tire tracks, we've never run across anyone back there. Well they rolled right up and it was a big family with a bunch of kids, piled out and wanted to know "Are you hunting quail?" "Do you breed the dogs?" "Are they your dogs or are you training them from other people?" "Where'd you get the ducks?" "Did you kill the ducks yourself?" "Do you really shoot the ducks?" "Did you have a gun that makes noise?" Of course we had to let them pet the dogs, then I threw and Kristin did a walk-up scenario thing with Sophie, and they all applauded when she found the bird! LOL When they were getting ready to go, they wanted to see my 209 primer pistol, and the two men of the group kneeled on the ground next to the duck hanger, one with my pistol and the other with our fake handler's gun, and they women took photographs! HYSTERICAL!!!!! They drove off thanking us profusely for the fun! OMG what a trip!
We finished our little walkup drill, it was a good tuner for Sophie & Fisher, and I was really happy with Slater, I haven't done much with walkups with him and he was GREAT, he was even sitting on the shot rather than my command to sit, he was a really good little guy. Today was one of those days with Slater where I think he will be ready for Senior in January/February.
Took some video but haven't even looked at it yet.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

sounds like a great day Anney, but if you mention the weather again I may jump thru the computer and SMACK YOU!!!!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

I worked Buffy at a continental style shoot on Thursday and Friday. We had a great time and we had a chance to work on some behaviors. Because of the nature of the shoot, 300 flyers were shot for our stand and the two adjacent stands. She retrieved 100 birds, the rest going to the other two stands. We effectively worked on steadiness, honoring, retrieving from the heaviest cover, running down cripples, and the handling of some very live cockbirds---one of them spurring me. Of course I decided which things that I would let slide and I chose those things that I felt were most important to work on.

Any whining issues that she may have had are now gone (I worked on this one). I am very impressed with the steadiness. I had the opportunity to whistle sit her, mark a bird, and then give her a remote send from about 15 yards. And she had to retrieve a mallard that was about four feet above ground in a black raspberry patch. She jumped in, got stuck, but never dropped the bird on her way out.

These shoots provided a good opportunity for me to work with live birds at a very cheap price. At training sessions flyers cost me $20 per bird. At these shoots I pay nothing for the birds. And you can't put a price tag on the fun.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

sounds like a blast!!


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

gdgli said:


> I worked Buffy at a continental style shoot on Thursday and Friday. We had a great time and we had a chance to work on some behaviors. Because of the nature of the shoot, 300 flyers were shot for our stand and the two adjacent stands. She retrieved 100 birds, the rest going to the other two stands. We effectively worked on steadiness, honoring, retrieving from the heaviest cover, running down cripples, and the handling of some very live cockbirds---one of them spurring me. Of course I decided which things that I would let slide and I chose those things that I felt were most important to work on.
> 
> Any whining issues that she may have had are now gone (I worked on this one). I am very impressed with the steadiness. I had the opportunity to whistle sit her, mark a bird, and then give her a remote send from about 15 yards. And she had to retrieve a mallard that was about four feet above ground in a black raspberry patch. She jumped in, got stuck, but never dropped the bird on her way out.
> 
> These shoots provided a good opportunity for me to work with live birds at a very cheap price. At training sessions flyers cost me $20 per bird. At these shoots I pay nothing for the birds. And you can't put a price tag on the fun.


Wow, that's a lot of birds! I bet you have a tired, happy dog today.
Sounds like Buffy was a star. Let's see she "saved" you about 2,000.00 dollars, what is she getting for Christmas? .


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

hollyk said:


> Wow, that's a lot of birds! I bet you have a tired, happy dog today.
> Sounds like Buffy was a star. Let's see she "saved" you about 2,000.00 dollars, what is she getting for Christmas? .


I'm glad that you got the point I was making. These days turned into excellent training days. I need to give Buffy lots of birds in order to work on some retrieving behaviors that don't surface with bumpers. For the past 6 months I have wanted to work on this but could find no training partners---what a surprise. 

Now, Buffy gets lots of gifts for Christmas.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Is that a freezer full of gifts?


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Yesterday was a great training day in the PNW. Sunny, 45 degrees, no wind, and in between storms off of the Pacific. They bring lots of lowland rain and mountain snow. Also, the Trumpeter Swans have arrived and routinely fly over where we train. They are amazing long, long necked, big birds.

Anyway, we had three throwing stations and one other winger set up as a walk-up or a diversion. Three separate blinds were set up also. So you could just pick out what you wanted to do and run it. Winter and I ran doubles, singles and walk ups. This was Winter's second time with a walk-up and she did well. When it went up she just looked at me, "You want me to get that?". I whistle sat and sent her. She ran short blinds and did well, no pops or no goes. She was looking out and steady at the line. Good Girlie!

Since I run both AKC and HRC, I now handle the gun every chance I can. Handling the gun splits my focus. It works best if before I signal for the marks, I take a minute and think though what I'm going to do. Hmmm, maybe not just when I'm handling the gun.

On the way home, a stopped by a friend's house that has a litter of 8, 4 week old Golden pups. Heaven!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

hollyk said:


> Is that a freezer full of gifts?


That and more!


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Sounds like many of you had a great week! I've been missing my girl all week since I left for the holiday  Missed a lot of great training opportunities with everyone having time off--but vacation is good too!

We will train tomorrow....unless the airport wishes to give us travel vouchers and a hotel for overbooking our flight today. Very tempting...


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

...oh and in other plans still trying to get signed up for a hunter's ed class so I can take my dog and myself hunting for the first time. This time of year, and in Idaho no less, they fill up fast and is almost impossible to get in. I wish I had realized that over the summer. Oh well!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

GoldenSail said:


> ...oh and in other plans still trying to get signed up for a hunter's ed class so I can take my dog and myself hunting for the first time. This time of year, and in Idaho no less, they fill up fast and is almost impossible to get in. I wish I had realized that over the summer. Oh well!


You probably couldn't find a class here in NY. I am an instructor as well as a Waterfowl ID instructor. No classes in my neck of the woods.


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