# Hunt and Field Training Plans for the Week of July 15-21



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Been quiet on this forum lately! Everyone taking time off due to the heat, like we are? 
What's everyone training? Anyone running any tests soon?
How did Jige do?


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Really great field training session yesterday at the "L" pond. 
Started at 8:30, finished at 12:30 and was about 89º sunny with a breeze. 
Diagram below.
Set up a triple, mark 1 was straight swim across the channel then 80 yard dash to the bird. Mark 2 was about 60 yard super cheaty cutting the corner of the pond. Mark 3 (go-bird) I would say about 70 or 80 yards over the point diagonal across the corner, landing in the decoys we have set out. I ran mark 2 as a single first, and sure enough I got a nice correction in on Slater for cheating, and when we did it as the triple he NAILED it. He was a rock star....soooo happy!
The blind was really nice -- open water for the first 30 yards then a down the shore where the dog needed to "see the picture" going in. Down the shore another 90 yards. We left the holding blind from Mark 3 up and the decoys provided some suction to go fat in the water. Slater took 2 casts to get lined up with the shore but once he got near it he really did see the picture and carried his line for a while. Although he didn't line it I was very pleased with his handling. As he got near the decoys he started to go fat in the water and I was able to cast him with a silent straight back, INTO the shore. Twice he got on the shore and then took *beautiful* back casts into the water, which is what I have been working on a lot lately, but this was his first true blind to put it to use. He really handled very well on this, I was quite pleased with it. The true line to the blind was about 4 feet off the shore in running water, and you could see with both Slater and Sophie they wanted to either get out and run or go fat and swim, both options easier physically than lunging water. They both did a great job though. I will repeat this blind and concept many times, for sure!!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

what a great set-up Anney! I need to move to FL, where it is cool, and there is actually some water.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

a tropical storm or two did wonders for our training! LOL


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## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

We got one pass this weekend thanks for asking Barb!! 

I didnt really do any training today I am still recouping from the heat this weekend. It was around 95 degrees here today it has cooled off to a nice 68 degrees right now at 11pm. 

I dont think I will be doing any more tests this year. My son wants to go to the next one and so does my sister and they are too far away for us to travel back and forth. We have oher animals to take care so I guess I will stay home and take care of the home front. So my plans have changed I will continue to get solid in the areas I have been working Jige and start adding to it so that we only have to do one started test next summer and I can move him on to seasoned. Hopefully get him titled in seasoned next summer. 

So I will start working on some simple doubles and get solid on those whistle sits. He is getting better with those but I have not put him in a sit yet when he is not beside me. I have all winter to get his backs and overs solid but I will be training for the upland test in March.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Rather short but productive training session tonight before the sky opened up. Trained land at Williston, set out 3 marks and 3 blinds. Last mark/blind combo we ran separately from the others, both were very long, over 200 yards each, mark first then blind just to the left of it. Slater did it in 2 whistles and pinned the mark. The dogs loved this big go-get-um stuff. As we trained the sky got darker and it majorly cooled down to 78º, as the last dog ran things got a little hairy with some major lightening, as soon as the dog got the bird I got in my car, flew around the field picking up equipment and had the windows rolled up by the first drop which turned into a deluge by the time I hit the gate. WHEW! So besides the imminent threat of death by electrocution, great training session!


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

We are still working on our water blind skills here. I'm trying to learn the fine art of handling a dog in the water and stay ahead of Winter's learning curve. I think that my teaching/handling skills (read lack of) are slowing her down. 
Also, life has been crazy busy and I haven't been unable to train or train with Pro as much as I had hoped.


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## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

On saturday I am going to go watch my first AKC hunt test. It is happening right here in Bemidji that should be fun. I eventually want to get both UKC and AKC titles on him.


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Tomorrow friend and I are going to get a lesson from the pro then pick up some birds. I am very excited. Ready to move on to some water drills now that swimby is done.


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## sterregold (Dec 9, 2009)

We're baaack!

Breeze had her surgery on the 3rd and then we had to take some time off for her to heal. We got back to training late last week. It has been hotter than stink here, so it has mainly been water work. First day back was just singles--they got progressively more difficult but she went on every single one and worked hard to dig out the birds. It was so nice to see as at the Master I judged at the end of June I tried to use her to pick up a bird and she was just so sore she would not go at all and we had to get a different pickup dog. Was really proud of little Bonnie on this setup as one of her marks landed in the middle of a bush up a steep bank of the pond and she climbed up a log and pushed into the middle of the bush to get her bird. Talk about perseverence!

Now we are working on getting confidence back on multiples. did one night of super simple doubles to refresh the mechanics of it, and last night did a big double and some blinds. Will spend a couple more sessions on increasingly more complex doubles and then will move back up to simple triples. Hopefuylly she will be back in working form for our National Master and get to do some setup work since she won't be running now as I was not able to get her qualified when she was struggling with that tooth.

Had very good news from the friend that co-owns Bonnie's brother Baron with me. He got his THIRD SH pass on the weekend. They just turned 21 months old.


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## Tamarackgoldens (Mar 10, 2010)

Not much training here. Too hot and am now in a catch 22. He has gotten a little out of shape due to lack of training and am afraid to train when he is out of shape in this kind of heat. Did not enter Fox Valley last week end but went to watch some of the Master. NO WATER. All the ponds were dried up. One pond remained-used to be swimming but now elbow deep mud hole for the dogs. Can't even find water to train on. Hoping to run the hunt test at the specialty but not if we don't get our butts in gear! Whine...........


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Great training day with the pro. He had me run the length of his swimby pond as a channel blind. It was iffy at first with the popping/reluctance at the shore but we worked through it and at the end she had good momentum with no handling needed to drive her to the back pile. That's when he told me we are going to do swimby again...only with the pond rotated. So, need to practice that long channel blind type length then I guess I am adding in over piles again. We'll see where he wants me to go from there.

We went out to another pond and he had me send her like she was going on a water blind and when she had gone a fair distance without stopping/popping he would chuck a bumper in front of her. The idea is to build momentum and it seemed to be helping her. He also had me throw a bumper in the pond and then cast her into a swimby with a new pond. She handled that marvelously. We ended by doing a really long water mark through thick lily pads and green muck. Scout had no problem running right in and pushing her way through the lily pads and muck. We even did a second time (needed help the first time as she got a little off track with the lily pads--her first time in them). Again no pauses, no reluctance...straight in the water. 

Still feeling bummed about this hairy water thing though. Pete told me today with water its probably going to be a maintenance thing with Scout not something we are going to cure and it will be a lot of work. She's not an easy dog for a beginner :/ Pete says we've gotten better each time we come back though. However, on the positive side I think that will hopefully mean the next one will be easier  A friend and I are considering a drive up to NorCal next month for a double header. Not sure about the water...but otherwise tempting. I would love to have her title this year but I've already decided if we're ready next year no reason we can't run Senior and Junior simultaneously.

To end the day we stopped at the bird place and bought a dozen mallards for training. Each of the girls got their own bird. It's been a long time since Scout had her last live bird and she did really, really well with this one. She was very excited and went right for the bird and even had a better hold/grip on it.


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

We can get back to biz-niss, Tag's CBC today was normal. We are continuing his prescription for another week just to kick the infection while it's down! Plan is to go out Friday morning. I want to check with the vet (forgot to ask today) if there are any restrictions, I don't think there will be.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

We are in the same situation. I feel your pain.



Tamarackgoldens said:


> Not much training here. Too hot and am now in a catch 22. He has gotten a little out of shape due to lack of training and am afraid to train when he is out of shape in this kind of heat. Did not enter Fox Valley last week end but went to watch some of the Master. NO WATER. All the ponds were dried up. One pond remained-used to be swimming but now elbow deep mud hole for the dogs. Can't even find water to train on. Hoping to run the hunt test at the specialty but not if we don't get our butts in gear! Whine...........


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## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

I am having a hard time trying to find a pond to work on. I have lakes and lake then some more lakes. I asked one lady if I could use her pond ( it is right on a major road not ideal but a good pond) she said no she is a vegatarian and didnt promote hunting. Going to use goggle earth and see if I can find something. I have to be careful tho as I dont want one that I cant see if a trapper has set any thing on it.
We have this going on up here.
DogLovers4SafeTrappingMN


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## sterregold (Dec 9, 2009)

Baron in action in Senior. He is a Trey x Breeze son, Bonnie's brother.


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

Took the whole crew out today. Tag we did four marks, with me moving back each time. He nailed it, but I could tell he was getting tired, I'm sure from not being worked for almost a month. But I was happy with his work.

Dooley, did three doubles. Emphasis on steadiness on the line....SUCCESS! His marking was a little off on the first memory bird, but he nailed the next four marks.

Breeze, we have to do some more work on line manners, she is such a squirrly girl, that it is a big effort for her to sit and wait for the send. By the end of the session she was doing much better. 

Note to self: make sure there is a tab on each e-collar. Sure could have used the one that was on Tag's collar, on Breeze's.

Came home, mowed the lawn and am now enjoying an adult beverage. It's getting warm outside. (But, I'm not complaining, I know most of you have had much greater heat).


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Scout got a double then triple today with birds. She did very well with the marks. Afterward we took the girls (two labs, a rescue and Scout) for a walk through the fields. They all had a blast with each other. Trying to pull out the tiny burrs, leaves, grass seeds etc afterward not as much fun.


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