# Slater's education



## K9-Design

Hi guys,
Well today marks the start of Slater's grand education into transition, we started on single T.
I am wondering if you'd like me to (try to) keep a little journal here on our progress? I know when I went through it with Fisher I needed a lot of hand holding and found some great threads on RTF that were really helpful, just reading what others did during the process.
So a little background. Slater has been through 3-handed casting, force to pile, stopping to pile, review of collar fetch at the pile to get him to stop frantically shopping , and I think that's about it. I'm using the same area for T/TT with Slater that I did with Fisher, it is at our big field at the community college, about 20 acres of relatively flat field that they keep mowed short. 
Today I went out and established the back pile, marked off the far intersection using some powder on the ground (so I can find it again next time) and a little construction flag so I can see it when I send the dog, 30 yards in from the back pile. Marked the 2nd intersection with powder again, and this is where I will send for the single-T. When we advance to double-T this spot will be the near intersection. 
I set out 10 bumpers at the back pile and no side piles. I sent Slater straight both remotely (back casts with dog sitting in front) and from my side. I sent about 3-4 times then tried to stop him at the intersection. I waited a tad too long and he ran through the whistle, and a nick from the collar just made him speed up and grab the nearest bumper from the pile! Obviously collar pressure in this situation means GET IT QUICK (FTP) as opposed to SIT QUICK to Slater! I met him on the way back at the intersection, took the bumper, blew the whistle and swatted his hind end, a correction for ignoring my whistle. Walked him back to the starting point and sent him again. This time I blew the whistle sooner and he spun and sat beautifully! GOOD PUPPY! Instead of sending him back to the pile I picked up a bumper at my feet and threw it so he could fetch it....after a correction for not sitting I figure that was a good way to reinforce the sit.
After that I sent him straight, then sent and sat him again (perfect), and then did a few more straight sends. I did get a correction in the next to last send...he was tired and sorta looped and popped about 10 feet in front of me, a back-nick-back got him going again and the final send was perfect. So pretty good in my book for the first day on "real" T. 
I was hoping to get a force in en route at the intersection but Slater was good and never slowed down. Not sure if that is a conscious decision on his part or not, or just he hasn't been stopped enough at the intersection to anticipate it!


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## EvanG

Anney,

Sounds like you're off to a good start! I think an updated journal of your progress would be fun and instructive. Keep it up!

EvanG


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## marsh mop

Anney, sounds like you and Slater are having fun. I would very much enjoy a regular report. A healing stick and ecollar, wow. Setting yourself up for some abuse by the positive only trainers. I love it and know Slater will be a great field dog and happy to do his work because you are a very good trainer. I have seen the proof!
Jim


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## hotel4dogs

yes yes yes, please do give us journal reports! I owuld love to read them!


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## hollyk

YES, PLease.


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## Maxs Mom

We had a Tito journal, we need a Slater journal. How else are dweebs like me to learn.


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## GoldenSail

Yes PLEASE! 

Teaching basic handling is my winter project (hoping to buy a good book at the show this weekend, or order one online). This is my first time and feels like quite the leap.


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## K9-Design

Today I set out the side piles, two white bumpers at each. Sent initially from the intersection as I knew that would cause Slater problems. He actually did pretty well although another lesson for me that I need to slow down and TEACH and not correct for everything (<------ dumb trainer). Anyways I sent a few times straight and backed up each time, I could only get about 10 feet back from the intersection before the side piles became major distractions. 
If I cast Slater back remotely (him sitting in front), twice he veered off toward a side pile. I realize that casting remote could be a bit disorienting, as the first thing he sees when he turns is a side pile. The GOOD news is I was able to stop and handle him to the back pile with relative ease, he sat with every whistle and was pretty easy to handle back. What a good little guy!!!!! That happened twice, once with each side pile. Another time when sending remote he turned then sorta wavered, paused and looked at me, I gave him a back cast, he sorta backed up in place (clearly conflicted....wants to check out side piles but knows he's not supposed to) so I gave a back-nick-back and he went right to the back pile. Not sure if that's the right thing to do or if at this stage I should just handle and show him rather than correct.
Toward the end I was sending from my side and he was having a hard time focusing on the back pile. I tried walking up but that just made him turn his head more to look at the side pile. I gave him a heel-nick-heel which I knew confused him the first time as he looked up at me and whined, I repeated it and what do you know, he looked ahead at the back pile and I sent him right away. On the next send I walked out and tossed a white bumper to the back pile, returned and sent the dog, then the last send he was very good, looked out at the back pile when I said "Sit" and I sent him right away.
I hate to see him get nervous sitting at my side as up til now I have not forced from my side, but it's something you have to run into eventually. Don't know if it was luck or he figured out what the deal was but I was happy he looked straight and ignored the side piles on the last two sends. 
He did a lot of running today, I think tomorrow we will repeat the close sends with side piles and see how it goes.
Thankfully the weather has finally broken and it was 78*. Yay!


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## hotel4dogs

Hey Anney, how about a basic description of the single T (there's one in my book, but I'd like to hear yours, it's probably better) and what its purpose is???


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## marsh mop

Anney, great read. Looking forward to more. Slater rocks! How many times did you yell " woooo what a guy"?
Jim


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## K9-Design

Jim you know I dished out a hearty WWOOOOOO HOOOOOO WHAT A GUY!!!!!!! both times when he handled to the pile 

Barb -- Single T is one of the stages of teaching retrievers to handle. You teach them the basic casts (left back, right back, left over, right over, come in) in an up-close setting first, and you teach them to stop on a whistle while they are going to the pile, and you teach them that they have one option and that is to go when sent (force to pile). You put all of this together in Single T and work it until the dog can successfully be sent straight to the back pile without slowing down (anticipating the whistle), or stopped in the middle and cast to either the back pile or side piles. This drill teaches the dog the mechanics of handling which is lining up, going when sent, going straight, stopping on the whistle, and casting back and over, all in a controlled environment.
The single T has the back pile at about 50-60 yards away and the over piles about 25 yards off the middle. The next step is Double T where the back pile is about 100 yards away and there are two intersections and two sets of side piles. The double T is the same mechanics of single T but gets the dog stretched out and handling at a greater distance. 
T work is not the only step in teaching a dog to handle on blinds but is an integral first step that teaches the mechanics needed. It doesn't teach the mental fortitude needed to look out and run to an unknown spot and it doesn't teach the dog to handle off of suction (well, I guess the side piles are suction as evidenced by my dog but you are not throwing marks and handling away from them).


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## K9-Design

Today was a quick session but successful. Sent several times from about 10-15 feet back from the intersection (so the intersection is between me and the back pile) and while Slater mainly wanted to focus on the right side pile he was much easier to pull off of it and send straight to the back pile. So yay, go puppy. We also ran water marks today. Tomorrow we go to our field trainer.


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## hotel4dogs

great explanation Anney, thanks!!!


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## K9-Design

Quick session tonight -- not sure if it was the cool weather or the 2 day layoff but Slater was en fuego today on his T work...GO PUPPY!!!! We got all the way back to the "real" starting point on the 3rd send and had no fussing and looking at side piles. He was crouching waiting to be sent to the back pile. Stopped twice en route, sit was crisp and quick, took back casts perfect, no hesitation at intersection in subsequent sends. Basically, he was perfect! Yay. These sessions are rare, haha


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## hotel4dogs

Hey Anney, this sounds somewhat similar (but farther away) to the second gloves exercise in UKC obedience. Am I right?
What do you do if they don't sit square?


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## K9-Design

Yes, T is exactly the Utility glove exercise, just on a lot bigger scale. That and it's a step, not an end result. 
If the dog doesn't sit square I blow the whistle again, if they still do not sit square I will call them in a few feet and sit them again. 
While learning sit to the whistle I do a little drill where I leave them in a sit stay, walk to the end of the leash (graduating to long line), walk to their side or behind them and blow the whistle. If they don't turn, face me and sit I can pull them with the rope. Luckily with both of my guys they are good about sitting squarely toward me.
I am also discovering that Slater always turns to his left (my right) when stopped on the whistle. Fisher has never shown a predominance in one direction or another.


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## hotel4dogs

Ok, knowing it's the utility glove exercise is VERY helpful. We can do that one!
Thanks for the info. on the square sit. Tito is the king of the NOT-SQUARE sit, including on go-outs. The problem is when he gets the sit command, he drops INSTANTLY. He doesn't turn and sit, he just sits. A lot of times on go-outs he sits FACING the ring gate and turns to look at me over his shoulder. Makes me CRAZY. Luckily he will take a jump with his back turned to it, LOL. 
Tito also strongly prefers to turn to my right. 
I want to get his sits square in the field so I don't run into some major problems later on!

edit....he also locks up instantly on the stand for exam, which is a good thing. If he has one foot in mid-air, it will stay there...it's the funniest thing.



K9-Design said:


> Yes, T is exactly the Utility glove exercise, just on a lot bigger scale. That and it's a step, not an end result.
> If the dog doesn't sit square I blow the whistle again, if they still do not sit square I will call them in a few feet and sit them again.
> While learning sit to the whistle I do a little drill where I leave them in a sit stay, walk to the end of the leash (graduating to long line), walk to their side or behind them and blow the whistle. If they don't turn, face me and sit I can pull them with the rope. Luckily with both of my guys they are good about sitting squarely toward me.
> I am also discovering that Slater always turns to his left (my right) when stopped on the whistle. Fisher has never shown a predominance in one direction or another.


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## K9-Design

Another good session tonight -- sending from full length (~60 yards) and no trouble focusing on the back pile. He knows that "sit" means look straight ahead. Stopped and handled twice to the back pile and once to the right over. He definitely prefers that right over ------- normally I would have asked for the left over but I wanted to see what he would do AFTER getting his "candy" (right over bumper). Lined him up for the back pile and he was to it like a shot, perfect!! I think he's really getting this. Will try for the left over next time. He has not once looked at the left over pile, go figure.


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## hotel4dogs

sounds like he's making GREAT progress!! 
When you say SIT means look straight ahead, do you mean at you?


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## GoldenSail

Anney, whose method are you following? I am trying to decide on a book to guide me through that this winter and think I may go with smartworks I.


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## K9-Design

hotel4dogs said:


> sounds like he's making GREAT progress!!
> When you say SIT means look straight ahead, do you mean at you?



No, in field work SIT means look straight ahead, where your spine is aligned, decidedly NOT up at me! This is important for lining up on marks or blinds. We of course train "mark" to mean a mark is coming (or rather, where you are looking is where the mark is coming from....and the dog is looking in the right direction b/c he is seated pointed at it "sit") and "dead bird" means we are running a blind now, but I primarily use "sit" to position the dog to look where I want him to.



> Anney, whose method are you following? I am trying to decide on a book to guide me through that this winter and think I may go with smartworks I.


I have Smartworks and Mike Lardy's manuals, I've also watched Rick Stawsky's videos and they are really good as well. You have to realize that they ALL basically follow the same method, just one may communicate better with you than another. Personally I like having all three because I can refer to them all and get a really clear picture of what I should be doing. Do you have Lardy's flowchart? This one little piece of paper is EXTRAORDINARILY helpful in keeping on track.

http://www.totalretriever.com/rj/totalretPDF.pdf


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## Swampcollie

Stawsky's videos aren't the best when it comes to video production (particularly the first one), but the information is very good if you can overlook the cut up camera edits.


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## EvanG

K9-Design said:


> I have Smartworks and Mike Lardy's manuals


Do you have any of the *Smartwork DVD's*? How about the *online Smartwork online Flow Chart*? Rush Creek Press online/The Smartwork System

Mini-T is where prompt, square remote sits are born. If they aren't solid there, it will soon show up in full scale T work.




 
EvanG


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## K9-Design

Hi Evan, yes I have your transition DVD, but to be honest I must have missed your flowchart! Thanks for the link.


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## GoldenSail

Thanks! I have Lardy's flowchart bookmarked and have been using it as a guide, and really need a good book now to move forward. Just teaching right/left back casts right now--very simple, short throws just want to get her turning in the right direction.


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## EvanG

*2 birds...1 stone!*

*Smartwork for Retrievers volume one; Basics & Transition* has my Flow Chart on page 29. Tons of detail on all Basics, and Early through Mid-Transition. Rush Creek Press online/The Smartwork System

EvanG


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## hotel4dogs

OK, if SIT means look straight ahead, then what means turn and look at me??
I'm soooo confused.....




K9-Design said:


> No, in field work SIT means look straight ahead, where your spine is aligned, decidedly NOT up at me! This is important for lining up on marks or blinds. We of course train "mark" to mean a mark is coming (or rather, where you are looking is where the mark is coming from....and the dog is looking in the right direction b/c he is seated pointed at it "sit") and "dead bird" means we are running a blind now, but I primarily use "sit" to position the dog to look where I want him to.
> 
> 
> 
> I have Smartworks and Mike Lardy's manuals, I've also watched Rick Stawsky's videos and they are really good as well. You have to realize that they ALL basically follow the same method, just one may communicate better with you than another. Personally I like having all three because I can refer to them all and get a really clear picture of what I should be doing. Do you have Lardy's flowchart? This one little piece of paper is EXTRAORDINARILY helpful in keeping on track.
> 
> http://www.totalretriever.com/rj/totalretPDF.pdf


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## K9-Design

That also means sit 
I only use a whistle sit at my side at the very beginning stages of teaching it. As in, the dog still needs a leash. Then on out whistle means turn and sit and you don't use a verbal unless the dog is really screwing around out there. Sit in heel position means look straight ahead. Dogs do not generalize well, and we can use this to our advantage


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## hotel4dogs

unfortunately, I've used a remote verbal sit command a lot in obedience (go-outs) and I think that's going to cause me an issue. 
I need to work on square sits BIG TIME.



K9-Design said:


> That also means sit
> I only use a whistle sit at my side at the very beginning stages of teaching it. As in, the dog still needs a leash. Then on out whistle means turn and sit and you don't use a verbal unless the dog is really screwing around out there. Sit in heel position means look straight ahead. Dogs do not generalize well, and we can use this to our advantage


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## EvanG

hotel4dogs said:


> OK, if SIT means look straight ahead, then what means turn and look at me??
> I'm soooo confused.....


Context. Make each situation distinct. When your dog is on a remote sit, he should look at you without reminder. When he's at your side (at heel) at 'sit' he should be looking forward.

EvanG


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## K9-Design

hotel4dogs said:


> unfortunately, I've used a remote verbal sit command a lot in obedience (go-outs) and I think that's going to cause me an issue.
> I need to work on square sits BIG TIME.


Why would it cause an issue? 
Field work is NOT obedience + birds. While it is nice you have the repore with your dog from obedience training, if you approach each field task with "how would I teach this in the obedience ring" or "how can I modify what we know from obedience" -- that's actually going to give you a harder time than if you train it completely separately and with no input from your competitive obedience. Trust me -- I know this -- I tried to do that with Fisher and it didn't work so well!
And by the way I have no idea how to spell repore, and neither does my spellcheck.
Anyways, as far as square sits go, the good thing about field work, unlike obedience, you have many shots to get it right, in training AND testing. If the dog doesn't sit squarely, even in a test, you can blow the whistle again, call him in a few feet and sit him, etc, until you get it right. Square sits may seem like small change but they can make a big difference. The obvious one is if the dog sits pointing to the right and you need a left back, that's gonna be a difficult cast for the dog to complete. The not so obvious one is that a crooked sit usually means a dog on auto-pilot who really doesn't want your input...and in blinds, YOU are the one squarely in control and the dog needs to realize that.


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## sterregold

Rapport...c'est Francais.


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## K9-Design

Hahaha -- spelling, not my forte! (that's Italian)


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## hotel4dogs

yes Anney, you're right, I need to get out of the obedience mind set. If I whistle him in and give him another sit, he sits very nice and square. I forget that that's allowed in field!!!! 
Excellent advice about not approaching it from an obedience standpoint, thanks.


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## K9-Design

Another session tonight. Up until now Slater had never acknowledged the left over pile so the first thing I did was sit him in the intersection, went to the starting point and gave him a left over, he took it. Well that threw him for a little loop! Now he had TWO piles to look at! I had to walk up a third of the way to get him to focus on the back pile. The next send I did from full length and he went toward the left pile, tried to handle back and he went toward the right pile, so I called him in and then sent him straight. Then on out he was good about looking forward at the back pile and going straight, but with not as much speed as before. He never actually popped but you could tell those two over piles were in his mind. I stopped him once and handled back and he did great, the rest were all straight sends. 
My friend Bob came and after that we set up marks, a double with the memory bird at just under 200 yards and the go bird from the winger right in their face, about 35 yards, then the blind in-line with the memory bird at 175 yards. We measured! haha
Two big boys ran that setup (Fisher two-whistled the blind, back-sided the memory bird gun but looped around and found it easily) and Slater ran the double with the memory bird at about 100 yards, he did great. This was on short grass, rolling terrain no cover or other factors.


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## EvanG

I'm trying to sort our if you're doing Single T right now? it sounds like it, or a form of it.

EvanG


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## K9-Design

EvanG said:


> I'm trying to sort our if you're doing Single T right now? it sounds like it, or a form of it.
> 
> EvanG


Um, yeah -- thought that was pretty apparent. Not sure what you mean by this.


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## EvanG

K9-Design said:


> Um, yeah -- thought that was pretty apparent. Not sure what you mean by this.


Not to me, due to a lack of detail about it. How long have you been on the T?

EvanG


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## K9-Design

EvanG said:


> Not to me, due to a lack of detail about it. How long have you been on the T?
> 
> EvanG


Sorry I thought it was clear-- this thread I've chronicled each session on the single T so that's been six training sessions in eleven days.


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## marsh mop

Anney, I thought you were pretty clear, but no reports since Wednesday? I know you are at it each day so where are the updated reports?
WOOO HOO what a ----- GUY!


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## K9-Design

Don't worry we aren't slacking off. Yesterday I drove to Atlanta so puppy got a day off. Today we had a REALLY good session, in Mom & Dad's front yard, which come to find out is just big enough to set up a T pattern. I got a lot of sends in, one of our longest sessions. I started out sending from a few feet closer to the intersection than full distance, then for the next send backed up to full length and did a force en route. I forced one other time when Slater popped just beyond the intersection. Other than that things went very well. I got in 4 stops and all 4 casts (left & right back, left & right over) interspersed with twice as many straight sends. Twice on straight sends Slater went for an over pile, both times he was almost at the pile before I got him stopped (they were shorter than normal, harder to stop him), and both times as I walked to him to restart he grabbed a bumper and came toward me. I don't say anything just take the bumper away and put it back, funny though because he does a submissive gesture thing both times like he knows that wasn't the right thing, even though I'm saying nothing to him and walking slowly. He's a lot more sensitive to that than Fisher is. Other than those two slip ups I was REALLY happy with him, and you can tell he is really starting to get the game. 
Slater is so much better than Fisher at this stage of the game. Then again I'm not feeling my way through it as much as with Fisher (my first dog to train past junior). I also have a firm grasp on the concept of, in these transitional yardwork steps you cannot expect perfection, I'm not going to drill single T until I can get five perfect sessions in a row. They are going to make mistakes but if they are progressing overall it's best to move on rather than labor on it too long. Double T still seems like a big jump at this point in time but single T seemed like a real leap a month ago, and here he is doing a really nice job on it.


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## K9-Design

We are finally back home. Did another T session on Saturday, I have to say things went very smoothly with no notable mistakes or breakthroughs. Slater is understanding this game very well. I think I'll do 2-3 more sessions of T and start backing up the starting line in preparation for double T.


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## EvanG

What do you anticipate seeing in this dog that will tell you it's time to move on to TT? The details I was inquiring about earlier are what your goals are for the drill, and if the dog appeared to be attaining them, or hanging up on any of them. I was just interested in your assessment of the finer points of the dog's progress on this important part of training.

For many trainers, the approach to T work is much like the approach to running a 3-legged lining pattern. If the dog cues up, runs each leg with few, if any handles, they've pretty much got it. So, if the dog cues up, goes toward the Back pile when sent, stops to whistle, and casts as directed, it's often assumed the dog has mastered the T. But T work has more components, and some less obvious (but important) goals that are very important.

EvanG


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## K9-Design

Hi Evan, I see what you are saying now. Here are the important points to me, for the dog to understand via the T drill.
1. Lining up on "sit" and looking out straight 
2. Go when sent
3. Understand force when applied
4. Stop crisply on whistle both going and coming
5. Take correct casts
6. No bugging, popping or otherwise dilly-dallying en route to the pile even if tired
7. Keep good attitude
8. Some understanding of push-pull when lining up
9. Maintain good obedience of coming to heel or sit front, hold/no mouthing, out (give), ignore bumpers on the ground, etc

Well doctor, how does it sound?


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## EvanG

K9-Design said:


> Well doctor, how does it sound?


Like the perfect prescription! Well done! :--big_grin:

EvanG


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## Maxs Mom

I am following this thread, and while I understand in concept the exercise I feel so lost.... We have a LONG way to go with Quinn yet....


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## EvanG

Lost how, Ann? Are you in the T yet?

EvanG


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## K9-Design

We picked things back up again last night, back at our normal field. Slater was really quite good, no problems at all. We have hunt tests the next two weekends so I think I will use these next two weeks to just keep T fresh and then will move onto double T after our tests are over. We are doing water drills with the big guys today so might set up a back pile in the water for Slater, just for kicks.


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## Maxs Mom

EvanG said:


> Lost how, Ann? Are you in the T yet?
> 
> EvanG


Not wanting to hi jack Anney's thread. No... I need to get my husband FF'ing her again. She is dropping her holds. Not my dog... so I can not do the work. Trust me I want to, this is a NICE dog.

I will have my new golden puppy, Evan in 3 weeks... I plan to start her out right away  I am going to go to the hardware store to get my puppy paint rollers for her to play with and will introduce her to obedience from day one. I think without pressure, I can start working on the hold command too. Trust me, I will be calling out to you . 

When we decided to get a golden pup for me. DH said we should get two pups together (same time) see who is the better trainer.... I think my pup will be doing started and JH next summer he has not done beyond WC with his. She turned 1 last week.


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## hotel4dogs

yes Ann, but his is NOT a HOOTIE puppy


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## K9-Design

hotel4dogs said:


> yes Ann, but his is NOT a HOOTIE puppy



No but more horsepower doesn't mean more success. Training is still training. In fact can be tricky with a high drive yet sensitive dog, they are not as resilient in some ways. Best of luck.


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## hotel4dogs

oh absolutely, and the high octane dogs are too much for me. Hootie is a LOT of dog, and it's a good thing he's in excellent professional hands (Bridget Carlson)

Here's his pedigree if anyone is interested (that's Bridget with him)

http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=92705



K9-Design said:


> No but more horsepower doesn't mean more success. Training is still training. In fact can be tricky with a high drive yet sensitive dog, they are not as resilient in some ways. Best of luck.


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## GoldenSail

This thread is very helpful! I guess even though I am not ready to stop and send to side piles yet (but do stop and send back) that I can consider myself working single t? I have the set-up, just not doing the full mechanics yet.

How is Slater coming along? You ready to move on to double t? And how many retrieves do you do in a single session?


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## K9-Design

Sorry I haven't updated this in a while -- we took a few weeks off to do hunt tests and since then I've done a handful of sessions (bad trainer).
Anyways recently I have been stretching out the back pile to the 100 yards, still with just the far intersection bumpers. I was getting some flaring/banana line near the far intersection because Slater was LOOKING at the right side pile while running toward the back pile! Tried several different things to try and correct this (namely, force en route before he would start to look/flare and handling) both of which would work for that run but not carry over to the next time and wasn't actually addressing the problem which was him looking to the side and drifting in that direction. Finally I nicked him exactly when he looked at the right pile and yelled BACK. Direct pressure and it worked. 
My field instructor, who bred Slater, constantly remarks that his mother is "very visual" and is extremely distracted by visible objects or movements in the field, that this has been a training challenge for her. Not sure if I'm ready to buy that about Slater but maybe he is similar. The first time he started the looking to the right pile/banana line, there were some pieces of white paper or trash over there beyond the side pile that I think he was looking at. BTW Slater's mommy Allie got her first master pass this weekend 
The good news is I have stopped at the far intersection and handled with me at 100 yards and Slater has done AWESOME.
Oh and to answer your question I usually put 10 bumpers at the back pile and two at each over pile, and rarely use them all. I tend to stop when I feel like the dog has mastered some concept or overcome some difficulty on that particular day.


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## hotel4dogs

I thought maybe you were just lying around on the beach instead of training and that's why no updates 
Interesting comment about being visual, and how you corrected it with Slater. I know that's going to be an issue with Tito, even when he's returning with a mark, on land or water, his head is going to see what else might be out there. I've nicked him "HERE" when he does it, and it seems to work...but only for a little while...


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## K9-Design

Well okay here we are back with regular sessions. Today was nice and cold and we had a good session. Sending from full length and only on the first send did I get the side-looking, gave a low nick and that was the last of that I saw today. He runs hard to the back pile. Today was the first time I've stopped him with me the full length away of the double T. I've put little flags at the two intersections but clearly I need to be more careful of my depth perception! I tried first stopping him at the far intersection but clearly I blew the whistle too late, he sorta curved to look back at me then booked it to the back pile OOPS
I am debating whether on the first few times of double T I should stop at the first or second intersection, I need to read my books. On one hand the near intersection is closer (more control) on the other hand he is used to stopping at the far one from single T. 
The next stops I was quicker on the whistle and he did respond well. I stopped 3 times, two sends to over piles and one send to back. 
I'm at the stage where he is working with me but still not sure what I want him to do every step of the way. We just need to work it.


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## GoldenSail

What is your setup for the double t? I get from the post that the back pile is 100 yards but where are the side piles located and how far from the center? Sounds like when you did single t the side piles were closer to the back pile?


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## hotel4dogs

Even on the UKC gloves I have to work on my stop signals, I have to give the SIT command when he's about 6 feet from where I actually want him to sit to allow for forward momentum, so I can imagine it's going to be a big learning process for me when we do the T. Glad you mentioned it, I'll need to try to remember to give the whistle quite a way short of where I actually want him to stop.
I learn a lot from you!





K9-Design said:


> Well okay here we are back with regular sessions. Today was nice and cold and we had a good session. Sending from full length and only on the first send did I get the side-looking, gave a low nick and that was the last of that I saw today. He runs hard to the back pile. Today was the first time I've stopped him with me the full length away of the double T. I've put little flags at the two intersections but clearly I need to be more careful of my depth perception! I tried first stopping him at the far intersection but clearly I blew the whistle too late, he sorta curved to look back at me then booked it to the back pile OOPS
> I am debating whether on the first few times of double T I should stop at the first or second intersection, I need to read my books. On one hand the near intersection is closer (more control) on the other hand he is used to stopping at the far one from single T.
> The next stops I was quicker on the whistle and he did respond well. I stopped 3 times, two sends to over piles and one send to back.
> I'm at the stage where he is working with me but still not sure what I want him to do every step of the way. We just need to work it.


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## Maxs Mom

Man I want space to do these things and someone to train me....


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## K9-Design

GoldenSail said:


> What is your setup for the double t? I get from the post that the back pile is 100 yards but where are the side piles located and how far from the center? Sounds like when you did single t the side piles were closer to the back pile?


The back pile is at 100 yards. The "far" intersection (one closer to the pile) is about 30 yards away from the back pile, the near intersection another 30 yards away. The side piles are 25 yards from their intersection. I haven't changed where the intersections or side piles are I've just moved back.


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## K9-Design

Okay another little update. First off, I thought I was real smart and video-ed (is that a word?) our last training session a few days ago, but the memory card filled up after four minutes and the stupid thing won't download off the camera! I have officially put a Flip camcorder on my Christmas list. The video was pretty cute too.
Anyhoo I backed up to baseball for a few sessions -- as I lengthened out the backpile for double T and was doing more straight sends to teach it, Slater's casting took a downslide and I found it was not as smooth as needed, I was having to actually handle to get him to the correct pile (as in, not just one cast) which is not the point of T/TT. I went back to a few sessions of baseball to smooth things out, and I'm really glad I did. I learned I have to do a very consistent cadence with my casting with him, which of course after spending a few years handling Fisher -- is quite different, at least in this learning phase.


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## GoldenSail

Awww....I wanna see video! Well, hopefully after Christmas then!

How is baseball different from single t?


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## EvanG

K9-Design said:


> The back pile is at 100 yards. *The "far" intersection (one closer to the pile) is about 30 yards away from the back pile*, the near intersection another 30 yards away. The side piles are 25 yards from their intersection. I haven't changed where the intersections or side piles are I've just moved back.


Well, no one could accuse you of holding low standards! Pretty tempting stopping them only 30 yards from the Back pile, much less casting out of that degree of suction.

I configure my TT on a 100 yard Back pile also. But my casting apexes are at 25 & 50 yards from baseline, leaving the Back pile another 50 yards from the second apex (stop point). That provides the same mechanics with less suction, and more distance on Back casts.

EvanG


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## K9-Design

EvanG said:


> Well, no one could accuse you of holding low standards! Pretty tempting stopping them only 30 yards from the Back pile, much less casting out of that degree of suction.
> 
> I configure my TT on a 100 yard Back pile also. But my casting apexes are at 25 & 50 yards from baseline, leaving the Back pile another 50 yards from the second apex (stop point). That provides the same mechanics with less suction, and more distance on Back casts.
> 
> EvanG


Hi Evan, good point and one I hadn't considered....I do have to be quick on the whistle, that's probably why! If I'm too slow he will book it all the way to the back pile, grab a bumper THEN sit, haha well an A for effort.


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## K9-Design

GoldenSail said:


> Awww....I wanna see video! Well, hopefully after Christmas then!
> 
> How is baseball different from single t?


It is on the same configuration as single T, but instead of sending the dog from "home base" and stopping him at the pitcher's mound and casting, you are leaving him in a sit at the pitcher's mound, walking to home base, and casting him from there. It's the step that comes before single T, it just takes out the sending and stopping on the whistle. Basic casting.


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## GoldenSail

K9-Design said:


> It is on the same configuration as single T, but instead of sending the dog from "home base" and stopping him at the pitcher's mound and casting, you are leaving him in a sit at the pitcher's mound, walking to home base, and casting him from there. It's the step that comes before single T, it just takes out the sending and stopping on the whistle. Basic casting.


So, wouldn't this also be the mini-t, or is it on a larger scale like the single t?


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## K9-Design

So I'm resurrecting this thread and will give you a rundown of what we've done since the last post.
Slater's biggest hangup is his owner who only does yardwork with him about twice a week.  At least he's getting plenty of marks when we train the big dogs.
So early in the year we went through Hell Week where Slater learned all about force en route. It was kinda traumatic and I got all the classic avoidance behaviors, bugging, climbing, no gos, to work out of but WE DID IT. And WOW when you line this little guy up to a back pile he freakin BOOKS IT. I have no more problems with him looking to the side or banana lining the back pile. It was definitely one of those two steps forward, one step back situations and at the time I was convinced I had ruined my dog. Instead we stuck to it and now I have a dog who looks out with absolutely conviction and runs like hell when told to, very stylish and happy!
Of course the flip side of that is, Slater forgot all about how to stop on the whistle. ANY noise or collar pressure from me meant GO GO GO to him. So I had to go back and teach whistle sit, and reinforce with the collar, and slowly reintroduce a sit to our back pile. He is now sitting very nicely on the whistle and really seems to understand.
The other issue we've worked through since the beginning of the year was water force. Right around Thanksgiving we had just finished decheating drills with Slater, and en route to a somewhat cheaty, fading shoreline type of long water mark, he got a nick for running too far down on the shore. That was dumb for me to have let happen. Well from then on out he was convinced the shore was going to bite him so when sent on ANY water mark he would balk -- leave the line the come back to me before getting in the water. Again I was convinced I had ruined my dog. But you know what, they all gotta learn it somehow so now was as good a time as any. I was very patient and deliberate and got him through water force and haven't looked back. He is back running his water marks with great speed and style and a wonderful entry.
So where are we in transition? Through T work, the only things I want to do before moving on are more disciplined casting (I have him going from side pile to side pile holding a bumper, but haven't done any back casts) and some proofing things like throwing a bumper to one pile then casting to another. He also greatly prefers a left back cast so most of our back casts are right. This kind of stuff is always a work in progress. He also is getting the hang of sight blinds, using a white stake, and what is cool is, every few I will end up handling, meaning he didn't see the stake to begin with and really was running a blind. I'm not pushing it and these are easy but he is figuring it out.
Today I started a back pile in the water, sent him straight several times and for the first time ever, stopped him en route in the water. He turned around and looked at me, treaded pretty well for the first time and then took a perfect back cast. GOOD PUPPY!!!!!!
So that's where we are. In the field he is doing longer and more difficult singles and moderate doubles.


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## hotel4dogs

are you for hire????


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## Maxs Mom

No kidding Anney.... are you? For hire?


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## GoldenSail

Yay! Good to hear updates! Helps keeps things in perspective of for me as well...


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## K9-Design

Another update. I have really worked with Slater a lot on his water T and he has done GREAT. We've probably done 6-7 sessions in the water, teaching the back pile, a little bit of force into the water for good measure (I was worried how he would take this given his prior water force but it was fine), stopping in the water and casting left & right back and over. He has flown through this and really done wonderfully. The pond near my house has a channel that the end of is perfect in size, although since it's a channel you can only put out one over pile at a time, but that's fine. Our training grounds outside of town has a perfect swim-by pond and yesterday after we did marks, I set up a full T on that pond and Slater took to it right away. I've started to teach a real swim-by, by sending him to one side pile, stopping, throwing a bumper to the other side pile, and commanding him "over." Of course he does that. Yesterday I got him to do a real swim-by on his own, although he wanted to come into me at first, once his feet hit the bottom and he could walk, he splashed to the opposite pile. He never actually got on my shore and stayed in the water. I walked to him at the side pile and we had a party! GOOD DOG!!! We go again tomorrow so I will work some again on it. He is SO smart and with a little explanation, does anything you want, I am lucky!
As far as marks, Slater did his first real triple the other day, after teaching the long memory bird. Little by little I'm pushing him on his memory and he eats it up.
I have a lot to work on still but I can at least see where I'm going with this. 
I am going out of town for two weeks but will start land pattern blinds when I get back so we can get some real handling in.


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## hotel4dogs

I love reading your Slater's education posts....you can also call them "Barb's Education"!


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## GoldenSail

Very nice! Swimby sounds challenging to me!


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## K9-Design

Okay an update on new stuff. I have been out of town and not got any water work done in a few weeks. Will resume swim-by soon.
T and other baseball-proofing drills are I feel, a lifetime maintenance so you can never really be "done" with them. But for Slater, we've done it enough that I feel he understands the game, the instructions and corrections. So we're moving on.
I have returned to my big field at the community college to commence with pattern blinds.
Pattern blinds are long blinds in a flat, featureless field that you specifically teach the dog. They allow you to work on the mechanics of the blind running that he learned in T/TT, but on a larger scale and in more of a field setting. It gets the dog looking and running long. They cannot see the destination but they know it's there. I am using the same pattern blinds I used with Fisher, which the shortest one is about 85 yards, next is about 120 and the next about 140. They all have the same origin and fan out from there, so we can run them all from the same point. I am teaching the middle one first, it is the longest one. Yesterday was our first session. I am marking this one with a stake but it is a black stake so not very visible to the dog, but since it has no barrier behind it (like a fence or treeline) I want to know where it is! The others have just orange tape tied to the fence or tree, no stake. Anyways, to begin I walked Slater to about 25 yards from the pile, I walked to the pile and let him see me toss the bumpers down. I returned and sent him from my side. When he came back I took the bumper, left him in a sit with his back to the pile, and walked about 30 yards, turned and casted him back to the pile. When he returned I sent him to the pile by my side. By backing up and alternately sending him from my side or remote, it took about 10 sends for us to get back to the full distance (140 yds). Quit after running it full length. He did not need to be handled or forced on any of the sends.
Today we went out again. This time I drove to the blind (same blind) and set the bumpers myself. Drove back to the starting point, parked, and walked Slater straight at the blind until we got about 40 yards from it. He has not seen the blind planted but remembers it from yesterday, so lines it from my side. Again we alternatively repeated the blind from either my side or remote cast, moving back with each send. Only took 3 sends to get the whole distance. He ran it full distance, then I hand-threw him a mark off to the side. Then I lined him up to the blind again and ran that, he lined it.
So from here on out, this pattern blind will always be in the same spot but he will not see me plant the bumpers. Tomorrow I will make it harder by sending him the first time from half way, so he will need to remember it a little better than he did today. It will take probably 3 more sessions of gradually making the first send longer before we will be able to roll up and send from the full length the first time. At this point I will know that Slater has memorized that pattern blind, and I will move on and teach the 2nd blind (the right one that goes to the fence, about 45º separation from the first one) in the same manner.

Here is our pattern blind field:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...9.68617,-82.437544&spn=0.002349,0.005166&z=18

See the green dot in the middle of the field? If you follow that south so it is even with the white trailers on the right, that is our starting point. The pattern blind we are working on now (#1) is straight north from that spot to the big tree at the top of the map. PB #2 will be on the right against the fence near the middle tree behind the houses. PB #3 will be to the left against the tree line kinda even with that green spot in the middle. I ran these same ones with Fisher several years ago, and they served me well!


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## hotel4dogs

thanks for the update! I get such great information from your training sessions


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## K9-Design

Okay I should just retitle this, "We check in once a month on what Slater is up to." 

Pattern blinds. Taught the first two which he does relatively well. I say relatively because I think if I tried to get them perfect I would dig myself a bigger hole. They are LONG and in this weather he can only do so many before I get some weird behavior at the line which is clearly avoidance but also stress from not wanting to get corrected for the said weird stuff. Slater has a tendency to glance up and make eye contact with me after I say "Good" and right before sending for the blind, which kinda puts a loop in the sequence. He also will occasionally pop on the first send, just within the first ten yards or so, but I don't have to do anything but take a step and he turns around and books it. He clearly knows he shouldn't but, well it's kinda weird. At this point I am anxious to be done with the pattern blind stage as I think it is physically fatiguing for him and that is a downer. I am going to start blind drills next which is a lot more fun for the dog, and really, I think once I actually get to cold blinds Slater will have a lot of fun with it and this weird stuff will go away. Nothing like optimism, eh? So in six months when all this baloney shows up on real blinds, remind me of this.
Today I did a swimby on my friend's training pond, which is a perfect swimby pond, about 10 x 25 yards. SLATER WAS PERFECT and did a REAL honest to goodness swimby - PERFECTLY. I think we are ready to move on with it! Problem is I can't remember what is next in water blinds. I think channel blinds??? Back to the books.
In other news he is getting quite proficient at his doubles. 
He has also gotten a good taste of live birds, something he hasn't had since pigeons as a puppy. He's taken a few sessions with the shackled ducks to get it but he's getting better at maneuvering the live birds and more quickly picking them up. It's funny, he runs right at them and tackles them but if they flap around he's like "AGHHGG it's ALIVE?!!!!" and acts like he doesn't want to hurt them! Meanwhile Fisher is the Deathbringer and they are lucky to make it out alive.
Anyhooo, that's our update. So I need to figure out what to do next on water and find someone to throw marks for our blind drills.


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## hotel4dogs

loved your update!
Can you explain to me how you are doing pattern blinds?


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## K9-Design

hotel4dogs said:


> loved your update!
> Can you explain to me how you are doing pattern blinds?


Barb see post # 74 on how I teach pattern blinds.
At this point I am sending him from our "starting point" usually one, then the other, about 2 each if there are no problems. He is pretty much lining them so we have kind of exhausted their use before I start putting marks with them. Occasionally I will have to handle if he is traveling too far off line, so I do, just stop him and give him over or back casts. They aren't perfect but as long as he changes direction roughly where I want him, I let him roll, as Sail said above, let him carry the cast and he eventually is like "OH YEAH!" and runs to the blind he knows.


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## hotel4dogs

Got it Anney, thanks. 
I'm working on learning the terminology here, my pro uses some different terms and different drills, so I'm making sure that I'm understanding what you're doing. Didn't back up to post 74, ooops. What I was having a hard time with in my simple little brain was the difference between lining and pattern blinds.




K9-Design said:


> Barb see post # 74 on how I teach pattern blinds.
> At this point I am sending him from our "starting point" usually one, then the other, about 2 each if there are no problems. He is pretty much lining them so we have kind of exhausted their use before I start putting marks with them. Occasionally I will have to handle if he is traveling too far off line, so I do, just stop him and give him over or back casts. They aren't perfect but as long as he changes direction roughly where I want him, I let him roll, as Sail said above, let him carry the cast and he eventually is like "OH YEAH!" and runs to the blind he knows.


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## hotel4dogs

it was 45 degrees here today, Fisher and Slater would have loved it. You're welcome any time...


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## GoldenSail

Very nice! I wonder when we will get to swimby. I am really worried about it--sounds challenging. Made it this far...

Is there a reason you set up your pattern blinds that way? I am just learning and having a friend help me. Scout's first pattern blinds are not that long.


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## K9-Design

hotel4dogs said:


> Got it Anney, thanks.
> I'm working on learning the terminology here, my pro uses some different terms and different drills, so I'm making sure that I'm understanding what you're doing. Didn't back up to post 74, ooops. What I was having a hard time with in my simple little brain was the difference between lining and pattern blinds.


Gotcha. Really I'm not sure what "lining drills" specifically refers to as I suppose there are a lot of drills that could be classified as this.
I've gathered from your reports that your "lining drills" are sending the dog from your side to a visible destination such as a white stake or bucket. Your dog doesn't handle yet so he would have to see the object to be successful. I suppose it does set the dog up to learn to go straight but since it's so visible, I think the real purpose of something like that is to teach him to run to a white stake 
In my mind a lining drill would be something like wagon wheel, W drill, etc, where the dog must make the CHOICE to go straight and line what he is pointed at, in the face of suction elsewhere.


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## hotel4dogs

Thanks Anney. I need to learn proper terms. Normally my pro doesn't call them lining, marking, casting or anything else drills. He just tells me what to do. Sometimes he uses drill names, but they aren't always what *everyone else* calls them!
Here's what I would consider a lining drill.....something we are doing right now....tell me what you would consider it:
We are in medium-high cover (which is getting stupidly high), shoulder deep for Tito. There are 3 white stakes set in a row in front of us, about 75 yards away. They are about 20 yards from each other. So there is one stake directly in front of us, another stake off to our right but in line with the center stake 20 yards from it, one off to our left in line with the center stake 20 yards from it. He can see the stakes when he gets about halfway to them, pretty much not before that because of the height of the cover. 
He has not seen me put the bumpers or birds at the stakes, but we have run this drill a couple of times before so he *knows* they're out there somewhere. We are starting from roughly the same starting position each time, although I do vary the distance a bit. No less than 50 yards, no more than 100, but it gives him a slightly different line to run.
He's in heel position. I pivot to the correct stake, tell him "dead bird", and when his spine/head are aligned the way I want him to head I tell him "back". He runs in a straight line (hopefully, ha ha) to the stake and does the retrieve. After he brings it back to me, I pivot with him, and I send him to the next stake, then typically back to the first stake, and so on until all the bumpers/birds are back to me. If he gets off the line more than a few feet I do stop him and handle him, but I'd rather not if he's heading pretty much in the correct general direction. I know when he gets halfway he's going to see the stake and fix the line himself. My stakes are kind of close together, so I don't let him get too far off the line, though.
So I would call that a lining drill. What would you call it?
We do the wagon wheel, I would for SURE call that a lining drill. We're only up to 8 bumpers, I haven't pushed it to 16 yet.
My (probably erroneous) notion of a casting drill involves any time he is FACING me, rather than in heel position. 
On another topic, my pro is really, really a stickler for getting things 1000% correct before moving on. While I for sure see the value in it, it can be frustrating at times. He's put a lot of GRHRCH titles on dogs, so I figure he knows what he's doing. For example, the casting drill we are doing (which I call a casting drill, lol, and he calls the "iron cross", it's pretty similar to baseball but you don't stay at home plate) we may NEVER get past. SHEEEEEESH.


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## K9-Design

Right, yeah I guess you would call that a lining drill, I've not heard a drill with a specific name of that description. Actually sounds pretty hard especially with a very inexperienced handling dog. What if he is insistent about heading to the "wrong one"? 40 yards apart at 100 yards is a small amount of separation. 
Also are you measuring it? Only because in the one video you posted of Tito doing a retrieve, you said it was like 200 yards and I think it was maybe half that, just by looking at the height of the thrower  If this same drill were 50 yards with the piles 20 yards apart, I think that would be a lot more doable and reasonable for a dog at Tito's level of handing. If he can't see the piles until he gets halfway there then I would doubt he really knows WHICH one he is being sent to, at that small degree of separation. 
Everyone has their own drills they rely on, and if you're clever you end up inventing ones that address a specific need of your dog.


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## hotel4dogs

It's my front alfalfa field, so I do know exactly how big the field is. Unfortunately that's why the stakes are so close together, the width of the field limits us. 
He hasn't been insistent on heading for the wrong one, yet, although I suppose at some point that's going to happen and then it will be whistle-cast-whistle-cast-whistle-cast-.... Normally he can carry a straight back line pretty well. And remember, he knows *about* where the stakes are. They are clearly visible to him when he gets halfway, or for sure by the time he's about 30 yards from them (I have yellow caution tape tied to the top of the stake so he can see it). We vary between 50-100 yards, but he has run to these same stakes in this same location before. I leave the stakes in the ground, advantage of working on your own property.
Anyway, that's what I would consider a lining drill, because I'm strictly working on getting him to run in a straight line the way his spine/head face. There's no real suction, though, it's just an alfalfa field. No trees, bushes, hills etc. to draw him off the line. 
But now, until they cut the alfalfa, we can't do this. It's over his head.





K9-Design said:


> Right, yeah I guess you would call that a lining drill, I've not heard a drill with a specific name of that description. Actually sounds pretty hard especially with a very inexperienced handling dog. What if he is insistent about heading to the "wrong one"? 40 yards apart at 100 yards is a small amount of separation.
> Also are you measuring it? Only because in the one video you posted of Tito doing a retrieve, you said it was like 200 yards and I think it was maybe half that, just by looking at the height of the thrower  If this same drill were 50 yards with the piles 20 yards apart, I think that would be a lot more doable and reasonable for a dog at Tito's level of handing. If he can't see the piles until he gets halfway there then I would doubt he really knows WHICH one he is being sent to, at that small degree of separation.
> Everyone has their own drills they rely on, and if you're clever you end up inventing ones that address a specific need of your dog.


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## K9-Design

Ah, okay! I didn't realize these were a permanent fixture in your field, so really they are like pattern blinds, since he knows where they are. 
The other piles, ones other than the one you are sending him to, are the suction 
Suction in the form of birds/bumpers are typically much more powerful than anything the terrain can offer (at least on land). Wagon wheel is useful because the other bumpers you are NOT lining him to are RIGHT THERE. This drill you've got going on is like a real big wagon wheel, bred to a pattern blind 



hotel4dogs said:


> It's my front alfalfa field, so I do know exactly how big the field is. Unfortunately that's why the stakes are so close together, the width of the field limits us.
> He hasn't been insistent on heading for the wrong one, yet, although I suppose at some point that's going to happen and then it will be whistle-cast-whistle-cast-whistle-cast-.... Normally he can carry a straight back line pretty well. And remember, he knows *about* where the stakes are. They are clearly visible to him when he gets halfway, or for sure by the time he's about 30 yards from them (I have yellow caution tape tied to the top of the stake so he can see it). We vary between 50-100 yards, but he has run to these same stakes in this same location before. I leave the stakes in the ground, advantage of working on your own property.
> Anyway, that's what I would consider a lining drill, because I'm strictly working on getting him to run in a straight line the way his spine/head face. There's no real suction, though, it's just an alfalfa field. No trees, bushes, hills etc. to draw him off the line.
> But now, until they cut the alfalfa, we can't do this. It's over his head.


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## hotel4dogs

now we just need a name for a drill that's a wagon wheel x pattern blind 



K9-Design said:


> Ah, okay! I didn't realize these were a permanent fixture in your field, so really they are like pattern blinds, since he knows where they are.
> The other piles, ones other than the one you are sending him to, are the suction
> Suction in the form of birds/bumpers are typically much more powerful than anything the terrain can offer (at least on land). Wagon wheel is useful because the other bumpers you are NOT lining him to are RIGHT THERE. This drill you've got going on is like a real big wagon wheel, bred to a pattern blind


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## K9-Design

Okee dokee we have updates. Actually, a lil milestone.
Today Slater did his first cold blinds. And he did great.
I have, and will continue to do, several sessions of blind drills where we establish a blind (more like, a real big back pile, say 50-60 yards away), have a gunner go out and throw marks and alternate mark-blind-mark-blind. He handled these quite well.
Slater didn't LOVE pattern blinds like Fisher did, so I decided to move on after I was done with them. I did not do diversions on my pattern blind field which may come back to bite me but I really wanted to get on already with handling.
Lately we have also been running a lot of walking baseball which has done wonders for taking correct casts and silent casts. Slater really enjoys this game.
So today we were at a small field, flat with a few trees here and there and low cover. I set out three blinds, 90º apart, the shortest one at about 50 yards and the longest at about 80 yards. White stakes. Slater lined up and looked out right away, no fussing and I sent him right away. First blind he lined. What was cool was that he took a pretty good line, started to drift to the left and slow down just a tad, and that's when he saw the stake and put it in overdrive. That is EXACTLY what I wanted to see. He didn't actually see the stake to begin with, but it gave him a great boost of confidence when he got all the way out there. The 2nd blind he took one "over" cast near the end. The 3rd blind he lined, in the same fashion as the first one.
So I think, a great beginning and a big step. We'll see how it goes next time.


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## hotel4dogs

sounds like great progress!!!


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## AmberSunrise

Sounds like some great progress


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## GoldenSail

Awesome! Wanna come train mine?


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## K9-Design

Flip camera = best invention evar
Okay here is a lil vid from last night, 2nd session with cold blinds. 





Still not sure why it is showing it twice. Whatever.


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## DNL2448

Impressive! He is so cute, and HAPPY! Love his attitude.

So, how do you start the whistle sit? Slater has such a nice one, I'd like to get the same kind of response on my doggers.


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## hollyk

Wow! Looks like he holds a nice line. Happy, Happy Boy.


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## hotel4dogs

great video! He looks like he's really coming along nicely.


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## Radarsdad

Good attitude a pleasure to watch him run.


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## AmberSunrise

What a pleasure that video was to watch - Slater looks awesome.


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