# Our first field lesson!



## Goldendogx2 (Sep 2, 2007)

So....how DO you propery hold a dead bird?  I just signed up for a WC test. My dog has been trained...but me...not so much. I have six weeks to learn her game. Like you...I'm primarily focused on obedience but wanted to take the opportunity to see what she's got! If you're going to nationals, maybe we can chat ring-side? I'm entered Utility A and Open B.


----------



## goldengirls550 (Jun 12, 2008)

Goldendogx2 said:


> So....how DO you propery hold a dead bird?  I just signed up for a WC test. My dog has been trained...but me...not so much. I have six weeks to learn her game. Like you...I'm primarily focused on obedience but wanted to take the opportunity to see what she's got! If you're going to nationals, maybe we can chat ring-side? I'm entered Utility A and Open B.


Hahaha!! Your guess is as good as mine. As far as I'm concerned, I hold a dead bird in a way that I touch as little of it as possible! I have only done obedience, agility, rally, juniors, and a little conformation so far, but I want to get more involved in field events/hunt tests. I would love to put a WC on both of my Goldens and I want to go farther with Jade.

I am going to the National, so I would love to meet up with you!! Unfortunately, I will leave before the field events start, but I will be there for 5 days of agility and I am staying until Friday, September 7.


----------



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

The field education seminar on Thursday (2:00) is about the WC/WCX. You should plan to attend! They said if time permits, there will be demonstrations, too. 
A bunch of us will be at National....stop by the dock diving event on Wednesday afternoon and say hi! 




Goldendogx2 said:


> So....how DO you propery hold a dead bird?  I just signed up for a WC test. My dog has been trained...but me...not so much. I have six weeks to learn her game. Like you...I'm primarily focused on obedience but wanted to take the opportunity to see what she's got! If you're going to nationals, maybe we can chat ring-side? I'm entered Utility A and Open B.


----------



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Ah, another addict is born!
When you see how much a well-bred golden loves the field work, it is almost impossible to deny them the pleasure.



goldengirls550 said:


> Jade had his first field lesson yesterday morning about 45 minutes east of Denver in the beautiful Eastern Colorado plains. The grounds were gorgeous. As I pulled off of I-70, there was a field of sunflowers and the country road dead-ended at the property of the kennel/training center. I have never done anything with field work, so I was very excited to get started. The trainer handed me a dead chukar and told me to "play around with it with Jade". First of all, I am a vegetarian. So I didn't even know how to properly hold a dead bird. I threw the bird for Jade and he went into some sort of crazy mode that I have never seen before. He sprinted to go get the bird (and what amazed me) he sprinted back to me and delivered the bird to my hand. We repeated. He did the same thing every single time.
> 
> My boy is so birdy and has so much drive. He watched the gun go off and that made him even more excited. He is quite the opposite of gun shy. He quickly learned to look for the bird as he saw the gun go up and fire. The trainer let him go after a cripple as well, which he readily retrieved. I had so much fun yesterday watching Jade's instincts kick in. The trainer said he didn't see a thing that he didn't like. I am so excited to get started in field work with Jade. We have to take about a month off because every weekend for the next 5 weeks is filled with dog show commitments, but I can't wait to get started with more training in the fall!


----------



## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

That is super! I love working my boy and boy is Barb right about it being addicting. Get ready to have fun.


----------



## Goldendogx2 (Sep 2, 2007)

Worked with our first real duck last night! Had to re-introduce it to her. Once I put it in her mouth she remembered what to do. Hope to make the WC seminar at Nationals, but also kind of hoping I have a good reason to get stuck over in obedience i.e. having to hang out to vie for placements or HIT . You can always aim high, right! So many opportunities at Nationals...can't get there fast enough!


----------



## heartgoldens (Jul 25, 2012)

We also went to our first field lesson today. Our boy took to a pheasant really well at first, was all excited, retrieved it about 5-6 times for me with great enthusiasm! He strutted around with it like a proud boy! I was so excited he took to it. But after that, he was done and wanted nothing to do with the duck or pigeons they used. I'm wondering if some of it had to do with HOW we were working with him. Before the formal instruction started, I just played with the pheasant like a toy, and he was eager to please me and picked it up right away. But when the actual "instruction" started, I was encouraged to stand back and not distract him, not talk to him or pet him too much, as he is very mommy oriented. But then he had absolutely NO interest in getting the bird for the person training us. When they tried live pigeons he wanted even less to do with that! Is this common behavior?


----------

