# What holds you back from entering or advancing in fieldwork?



## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Not every golden retriever is going to handle fieldwork - and it is a very expensive and time consuming venture.... which takes money and time away from things that you may actually be interested in or your dogs would enjoy better.

I heard that despite the fact your dog is going to be retrieving dead and rotting birds that were shot the day before or whatnot.... that there will still be guns going off. (Jacks is very sound sensitive)

I saw pictures of the "water" that the dogs may be working in. Green, heavy with algae and going through mucky areas.... so blue algae and blasto strikes fear in my heart there....

The rest of it is I know people who do fieldwork with their dogs. I know how hard they work. I know how much time they spend out there with the dogs - every day. And in their cases, they have more free time than I do, as I'm at work during those early morning hours that they are heading out in summer to get the training done. <- And a lot of it is driving about 1.5 hours north of where I live to where a pro gives lessons or has fields available.

Obedience training and even conformation stuff appeals to me better because though you still have to train every day, you can train when you get home from work or as I have been doing... basically in snatches several times a day, including me setting up jumps and articles and some other stuff as late as 12AM some days.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

#1 reason - access to gator free water


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Gators would keep me out of it too! I want to get more involved but I don't have anyone to train with. I'd like to join a group or club but the local HRC doesn't email me back when I try to contact them and I don't have the extra money to spend sending the dogs out to a professional. I enjoy training them anyway but I'm not sure we'll get to start on Archer's JH title this summer like I want to do.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Wow, I hadn't thought of Alligators! How interesting. Does shooting into the water in places before you start training drive them away? Or do you just give up and try to find somewhere else? Do fences have any effect on keeping them out of ponds small enough to fence? I have no experience with alligators.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Alaska7133 said:


> Wow, I hadn't thought of Alligators! How interesting. Does shooting into the water in places before you start training drive them away? Or do you just give up and try to find somewhere else? Do fences have any effect on keeping them out of ponds small enough to fence? I have no experience with alligators.


For me personally, I'm not going to take the chance to find out. Once a gator has been known to be in a body of water, it is off limits for my dogs. Most people involved in retriever work around here feel differently, but they will also admit you lose the occasional dog to a gator.


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

I assume this is open to people who don't do field work, given the topic.

My reason for not getting into field work is because it doesn't interest me at this junction, in addition to how much time and money would need to be invested. I'm spread pretty thin on both of those items, and just find a more rewarding use of them elsewhere. 

I also don't really like touching dead birds. Yuck.


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## rob1 (Sep 21, 2009)

Hunt trials are pretty far down on the list of things I want to do with Lucky- but they're definitely on the list.

I think a couple of factors are at play for me. I don't know any trainers off the bat and I know it's probably going to involve a big chunk of time/travel to train. I have lots of things I'm already into- Rally, Obedience, Agility. If I had someone pulling me in, I'd be happy to skip out of Rally/Obedience to do hunt work (but not agility- I love agility)- but I don't.

I also want to do tracking- and know where I can go to get into that, but it's a 45 minute drive, so I figure we'll wait on that. With hunting, I don't even know where I'd start. Plus, I really like a largely positive reinforcement approach, and I know hunt can be more old school. My dad used to field trial (setters & pointers)- and seriously, I'd have gotten into a fight with some of those folks.


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## coaraujo (Nov 2, 2012)

I find fieldwork absolutely mesmerizing. I LOVE it. And I've barely even gotten my feet wet yet, so I can only imagine how crazy I'll be once I really get going. Right now what's holding me back is inexperience and lack of knowledge. I really know nothing. I've never held a gun. I don't know anything about hunting. I remember in hunting class a couple weeks ago my instructor asked me if the pheasants we had in our freezer were hens or roosters. Me and my BF looked at each other like . Idk how to tell! I want to learn it all, but I really do know nothing. I'm starting from 0. So we have far to go. But luckily everyone is very nice and willing to share their expertise especially if you show you're willing to volunteer. I wish I had a more outdoorsy background, but doesn't mean I can't learn now! I'd really love to actually learn to hunt and take my boys out hunting with me. But that'd take me actually having skills...so probably should just stick to the dogs.


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

Brave said:


> I assume this is open to people who don't do field work, given the topic.
> 
> My reason for not getting into field work is because it doesn't interest me at this junction, in addition to how much time and money would need to be invested. I'm spread pretty thin on both of those items, and just find a more rewarding use of them elsewhere.
> 
> I also don't really like touching dead birds. Yuck.


This question came up in another thread from Alaska7133 and she received some really great responses.

Field training isn't for everyone, especially if you don't like dead birds, handling a gun, or have a gun shy dog!  However, I don't believe conformation, agility, etc. is for everyone either. All of our dogs are so different from one another and we all have our own interests, priorities, and free time that is available. You just have to find whatever fits best between you and your dog. 

I'm on my way to starting down the field training path and have received so much help and advice from so many people on the forum. I do enjoy bird hunting and have handled a gun since the age of 10 and would love to see what Josie is capable of out in the field. I'm not going to push her because this may not be her thing, but the breed was developed for hunting, so I'm willing to see what and if she can do anything. She loves water retrieving so I know that will come easily for her. She's a little relaxed on land retrieving, so we'll see where she goes. If anything, it's just a great excuse to spend time with Josie out in the great outdoors. 

Loisiana - I wish you were closer. You would be more than welcome to come train in clear, freshwater lakes that are void of gators!  I'm very fortunate that my parents live on a wonderful inland lake and I have plenty of property available to use with fields and forest. Even have some frozen pheasant wings in the freezer to use. 

Coaraujo - Loved your post.  Hunting is in my blood. My dad is a fantastic teacher and I still learn so much from him every time we go hunting together. Wish you could join us!


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## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

The only holding me back is my fear of screwing up my dog. I really need to get out and start working him hopefully he cold will be over soon and the ice will melt. I was planning on taking this year off to train and get solid in areas but we will be working on rallyand finishing up that title.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

rob1 said:


> I also want to do tracking- and know where I can go to get into that, but it's a 45 minute drive, so I figure we'll wait on that.


:doh:I soooo need to move someday!

I'm currently driving three hours each way every Sunday to take a tracking class. The one extra benefit is the park the tracking class is held in also has an area designated for dog training and includes a pond. So I can get in a little bit of water work and then take a tracking class.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

coaraujo said:


> I find fieldwork absolutely mesmerizing. I LOVE it. And I've barely even gotten my feet wet yet, so I can only imagine how crazy I'll be once I really get going. Right now what's holding me back is inexperience and lack of knowledge. I really know nothing. I've never held a gun. I don't know anything about hunting. I remember in hunting class a couple weeks ago my instructor asked me if the pheasants we had in our freezer were hens or roosters. Me and my BF looked at each other like . Idk how to tell! I want to learn it all, but I really do know nothing. I'm starting from 0. So we have far to go. But luckily everyone is very nice and willing to share their expertise especially if you show you're willing to volunteer. I wish I had a more outdoorsy background, but doesn't mean I can't learn now! I'd really love to actually learn to hunt and take my boys out hunting with me. But that'd take me actually having skills...so probably should just stick to the dogs.


 

Try it!! I just learned to hunt this past season. Before that I'd only shot a gun once in my life and I was raised in the suburbs. When I got Archer I decided I was going to start training him to retrieve and he loved it so much I had to learn to hunt for him. I think it's one of the most fun things I've ever done with a dog. I'm sure it's not for everyone but the way I see it, it's not any worse than buying meat from the store. We have a nice collection of frozen pheasant and duck wings to train with now. It helped a lot that I had my boyfriend to go with when I started and his uncle is an avid hunter so he taught me a lot the times we went together. By the end of the season I was hunting by myself. You have to carry a lot of gear though lol


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## coaraujo (Nov 2, 2012)

ArchersMom said:


> Try it!! I just learned to hunt this past season. Before that I'd only shot a gun once in my life and I was raised in the suburbs. When I got Archer I decided I was going to start training him to retrieve and he loved it so much I had to learn to hunt for him. I think it's one of the most fun things I've ever done with a dog. I'm sure it's not for everyone but the way I see it, it's not any worse than buying meat from the store. We have a nice collection of frozen pheasant and duck wings to train with now. It helped a lot that I had my boyfriend to go with when I started and his uncle is an avid hunter so he taught me a lot the times we went together. By the end of the season I was hunting by myself. You have to carry a lot of gear though lol


See, that sounds incredible! But don't you need permits and things like that? I wish there was someone in my family who hunts who I could learn from.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

A year long hunting permit is under $100 here. It is my most expensive hobby by far though. We have a wonderful wildlife area that's only 10 miles from my house and we hunt there for free. It's first come first serve though so we usually head out between 3-4 am to hunt at sunrise. There might be a wildlife area near you. I got my gun as a present from my dad. It's just a simple 20 gauge shotgun, I think he paid around $350 for it.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

What is holding me back from training more and advancing more/faster is real life. I work full time, including most weekends. Oh, that and the weather sucks about 50% of the year here.
Tito would love to do nothing but field work, all the time.


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## coaraujo (Nov 2, 2012)

ArchersMom said:


> A year long hunting permit is under $100 here. It is my most expensive hobby by far though. We have a wonderful wildlife area that's only 10 miles from my house and we hunt there for free. It's first come first serve though so we usually head out between 3-4 am to hunt at sunrise. There might be a wildlife area near you. I got my gun as a present from my dad. It's just a simple 20 gauge shotgun, I think he paid around $350 for it.


I know what i'm asking for for graduation


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

I never thought I would ever handle guns or dead birds. One time at training I was holding a bunch of ducks by their necks in one hand and a guy I was training with asked me, "oh Vivian, what would you have said a year ago?" I answered, "I would've said 'ew', 'yuck', 'disgusting'!" And someone else said, "they're still ew and yuck! We just deal with it!"


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## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

BaWaaJige wants nothing more than to be out working but this winter the normal temp was anywhere from -18 to -40 for much of Dec-Feb. I didn't want to be out in that and my livingroom isn't big enough to set up kind of field work.lol


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

coaraujo you sound just like me a year ago and I just got my concealed license permit and took my hunter safety course like last month!! I LOVE this stuff, LOVE IT. I can't explain it and I started from rock bottom, shoot, I never had a dog up until a year ago so its all new! But once you get going you start to understand it more and more and it gets less intimidating. 

The reason why I'm stalled right now is my dog is just really slow. She is SO slow on learning. So freaking slow. She is taking a long time on this blind work and it is weighing me down. 
I was so used to zipping along on the marks and all the obedience stuff that this stalemate with the blind is depressing me. Walk ups, running from a platform all that stuff she picks up so fast but when it comes to this I just want to wring my hair out!!! So yes, that is what is holding me back from advancing right now.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Vhuynh2 said:


> I never thought I would ever handle guns or dead birds. One time at training I was holding a bunch of ducks by their necks in one hand and a guy I was training with asked me, "oh Vivian, what would you have said a year ago?" I answered, "I would've said 'ew', 'yuck', 'disgusting'!" And someone else said, "they're still ew and yuck! We just deal with it!"
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com App


 Dead I can deal with - rotting or from the day before on a hot day?! 

Shelly was describing this on an old thread and my stomach turned over just thinking about it. I don't handle bad smells.... :


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## coaraujo (Nov 2, 2012)

MillionsofPeaches said:


> coaraujo you sound just like me a year ago and I just got my concealed license permit and took my hunter safety course like last month!! I LOVE this stuff, LOVE IT. I can't explain it and I started from rock bottom, shoot, I never had a dog up until a year ago so its all new! But once you get going you start to understand it more and more and it gets less intimidating.
> 
> The reason why I'm stalled right now is my dog is just really slow. She is SO slow on learning. So freaking slow. She is taking a long time on this blind work and it is weighing me down.
> I was so used to zipping along on the marks and all the obedience stuff that this stalemate with the blind is depressing me. Walk ups, running from a platform all that stuff she picks up so fast but when it comes to this I just want to wring my hair out!!! So yes, that is what is holding me back from advancing right now.


MOP

are you in the transition from JH to SH? Kind of stuck in that training limbo that's created between the differences in level of difficulty between the two? I got an impression that there's this "limbo" you can get stuck in from what everyone was saying in the other thread.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

The biggest reason for me is the the culture of e collar training and force fetch. I had a curiosity about it, and went out to field training with a group of labs several years ago, and the way the dogs were treated didnt align with the way I enjoy working with my dogs. Since I eat, breathe and sleep dogs both in my professional and private life anyway, and there are so many things I love to do with dogs that I can't fit them all in already, I let it go at that.


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## coaraujo (Nov 2, 2012)

Ljilly28 said:


> The biggest reason for me is the the culture of e collar training and force fetch. I had a curiosity about it, and went out to field training with a group of labs several years ago, and the way the dogs were treated didnt align with the way I enjoy working with my dogs. Since I eat, breathe and sleep dogs both in my professional and private life anyway, and there are so many things I love to do with dogs that I can't fit them all in already, I let it go at that.


I don't FF or use an ecollar in my field work, I know Sunrise didn't either when she trained and she made me aware that there are actually quite a few here in CT who successfully positive train in field. More and more positive training methods are coming into field. It seems like that doesn't need to hold people back anymore


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Barb,
I'm with you, I have a small business too and if I don't work I don't get paid. Plus there's the added benefit of no vacation days or holiday pay. Since I'm in business with my husband there is nobody to fall back on. So I'm making it work around my schedule. I use the back parking lot for training. I head to parks after work for marks with friends. On the weekend when I have time I'm out doing fieldwork training. Alaska has a lot of tough weather here too. You have to work around it and get the rain gear and boots out when you need to or chest waders when we have to. This summer we'll be balancing fieldwork with my husband's mountain bike races and our regular rafting/fishing trips. 

For guns in Alaska we have no registration or licensing. Anyone can conceal carry without a permit since there is no permitting. Most everyone owns guns here. We also have a saying: Alaska is the only state where Democrats carry guns and Republicans smoke pot. 

As for dead birds Megora, mine have been dead for a long long time. I get them out of the freezer and thaw them overnight. Then the next day after practice they go back in the freezer. So there really isn't a smell since I keep them frozen. Pigeons are tougher to keep long term. They get chewed up a lot easier by the dogs because they are smaller. So I actually throw them completely frozen and don't give them a chance to thaw. Since the pigeons are frozen, their heads tend to pop off when they hit the ground, which can be a huge distraction for the dogs. A hot summer day here is 65 degrees so I don't know how they would be affected in the summertime in your climate. I carry lots of gloves in my car for anyone that is squeamish about handling them.


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this sport for dogs. One, I think it would be a lot of fun for any retriever type, but I don't like guns and don't want to own one. Also, I do not like killing any animal for "sport". 

I'm very against killing animals period when it comes to events/hunting and hobbies like this (animals have enough to worry about in the wild)...so even tho I think Rusty would love to retrieve, this is not the sport for me or my dogs.

I have Rally Obedience, K9 Nose Work and agility to keep my pups and I very busy 

Maybe there are field and trial sports where animals are not killed...like Barn Hunt my Brittany would love Barn Hunt I'm sure of it


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

I don't believe that there's any type of retrieving tests done without real animals? Hunting is my hobby and bonding time with Archer but I eat everything we shoot. I actually only eat meat that I shoot because I disapprove of the treatment of animals in slaughterhouses and all the fillers and chemicals.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

A veterinarian friend of mine runs her dogs in hunt tests, but will not have anything to do with barn hunts. She says it's probably the most cruel sport ever devised, the rats are alive but they are terrorized, and they do get motion sick (which I didn't know) if a dog picks up the tube and shakes it around. She says it's much more humane to instantly dispatch an animal than to keep it alive and terrified for an entire day. So just a different point of view, and one I would not have thought of if she hadn't mentioned it. It came up because I commented that I thought Tito would like to try it, and she blurted out, "DON'T YOU DARE". 



Melfice said:


> I have a lot of mixed feelings about this sport for dogs. One, I think it would be a lot of fun for any retriever type, but I don't like guns and don't want to own one. Also, I do not like killing any animal for "sport".
> 
> I'm very against killing animals period when it comes to events/hunting and hobbies like this (animals have enough to worry about in the wild)...so even tho I think Rusty would love to retrieve, this is not the sport for me or my dogs.
> 
> ...


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

hotel4dogs said:


> A veterinarian friend of mine runs her dogs in hunt tests, but will not have anything to do with barn hunts. She says it's probably the most cruel sport ever devised, the rats are alive but they are terrorized, and they do get motion sick (which I didn't know) if a dog picks up the tube and shakes it around. She says it's much more humane to instantly dispatch an animal than to keep it alive and terrified for an entire day. So just a different point of view, and one I would not have thought of if she hadn't mentioned it. It came up because I commented that I thought Tito would like to try it, and she blurted out, "DON'T YOU DARE".


Yeah I have to agree with her...because that's what I thought about once I first heard about Barn Hunt. People who support the sport do say this: "Well the rats would end up food for a snake anyway"

I think I'll pass on Barn Hunt as well. Right now I'm loving my K9 Nose Work and Rally classes. Soon I'm going to start up Agility again.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

Yes I'm in that middle stage. We haven't used an e collar on her so I feel like everything takes so much longer. Today she did really well for me so as she did yesterday so I'm hoping she is finally obeying my sit whistles. That is the hardest part and without the use of the collar I have to stop the whole thing and walk over to her and make her move to the spot I told her to sit at. Then I have to walk all the way back. Repeat. The last two days she's done better at sits and has even immediately self corrected herself when she heard my no! after she ignored my whistle. But IT IS SO SLOW.....erm ma gaud!


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

Melfice said:


> I have a lot of mixed feelings about this sport for dogs. One, I think it would be a lot of fun for any retriever type, but I don't like guns and don't want to own one. Also, I do not like killing any animal for "sport".
> 
> I'm very against killing animals period when it comes to events/hunting and hobbies like this (animals have enough to worry about in the wild)...so even tho I think Rusty would love to retrieve, this is not the sport for me or my dogs.
> 
> ...


I've been hunting since I was a teenager. I first started because it was something to do with my dad. I come from a family of hunters, so it was just natural, at least for me, to go out and do this. Before that, I learned to handle a gun by the age of 10 and took my hunter's safety course, as well. I have never thought of hunting as a sport. It's a way of life for me. When I hunt, it's to fill my freezer and to put food on the table. The bonus is that I get to spend time with an amazing man...my dad. Now, I want to add Josie to the mix. This is what golden retrievers were first bred to do and I want to see what she's capable of, but I realize it's not for everyone and neither is owning a gun. 

My dad has taught me to only take a shot when it's a good shot. We do not hunt to maim and injure. We are also responsible hunters when it comes to where and when we hunt and being properly licensed. Truth is, there are bad hunters out there and unfortunately they are the ones that non-hunters hear about instead of those of us that take great care when we hunt. I also come from a long line of fruit farmers. Deer are a natural pest to young fruit trees and can over run a fruit farm if not hunted during deer season. 

I know I won't change your mind on hunting, and that's okay.  I just wanted to point out that there is a good reason why we do what we do when it comes to hunting. Oh, I fish too!  I would much rather eat the fish that I caught knowing what stream or lake it came from. I have yet to ever order fish in a restaurant. Who knows how long that's been sitting around.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

When you can't tell if the bird is alive or if those are maggots, you've had it lying around a bit too long :yuck:



Megora said:


> Dead I can deal with - rotting or from the day before on a hot day?!
> 
> Shelly was describing this on an old thread and my stomach turned over just thinking about it. I don't handle bad smells.... :


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## rob1 (Sep 21, 2009)

Huh- I never even considered that about the barn hunts! Good point. I sort of assumed the rats were like 'haha, stupid dog'. But it's not like I know much about rats.

And yes, as long as you use what you kill, responsible hunting is way, way better than the meat you'd buy in a grocery store. I was put off hot dogs for YEARS after watching a video on how they're made.

ETA:


> When you can't tell if the bird is alive or if those are maggots, you've had it lying around a bit too long...


AHAHAHA- I can mentally picture Lucky rolling in it now. 

You are doing a terrible job of recruiting!


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

MillionsofPeaches said:


> The reason why I'm stalled right now is my dog is just really slow. She is SO slow on learning. So freaking slow. She is taking a long time on this blind work and it is weighing me down.
> I was so used to zipping along on the marks and all the obedience stuff that this stalemate with the blind is depressing me. Walk ups, running from a platform all that stuff she picks up so fast but when it comes to this I just want to wring my hair out!!! So yes, that is what is holding me back from advancing right now.


Is she really, though, or do you just not know what to expect?
Expect a year from FTP to running very basic, beginner cold blinds, for most amateur-trained dogs.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

> Is she really, though, or do you just not know what to expect?
> Expect a year from FTP to running very basic, beginner cold blinds, for most amateur-trained dogs/QUOTE]
> 
> I hope this is the case, that would make me so happy  I don't know what to expect so when others tell me that she is slow I just assume they are right.


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Holding me back......primarily logistics, my job and if course $$$$

If someone had told me just a few years ago, I'd have dead ducks in my freezer, be willing to handle a bloody duck, and walk through mucky, brambley areas so my dog can play, I'd have laughed in their face. My first AKC JH test, Gabby got a cripple. Mind you I don't like birds....period. If they are in the sky great otherwise I think they are yucky. So here my dog comes running back with her cripple. It's still flapping it's wings, and squirting blood on my dog. She returns to heel, proud as punch with a lovely hold on her duck. I looked at the judges and said "do "I" have to touch that?" I draw the line at killing an animal. I won't hunt, my husband dies and I have no issue, I personally won't do that nor will I fire a gun, blanks or bullets. So my advancement in HRC is done, unless hubby runs my dog. 

I'm very fortunate, I have a wonderful trainer who isn't ridiculously expensive. It makes the 120 mile trek one way affordable. We spend 4 hours when we are there. I'd love to go more frequently but...I work 8 hours 5 days a week and I'm involved in 2 other dog sports that require time also. 

Gabby is 2 passes way from her SH I don't know about master. Time will tell. Again I can't train every day. If trainer says go for it, I will give it a try. I know Gabby can do it. Just will we get that far in training as much as we get to. Not much. 

PS I don't train with a group, don't have any fancy equipment. Just hubby and I tossing bumpers or birds for each other. We do what we can. 


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Maxs Mom said:


> I won't hunt, my husband dies and I have no issue
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Ha ha, I had to read that about five times before I realized dies was supposed to be does


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

DOH!!!!! Insert blushing face here. It's what I get for using my phone. 

LOL


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Maxs Mom,
I have 9 ducks and 2 pigeons in my freezer. I have an full size freezer that we use for our summer salmon catch and my ducks & pigeons, nothing else is in it! I hope I don't die and someone has to clean out my house and find my freezer stuffed with dead birds. They will think I am very strange, especially when they see the chewed up pigeons.


Anney,
We're stuck on FTP at 50' and I just want to scream. Every now and then DH will go out and run Lucy. He can get so much more out of her than I can and he doesn't even use the right words or hand signals. DH tells me Lucy just doesn't take me seriously. I have no idea how to get her to understand when I say Back, it means get the darn bumper and don't dawdle. Instead she's learned she can sniff around and not get the bumper until I run out to pinch her ear. I'm not doing a very good job of convincing her she has to mind me sometimes. She has perfect line manners and is very steady. She just isn't much into FTP. 3 handed casting is about the same. Just dawdling.


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## Cowtown (Sep 23, 2009)

Knowledge, experience, grounds and water.

But we're plowing forward and hope to get SH title in two weeks.


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## EvanG (Apr 26, 2008)

Many have rightly noted that advanced fieldwork, and especially field trials require a deep commitment of time, talent, and resources. I'm not out doing it anymore because I've been there and done that, and it no longer matches my life priorities. I sometimes miss it. But I love the way it's all turned out - teaching and coaching many others to meet their dreams, and facilitating the realization of many dog's potential is deeply gratifying.

EvanG


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Me too!!! LMAO!!!!



Loisiana said:


> Ha ha, I had to read that about five times before I realized dies was supposed to be does


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Alaska7133 said:


> Anney,
> We're stuck on FTP at 50' and I just want to scream. Every now and then DH will go out and run Lucy. He can get so much more out of her than I can and he doesn't even use the right words or hand signals. DH tells me Lucy just doesn't take me seriously. I have no idea how to get her to understand when I say Back, it means get the darn bumper and don't dawdle. Instead she's learned she can sniff around and not get the bumper until I run out to pinch her ear. I'm not doing a very good job of convincing her she has to mind me sometimes. She has perfect line manners and is very steady. She just isn't much into FTP. 3 handed casting is about the same. Just dawdling.


Time to move on to collar fetch and FTP with the collar. You've discovered the practical limits of only using ear pinch.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Anney, 
I was using ecollar FTP, but a friend saw what I was doing and had a COW! Such a big cow, that she actually called Lucy's breeder and told her what I was doing. So I'm now looking terrible in the group I train in. They all think I'm this awful person. I've heard from several people how terrible of a trainer I am. I do think it worked great though and we made progress. Without the ecollar progress is back to a crawl. So politically I'm in a quandary.


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## FTGoldens (Dec 20, 2012)

Cowtown said:


> Knowledge, experience, grounds and water.
> 
> But we're plowing forward and hope to get SH title in two weeks.


Great!
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
FTGoldens


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

Alaska7133 said:


> Anney,
> I was using ecollar FTP, but a friend saw what I was doing and had a COW! Such a big cow, that she actually called Lucy's breeder and told her what I was doing. So I'm now looking terrible in the group I train in. They all think I'm this awful person. I've heard from several people how terrible of a trainer I am. I do think it worked great though and we made progress. Without the ecollar progress is back to a crawl. So politically I'm in a quandary.


Yikes! I'm not sure that is much of a friend.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Alaska7133 said:


> Anney,
> I was using ecollar FTP, but a friend saw what I was doing and had a COW! Such a big cow, that she actually called Lucy's breeder and told her what I was doing. So I'm now looking terrible in the group I train in. They all think I'm this awful person. I've heard from several people how terrible of a trainer I am. I do think it worked great though and we made progress. Without the ecollar progress is back to a crawl. So politically I'm in a quandary.


Huh? Sorry but you're letting someone tell you how to train your own dog? Did she think you were abusing her or did she just not like the ecollar? Sorry I would not train in a way detrimental to my dog's progress just because some do-gooder didn't like it. Time to find new training partners!


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Louisana,
This is for you:
Our water hazards are a bit different but easier to spot. This guy got us to leave his pond to him. They get a bit nasty when it gets close to rutting.

Anney,
I think you are right!


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## boomers_dawn (Sep 20, 2009)

Alaska7133 said:


> Anney,
> I was using ecollar FTP, but a friend saw what I was doing and had a COW! Such a big cow, that she actually called Lucy's breeder and told her what I was doing. So I'm now looking terrible in the group I train in. They all think I'm this awful person. I've heard from several people how terrible of a trainer I am. I do think it worked great though and we made progress. Without the ecollar progress is back to a crawl. So politically I'm in a quandary.


I should prob mind my own business, but is their problem the collar period, or are they saying you're doing it wrong? For example, I find the collar a bit clicker-like (which I don't use) in that the timing has to be right on for it to be effective. And you have to be careful it's on the right setting 

I'm not that coordinated but I'm bumbling with the collar and have gotten pretty good with my timing from dog skool teecher standing behind me telling me what to do and being more hypervigilant about timing for everything (whistles, etc). 

When I was new, one of the mentors at large group training tried to teach me how to use the heeling stick, but I was so uncoordinated with it, she took it away and said I shouldn't use it. ROTFL


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## boomers_dawn (Sep 20, 2009)

I've always felt our lifestyle holds Gladys back from her potential (i.e. the corporate career, take care of house, 2 acres, 2 dogs, limited finances).

It's time to transition from Senior to Master and I'm honestly not sure how we can get there on my schedule, it'll take years. I hope we get there before Gladys gets too old.

What keeps me going ... it's fun. Even if I don't have tons of time and money and great land and birds and big equipment, I can always take the dogs to a field with a bag of bumpers and a whistle and do drills for fun. There was a time when it seemed like Gladys and I would never get anything but we kept going out and doing our drills, and sometime along the line the lightbulb came on. Even if we never get that Master title, we'll continue to train. She loves it. She doesn't know how many ribbons or what titles she has. She just likes to retrieve and she likes to do blinds too. Tail wags the whole time


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Dawn,
This person thought I shouldn't use ecollar with FTP. She thinks ear pinch should be enough. I'm totally not coordinated enough for the ear pinch at a distance, so I was using the ecollar to correct. She said no way on FTP. I'm with you, I'm really not that good at timing. So today I made a decision, Back with a nick at very low setting at the same time. Worked wonders while training this afternoon. Sometimes you just have to walk away from someone else's training method. I just wish it hadn't become political. 

By the way are you coming up for NAHRA nationals in June? I'll be volunteering. Also sorry to hear about Boomer, it must have been a very sad time.


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## boomers_dawn (Sep 20, 2009)

That is a bummer that it turned into a political thing :-(

Unless I win lotto this year, will probably NOT be involved in anything involving travel, gas money, and hotels. Not only to get to nationals, but to get to 4 tests to qualify for anything.

Thanks for the condolences, it was the darkest days .. just last night I was wishing I could be with Boomer ... then I noticed Gladys was in bed with me with her head on my shoulder and I realized .... I should be grateful that I'm here with Gladys right now! It was a bit of a turning point for me.


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

boomers_dawn said:


> I've always felt our lifestyle holds Gladys back from her potential (i.e. the corporate career, take care of house, 2 acres, 2 dogs, limited finances).
> 
> It's time to transition from Senior to Master and I'm honestly not sure how we can get there on my schedule, it'll take years. I hope we get there before Gladys gets too old.
> 
> What keeps me going ... it's fun. Even if I don't have tons of time and money and great land and birds and big equipment, I can always take the dogs to a field with a bag of bumpers and a whistle and do drills for fun. There was a time when it seemed like Gladys and I would never get anything but we kept going out and doing our drills, and sometime along the line the lightbulb came on. Even if we never get that Master title, we'll continue to train. She loves it. She doesn't know how many ribbons or what titles she has. She just likes to retrieve and she likes to do blinds too. Tail wags the whole time


I say this every time to people that ask about Josie. The best part of my life is knowing that Josie is happy and content.  

It sounds like you know what Gladys enjoys the most (love the name by the way). Kudos to you to making it more about what Gladys loves to do than about the ribbons and titles. Those are great perks, but the best feeling of all is seeing that tail wag in complete happiness.


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

Alaska7133 said:


> Louisana,
> This is for you:
> Our water hazards are a bit different but easier to spot. This guy got us to leave his pond to him. They get a bit nasty when it gets close to rutting.
> 
> ...


Love this picture!


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## PalouseDogs (Aug 14, 2013)

MillionsofPeaches said:


> > Is she really, though, or do you just not know what to expect?
> > Expect a year from FTP to running very basic, beginner cold blinds, for most amateur-trained dogs/QUOTE]
> >
> > I hope this is the case, that would make me so happy  I don't know what to expect so when others tell me that she is slow I just assume they are right.
> ...


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

Loisiana said:


> #1 reason - access to gator free water


Now there is a GOOD REASON...OMG...LOL


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

goldlover68 said:


> Now there is a GOOD REASON...OMG...LOL



Might be a good REASON but it's
*NO EXCUSE*


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

You're right, it could be worse: a gator ain't nearly as threatening as a tiger!


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## boomers_dawn (Sep 20, 2009)

coaraujo said:


> See, that sounds incredible! But don't you need permits and things like that? I wish there was someone in my family who hunts who I could learn from.


You don't need a family member, the DEEP has CE/FS class that will teach you everything you need to know, both classroom and hands on. I think when I took it, it was like $35.

Then you would prob need to find a place to go to practice shooting, because the 2 hrs with them will not make you a great shot. 

I heard our new state laws require more permits and bureaucracy than before. If you took CE/FS class, I'm sure they would give you all the details. 

It may be worth looking into, even if you didn't want to pursue hunting, you still would probably learn a lot... like they give you a whole booklet on different duck species  

I LOL at the pheasant question - b/c I remember the bird guy was like "look it's the red headed merganser" and I was like "all I see is a bunch of ducks" .. but NOW I know the difference!!!! :yipee:


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## boomers_dawn (Sep 20, 2009)

Loisiana said:


> For me personally, I'm not going to take the chance to find out. Once a gator has been known to be in a body of water, it is off limits for my dogs. Most people involved in retriever work around here feel differently, but they will also admit you lose the occasional dog to a gator.


I don't think I would put mine in the water with gators either.

Someone needs to invent some Frontline for gators!
Or like some collar or gadget that repels them.


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

I have been buying and enjoying field bred goldens for around 25 years. I have 3 right now, and my newest girl is with our pro getting her second round of field training. I have never run any of my dogs in field trials. When we had our oldest girl in training, the pro asked us if we ever considered running her in Field Trials. After talking further to him and doing some research, I realized the time commitment and associated costs, as I am not qualified to train my dogs to that level. Therefore with her and my next male, I only trained and ran them in Hunt Tests. 

My current girl is still in training but seems to be showing good potential. So we are undecided how far we might take her as far as running field trials. I am retired now so I have the time and can afford the training for her and I, but I am not sure I want to take her that far. See how she does in the next 2-3 months...


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