# March 2016 Field Training



## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Good day today. Ran Thor on a double. We are building confidence on doubles. Then ran two long singles that were up over a hill, across a path, and then downhill a bit. He carried over the hilltop and nailed each mark. We are building on concepts.

Buffy did a triple. We haven't done one for a while and she did well.

Ordered Carol Cassity's book. Should be here soon. My library is growing.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

Nothing new over here. The sun is out so LOTS of water work to make up for a lack of it during the past few months. Lots of conceptual singles as well. Monday Proof cheated a sliver of water on a mark and got in trouble. Yesterday same sort of mark and he went a little fat into the water. Message received for the week, ha ha. That little punk! Working on control on blinds after 150 yards as well. Today no training due to appointments. Proof is following me everywhere, wondering when we are leaving to train...that dog loves to work more than anything else. Well, except food, maybe...but it would be a draw I think. I forgot to say on Friday at that test, Proof heeled to the line and then caught the scent of the judge's sandwich. I had to get him back into heel. The judges were laughing. Goldens and food!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Cold and windy today and I didn't want to train. BUT I put on my longjohns and went out. I did walking singles with both dogs to warm them up. I then did some doubles with Thor and started to school him in what happens when you creep. 

Buffy ran some blinds where there was some suction. And I took the opportunity to do a casting drill. My mentor's words were ringing in my ears: "Don't give up. Stop her and cast her again. Do it until she takes the cast you give."

Overall, a very productive day.


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## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

Well, with our first trial is coming up in a week, I've got to focus on our greatest needs (or those "OMG, I haven't trained on ______ since last fall" concepts).
While we are improving on our poison bird blinds, that's still something that needs refinement...I want my pup to know that when I say "dead bird," that means that there's at least one blind to pick up before the mark ... it's cool when after the mark goes down and you say "dead bird," the dog instantly changes modes and indicates that it realizes a blind is going to be run.
My biggest OMG concept is a short retired mark with a long suction mark directly behind it. That's a concept that needs frequent training/reminding.
And it never hurts to run a few slot blinds (hint: I've begun telling my pup "slot" or "find the slot" when running slot blinds ... it seems to be sinking in).
Ahhh, one more OMG ... a blind where it's placed at the bird boy's feet (I hate these blinds, but they are fairly common these days, so you have to train for them).
WOW, it sounds like a busy weekend!
FTGoldens


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

Ironically I watched an open test where the Judge did just that. Planted a blind basically right at the BB's feet...then the next one ran over that to the next blind past the BB....hmmm. interesting. I'll never forget it, it blew my mind.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

I've seen two of those run as the Open land blinds both at my local club the past few years.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Blind at the BB's feet? I thought you were joking. I haven't seen that yet.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Saw it at a master test last summer that I shot for. The series led off with a blind. As the dog picked up the bird, we had to shoot a live flier as a distraction bird. Then we threw a triple. Finally a blind in from of the bird boy. Lastly the dogs were allowed to pick up the live flyer we had shot at the beginning. That was all in the first series. Very low pass rate.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

In Master tests, I've seen blinds planted in front of a holding blind and another planted 3 feet to the right and 6 feet behind a holding blind. In both cases marks were thrown out of the holding blinds. We train for it.


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## krazybronco2 (May 21, 2015)

didnt train yesterday was cleaning up from living like a Hobo for a month in south GA but sat was a blast! 

Belle and I went with MOP husband and daughter and Kat to a continental pheasant shoot. Belle picked up 12-13 birds think kat picked up 8-9 birds. Belle got a lot of work flushing birds that landed inside the circle of shooters chased cripples even jumping and grabbing one out of the air that was trying to take off. found some dead ones and flushed a bird after the shoot was over that had gotten away. 

bodey is with a pro for now he is looking really good and i just dont have to time or the bird boys to get the job done. went and saw him Thursday and the first setup was a double order was thrown short bird then long bird. he hammered an ~200yard go bird then came and did the most absolute perfect check down memory bird. when i say perfect he got about 10yards from the bird and started looking and smelling right up to the bird, never over ran it just perfect.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Last weekend Riot had his first ducks. We were very careful to have a plan before we ran him. He is possessive of his bumpers, especially when he is more excited. So we put him on a super long long line. Really long. It was an interesting discussion of how to keep his head up so he couldn't put the bird down and start pulling feathers. And to keep him coming back to the line without running off with his prize. We didn't discuss whether he would pick up the bird of course, we had no doubts in that! So first a chukar, then 2 ducks. Perfect on all 3. Reeling him in was a bit of work since he wanted to head off past us with his bird. Kept his head up and he did drop every bird at the line instead of eating them. Good puppy! It's really funny being back at this point again with a pup. 3 years ago I was here with Lucy. Now the new guy. Both puppies loved their birds immediately. I'm sad when I see people working to get their dogs to pick up a bird or bring it to the line, or even keep it in their mouths. So far with Lucy, Reilly and now Riot, I've never had that problem. 

Ran Lucy on a double that day. She was just fine. The wind was howling the dust was blowing. Someone took photos and every one of them her eyes are closed from the dust getting into her eyes. She has a great nose and didn't need her eyes anyway. She did break, but I was prepared. So hopefully we're getting that under control. She's been breaking a lot lately. I get her back every time, but dang I want her to stop that noise.

Then I wasted the rest of the weekend with Lucy at an obedience trial. She titled in rally, which isn't a big deal for her. But obedience is painful for her. She just flips me the paw and isn't interested anymore. I had her retrieving birds earlier in the day and thought that would make her more happy, but not at all. I thought we'd get to Open, but now I don't think so. Maybe when she's older. Her sire didn't get an Open title until he was 8... So now she is Wiseman Wildfire Grayling Fish On JH WC CD RA. We'll see what we can get accomplished this summer.


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## krazybronco2 (May 21, 2015)

since we took some time off hunting and i was out of town for a month working belles blinds have slipped a little. her casts have not been as good as they were so yesterday did a long distance casting drill to carry a cast for a longer distance than she has been. got some corrections for taking the wrong cast early on but by the end she was getting better may do something simular but at longer distances then run some more blinds and with this nice weather i got to get out and hit some water marks!


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

The weather has gotten so much warmer down here, doing lots of water work and upping some of Proof's concepts. He had a retired gun again the other day, he did great. Introduced it as an easy bird, then came back and watched it as a double throw, ran a blind to the side, came back and picked up the easy bird again which was now retired and then the long bird. He nailed the retired bird, didn't seem to be bothered that the gun was missing the second time around. Happy for him. 
He seems like he is learning more and more on water. yesterday he had a faux triple in the shape of an indented triple. All in big big water. The first mark was so exciting to me. It was a majorly cheating mark. He jumped in a little fat (yay because at his stage in the game it shows me he is learning to get into water fast) then swam past a jutting piece of bank swam way past the gun and got out where I thought the bird had landed. He pulled himself out and then all the sudden jumped back in. I thought what the heck? Then he swam maybe two strokes and got back out right where the bird was! I perceived this as major insight on the part of Proof. He is putting together that he shouldn't get out early. Where he did get out was entirely acceptable but when he saw the bird was a few steps further instead of getting it on land, he got in the water!! This makes me so excited!! He has so much more to learn but man this is a major step in the right direction! And his second mark he swam all the way out, past the first gun to the middle gun. This was a 140 yard swim! And he just kept swimming. He looked at that gun as he past but not too bad, he also looked at the bank and for a second I thought he swerved towards it but readjusted, swam close to the bank past the gun and then out right where the bird had landed, got out go his bird and got back in the same spot. 


The day before he also had a super meaty set up with two guns out on the technical pond ran as singles first mark in front of a mound and cutting corners left and right. He took perfect lines, even running up and over the mound so fast that he caught air and floated for second. It made me gasp! He didn't avoid that mound which was quite an obstacle in which he could have simply ran around it. All of these things are exciting and show him moving in the right direction. I hope that he continues to do well and keep learning!! Some days he has more learning than others, but some days its so nice to see that learning come to fruition. 

It really surprises me that these dogs are so smart that they can learn concepts that are kind of ambiguous. To me, teaching a dog to do obedience is different as I can kind of show them what to do. You are right next to them and you can lure them with food but when a dog is 200 yards out in water no less and you teach them them things like where they shouldn't get out and they start to put it into practice in entirely new locations and scenarios it just blows my mind! And this isn't to put down any other sports they are all challenging with unique difficulties, this is just so crazy that you can get a dog to learn things like this in the field. Especially where they can ultimately just go bananas and run off if they wanted.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

SUPER COOOOOOOOOOOL report Shelby!!! Proof rocks. You're so lucky to have the great training opportunities you have AND a GREAT dog to be your partner!!!

We've had great, productive training the past few weeks. Today was walking singles, two HUGE water marks (one a 100 yard entry + 100 yard swim, the other about a 200 yard mark over two points), and one short water mark thrown on an island. Bally stepped on everything.

They posted the running order for our first Master test. Instant butt clench. This weekend I really want to run some blinds and I have a big double picked out I want to run. Next week we'll do some setups and hopefully remind somebody about walking nicely at heel and not creeping.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

I'm so glad Bally is doing great on that big water!! I know he'll do great at Master, I've watched him, he is more than ready. I guess we'll hope he will not creep on that walk up. I'm ready to make some congratulations!


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## krazybronco2 (May 21, 2015)

K9-Design said:


> SUPER COOOOOOOOOOOL report Shelby!!! Proof rocks. You're so lucky to have the great training opportunities you have AND a GREAT dog to be your partner!!!
> 
> We've had great, productive training the past few weeks. Today was walking singles, two HUGE water marks (one a 100 yard entry + 100 yard swim, the other about a 200 yard mark over two points), and one short water mark thrown on an island. Bally stepped on everything.
> 
> They posted the running order for our first Master test. Instant butt clench. This weekend I really want to run some blinds and I have a big double picked out I want to run. Next week we'll do some setups and hopefully remind somebody about walking nicely at heel and not creeping.


just dont get excited like i did at my first master test bird wasnt even in the air and i was blowing a sit whistle on the walk up!!!!:doh:


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

OK, Buffy and I worked a combination duck shoot and continental shoot. The owner, Dave, threw 750 birds for 44 shooters. We worked the duck blinds at Dave's request. Buffy retrieved 40 ducks. She did 6 blind retrieves. She also hunted up two pheasants. We had a great day.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Riot was great in class on Saturday except for the honoring exercise. All the bumpers are his. I got in a lot of corrections. One with every bumper thrown! The little guy was sure determined. But I think he learned a lot. After class, Baron lined us all up and threw each dog a bumper with all the other dogs honoring. Most dogs were fine. Riot was definitely NOT. He will be 5 months old this week. He will learn, they all do, painful as it is that not all the birds are his.

Lucy is doing well. She has really matured and we're having fun these days on drills. I just have to remember to not do the same thing too many times in a row with her. She needs a lot of variety. I'm getting more confident that she will be ready for senior this summer, at least on land.


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## TrailDogs (Aug 15, 2011)

gdgli said:


> OK, Buffy and I worked a combination duck shoot and continental shoot. The owner, Dave, threw 750 birds for 44 shooters. We worked the duck blinds at Dave's request. Buffy retrieved 40 ducks. She did 6 blind retrieves. She also hunted up two pheasants. We had a great day.


We worked a pheasant shoot this weekend. Here is Ripple waiting for birds. At a year old she has already retrieved several hundred birds.


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## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

Alaska7133 said:


> Riot was great .... All the bumpers are his. I got in a lot of corrections. One with every bumper thrown!


I love it!

That's exactly how I want my youngsters to feel ... I WANT THEM ALL AND I WANT THEM NOW!


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

That's great Stacey about Lucy. I know you'll have fun in senior. I know with honoring with proof I started about that age and I used katniss for help in the yard. Every time proof was good and didn't break he got a treat. Of course when he was called he got the bumper so that was his treat. When he was much older I think 7 or 8 months I took it to the big field


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

I've been trying to get Riot out to a variety of fields and work on obedience. Since his mouth is super sore (he doesn't even want to pick up a stick), I figured obedience was safe. He needs to walk on a lead nicely and sit until I release him. Every new field is like starting over from the beginning. So it's good to get this out of the way now while he's young. So whistle sits, whistle recalls, here either side, with a long line every where. He's doing ok for a little guy. It's almost time to start CC him. I'm going to use the Hillmann method. 

I've been taking Riot to the creek to wade. There isn't enough water to swim in it. But he happily jumps off the ice bridges to run in the ice cold creek. He is an Alaskan dog! 

I'm pretty happy with Lucy too. I took her to a different field also. Put a pile of bumpers in the center and ran her to them from all different points around the lot. Lots of brush and weeds and snow and a hill. She is learning to pay attention to where I send her, not where she thinks the bumper is. She's getting the hang of it. Only popped once. I think the walk out blind with the pile in the center of the field is really good for her. I can always move up and simplify if I want. I haven't mixed blinds and retrieves on the same field in awhile. I should do that this weekend. Only 60 more days of winter?? Hard to say this year. I'm hoping for open water in April.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Today we warmed up with walking singles. Then I ran Buffy on a double and blind and she did well. Then I did a Momma-Poppa double with her and she did that well but I need to do more. We rarely do this double.

I did the walking singles with Thor. Then we did the double. Then we had to work on the Momma-Poppa double. Second time he got it right and I was happy.


We worked with a strong crosswind. I would like to do that again as it did seem to affect their run.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Back home from Tallahassee ---- Bally ran his first Master test and easily earned his first MH ribbon!!
No worries really, he did a great job.
The middle series was a land/water triple -- remote send, handler starts the test with a duck call. He actually was super steady, we have practiced lots of remote sends but always singles and not a triple! 
GORGEOUS weather all weekend. Fun stuff!


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Congratulations! You make it look easy!


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

wooohooo!!! So happy for you and Bally, Anney! I KNOW how much work you put into training him. I'm glad to see it paying off! celebrating with a Ballyhoo, I hope!


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## krazybronco2 (May 21, 2015)

well i finally pulled the trigger and have my judges number for the HRC. think i will have my first judges assignment here in the next month or so.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Thanks for becoming a judge. There are not enough judges in the world!


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

We're 2 months ahead of schedule on spring this year. It has been interesting because we can't get too excited because we can still get pounded with a lot of snow and cold yet this winter. But it has meant that we can be out and get muddy. Which doesn't normally happen in March! Last weekend we had 9" of fresh powder. This weekend it's mostly melted already! 

The dogs have been getting in a lot of training rides with the bikes. They love the snow and the snow really keeps them in great shape. DH gets Lucy out for 20-30 mile rides. He's been racing all winter. This weekend he has a 100 mile race up above Fairbanks. He's a bit hardier then I.

Riot has been doing super well. I think maybe I have a better process this time on training. His obedience is going very well. He's lost the last of his baby teeth and his adult teeth are coming along. This morning he was chewing on a bone for the first time in several weeks. So it's probably time to get started back on "hold". I've been using the soft bumpers that Dokken makes. He really likes them. His marking is fabulous. But all the bumpers are his and he goes crazy when he has to honor.

Lucy still thinks she is smarter than me. She still thinks she knows better than me on where the blind is planted. We had a battle of wills last night. The suction from the gunner was more than she could stand. I kept moving up and sitting her and sending her to the correct location. But no, that bumper has to be by that gunner. Miss smarty pants was pretty happy when she figured out I was right. She is definitely a challenge! Sometimes I think she's getting there, and then I shake my head and realize no, maybe not.

Last night a 10 month old toller showed up at training. I haven't seen the pup since last fall. Well the owner has done nothing with this pup since last fall. It was really a sin. The pup didn't know sit or come or had any manners. Of course the owner is far smarter than any of us and the rest of us just didn't understand her dog and training methods (so she thinks). Today I had to send her a note asking her not to come again. We just don't have 30 minutes to spare working with her dog. I hated to do it, but why should everyone else suffer because she wanted us to train her dog for her. And of course she was one of those people that once she's done training, she leaves and doesn't help out. Sigh... I've never told someone not to come back and train with us.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Congrats Anney and Bally. 

We were north of the border last week for a few days and we trained on some awesome grounds. We had lovely weather too! 

Flyer is finally steady. We are marking with added distance and terrain, working on control to the line, and cleaning up delivery. I will be starting FTP soon. I know that I did far from a perfect job with Winter's but hopefully I understand the process better now. Flyer is a more confident dog than Winter so as most things in life I expect that will make some parts easier and some parts harder. 

I'm trying to decided whether to finish up Winter's CKC MH title or just concentrate on getting her AKC UD.


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## Poppy2 (Jun 23, 2015)

A 10 month old puppy that you haven't seen since last fall?
Shame on you for kicking them out of your training group!!

This puppy knows sit!!

Just not with distractions yet!!!

I hope karma bites u in the ass and no one wants to help you train your dog b/c they dont have a 1/ 2 hr.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Good job Holly! You're amazing with Winter and now Flyer.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Alaska

It s not easy to tell someone that they are no longer welcome in your group but if they are hindering the training it must be done. A person not willing to work? OK, time for her to go home. A disobedient dog? OK, she must work on obedience so as not to interfere with the rest of the group's training. Right now, time to go home. Does she have a character disorder and doesn't work well with the group? Time to go home. Is she a trouble maker? Time to go home.

People are asked to leave clubs, training groups, and forums all the time. Nothing unusual about that.


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## Poppy2 (Jun 23, 2015)

gdgli said:


> Alaska
> 
> It s not easy to tell someone that they are no longer welcome in your group but if they are hindering the training it must be done. A person not willing to work? OK, time for her to go home. A disobedient dog? OK, she must work on obedience so as not to interfere with the rest of the group's training. Right now, time to go home. Does she have a character disorder and doesn't work well with the group? Time to go home. Is she a trouble maker? Time to go home.
> 
> People are asked to leave clubs, training groups, and forums all the time. Nothing unusual about that.


Or maybe she should quit the group and buy Dennis Voights "Training Alone" video like you did. You talk in circles!


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

I've never asked someone to not come back. First she didn't even bother to tell us her bitch was in heat, which we can work with, but don't get your bitch out of the car before everyone else and say nothing about her being in heat until you are loading your dog in your car to go home. Second don't leave after you've gotten what you need and not offer to help throw for anyone else. Third don't act you know everything and be critical of others when your dog won't even sit. Fourth if you are doing some really crazy obedience methods, don't try them out on us, try them out at home before you show up and see if they work. The woman had decided that she was going to say sit, then wait until the dog sat, which was about 2 minutes. So we stood around waiting for this dog to sit, which it eventually did out of boredom. It was at that point, that I decided I didn't have time for her and her dog. I know this woman somewhat, she and I were on the same skeet team. I didn't enjoy shooting with her either.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Fifth, if you have a crazy Toller, don't let them do the Toller scream for 5 minutes and really piss everyone off for 1/2 a mile radius. I think the Toller scream is what broke me. Anyone curious about the Toller scream? YouTube search it. It's about the worst sound you've ever heard and animal make.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Stacey, I made some girl cry at an obedience run through once because of her toller's screaming. EVERY time I threw a dumbbell for my dog, her dog went berserk, scrabbling at the end of the leash and screaming. I put up with it about two minutes before I told her either I will go get the ecollar out of my car for her to use on her dog, or she needs to get her dog out of here. She told me "Sorry we're working on the barking" I said not here you're not. I didn't show up to listen to your dog scream at 1000 decibels. How on earth are their owners tolerant of it????


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

So yah a Toller in heat, screaming, and with no obedience skills. Loads of fun. The sad part was, the guy that sold her the Toller was there too. He was about crying he was so upset at how badly she was handling the dog. He told me he wished he hadn't sold her the pup. Poor guy. There were 3 Toller people (lots of Tollers in Alaska) at training. I find those dogs really focused and smart, but crazy if you don't get some serious obedience in them at a young age. Super hyper and intense. Not interested in other people, only their owners. Not a dog I would ever want for so many reasons. But we see them at HTs a lot. They seem to plateau at a certain point and not get beyond a SH title. It's like their brains can only process so many different stimuli at one time. I haven't seen any get beyond an Open title in obedience.

Anyway Riot is doing wonderfully. I'm super happy with his obedience. His mouth is done teething. All the birds are his. I've backed up on obedience to just making sure he will sit when I call a different dog. I line all the dogs up and call them one by one. He's getting where he will stay, but I think I have to keep it simple for him. 

Lucy is making me happy right now too. Her drills are going well. I think she's maturing maybe? But, boy she is having a hard time with breaking. I'm having a hard time getting through to her. Never had a problem before. But now she does. I'm not sure what I've done wrong that she's breaking so often now. All the birds are hers. Physically she's in excellent shape. This winter has been good to her.


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