fetchindawgs Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 (edited) You are quite welcome Rubystar. She did some very nice retrieves, and the water problem will come good eventually. She seems to be a very sensitive dog and picks up on your vibes very quickly. Calm, calm, calm......... We will do some more work in a couple of weeks if that suits. Get to the RC training days if you can, but if you don't want to test Ruby on a particular mark then speak up and say so. No point in pushing her into something she is not sure of at this stage of her training. Edited March 8, 2011 by fetchindawgs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHRP Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 So, tell us what training you did RubyStar!! Sounds good!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Spill it RS!!! So a few days ago I tried a sit at approx 100m whilst Emmy and Zig were doing zoomies at the park. Em nailed it and I was thrilled if not a little surprised as we'd only being playing the two food game on the deck. As LL reminded me, once is a fluke So today I had her on her own and started throwing sits in when she was sprinting away from me. She ended up doing 3 or 4 very promptly and was rewarded with a happy bumper for her troubles. I'm also working on her right (my left!) "backs" as it comes much more easily on her left (my right ). She had a good swim this afternoon too and has consequently passed out on my feet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 (edited) I'm doing much simpler stuff than you are with your gorgeous PUPPY, TSD!!!! I feel so lame But what we are doing, I am very happy with. Did a bunch of single marks with Ruby, progressing to one landing behind a tree. She found it Not sure how far away we got to, maybe fetchindawgs will have a better idea of the distance. Tried some holds with her coming out of the water, she kept dropping it, so tried holds near the water, still didn't want to hold it. I was getting frustrated and she feeds off me so it was never going to go well. Once I can find some water I really need to work hard on this, thinking of just shaping it like I did with land holds. Get the clicker, bunch of treats, and make it FUN! I've started training sit to the whistle, but not enough for her to fully recognise it. She won't stop and sit if I am still moving, she thinks she has to come with me, so work to do with that. Did some throws with Millie last night and she is coming along nicely, too! She has learnt to really love retrieving things! How are you teaching the direction work with Em? Edited March 11, 2011 by RubyStar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 That all sounds great RS We are doing some things more slowly than you too remember because she is only a baby - her retrieves are on flat, no cover ground whilst she gains confidence but I need to occupy her very busy brain so the other exercises are great. For "back" LL suggested I have Em on a sit facing me (with long line in case) and toss several dummies over her head in a tight pile. She twisted a little so I gently straightened her up and then gave her the verbal and hand signal. She looked at me very oddly (not surprising) so I said "back" then her release word. By the 2nd try she was all over it and certainly remembered it in yesterday's session. For her "weaker" side, I stood right in front and placed my hand so she couldn't turn to her favoured side. That is definitely a work in progress! Yes, water has it's traps. Think I will leave it for a while until Em is really confident with more advanced land retrieves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubyroo Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 You guys sound like you are doing some fantastic work with your dogs. Keep it up!! I tried to give Stinger a back when he was about 50m away and he started to head toward me I really thought he was getting it! So today we practised a wagon wheel and picked up the correct dummy everytime, not one stuff up, will try and add a bit of distance tomorrow and later in the day he did an awesome blind across the dam, only one handle!!! then I sent him back for a memory blind and he did really well, it seems alot easier to handle in water than on land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHRP Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 (edited) Not quite retrieving training, but gspmadhouse and I took our young boys out for some field work today. Polo did some nice stuff including 'roading' a bird Young Kaleb did very nicely for his first time out too! Polo got a couple of dummies in the dam afterwards, so there was some retrieving too Some pics from the morning Edited March 12, 2011 by FHRP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollipop Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Great pics, FHRP. Wish I had somewhere like that to train. We survived our first novice RAT last night. It was surprisingly difficult - on the side of a hill with lots of cover. 4/12 passed novice and 1/4 passed in open. My dummies weren't "acceptable" so I had the borrow some which was a bit of a handicap. So now I have 1/3 of a RAT! After getting home I spent the night with my girl in labour. She finally had 10 puppies between 4am and 10am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Congratulations mollipop That's wonderful! Any pics? FHRP - love the pics! I hope you are going to give us more details on how you train for field trials Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubyroo Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Nice photos FHRP!! Congratulations Mollipop on your pass and new babies, hope mum & bubs are doing well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 (edited) Silly me! Yes, congrats on the baby puppies too It seems that Little Em just loves training in the rain - which means no excuses for me this Winter I'm constantly experimenting with the structure of our training sessions and today was a pearler. Started off with razzing her up with a couple of happy bumpers and neat presents. Although I haven't worried about presents other than at home she's much more confident since she put it all together. Then we had a play. Picked up a couple of dummies and she ran over in anticipation. Did 2 sighted blinds. Play time. 2 right backs. Play time. 2 left backs (I think she gets it :D although it's a fluke until next training session ). Play time. A little heel work and fronts (no dummies). Big zoomies with a couple of sits (and dummy rewards) thrown in. She was super pumped the whole time so I think that variety is her thing Edited March 13, 2011 by The Spotted Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHRP Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 FHRP - love the pics! I hope you are going to give us more details on how you train for field trials I'll let you know when I know :D Well done on the Novice RATG pass mollipop! Good dog for not caring about the dummies, I know it is much easier to train with dogs that aren't picky on dummies, it's a bit of a hassle when people are too precious about them. Polo had his first retrieve of dokken today, he certainly approves We did some retrieving training today, the first time we've been out with our 'training group' in a long time. We did water work, working on not cheating and long swim blinds. I was very happy with the boy, although the training wasn't hard, it was a good positive outing for both of us which we needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Well done mollipop on your first pass towards the RAT! Did you enter Novice or Open? If you can tell us more about it that would be greatly appreciated! I think we’re getting a demo of what is involved next weekend at retrieving training held by the Retrieving Club, which should be great! TSD, sounds like Em is coming along beautifully, you must be so pleased! FHRP love the pics!!! I went to training yesterday with the Retrieving Club and took both girls along. My gosh I am mighty impressed with Millie (she never ceases to amaze me), what a damn shame that associate registered dogs cannot compete in retrieving trials! (even though she is no question a gundog!) I am so thankful that the RAT is available to her at least :D I have done very little retrieving with her, past a dumbbell for obedience, so for the little work we’ve done she just amazes me. We did a single mark in a bit of cover yesterday at about 50-100m (I’m terrible with distances!) and she flew out to roughly where she had marked it, then did a little sniffing and looking around and found it! Came bolting back and delivered! Her deliveries (and steadiness) need more work but boy am I chuffed!! She is just so enthusiastic about it all! We did a second single mark directly after the first, she didn’t see it go up, only noticed it as it bounced to a halt, so when she bolted out to get it she didn’t find it right away. She came back to me so I heeled her closer to about within 10m of where it should have been (I couldn’t see it, either ), sent her, and still with the same confidence and trust, she dashed out, this time found it, so I ran back to the starting pegs to try and beat her back :lol: Ruby got thrown a single mark in cover, too. She dashed out beautifully (love how steady she is) but didn’t mark it as well as Millie so spent a bit more time tracking it with her nose. She found it though and came back with a nice present I tried the dreaded water work with her, too. A lovely helper loaned me her waders so out I went into the water with Ruby and after a few goes she delivered it to me without dropping it first (us still in the water). I think we narrowed the dropping down a bit more to me holding my hands out to get it from her, it’s intimidating her. So I kept my hands in front of me as I squatted in the water and she came to me Now to keep doing that and slowly getting further and further out of the water! Need to buy me some waders I think! Can’t wait til the next training session Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 I was so sorry that I missed out on yesterdays training but we will be there next week. I have also been told that me holding my hands out to Mason is the cause of his dropping so I try not do it anymore but it has become a habit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHRP Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Great stuff RubyStar! It is great to read how enthusiastic you and your dogs are. Steadiness and deliveries will come with Millie, she sounds like she's having a great time We were back out in the paddocks on quail again early this morning. Polo did some nice work, we're working on the sit to flush (among everything else), I want him to automatically sit when he either flushes a bird, or there's a 'wild flush'. He's become pretty steady to flush (not moving, not trying to chase the flying bird), although not always sitting. We introduced the starter pistol when the bird flushed today and that stepped temptation up a gear and he did go to chase a couple of times. He picked up pretty quick that he has to be steady to shot too :D Just not always sitting I had reinforced to me yet again, that the handler is the biggest handicap in the team, doesn't seem to matter what sport it is that's the common denominator here I am learning though, and just loving seeing my boy work. The field work has also resparked my interest in retrieving and seems to have made Polo even keener, if that's even possible!!! See the quail on the left side of the photo, Polo has found, pointed then flushed it on command. In this one I had sat him at a distance after a find and we were chatting. His nose didn't stop the whole time and he indicated game again. Sure enough, there was a quail about 15m in front of him Oh, we chucked in a bit of coursing too. Polo pointed a hare and couldn't resist the temptation to chase and no amount of yelling and whislte was going to stop him. No steadiness there I am told that any dog worth it's salt wll chase a hare.... Much training needed. See the hare just in front of him. A few fun dummies in the dam afterwards and then a retrieve across the corner of the dam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RallyValley Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 For thise field triallers, what does it mean by "failure to honor when it sees it's bracemate point mean" I have an assumption but I want to make sure. I also found a group in WA that trains for field trials so I will be tagging along when they go out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHRP Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 (edited) Not a field trialer yet but I assume it means backing. ANKC field trials run dogs in braces (pairs) and when one dog goes on point, when the other dog sees it, it should straight away lock on point, backing and honoring the other dogs point. A dog must have a back to qualify in a field trial I believe. Edited March 14, 2011 by FHRP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RallyValley Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Not a field trialer yet but I assume it means backing. ANKC field trials run dogs in braces (pairs) and when one dog goes on point, when the other dog sees it, it should straight away lock on point, backing and honoring the other dogs point. A dog must have a back to qualify in a field trial I believe. I'm reading US rules but I also assumed thats what it meant. Field trialling is very interesting, very much a test of a dogs ability and instinct as well as it's socialization. I am hoping to start my next pup working with some experienced field dogs from a young age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollipop Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 What great actions shots, FHRP. Hope you are around with your camera somewhere, sometime whern I'm there. Love your photography. I was in Novice, Rubystar. My girl has been working in Open but doesn't have a Retrieving title so it was back to Novice. Our marks were from the base of a steep grass bank. The dogs had to run up to near the top and the dummy was in really thick cover. It would have difficult for dogs used to the usual dog grounds runs which are usually on the flat and with not much cover. I had also enterred my young male who failed cos he just had a "boy look" and was confused by the long grass. After the second mark we had to take the dummy, send the dog to heel and walk back from the "firing" gate to a starting gate, as you do a retrieving trial. We did the obedience exercises later so that the retrieves were over before dark. They were very pedantic about the dummies and checked weight and size. The dimensions are included in the new rules. Ask away if you have any more questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHRP Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 (edited) mollipop, I didn't take those pics, too busy 'working' my dog! I do enjoy taking pics at retrieving trials, you'll have to enter some ACT ones so I can get some photos of your dogs Sounds like it was an interesting RATG! I really like when they use cover etc. Who was the judge? Edited March 14, 2011 by FHRP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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