# Water Decoys



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

The decoys were never very far from shore, 10 yards or less I'd say, but there was a huge variation in how close to the running line they were. In one of our tests they were brilliantly placed so that a dog swimming directly from the line to the mark had to swim thru the decoys, and more than one dog snagged and dragged a decoy. 
In another they were so far off the line that I'm not sure the dogs were even aware of them.
How's that for a non-answer  ?


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

LOL - variable I would say!
Have you ever seen (yet) a 100 yard mark with decoys at say 50 yards?


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## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

Do em in the yard first until he doesn't pay attention to them. Then like Barb said about 10 yds. or so. Just make sure he has to swim through them. Put them on entry,when he gets used to that put them on exit. Then a mark in them.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Thanks  

I was very surprised he was distracted - he usually is not. He usually drives right through but this setup had him distracted. He ignored many things during this session but something about that setup .. with the decoy so far out. Has me curious if it is something he is likely to encounter or not.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

unless someone is willing to row out and plant the decoys, I doubt you'd see that in a JH test. At least not around here.....


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

Sunrise said:


> LOL - variable I would say!
> Have you ever seen (yet) a 100 yard mark with decoys at say 50 yards?



A definitive YES! At the test I ran a couple of weeks ago the first bird was about 75 yards from the line and the bird was set up to land about 5 feet in front of the decoys. 
Hope that answers your question. And by the way thanks for complaining about running at the end of tests, did you see the running order for Sunday? :doh:


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Yes I did - sorry about that. Hope it is cooler that they are predicting. I'll be working the 1st 18 dogs in each series - or 'available to work' as the worker schedule states 

But the bird you saw was close to the decoys? Not another 50 yards away?


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> unless someone is willing to row out and plant the decoys, I doubt you'd see that in a JH test. At least not around here.....


Grins - yes there was a rowboat involved


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Haven't seen that here, but I have seen what Hank described, where the decoys were close to the opposite bank, where the mark fell. But no, never halfway between the line and the opposite bank.
Well unless you count the gators.




Sunrise said:


> Grins - yes there was a rowboat involved


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

There is no rule or consistency. You may or may not see decoys and they may or may not be near the line, at the entry, the exit, the middle, who knows. Prepare for everything.


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

Sunrise said:


> Yes I did - sorry about that. Hope it is cooler that they are predicting. I'll be working the 1st 18 dogs in each series - or 'available to work' as the worker schedule states
> 
> But the bird you saw was close to the decoys? Not another 50 yards away?



Now that I think about it yes I have seen that also, interestingly enough it was at the same pond but another test. It was a land-water-land scenario. The decoys were off a point about 30 years out and then it was anothe 90 yards or better to the bird. (And no that is not a mis-type it was at least 125 yard "water" mark in junior). I am pretty sure the decoys were in the same spot for both these tests, but the test were run from opposite sides of the pond. It is private grounds and I think the decoys are always there.


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## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

What Anney said!!!!!



K9-Design said:


> There is no rule or consistency. You may or may not see decoys and they may or may not be near the line, at the entry, the exit, the middle, who knows. Prepare for everything.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Hmmm, think I'll be learning more about canoes and being on the water... LOL


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

holy crap, that's a LONG swim :



AmbikaGR said:


> Now that I think about it yes I have seen that also, interestingly enough it was at the same pond but another test. It was a land-water-land scenario. *The decoys were off a point about 30 years out and then it wa*s anothe 90 yards or better to the bird. (And no that is not a mis-type it was at least 125 yard "water" mark in junior). I am pretty sure the decoys were in the same spot for both these tests, but the test were run from opposite sides of the pond. It is private grounds and I think the decoys are always there.


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## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

Your pups should be out to at least 150 yards land or water. 

 You need 3 of them to go *30 YEARS* though. (Sorry Ambika it was just there!)


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

ok, I admit it FEELS like 30 years when it's your last mark of your title run.....


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

On water tests I try to keep the decoys within 30 - 40 yards of the line.

On land tests I'll have decoys from the line to well past the gun stations, dropping the bird in the decoys. (yes, I'll use 80+ decoys on land)


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Swampcollie said:


> On water tests I try to keep the decoys within 30 - 40 yards of the line.
> 
> On land tests I'll have decoys from the line to well past the gun stations, dropping the bird in the decoys. (yes, I'll use 80+ decoys on land)


80+ yards, 80+ decoys or both? LOL


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

geez, that's a lot of decoys. No wonder it takes 30 years.....



Swampcollie said:


> On water tests I try to keep the decoys within 30 - 40 yards of the line.
> 
> On land tests I'll have decoys from the line to well past the gun stations, dropping the bird in the decoys. (yes, I'll use 80+ decoys on land)


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## sterregold (Dec 9, 2009)

Familiarize them with every variation you can think of. Good decoy placement will allow the judge to see whether the dog has really marked the bird and has the discipline to stick with it. A couple of decoys in a little cove, not visible from the line, can reveal a lot about marking and perseverance.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

just bumping this up so maybe Hank will come back and visit his Rip-Van-Retriever thread with the 30 year retrieve


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## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

hotel4dogs said:


> just bumping this up so maybe Hank will come back and visit his Rip-Van-Retriever thread with the 30 year retrieve


:lol::lol::lol:


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

hotel4dogs said:


> just bumping this up so maybe Hank will come back and visit his Rip-Van-Retriever thread with the 30 year retrieve





Radarsdad said:


> :lol::lol::lol:



:--ashamed:


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

aw come on Hank, you made us all smile. That's worth a lot these days!


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## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

Chill out Hank, we were just kiddin around!!!


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Hank you need to update your signature with new titles


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