# Glossary of terms, sort of?



## FinnTheFloof (Jun 27, 2021)

I am trying to learn more about the field aspect of our breed so that any future dogs of mine can work towards achieving JHs or SHs, but everywhere I look uses words like 'mark' and 'blind' and others that I don't know what they mean in this context. I basically only know what 'retrieve' means. Is there anywhere I can find a glossary of sorts to define field terms? 
Thank you!


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## Tagrenine (Aug 20, 2019)

http://www.hennymschoor.nl/Artikelen/Retriever_Glossary___Terminology.pdf


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

*Glossary of RetrieverTraining Terms*

(Note: This is intended as a *termsglossary only* and *should not* be used as a "Howto" section.)

*AFC *- Amateur Field Champion.

*Amateur* - One who trains dawgs for the shearpleasure of it.

*Amish Training* - The art of training a dawgwithout the use of an E Collar.

*Baseball* - A beginning drill used to teachthe dog to take hand signals. A precursor for blinds.

*Beer or "Beeeeeeeeer" - *A positivereinforcement tool used to "treat" a handler into doingthe right thing in expectation of a reward for complying with thecorrect response.

*Big Hunt* - When a dawg can not find a markand runs all over the field looking for it. Not a good thing.

*Bird Boy* - (BB) The person, male or female,throwing the item for the dawg to retrieve.

*Blind* - The art of guiding a dog to an itemit did not see fall through the use of voice, whistle, and bodymovements.

*Blink* - When the dog goes by an item that ithas clearly seen and is supposed to have retrieved. The dawg runsout to the area of the fall looks directly at the bumper/bird,then continues to hunt around anyway..... "I cantbelieve my dog has just BLINKED that bird!?!?!?"

*Bumper* - A plastic or canvas item, usually 2or 3 inches in diameter, used to train the dawg. Available in awide assortment of colors. White is generally used for marks.Black or Orange Bumpers are generally used for blinds.

*Burn* - Terminology used to describe a type of e-collarcorrection. Usually differentiated, in most training circles,from the definition of a "Nick". Used to correct aknown command that the dog is choosing to disregard.

*Call Back - *A list provided by dog gamejudges prior to the next series in an event. This list denotesthose who are invited back to continue participating in theevent. Those who do not make the "call back" have beendisqualified for some reason.

*Cast* - To give the dawg a specific directionthrough the use of body movements.

*Campaign or Campaigning* - The pursuit of atitle for a dawg. "They will be campaigning several nicedogs this year."

*CERF - *Canine Eye Registry Foundation. Aregistry created to evaluate and clear breeding dogs ofhereditary eye defects including Progressive Retinal Atrophy andRetinal Displasia.

*Channel Blind* - A water blind run in an areathat, due to the close proximity of the bank on both sides, makesit very tempting for the dog to exit the water and get up onland.

*Cheating* - When a dawg avoids cover orobstacles enroute to or returning from an item to be retrieved.

*Cold* - A term used to define the running of adawg on a concept it is familiar with but the exact placement ofthe item is new to the dog. When we train, we generally run ourdogs on "cold" marks and/or blinds. Our dogs know howto mark or run a blind, but they dont know the exactlocation of this specific mark or blind.

*Collar Conditioning* - A process by which thedawg is taught how to turn off the collar stimulation.

*Cookies - *1) a token that web wizards attachto one's hard drive to assist in web user identification. 2) Aitem used on occasion for positive reinforcement and persuasion,similar to beeeeeeeer. Sometimes fantasized about by certain RTFregulars who keep waiting for a gift from others.

*Dawg - *An uncommonly fine animal usedfor hunting, testing, trialing, and just generally hanging outwith. Comes in all sizes, shapes, breeds and colors.

*De-bolting* - A term identifying the processused to teach the dog it can not "run away" from thestimulation caused by the e collar.

*Diversion* - A distraction, of some sort,including but not limited to a bird, a shot, a person moving,talking, yelling or walking, etc. done in dog games to testagainst switching, or dropping. Diversions in dog games arecommonly a thrown bird as the dog returns from a retrieve.Sometimes these become part of a delayed mark.

*Dog - *A common house pet. Not usuallyused for hunting, testing, or trialing.

*Double* - Two items a dawg sees thrown for itretrieve. Items are not thrown at the same time. A double teststhe dawgs memory as it must pick up one item, return toits handler, then go get the other item and bring it back.

*Dowel* - An item used to teach the dawg the"hold" command. Generally wooden and not larger thanone-half inch in diameter. The dog should hold the dowel gentlybut firmly before moving on to the next phase of FF.

*Dummy Collar* - A collar that is the exactduplicate of an e collar in size, shape, and weight but can notproduce electrical stimulation.

*E Collar* - A tool used by the trainer andworn by the dog that enables the trainer to make an instantcorrection from a distance through the use of small amounts ofelectricity. It is an invaluable training tool when properlyused. It is also the FASTEST way to ruin a good dog if usedimproperly.

*Fall* - (1) (a.k.a. Area of the Fall) - Thespot on the ground or water where the item to be retrieved fell.(2) The time of year when we see just how well our training wentduring the "dog game"/"off-season.

*FC* - Field Champion. An AKC title.

*Field Work* - Dawg training generallyconducted away from the area around the kennel. Includes conceptwork or marks and blinds.

*Flare* - When a dog avoids continuing on a straight lineon which he was sent due to pressure applied previously in thatgeneral area.

*Force Fetching* - (a.k.a., FF, Forcing, ForceBreaking, Conditioned Retrieving) Teaching a dog through the useof classical conditioning (stimulus/response) methods to pick upand hold an item until told to release it. Generally accomplishedafter the adult teeth are in place in the 6 -8 month age range.

*Force to a Pile* - An extension of Force Fetching.Pressure of some sort is applied in association with a command togo. This process is done in some circles to prepare the dawg forrunning blind retrieves. .

*Gift* - 1) A term describing a test or seriesin which the judges set up something that dogs whose ownersexpect some trouble cruise through with no problem. 2) A facadeused at special occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries.Quite frequently the justification for new sporting items suchas, but not limited to; duckboats, shotguns, remote birdlaunchers, 4WD vehicles, September Saskatchewan trips, JanuaryStuttgart trips.....etc.

*GRHRCH*-Grand Hunting Retriever Champion. AUKC/HRC title denoting that a Retriever has qualified in theannual HRC Grand event.

*Heeling Stick* - A riding crop or other itemcarried and used on the dawg to remind it of its properplace. This is not used to abuse the dawg, rather provide agentle, but firm, reminder of the place.

*Hold* - A command used during conditioned retrieving bysome to insure that the dog knows that he must hold, in hismouth, any object placed there.

*Honor* - When one dog must watch another dogretrieve while remaining steady.

*HRCH *- Hunting Retriever champion a UKC Hunttitle.

*HR *- Hunting Retriever a UKC title.

*GMHR* - Grand Master Hunting Retriever. ANAHRA title.

*Go Bird* - The last item the dawg sees thrown.In a multiple mark situation, it is generally the first item adawg will pick up.

*Handler* - The person releasing the dog tomake a retriever.

*Hand Signals* - A series of hand/arm motionsused to indicate to the dog which way you desire it go.

*Hard Mouth* - The action said to occur when adawg uses too much force in picking up or holding a bird. Thisaction renders the bird unfit for human consumption and is amajor problem. Difficult, but not impossible, to cure once thehabit has been formed.

*Hidden Gun* - A mark thrown by a BB when theBB is totally concealed from the dogs view. The dog hears a shotor call and sees the item to be retrieved thrown by does not seea BB.

*Honor - *When a dog must observe another dogmaking a retrieve. An honoring dog should watch the entiresequence of birds decoying, flying, being shot and fallingwithout interfering through sound or motion with the"working dog".

*Holding Blind* - The only spot in the worldyour dawg can lose its mind and you cant do a thingabout it. ;-) A blind or series of blinds erected prior to the"line" in an effort to keep dogs and handlers availableto run the test.

*Indent* - A term used to identify theplacement of a shorter mark in relation to the other marks in thefield. A triple is thrown, the first is 200 yards away, thesecond is 100 yards away, the third is 250 yards away. the secondmark is called "indented" because the dawg must golong, then short, then long again. A difficult concept to teach.

*JH* - Junior Hunter. An AKC title.

*Line* - (1) The starting point for dawg tests,trials, and training. (2) The line segment from Point A to PointB from the starting point of tests, trails, and training (PointA) to the item to be retrieved, be it for marks or blinds (PointB).

*Line Manners* - A term used to describe how adog acts while sitting at the "line" under judgment."That dawg really pinned that mark, to bad he has the linemanners of a goat!"

*Literal Casting* - A cast that, if takenproperly, would lead directly to the blind.

*Mark* - An item a dog sees thrown for it toretrieve. Usually a game bird or a training bumper. A foundationtask for dawgs.

*Memory Bird* - Any item in a multiple marksituation, other than the last item, a dawg has seen thrown forit to retrieve.

*MH* - Master Hunter. An AKC title.

*MHR* - Master Hunting Retriever. A NAHRAtitle.

*Money Bird* - The absolute last item, in amultiple mark situation, the dawg picks up. Called "MoneyBird" because in a Field Trial, if your dog doesnt getit, you get no money!

*NAFC* - National Amateur Field Champion. AnAKC title.

*NFC* - National Field Champion. An AKC title.

*Nick* - A correction applied with an e collarset to a "Momentary" setting or a tap and immediaterelease of the button for those e collars without a"Momentary" setting.

*North American Hunting Retriever Association*- (NAHRA) A non-for-profit organization set up to provide theaverage hunter a place to show case his/her retriever in anon-competitive environment.

*Obedience* - (OB) THE foundation task for dawgtraining. Comprises a broad spectrum of commands some of whichinclude: Sit, Stay, Kennel, Heel, Down.

*OFA - *Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. Anorganization which maintains a registry of hip and elbow data tohelp determine that joint confirmation is ideal and free ofhereditary defects. Typical OFA hip ratings, in order ofpreference are: Excellent and Good followed by Fair. Initiallyspawned in an effort to curb the prevalence of Hip Displasiaoccuring in many large breed dogs.

*Pattern Field* - A series of bumpers placed inthe same location every time, generally in the shape of a (t) ora double (t) where two lines, separated by 40 - 50 yardsintersect the center line. Used to teach handling skills todawgs.

*PennHip - *An alternative registry/database toOFA. This method utilizes a "predictive test" testingthe "play" or joint looseness by manipulating a jointto measure looseness. While not a commonly accepted as the OFA,PennHip is considered by some advocates to be more predictive offuture issues. PennHip scores ratings on a "livingpercentile" rating current tests against the existingdatabase of previously analyzed animals.

*Pin* - When a dawg runs directly to the falland picks up the item with out a hunt.

*Pointing Lab* - (PL) A lab that points atbirds during an upland hunt instead of flushing them as regularlabs (RL) do.

*Poison Bird* - A mark the dawg must ignore tosuccessfully complete the assigned task, usually a blind. It isfairly common in the FT and upper levels of HT games to see thisconcept. Its call "poison" because, in a Test, ifthe dog picks it up, it might as well be dead because it will beout of competition.

*Pop* - When a dawg stops and looks back to thehandler for guidance or direction without being commanded. A badthing.

*Professional* - One who derives any portion oftheir income from the training of dawgs.

*Premium* - A notice sent out by the Clubholding an event. This notice usually includes thetime/date/place of stakes being held, entry cost, Judges names,directions and other information concerning the event.

*Punch Bird* - A term used to identify theplacement of a longer mark in relation to the other marks in thefield. A triple is thrown, the first is 100 yards away, thesecond is 200 yards away, the third is 125 yards away. The secondmark is called a "punch bird" because the dawg must goshort, then short, then long and "punch" through theshort bird marks.

*Retired Gun* - Used in multiple marks. Afterthe BB has thrown the item to be retrieved, the BB moves to aconcealed location so when the dawg returns to the line and looksout to their mark, they are hidden from view.

*Regular Lab* - (RL) A lab that flushes birdsduring an upland instead of pointing at them as pointing labs(PL) do.

*School or Schooled* - Running a dawg on a markor blind that it has run in the past. "Yes, Id like todo this mark as a double, but, lets school the memory birdfirst."

*Secondary Selection* - When the handlerdecides which bird will be picked up next. Used mostly in FieldTrials but is a useful tool in the Retriever Training Tool Box.

*SH* - Senior Hunter. An AKC title.

*SR* - Started Retriever. A NAHRA title.

*Steady - *(steadiness) The term used todescribe when a dog sees a bird or birds fall while remaining inthe position commanded by the handler. A steady dog should remainsteady until commanded to do otherwise by the handler. Usually, asteady dog, commanded to do otherwise is told to complete theretrieve with a "go" command.

*Switch* - A dawg is sent to mark, establishesa hunt, then leaves that area and establishes a hunt in the areaof another fall.

*Tight Hunt* - When the dogs runs directly tothe area of the fall and after a short hunt in a small areadirectly around the fall, finds the item. A very good thing.

*Triple* - Three items a dog sees thrown for itto retrieve. Items are not thrown at the same time. A tripletests the dawgs memory as it must pick up one item, returnto its handler, then go get the other item, bring it back,then go get the third item and bring it back.

*Two-Down-The-Shore* - Generally, a waterdouble thrown so as after picking up the go bird, the dawg mustswim by the go bird fall area and pick up the memory bird. Thisis a tougher concept than it sounds and is a basic concept foradvance dawg work.

*UH *- Upland Hunter a UKC title.

*Quad* - Same as for double and triple only nowyou are throwing four items.

*Under-The-Arc* - When the line to a blindtakes the dog between a mark and the BB who has thrown that mark,the dawg is said to have run "under-the-arc."

*Walking Singles* - A single mark thrown by aBB for a dawg and, as the dawg is released, the BB walks awayfrom the area if the fall. This teaches the dawg to concentrateon the item thrown and not the BB.

*Walk Up* - A mark or marks that occur whilethe dog is in motion, progressing with the handler. A typicalwalkup will expect the dog to cease progress upon the first markand shot, usually in a sitting position, and to remain thereuntil all marks have fallen and the handler commands theretriever to pick up a mark.

*Warden - *The term used to describe a spouseor significant other of a Retriever Trainer. Frequently aninfluencing factor in decisions such as how many dawgs to get andwhere they sleep.

*White Coat* - A term used to identify thosepeople who participate in Field Trial events. Used because, inpart, handlers wear white coats so as to be easily identified bytheir dawg when the dawg is a great distance away.

*WR* - Working Retriever. A NAHRA title.

*Yard Work* - The term used to describe anynumber of drills that can be done in and around the kennel area.Baseball and OB are but two examples.


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## FinnTheFloof (Jun 27, 2021)

Thank you both!


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## 3goldens2keep (Feb 13, 2019)

FinnTheFloof said:


> Thank you both!


We all have those lists, because we too had to learn them as we went into the world of Field Training...be careful, it is addictive!


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## FinnTheFloof (Jun 27, 2021)

3goldens2keep said:


> We all have those lists, because we too had to learn them as we went into the world of Field Training...be careful, it is addictive!


I don’t know how much I’ll do with my current dog, but with future Goldens I’d like to do my part in making sure the breed retains its working ability. At the moment Finn can’t even deliver to hand with a bumper, the only thing he can do is wait until released to do things 😂


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## DevWind (Nov 7, 2016)

Some of those are pretty funny...Amish Training  I guess I'm an Amish trainer with Pilot....
We call a "Pop" calling it in or phone a friend. 
No taught double? That would be doing a single to the memory bird location. Then doing a double.


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## 3goldens2keep (Feb 13, 2019)

FinnTheFloof said:


> I don’t know how much I’ll do with my current dog, but with future Goldens I’d like to do my part in making sure the breed retains its working ability. At the moment Finn can’t even deliver to hand with a bumper, the only thing he can do is wait until released to do things 😂


Yep, some pups are more enthusiastic than others about fetching. But, you might be surprised how your pup might react to a live flopping duck! Birds tend to excite even the most relaxed Golden...look for a training group in your area, they would help you get going and show you what to do. At the least you will be better prepared for your next dog, but you may find your guy now can be a JH with just a bit more of focused field training.


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## green branch (Oct 24, 2020)

FinnTheFloof said:


> I don’t know how much I’ll do with my current dog, but with future Goldens I’d like to do my part in making sure the breed retains its working ability. At the moment Finn can’t even deliver to hand with a bumper, the only thing he can do is wait until released to do things 😂


Finn is young. Teach him what you want him to do and be patient. He might surprise you. Watch Jackie Mertens or Bill Hillmann videos for example. All dogs have their own challenges. If enthusiasm is his problem, Hillmann has some good ideas.


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## FinnTheFloof (Jun 27, 2021)

3goldens2keep said:


> Yep, some pups are more enthusiastic than others about fetching. But, you might be surprised how your pup might react to a live flopping duck! Birds tend to excite even the most relaxed Golden...look for a training group in your area, they would help you get going and show you what to do. At the least you will be better prepared for your next dog, but you may find your guy now can be a JH with just a bit more of focused field training.


I don’t know if its a lack of enthusiasm as much as not wanting to bring it back to me- his bumper is a pretty high value item for him because I only use it for training. I try to train in a hallway so the only direction that he can run back is towards me, and he runs, and stands about halfway down the hallway holding and looking at me. If I try recalling him once he has it, he’ll drop it before he gets to me.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

FinnTheFloof said:


> I don’t know if its a lack of enthusiasm as much as not wanting to bring it back to me- his bumper is a pretty high value item for him because I only use it for training. I try to train in a hallway so the only direction that he can run back is towards me, and he runs, and stands about halfway down the hallway holding and looking at me. If I try recalling him once he has it, he’ll drop it before he gets to me.


That’s typical behavior for a dog that has not been trained to retrieve. If you work with him I’m sure you could get him retrieving properly.


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## FinnTheFloof (Jun 27, 2021)

SRW said:


> That’s typical behavior for a dog that has not been trained to retrieve.


Not surprised, I don’t know how to train a dog to retrieve 
It is next on my list of things to teach him, though, after we finish his current trick and improve heeling foundations more 
I don’t want to spend money on a trainer for him because my family has never been interested in hunting, I will never take him hunting, and I don’t even know if I’d like to trial with him. The only people who I know who hunt near me sent their dogs to a board and train. 
I will ask my friends who hunt with their two labs, who train themselves- the issue is they live far away.

I know that force fetching is a thing but I have been told it can mess with obedience training at a certain point (articles), and I am hesitant to attempt it myself without the guidance of a trainer.


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## PalouseDogs (Aug 14, 2013)

The trained retrieve ("force fetch") by itself won't interfere with OB articles. There is a step in retriever training called "Force to Pile" in which the dog is sent to a bunch of bumpers. (They aren't actually in a "pile"; they are scattered on the ground fairly close together.) Most hunt trainers don't like the dog to "shop the pile", meaning the dog takes its sweet time checking out all the bumpers while it decides which one it wants to pick up. 

For the competitive OB exercise called article discrimination, the handler scents an article withher hands. The article is put with 8 other articles that have been scented by the ring steward.. You want the dog to take its time and check out all the articles and not grab the first one. A dog that has been taught in hunt training to not shop the pile may be anxious about taking the time to find the right article. OB is my preferred dog game. I dabble in hunt training, but I let the dog "shop the pile" of bumpers as long as he wants. I never correct for it. 

For OB, if you go further than Rally or Novice OB, you will need a trained retrieve. With a biddable dog, decent timing, and some good instructions, you can teach a pretty reliable retrieve without much "force". There are a lot of online instructions around and many of them are free. 

For someone in your situation (teenager at home, parents who don't hunt), I wouldn't mess with hunt training with this dog. If you want to get into a dog sport without spending a ton of money, and that you can work on in your own home, Rally and OB are your best bet. During your college years, when you (hopefully) have a vehicle and more personal freedom, go watch hunt tests and field trials. It's amazing what those dogs can do. It will also give you a lot of insight into the differences between performance line dogs and conformation ring dogs.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

When I was 13 and had my first golden, an older retired couple in my obedience class would come pick me up in their van, and take me to go retrieve pigeons with my dog and their training group. After two tries, my dog got his WC. I was probably 15. It was absolutely thrilling. It cost me nothing and took very little time. If there's a will, there's a way.


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## green branch (Oct 24, 2020)

FinnTheFloof said:


> Not surprised, I don’t know how to train a dog to retrieve
> It is next on my list of things to teach him, though, after we finish his current trick and improve heeling foundations more
> I don’t want to spend money on a trainer for him because my family has never been interested in hunting, I will never take him hunting, and I don’t even know if I’d like to trial with him. The only people who I know who hunt near me sent their dogs to a board and train.
> I will ask my friends who hunt with their two labs, who train themselves- the issue is they live far away.
> ...


Teach him "hold" so that he doesn't drop it until you say "drop/out". To come to you use a long line. And don't forget to make it fun.


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