# Hunt and Field Training Plans for the Week of May 6-12



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

What's everyone working on this week?
We will continue to work on building his confidence on doubles. Dan is out of town later this week, so no lesson.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

I've got a club training session tomorrow so Buffy will be getting fliers. We've been working on training with Hunting Test distractions so tomorrow should be interesting.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Just got in from training and found out that my labor intensive efforts have paid off. Buffy behaved while heeling into the holding blind and while waiting. We did a double, 60 deg angle, about 80 yds. each and then did a long single (230 yds.) up the middle. She looked good enough for someone to say "OK, you're buying."

We finished up by doing some pattern blinds. 

We had a great day. We have another club session with flyers next week and I can't wait.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Senior pass #3 today.
Good dog.


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## sterregold (Dec 9, 2009)

Yeah Tito!

We got out training yesterday and today. Did land yesterday--little Bonnie did awesome on some big marks. Breeze did well on singles but flared the short fall big time when run on an inline double, so we will be doing some ladder-drill work this week. Today we did water work. Bonnie and the other young dog did terrific on their marks, Breeze was still a bit of a head case though about blinds in the tuneup drill. So have to get her back up to her confident old self.


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## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

hotel4dogs said:


> Senior pass #3 today.
> Good dog.


Yeah, Tito he is safe for another week. Good job to both of you!!!!


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

We are working on swim-by. I took her out today to do our homework which is now switched to nicks and back. She's diving into the water often before I even give the command. Going to call the pro and ask him about that--if I should enforce waiting for me to signal back at this point or let it go for now.

Also set up a long marks and two blinds. There were already two old ribbons out there to the right of the mark and this bad handler sent the dog to the wrong one. The second blind was good--she almost walked on it. Had to give one sit at the end, at which point she had already seen the bumper. Good girl.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

hotel4dogs said:


> Senior pass #3 today.
> Good dog.


Terrific! Did Tito get a big reward?


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

hotel4dogs said:


> Senior pass #3 today.
> Good dog.


Yay congrats! Pictures? Details?


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

No pictures. 
No big reward for Tito. While I was pleased with him, and he did a very nice job, the test was ridiculously easy. Not one to really brag about.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Congratulations Tito  Great job Barb!



hotel4dogs said:


> Senior pass #3 today.
> Good dog.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

WooHoo Tito!


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## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

Congrats Tito even if it was easy you should have gotten a treat atleast. 

I will be working on water entries nd marks with Jige all week. I have no idea what happened but I need my plowing machine back in action. I was going to take him to a little creek but around here you have to be so carefull there are conabear traps all over the place and I dont have the strenght to release one should Jige get his head in one. I think I wil take him to a sm pond that I dont think has any other life in it except maybe some frogs and turtles.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Thanks everyone!
Tito got what he considers the biggest treat in the whole world....he got to retrieve 6 ducks!
Ah well, a couple of details. The land test was probably about "standard" for a senior test, I would guess. The marks were fairly close in, which favored the goldens over the hard charging labs. The go-bird was a shot flyer off to our left, which fell in a swale. There was some heavier cover behind the swale, and a lot of the dogs miss marked the bird as having gone into the cover and over-ran it. 
I was really surprised at how much trouble the dogs were having on the memory bird, as it was pretty straightforward. Only about 50 yards out, some cover changes but nothing I'd consider extreme. Strong crosswind again, which seemed to push a lot of them well to the right of the mark and they ended up all over the field looking for it.
I'm pleased to say (because of the troubles with doubles...) that Tito was one of few dogs to step on both birds.
The blind was 45 yards out, some minor cover changes but again nothing extreme. The only real issue was the strong wind, which pushed all the dogs to the right of the blind, but they all seemed to handle back to it just fine. 
The water test was stupidly easy, probably because we had 28 dogs to run in water and we were trying to run in between heavy thunder storms. Both marks were pretty close in, no farther than 50 yards (if that) and both were floating. It was pretty mucky, some floating green crud and a couple of logs but nothing particularly impressive. The water blind couldn't have been more than 20 yards away, the only thing about it that was even *kinda* hard was it was a MAJOR cheating mark, set up about 8 feet from the shore and parallel to it. 
Tito's memory bird sank at the last second, as we were one of the last dogs to run and the birds were pretty water logged by then. But he saw it go down, and he has no issue shoving his head down after it, lol. So it was no problem. The blind was riding real low in the water, under the trees a little, and I thought he might have some trouble with it but he apparently saw it when he got near it and it was just fine.
I can honestly say that Tito didn't do one single thing that I would say we need to work on, or I wasn't totally pleased with. But I also felt that the judges were (too) lenient. I was really surprised at some of the dogs that passed. JMO, I'm new to this and what do I know, but there were some that I would have picked up my dog, thanked the judges and left, and they passed....


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Onward with swimby this morning (and every morning this week hopefully). Didn't nick her once today because she's eager to go--so much so that I am trying to slow down and put some control on it because she tends to go before I send her. But, when I try to slow her down and wait for my signal I get lots of protest barking. Erg. Clean up that and we can move on...


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

GoldenSail said:


> Onward with swimby this morning (and every morning this week hopefully). Didn't nick her once today because she's eager to go--so much so that I am trying to slow down and put some control on it because she tends to go before I send her. But, when I try to slow her down and wait for my signal I get lots of protest barking. Erg. Clean up that and we can move on...


You mean you are remote casting her back into the water for your force?
I got a LOT of vocalizations with Slater when we did exactly this step.
With Fisher I did all of my force from my side and I think that was not good and built up an expectation of anxiety in heel position. With Slater I did probably 50% of my force from a remote back and he has a lot less anxiety, low to none, in heel position. Live and learn. He did however whine, bark, try to break, etc as he anticipated the force from the back cast. You can prevent the breaking by keeping her on a long line (swim by is so little swimming you don't need to worry about the lead getting tangled), and unless the barking/noise is extreme, just ignore it -- it will go away. If you try to correct it it just amplifies the anxiety and snowballs. If she really carries on, take her away and make her lay down until she settles. Best of luck!


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

I am sending her facing me as I was taught--and I was told not to send from my side at all from now. I haven't really tried force with the barking because I do not want too much pressure....but the barking is annoying and frustrating. What I experimented with was releasing her on a fun land bumper at random when she was quiet for a few minutes instead of always sending her to the back pile. Seemed to help somewhat...but ugh...

But thanks for the rope idea. I'll have to try that to help with steadying her.


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

Yay Tito and Barb! One more!!!


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

GoldenSail said:


> I am sending her facing me as I was taught--and I was told not to send from my side at all from now. I haven't really tried force with the barking because I do not want too much pressure....but the barking is annoying and frustrating. What I experimented with was releasing her on a fun land bumper at random when she was quiet for a few minutes instead of always sending her to the back pile. Seemed to help somewhat...but ugh...
> 
> But thanks for the rope idea. I'll have to try that to help with steadying her.


Gotcha (I think...hard to know exactly what is going on not seeing it but it sounds pretty normal).
By "not trying force with the barking" do you mean you haven't corrected her with the collar for barking (good idea not to) or that you haven't forced en route after she's been barking? I would not correct with the collar for barking. In fact the only corrections I would do in this case for barking (besides trying to ignore it) are #1 taking her away from the area and making her lay down or #2 snapping her with a leash pop and saying "Quiet." Any more demonstrative than that or in-her-face corrections are going to ramp up the anxiety. 
Also, I have noticed with new trainers (especially good ones, who are trying to get this handling thing right).....go too slow. As in, the dog is stopped, seated, looking at the handler, handler's hands are in the praying position, collar at the ready,............and they stand and stare at each other in this suspended animation for WAY TOO LONG. The dog is like "****, lemme go already!" And the handler thinks they are teaching the dog patience and focus, while in reality they are either boring the dog or making them anxious. Pick up the speed on your casting cadence. Obviously don't go so fast the dog isn't focusing or is autocasting, but there is no reason to wait them out on this, and the barking is probably a symptom of you taking too long to cast. ESPECIALLY in a forcing situation when the dog already knows what is coming and just wants to get it over with already.


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## Tamarackgoldens (Mar 10, 2010)

Training with the Miners on Wed-live flyers. Rest of the week someone needs to train ME. We bombed at MH this week but was my fault. I used to say I was glad when it was my fault because I was cheaper to fix than my dog, but lately I'm not so sure.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Was good to see you at the test! Pass or fail, I love your dog 



Tamarackgoldens said:


> Training with the Miners on Wed-live flyers. Rest of the week someone needs to train ME. We bombed at MH this week but was my fault. I used to say I was glad when it was my fault because I was cheaper to fix than my dog, but lately I'm not so sure.


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## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

Tamarackgoldens said:


> Training with the Miners on Wed-live flyers. Rest of the week someone needs to train ME. We bombed at MH this week but was my fault. I used to say I was glad when it was my fault because I was cheaper to fix than my dog, but lately I'm not so sure.


When you get to Masters (or any of the upper levels) I have found that you need to read the test and how your dog will probably react and be ready for it. Biggest thing is *SLOW DOWN*. When you think you are going slow go slower. Give you and the dog some time to think. You are going make mistakes and so will the dog but getting you both through the test is the goal. Don't know how it was your fault you didn't expound on it. Sometimes a handlers biggest fault and I had to learn the hard way is spectating and not running your dog. You spent all of that time and money training and you send the dog off and see if he does it. Doesn't work that way, they need your help from the time you get them out and go to the line until the time you put them up. 
Just my .02


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Anney you got me. Yes I am taking some pauses before sending but with the intention of making her wait, but rather, with the intent to get some variety in my back casts. She auto spins to the left so I was pausing and trying to get her to focus so she would take the correct back cast. Called the pro and he pretty much gave the same advice--put her on a leash or tab to help steady her. I have not used collar correction for anything only the force part (but not even that today). I have been telling her no on barking or ignoring it. Ugh.


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Well some fishermen beat me to the pond so I had to go elsewhere this morning. Scout was much improved...hardly barked at all and a lot more steady. I decided to throw in a few whistle sits halfway through two different times and she did great. 

Since I was already out there and I am borrowing a winger set up a long mark and a couple of blinds. She did great on the first blind with only one handle, the second blind I made it nearly parallel to a ditch and about halfway to the blind her line broke down and she got sucked into the ditch. That took a few casts to pull her out of it, but once she was out of it she went straight to the blind. Just need to practice for that.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Isn't it amazing the things that suck dogs off the line? I look at it sometimes and think it's easy as can be, and then there turn out to be several different things that pull or push him off the straight line. A bush, a ditch, recently a big patch of burned vegetation, all sorts of different things that just don't occur to me.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

GoldenSail said:


> She did great on the first blind with only one handle, the second blind I made it nearly parallel to a ditch and about halfway to the blind her line broke down and she got sucked into the ditch. That took a few casts to pull her out of it, but once she was out of it she went straight to the blind. Just need to practice for that.





hotel4dogs said:


> Isn't it amazing the things that suck dogs off the line? I look at it sometimes and think it's easy as can be, and then there turn out to be several different things that pull or push him off the straight line. A bush, a ditch, recently a big patch of burned vegetation, all sorts of different things that just don't occur to me.


We are so living this right now. 
It's that move up from baby blinds to blinds with factors and distance, a deadly combo.


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Yes it amazing me how much suction affects a dog and what is suction (i.e. barbed wire fences). And it is so obvious and deliberate. Rather than a slow break down of the line out of nowhere its almost a complete 90 degree turn. Huh?


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Today was fun went and trained with the pro and a friend. I got to observe him training different dogs at various points during swim-by which was very helpful. There was a pair of sisters labs which had the similar tendency of Scout to pause at the bank and had slow entries. So at least I know its just a problem some of us have to work through--even the labs. 

While Scout seemed to be showing improvement yesterday with me, today was another story. She did not want to hold still and was playing every number in the book--trying to climb up on me, barking, moving, leaning etc, etc. It was rough but she started to settle near the end. He had me do some basic obedience heeling when she got anxious, and when she was being good stroke her on the back only (to calm her). It was helping a lot so hopefully the worst of that is behind us now.

And the pro seemed a little surprised at how quickly she dried off after getting out of the water. I told him it was because she had a correct coat and just because goldens are a coated breed does not mean that the coat will soak up water like you might think  It's actually hard to give her a bath because of that...hard to really soak her down.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

The last couple of weeks Winter and I have not seen eye to eye on blinds. Yesterday, I trained with the Pro and the big training group. The set up had marks but the scary part for us was the blind. 140 yards, run down into a small valley and 1/3rd the way up the other side. The grass here is over 2 feet high (dogs have to bound through it to see) and the valley had paths mowed through it leaving cover strips. I went to the line thinking this is going to be alot of whistles. We lined up, and I sent her. Winter took off down the hill, held her line for at least 110 yards, though cover changes, and boy she was really moving. She had drifted a little left, whistle, right angle, still left of the blind by 10 yards and was looking like she was headed out of the valley, whistle, right over and picked up the blind. Two weeks of struggles and then totally trust and momentum, go figure.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Yay Winter! I'm sure you recall that Tito and I had quite a battle getting him to understand that blinds are a TEAM effort. It's fantastic when it finally all comes together and they realize that you know where the bird is, they do not, and if they take your directions they will arrive quickly right at the bird. I no longer fear blinds in the hunt tests, as I figure that EVENTUALLY I will get him to it. One way or another, LOL.
We trained in a mucky lily pad encrusted pond yesterday. I wanted him to see a pond choked with lily pads just in case we encounter one, he hasn't seen any for a long time. It's a pretty big pond, so has a lot of places to work.
We set up a double (with wingers) where the go-bird was a dead duck that was about 75 yards out smack in the middle of the lily pads and the memory bird was across the pond (the pond is L shaped), about 120 degrees apart, but up on the land. 
He took off thru the lily pads and did get sort of tangled in them a couple of times, but he worked it out. When he got to the AOF the duck was quite low and he couldn't find it in the thick lily pads, so I had to handle him to it but he took direction well and found the bird.
No problem on the memory bird. 
Then I ran a blind that was at a tight angle to the shore, down about 30 yards from where the memory bird had fallen but on the other side (think of a rectangle, the memory bird fell directly across from the running line, the blind was on the side of the rectangle that's perpendicular to the running line). He had a lot of trouble not heading for my training partner, the winger, and the old fall. It took quite a few whistles to get him to the blind, as I would give him a cast and he would take it but then start to drift back in the direction of my partner/winger/old fall. But we did work it out, he stuck with me, and we ended with success.
He looked like a creature from a swamp. Even his head was caked with mud by the time we got done, because the birds were sinking and he had to stick his head under to get them. So we took the dogs to the cold pond, which is crystal clear spring fed water, and just let them swim for a while to get them cleaned up.
Overall, a good day.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Sounds like fun Barb, and HEY -- congrats on your 3rd pass! How exciting! Goosebumpie time 
Real happy for you guys. Are you as jazzed about the national as I am?

Anyways we have had some very productive training sessions recently with Slater. He is starting to get into some more advanced stuff and is so smart, if I can figure out how to show him what to do.
Bob and I have been driving to Whisper Creek once a week -- the only real good water we have at our disposal (1 1/2 hr drive each way).
Week before last we set up an angle-entry drill which I felt was very successful.
This past Tuesday we did a really fun thing....a 3rd friend with 2 Master dogs met us, each of us took a blind stake and a pile of bumpers and set up a blind on a large pond. Each dog had 2 bumpers at each stake and we could choose where to run each blind from. We kept all the dogs out and just rotated them one after the other. It was SO much fun and very educational/helpful to watch and give feedback to each other. I was VERY pleased with everything Slater did, including great angle entries, and some handling near the shore on the back side of the blinds. He needs a lot more but it's starting to get quite fun.

The other snafu I've been trying to work out, is I've noticed that if a blind is between two holding blinds, he hasn't yet developed the skill to look off the holding blinds, choose the channel between them. If I fidget too much with him trying to get him to look down between the holding blinds he gets antsy (not a behavior I want to practice), and if I kick him off he will just run AT a holding blind, although will cast away from it once he gets going, without problems. Anyways yesterday I went to Williston and set up three land blinds, longer ones over 100 yds and he 2-whistled each one on the first send. Put him up to get water, and I took my holding blinds and set them out all over the field, between the blinds. Got Slater out and ran the blinds, I let him get a good look at the field with the new "distractions," lined him up, deadbird-back and he LINED the blinds --- ran like a laser and didn't pay the holding blinds any mind. I think this is a really good exercise for him, and was really happy with it!
Fisher is doing really well as far as his medical stuff, his hematoma ear saga is through -- 2 wks ago I had it drained (only a small amount in there) and re-shot up with steroids, and re-bandaged. The bandage only lasted about a week that time, but when it came off his ear was a little crumply and you can feel scar tissue, but otherwise flat, no fluid and looks pretty normal. It's been over a week and there is no fluid build up, I think we are done. Finally he can go swim!
He has been doing much better as far as lameness after training (right front carpal) -- not sure if it was a soft tissue thing that has healed with layoff, or if the Dasuquin has really kicked in, but I've trained him a number of times the past few weeks with NO noticeable lameness. YAY


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## sterregold (Dec 9, 2009)

Good training session with the girls and my friends' dogs last night. The one boy is returning much better, and his sister is driving out on longer marks much better.

Had three marks set up with two relatively long blinds for Breeze, and then set up another three marks. Breeze did a really nice job on the blinds and did the set I threw as a triple for her cleanly. She is finally getting her head back! Park security saw the wingers and stopped to ask what they were and then hung out to watch Breeze run. They thought it was very cool, so think we are still safe to train there!


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Ok angry rant time again. Why is there such an abundance of dumb dog owners? Seriously? I'm at the park setting up my swim-by and I notice in the distance a biker and his dog and take note. I lean over to pick up my dog's poo and by the time I look up they are on their way over to us. I get the adage 'Oh, he's friendly' at which point I reach down and grab mine as quick as I can and prepare myself to shoo the other dog off her. I yell back 'well mine isn't!' and the idiot is like 'oh, just give them a chance' as his dog is trying to climb all over my dog and shove his nose up her butt. I am quite pissed off right now. As he left he muttered 'maybe you need to socialize your dog better.' Yes, I'm irate. My dog has been attacked twice by other dogs and she does not need to socialize with random dogs who I do not know nor do I know their owner. I don't trust them, never ever will. She has a few choice dogs she does get to play with but I know the dogs and the owner well and that works. So folks out there...it is just plain rude (and potentially dangerous) to let your dog approach another dog without asking permission from the owner first!!! And don't make blasted, ignorant assumption about it!!!

Anyway...on to training note. Yesterday she was doing well with waiting that I threw in her first two over casts. She does great until she gets the bumper in the water, and then it is a fight to keep her there as in her mind she is done and just needs to come back. I can keep her in the water barely along the shore so still in the water just not down the middle. On to today and she started anticipating the over casts which causes some problems. I would throw the bumper to the side and in the water when she was on her way to the back pile and didn't see it--but now that she has gone over a few times she started noticing it was there and when I cast her to the back pile was suctioned to the over bumper. That was a small battle of whistle sits and back to get her to the back pile but she got there, and the next time I sent her she went straight with little trouble (although she kept turning her head to eye the over bumper the entire way across).


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I am MAJORLY jazzed up about National! It will be my first one!


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> Yay Winter! I'm sure you recall that Tito and I had quite a battle getting him to understand that blinds are a TEAM effort. It's fantastic when it finally all comes together and they realize that you know where the bird is, they do not, and if they take your directions they will arrive quickly right at the bird. I no longer fear blinds in the hunt tests, as I figure that EVENTUALLY I will get him to it. One way or another, LOL.


LOL, yes we do eventually make it to the blind. Right now that good nose of hers can be a problem on blinds. Lately running blinds I hear "Whistle, don't let her hunt". When I saw the tall thick cover strips with small birds flying out of it, well it had disaster written all over it. 

Pro is leaving for The Grand next week and everyone got their training instructions. Mine were "just keep doing what your doing and we'll step up water blinds when I come back".


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Barb,
Are you and Monster Boy attempting a title run this week-end?


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Hey and it looks like you guys will reach your goals for the National


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

:crossfing:crossfing:crossfing:crossfing:crossfing:crossfing:crossfing:crossfing:crossfing:crossfing



hollyk said:


> Barb,
> Are you and Monster Boy attempting a title run this week-end?


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> :crossfing:crossfing:crossfing:crossfing:crossfing:crossfing:crossfing:crossfing:crossfing:crossfing


good luck to you both


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## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

Barb,Good Luck to you and Tito!!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Thanks. 
He can do it. He just likes to humble me every now and then.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

LIGRC club training day on Sunday. I am looking forward to it.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

I have Southern Berkshire training this afternoon and it is a lovely day to be training. It should be really fun!


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Faelan ran his very first, bona fide double this afternoon. He done good  Then a long flyer down the middle. We ran out of time for water work though.


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## sterregold (Dec 9, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> I am MAJORLY jazzed up about National! It will be my first one!


Seriously sad now--I won't be able to go after all. I got a department headship at a new school, and will only be on my second week in--not good timing to take a leave of absence!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

oh no, Shelly, I'm very disappointed. I was so looking forward to meeting you.


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