# It's September 2015 hunt and field training



## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

MOP wherever you train is amazing!! I would love to have access to wonderful place like that. I would also love to do that every day. You are very fortunate.

Happy September!! First frost last night, which is normal if not a bit late for us.

I have to stop training Lucy for a bit now. DH ran Lucy last night with the mountain bike. She is relentless and doesn't stop no matter how much pain she is in. Which means her pads are gone and peeled off! Darn DH! What was he thinking?? His excuse was of course that she was out front of him and wouldn't slow down. But 20 miles later here she is with peeled pads that will take a little while to heal. No running for her. I have her in booties and neomycin ointment from the vet. Lucy loves roadwork, but she just doesn't know when to stop. Poor Lucy is limping now and looking rather sad. So much for training right now. Time for a little husband beating...


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

20 miles?! wow that is insane poor girl, I hope her pads heal up soon...


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## Poppy2 (Jun 23, 2015)

I call BS on this!!!


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Yes I was exagerating, it probably was closer to 10 or 12 miles. Lucy does do long distances quite regularly. Right now our trails are dry and hard. It seems like there is that fine line between going hard and pads coming off. When DH and Lucy do 20 mile runs the trails are usually muddy and softer, but her pads do get very thin on those runs. DH sometimes doesn't know when to stop, and of course a dog never does. Dang husband. Now Lucy is in booties and limping around the house.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

We are in what is hopefully our last heat wave of the year. We kept things to a minimum Tuesday working on a marking drill and a long single (around 285 yards).


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

wow look at that land and water!


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

MillionsofPeaches said:


> wow look at that land and water!


I have really nice neighbors!


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## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

Swampcollie said:


> I have really nice neighbors!


Geesh, I don't think it's fair to have access to water like that!!!

Are there any homes for sale near that place(?) ... I'd like to be a neighbor to that place too!!!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Swampcollie

With land like that you shouldn't be grumpy.


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## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

I'm looking forward to this weekend of training ... 3 days!
It's going to be quite warm, but I'll be able to train in the mornings with my group and alone in the evenings, running blinds and/or drills.

Just a note to share about a dog: 
I have a highly bred female which turned 2 years old and had no derby career because she just didn't want to focus so she didn't mark well, and she grossly over-reacted to any form of pressure. I had pretty much decided to wash her out from FT training, yet keep her for breeding purposes. Nonetheless, I kept training her to see if I could figure her out and learn something about training along the way, plus it would keep her in good physical condition. Lo and behold, at roughly 2 1/2 years this little gal has absolutely turned it on! After FTP, she has learned to deal with modest pressure. Now she out-marks most of the dogs in the training group on every set-up, she's too honest in the water (which is not a bad problem to have), she is remembering retired marks, and she loves blind drills ... she's only run a few cold blinds, but she's already got confidence to go a couple hundred yards (okay, she's barely out of the mini-T, but I had to "test" her a little bit ... maybe that's not the way that the books and DVDs say to do it, but I think I can fix any problems which may arise due to my overzealousness). So, the moral of the story is that you just never know when the lightbulb is going to come one. 

FTGoldens


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Last night at training, I had to leave Lucy home, she's still limping. But I went to training anyway. We had planned on water work. Only the tollers showed up. Which was really interesting to watch them. They are a very focused dog with great trainability. But they aren't really into people. They are a working dog. They did a nice entries into water, cheated a little bit on the way to the bumpers, loved the mud, and definitely cheated on their way back to the handlers. 

On thing that continuously came up was training for different sports and not confusing commands. One woman has competed for a long time in obedience. So she does the typical hand in front of the dog's face with a verbal Stay for obedience trials. She's planning on going to her breed's national specialty this month. So we talked about what you can and can't do with a dog at a hunt test. She's running her dog in JH and WC at the specialty. It can get a bit confusing doing various sports and not giving a command that you can't do in one but can in another. You can't do the hand in front of the face with a Stay at a hunt test last time I checked.

Fall is here, snow on the hills, frost on the ground down here at sea level. Just waiting for our first snow now. Looking forward to warm weather in Ohio.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

One of the ladies that used to train with us and she still comes out occasionally has a Toller. She runs the dog in agility and has gone to very high levels. the dog loves hunt but couldn't get past JH for many reasons. I really didn't like that dog. Just a jerk dog. Big attitude and unfriendly. Didn't help that the dog resembles her owner to a T, I suppose, lol. 

Today was a crappy training day. Ran a good set up but my dogs didn't do great. Katniss was a complete disaster. I've not seen her act that way in over a year. I can't even begin to tell you how bad she did. No effort. Sitting around in the field, even found a stick instead of a duck to bring back. Never ever has she done that before in her whole life. 

Proof had three marks. The first one was a really good water mark. He has gotten better now and swam down the channel to the mark but has had real troubles fizzling out when it comes to bigger distances with more concepts. He got down the channel great, happy about that but as soon as he got to the dam to go to the next pond he just doesn't seem to know what to do. Helped him out each time and he got better but never did it great. In fact, coming back he cheated the bank and he hasn't done that in three weeks. Ugh. I hope that I didn't start that back up. 

Next was a land mark angled up a slope in heavy cover (very heavy) with a dry pheasant hen. He did fantastic on that and lined it, didn't let the slop pull him down and didn't avoid the wall of cover on the way up. He brought the pheasant back very well without chomping it up. That is a win. Next mark was again a water mark with a mallard that landed in a ditch and he did great on that and didn't cheat on the way back. 
Moved over to the two ponds that he was having issues with a couple days ago and he did it great so that was a relief, no help needed to get him to go down and back into the bigger pond and swim across. But as soon as I pulled the line back he instead of running straight in remembered an old double mark and ran over to that instead. 

I'm honestly reconsidering this field stuff. I put the most pressure on myself and on a whim and the urging of a few people I entered Proof into this derby at the Specialty. I do not think he can handle it on water. Land he is doing great but water, he stops on those very long distances. I don't know that I can get him through it in time. I wish I hadn't entered him now. I have tremendous stage fright and knowing he can't handle the water just adds to it. I don't know how people like me can compete in field, honestly. What I lack in resources, I lack even more in experience. I also look at these pros and think about how they stack up ten dogs at a derby. This seems to be a waste of time and money for me, I just can't keep up. And pushing their dogs beyond anything I can do. I do love the collar for a big training tool but I don't like using it to teach, that's just not my style. From what I've observed, it really takes a lot of pressure to get a dog to go far and it is just not my nature to rely on it in that way. Ugh, just a crappy week of training. I don't know what I'm thinking trying to compete in this venue. I might just stay with hunt tests until I have more experience and more money. I have to say field seems to be the gentlemen's game.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

MOP,
Relax!! Take your guys for a walk off leash through the fields and remember that having a good time with your dogs is what's it all about. Throw some fun bumpers, do some walk out blinds, just let your dogs bounce around with you.

At the specialty there are very few pros which makes the atmosphere very different than the usual field trial or hunt test. Most people are like you and are giving it a shot. Go and have a good time. Bring a chair and settle in and watch everyone have fun. If he doesn't do well on water, what's the loss? It's great to watch some wonderful beautiful golden retrievers do what they do best. Please don't stress too much. You'll meet lots of nice people just like you wanting to do better with their dogs. The golden world of field trials is a nice place to be at the national specialty!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

MoP

"He who worries, worries twice."

Take it easy. Do what I do: four or five Kamikazes, some chips, just sit back and relax. Make sure you have enough lime juice for more.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

you are all right and I know that. It is just pressure that I put on myself that kills me. I get overwhelmed. I am such a perfectionist its nuts. Working with dogs has helped so much with that believe it or not but when I put a deadline on myself, like this derby, then I get all bent out of shape. 
George that is how matt won me over when we were dating. He bought me kamikazes but subsituted with some other alcohol that made them taste even better  LOL. I forgot about that. Thanks for the memory!


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

MOP,
here's a derby dog run for you. I saw this summer a very interesting chessie run this pattern. That's why I like marshaling derbies. You get young dogs trying to figure out how to do things. So be happy that your boy will come up with some interesting runs and surprise you in his creative thinking capacity...


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

STacey, 
I was reading some thoughts on marking for derby. It was saying that judges are not supposed to be grading if the dog cheats the bank or not. They are judging marking. So if a dog cheats the bank but goes straight to the bird and another dog takes a straight line and goes to the bird then both dogs marked the bird just the same. ON the other hand if a dog that cheats the bank (or cover for that matter) and squares into the bird should be graded higher than a dog that takes a very straight line but still ends up with a hunt. 
Interesting, isn't it?


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## krazybronco2 (May 21, 2015)

shelby you put to much pressure on yourself you are dealing with a 4 legged animal they mess up from time to time. kat did have a bad day but you handled it perfectly. and for proof one you did win why because he did not no go like you have told me and remember you have time with proof keep doing what you do it worked before it will work again but now he has some a very good understanding of pressure.


now to belle she ran a long single the first time she ran it was not great wanted to cheat and then back side the gun. the second time we ran that mark she HAMMERED it you could not have asked for a more perfect line. then ran a short retied then as shelby said a hen pheasant up a hill and in heavy cover. belle just about pinned the hen pheasant and had a hunt for the retired mark but stayed in the area and dug it out. bodey didn't do much just for retrieving but he had a chance to be a puppy and have some fun one thing that does not phase that little joker is cover over his head he just wants to run. sorry for no pic of the set up maybe i can get an over head shot of what we did.

finally got an over head view of the setup.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

With Lucy's paws healing up, we are focusing on water this weekend. Cheating exercises and land water land with reeds and tall grass. Started some handling on water. Trying to see if we can get ready for running blinds on water before freeze up. Lucy is an excellent swimmer thankfully. I haven't blown the whistle in the water while she swims yet, I'm still chicken. I've been waiting until she hits the shore before handling. DH was my thrower today. He gave me a hard time about not being more clear on my handling commands. he's right I need to plan ahead and go slower. I get in a hurry and rush too much. Common error I think!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Had a marvelous time at the Spaniel tests this weekend, despite the brutally oppressive heat (94 with high humidity, NOT good for upland hunting!). Good dogs, good friends, good food, good beer, it's what hunt tests should be all about.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

Today was great... Proof and Katniss both redeemed themselves. I need to stop spazzing out, I know it. Its just hard for a perfectionist like me sometimes. Proof is just a baby so it doesn't bother me when he doesn't do well, but he always gives me such a great effort. Katniss really annoyed me last week because she didn't even try. 
First set up we did I ran Proof first. It was a crazy cool accomplishment for him. 300 yard mark, down and across the dam into the pond and up a hill at an angle. He literally held his line all the way to the bird. Even getting out of the water. it was insanity. Like really what a high when you see your pup doing something like that. What was even better was him flying into the water without hesitation!!! That was issue I am most worried after a very long entry but he didn't even act like there was a change of terrain. Second mark he did equally well, running up hill, down a slope then up again over lots of cover patches and putting his nose the mark. 
Katniss actually did great on the water mark too! She turned a bit off line when she hit the water but run right back up and got her bird. No issues. Second mark for her, I think her depth perception was off as there were several lines and hay bales but I was able to get some handles in and she took them great.
Ran another set up that Proof has been working and he did awesome. Katniss did good too. She did a great up to the 250 marks which is up and down and up the hill. I was happy about that. 
I also ran her on a very long blind. She took a line about 100 yards out but then when she got to the keyhole of bales she wouldn't push through. Got into a casting war, she came back to me out of frustration, then I met her half way and ran it and she did great. She ran her from the original spot and she lined it all the way without issues. I was proud of her because she took all my casts but she also didn't autocast and was waiting nicely for each cast. Yay. 
Today was a nice day!


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## krazybronco2 (May 21, 2015)

Millions today was a good day all the dogs did GREAT! i ran belle on the marks posted but as a double she wanted to hunt at the edge of the pond for a couple of seconds but noodled it out and put her face on the bird. blind was a little choppy but when the key hole is 10ft wide at almost 200 yards it will be. 

ran the 14week old pup bodey on some walking singles guessing the first was 80-90 yards and then add on about 10yards to each mark but the angle of the slope got more severe as we went. he had some really nice lines just got a little confused in the last two but threw them again and he put his face on them. 14weeks old running marks in a cross wind (direction of the throw was into the wind) and bowl shaped side hill. i could not have been more please with him.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

yes, Bodey did fantastic!! And I love training and seeing them understand it and correct the second time around. Those were far marks!


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

September has started with a set back for us. I was training on Saturday with a friend since the rest of the group was at a hunt test. Training was great, then we stopped and took a break also looking for doves in the area. Before leaving decided to try something new with Rose. I get her out, get to the line and click the remote for the launcher. NOTHING. So I walk to the holding blind where I had the launcher and see that indeed it was empty and had to re-load it. Except I forgot to leave the transmitter at the line which I always do and instead it is attached to my pocket. As I re-load it and pull the lever I was bending and at the same time hitting the release button on my transmitter. The moment I connected the lever poof it was released in my hand slicing it quite nicely. After 12 stitches and a bunch of Advil and antibiotics I can finally type with both hands. Another 12 days to remove the stitches. 
A reminder that you have to be on your toes at all time and be aware of all equipment surrounding you. 
Missed dove hunting with Rose. So we will try to make it during the week or next weekend.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Someone asked me this privately, but I'm going to post the answer for all to see.
Here are the categories on the scorecard for the Spaniel tests. The judges score from 0-10. You have to average at least 7 to pass, and no lower than 5 in any category. 
1. Hunting ability (desire, courage, perseverance, independence and intelligence)
2. Bird finding ability (bird sense, response to wind and scenting conditions, use of nose)
3. Flushing ability (produces birds with appropriate hunting style)
4. Trained abilities (range, pattern, gun response, response to commands)
5. Retrieving ability (marking, enthusiasm, mouth)


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## Poppy2 (Jun 23, 2015)

hotel4dogs said:


> Someone asked me this privately, but I'm going to post the answer for all to see.
> Here are the categories on the scorecard for the Spaniel tests. The judges score from 0-10. You have to average at least 7 to pass, and no lower than 5 in any category.
> 1. Hunting ability (desire, courage, perseverance, independence and intelligence)
> 2. Bird finding ability (bird sense, response to wind and scenting conditions, use of nose)
> ...


No mention of gun saftey here???
Is this not scored?


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Gun safety is pass/fail, not a number score.


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## Poppy2 (Jun 23, 2015)

Ok,
So how does one pass/fail?
This might be important to someone giving it a go for the first time.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Anyone who is giving it a go for the first time that has questions about gun safety should consult someone who is knowledgeable about it, not read my poor descriptions on the internet.




Poppy2 said:


> Ok,
> So how does one pass/fail?
> This might be important to someone giving it a go for the first time.


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## Poppy2 (Jun 23, 2015)

You just ran a test this weekend(post21)
You have knowledge of proper gun safety and what is expected. Or maybe you didn't run your dog.

Would a newbie need to know how to load the gun and shoulder it?
Is there a safety speech that explains what pass/fail is? if so, what results in a fail?


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

Today's set up. The map doesn't show the cover. Lots and lots of cover and hills. Ran as cold doubles Proof did pretty good. The water was tough. I had to get on him but he seemed to get the message. He broke on an honor and I got a great correction in. He is coming along good. I hope he'll be ready this spring for derby.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

We did run.
The tests sometimes have a real gun, sometimes use a wooden one. Have seen many more wooden ones than real. Even if it's real, it's not loaded as it would be in HRC. 
Yes, you have to shoulder it and pretend to shoot. Just like in the retriever SH/MH tests, no different. 
There is no safety speech, and they don't generally have a handlers' meeting or run test dogs. When you get to the line, the judges will simply ask if you have any questions. If you're using a real gun, the judges will usually ask if you have any questions about the gun.




Poppy2 said:


> You just ran a test this weekend(post21)
> You have knowledge of proper gun safety and what is expected. Or maybe you didn't run your dog.
> 
> Would a newbie need to know how to load the gun and shoulder it?
> Is there a safety speech that explains what pass/fail is? if so, what results in a fail?


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Barb, I usually use my own gun. It's an over/under, so one judge checks it when I step up. Often the person behind me forgot a gun, so I just hand them mine when I turn around. But our tests are very small. Last one had 3 juniors, 5 seniors, and 3 masters. Pretty small. We're normally done with all 4 series by 1:30 or 2 and have a late lunch. Then we go train with the judges. Also the spaniel people let their dogs run around and play together as a group before and after the tests. I never see dogs run around at retriever hunt test like that! It's a very nice group up here. Barb you really should come up and run our tests next summer! Almost everyone camps together on the grounds too. So it's a very different experience from retriever hunt tests.


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## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

Training is "on" for this evening, Saturday, and Sunday!
Temps are better!
Trial next weekend! 
Travel to Specialty the following weekend!

Yeah, this is my favorite time of year!


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

Weekend training lots of work!
So first our club day had training on Saturday. We arrived a bit earlier so that we could work on Proof with water. The first mark he did good. He did veer a bit to the left after he got out of water but pulled right back up to the bird, no hesitation at the bank. 
Second was the club set up. It was a double for Proof with the flier as a go bird. Tight but not too bad as they were thrown out. Also, Proof was steady for the flier as well as honor two fliers so that correction on Wednesday stuck. There was also a third mark that he ran as a single. Kat ran two great land blinds. I was proud of her. Ive really slowed down on my handling and it has paid off for her. 
Next was water. Proof had the double, which was funny. He is not used to shorter marks and got up on the bank on the go bird and just blazed right past the bird. He then turned around and came back and got it. The second he did good but again, he had issues with the holding blind, he isn't used to them but he found the bird with minimal hunt. Kat did excellent on her water blinds. I was super proud of her and her water treading has improved. 
Then after everyone left I ran Proof on the two water marks that he hesitates on. This time he did awesome! No problems there. I was so happy we were hooting and hollering. Today we went out first thing. It was chilly! I couldn't believe how cool the temperatures were!! In the 50's! 
Proof had some issues with darn cover. I swear it if isn't one thing then it is the other. So he had a double which he picked up the go bird great. Then on the flier, he avoided cover and went around the little "S" of cover. The third mark was so far out for him and hidden behind a hay bale with a shirt out on the winger. The shirt wasn't as visible as normal. He totally didn't see it the first time. Put him up and reran him and again, not sure he saw it but went out and then ran across to the old flier then we used lots of sound and got him back which he got. After that I ran him several times to get through the cover and take the correct line on that flier bird. He got it and took the right line to and back. 
Next went down to water and ran him on a double. I ran the memory bird a few times to test him as a couple weeks ago he didn't swim channels and took a terrible line. This time he did good on swimming the channel. Up'd the work and threw in a double. He did both really good. I was happy. 
So now we must continue on difficult water marks as well as making sure he doesn't cheat cover. Ugh, thought I had the cover thing done. Shouldn't be hard to correct but man, like I said, if it isn't one thing its another.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

*Someone* looks very good in orange.....*someone* has a very big brag    (not me!)


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Barb,
I think we'll see a separate post!

I am cramming in lots of water before freeze up which begins any day now. Lots of snow in the mountains and a little to the north. So the panic begins. I'd like to get in a lot of water work in Ohio at national specialty if I can. Did some spaniel training yesterday with a golden friend that hadn't tried it before. His dogs are running retriever senior hunter. My friend had a hard time letting his dogs smell birds and flush them. He kept trying to handle like he would on a blind. It was a bit disjointed watching him work. He didn't have a feel for when to call his dogs to hunt closer and when to send them on an over. It will take him a bit more time. We trained with an American Water Spaniel. Darn dog kept pointing and not flushing. The owner is having a tough time breaking the dog from pointing and getting the dog to flush. Never saw a problem like that and I have no idea what I would do for that issue!

Getting ready to start shooting for a local skeet league. I've never shot skeet or been in a league. Anyone have any experience at skeet or being in a league?


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

Alaska7133 said:


> ..........
> 
> Getting ready to start shooting for a local skeet league. I've never shot skeet or been in a league. Anyone have any experience at skeet or being in a league?


Careful it is as if not more addictive and expensive as dog training. My husband shot competitive skeet. 

We have not trained much, once a week maybe. Hopefully we will train more once my stitches come out; but by then most of the group will be in Canada duck hunting. Went with Rose dove hunting on Saturday after training. hahaha I thought she would be tired. Nope. Went to a new place and it was awesome. I moved with her between my husband and step son and she got to retrieve for both. The good marking and the nose of a golden came in handy on several birds. 

The guy next to us had a yellow lab. I used to be quite proud of Rose on her honoring. Not yesterday. She did not break when the lab was picking up the birds but she just stood there and whined. At the end we gathered around my car and Rose decided to go and make over the owner of the yellow lab. I bet she was trying to get him to let her retrieve his birds too. I mean, out of 9 people there she went right straight to him.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

I went to the last HRC training day for the year, and last one ever where I am a club board member. I ran Molly on a blind across water and up a hill between a group of large geese decoys on the left and a gun station on the right. She did zig zag a little up the hill between the two suctions, but took every cast. I was pretty happy with her and I knew it would be a challenge, but she did it!


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

FTGoldens said:


> Training is "on" for this evening, Saturday, and Sunday!
> Temps are better!
> Trial next weekend!
> Travel to Specialty the following weekend!
> ...


GOOD LUCK this weekend!


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

We've been working nonstop lately. yesterday had a fun HRC training day and it was great for me to get reacquainted with the gun. I didn't need to know all of it for senior and I also forget that I can talk to the dog in HRC so it was a nice new element to work on. And it was in a corn field which I haven't run Proof in yet. All the guns were completely hidden but not far. I didn't shoot the gun for him and just ran them as singles. Wow, one mark was 40 yards right in his face and he totally broke on it. He hasn't had such close marks in a while so this was awesome for him. He was out of his mind with all the guns and calls. Great opportunities for correcting. I did do a walk out with him for fun and he was steady. pretty darn good for a new 9 month old  Katniss did a double and she picked up her birds just fine. She did a short blind and did terrible, she would have passed a seasoned but come on it was not more than 40 yards out and she was running along a little path and so forth. Put her up then ran the long blind down the cornfield. She ping ponged but got the bird and took all my handles. That is all I can ask of her. Reran that short blind and she lined it, thank goodness, ha ha. 
Today we ran a great little set up. It was a triple. I decided to do a triple with Katniss just to see where she is at and she nailed every bird. Her first land blind was okay but she wanted to go towards the old fall but still did what she needed to do and grabbed the bumper. The second blind was really good. The map doesn't show all the hills and the hay bales are different than this. The birds were falling on a crest of a hill and the outside birds were down a slope then up a slope. I ran Proof with #3 as the memory bird and 2 as the go bird and then 1 as a single as he had just ran that on Friday and the bird fell in the opposite direction. He did great. Put up a small hunt on 3. Nailed 2 and small hunt on 1. Nothing big, he did go to the crest but never ran behind it. 
Then moved to water and reran a setup of 2 down the shore that gave him trouble on Friday. He didn't try to go back to the short bird but instead let the current pull him behind the gun and then tried to go up the bank. I had a lot of corrections on him but that little booger took a back cast in the water! Good boy! Today reran it and this time he started back to the short bird but called him back before he hit the water and reran him. He took the right line to the memory bird and nailed it. So glad, I think he learned something about that memory bird from Friday...relief! So I'll work on that concept at a different pond on Wednesday and see if he can handle himself. I think tomorrow I'll give them a break and then Tuesday something, maybe short marks, then Thursday go out and try working on cheating the cover....


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

MOP,
I swear your location has the best grounds! I would love that kind of opportunity!

Hard frosts every night now and lots of snow on the hills and someof the neighborhoods in town. So now it's water work almost every day before freeze up makes that impossible. Got out yesterday for skeet shooting league. Never shot skeet only 5 stand. Skeet reminds me of shooting pool. Figuring the angles at various points. Lots of water with Lucy. She's very uneven from day to day on training. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. Some days she's got a great attitude and does everything right. Other days I swear it's a different dog! Yesterday we actually had to work on hold. I couldn't believe it when she decided to drop the bumper and shake. She's hasn't done that in forever. But the water is very cold, so I couldn't get too upset, just a light ear pinch. There's a young golden boy that I've been training with. He's 13 months old and has 10 points from the dog shows already. Pretty show dog. Does the flying leap into the water like nobody's business! It's pretty shocking to watch. Here's this show dog with a long heavy coat that leaps like a field dog. It's really nice to see a show dog like that. Both parents are GCh with NO field. He got his WC in August already!

I should go duck hunting tomorrow before work, but it's getting cold and I'm not that motivated to pluck ducks. Lucy is giving me the evil eye as she watches them fly over on their way south. Can't disappoint the dog can you?

Did some spaniel training last weekend. Took a golden friend with 2 nice field goldens. He had a great time. But he over handled on the quartering. It was really hard for him to let the quartering just flow. His goldens were of course fine. Lucy makes it look easy. She is just made for quartering. I'm not sure what exactly makes a dog better at it, but they just seem to understand to stay close, hesitate on the flush so you know to get your shotgun ready, and never give up on getting that bird. Lucy leaves no stone unturned finding that bird! If there are no birds to be found, she doesn't bother quartering. They have amazing noses don't they?


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

Molly got her WCX yesterday. The judges thought she might have blinked the middle bird even though she came back with it. I thought she was on it, whistled her in, but she didn't have the bird and continued to hunt. The judges said they would have to ask the gunners if she was on the bird and blinked it, because if she had, they could not pass her. I did not know that was a part of the rules but Molly had never blinked a bird before. They did end up passing her because the gunners said Molly was not on the bird but was stuck on residual scent. The birds were hand thrown so there was probably more scent around the area with the birds landing in different places than if they had used wingers. But I am glad that is done and Molly got McDonalds afterwards.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

oh wow, congratulations!!! Go Molly. Talk about an azz puckering moment!! eek, I would have stressed out waiting on that. I'm glad they cleared her. I didn't know that either about blinking at a WCX


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Way to go Molly!! Congrats!


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Congratulations Molly!


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

God love WC/X judges...."ask the gunners"???? Since when are they judges too? 
Glad Molly got her pass!


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Molly did a bang up job on water!
4 out 9 WCX passes in this test. 3 of them were Goldens. ;-)

Congratulations Vivian and Molly!


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