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Retrieving & Field Training Talk


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I use fetch with gloves also, as fetchindawgs said, they are in sight for the dog anyway. The blind retrieves in UDX may be different though, not that I'll ever get there :laugh: I did have a brief issue with the directed jumping. Because I say 'over' in agility, I use 'this side' in retrieving. The first time I did the jumps from the box with Rogan I gave the arm signal and 'over' thinking that would be a big enough cue. He headed off out of the box at 90 degrees :o It was easily fixed, I simplified the box to the jump both in distance and angle and he picked it up pretty quick. I never trialed him though.

Edited by FHRP
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Can anyone recommend a brand of Wellington boots?

I would like something comfortable, that I could wear all day, ie with decent inners.

I realise I would have to pay $150 ++.

mollipop - I have Blundstones. They certainly won't set you back that much. However, I have bought some inserts from Athlete's Foot which I just need to cut to size to give my arch/foot more support. I have to wear mine standing relatively still for 4-6 hours on concrete - my legs still ache but it's not comparable to being out of the field.

Edited by The Spotted Devil
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Thanks for the response re: the commands to use for gloves. Fetch it is! Gloves was going well at 3m, but at 6m they are both deviating at the last second to the middle glove if I send for the outer ones :hitself:

fetchindawgs, thanks for the video loan. I will see what trial I will be attending next and message you privately to see if you will also be there to grab it from you :)

I'm over the moon at the moment with a couple of things.

Firstly, Ruby's sore leg looks to be finally healing. We did a bit of training yesterday and she doesn't appear to have any lameness even the next morning so I am crossing all crossables that it stays that way!

Secondly, the water retrieve is finally heading in the right direction! :D I have dogs who like to spit whatever item out at the water's edge and shake, then abandon said item. Yesterday, I had them both coming out of the water and about a metre up the bank to me and giving me the dokken before shaking! Wooohoooooooo!!! Yes, a metre is a huuuuge feat at this point in time :D

I am working on 2 problems here. One is the coming out of the water with the item and to me, the other is holding and giving to me before shaking. I have been lumping :o So while the coming out of the water one is making progress, I am yet to get them to hold until the command to give is given before shaking. It's still a race to grab it before dropping it (thankfully this isn't an issue on land [mostly :o], so I know the knowledge is in those brains of theirs, it's just a matter of getting them to transfer that knowledge to this different scenario). Baby steps :D But I'm very happy to be heading in the right direction :)

Edited by RubyStar
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Can anyone recommend a brand of Wellington boots?

I would like something comfortable, that I could wear all day, ie with decent inners.

I realise I would have to pay $150 ++.

MUCK BOOTS if you can get them. They come in various lengths and are lovely and soft inside. I think they were originally made for mucking out stables!! I wear them all the time in the winter as they are easy to get on and off.

Edited by JRG
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Can anyone recommend a brand of Wellington boots?

I would like something comfortable, that I could wear all day, ie with decent inners.

I realise I would have to pay $150 ++.

I like the hunter wellingtons- they are comfy and quite high, also not wide at the top, so water doesn't go in if you run through puddles etc.

They come in a range of colours.

They're very popular in England and are becoming quite fashionable here in Aus, although I don't wear mine as a fashion statment like some do!

I also wear my Aigle riding boots as gumboots sometimes- they are rubber and also quite comfy. They are around $120 I think.

I wanted to ask how you train for retrieving trials and if there are any groups in Sydney that offer training?

Or do you just have to train yourself- in which case are there any books/DVDs you would recommend?

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In WA most of us train on our own ( ie not at a specific class etc) but the retrieving club have training days in the season where you all train together. Maybe contact the nearest retrieving club to you ( someone on here can prob tell u which club that is).

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I wanted to ask how you train for retrieving trials and if there are any groups in Sydney that offer training?

Or do you just have to train yourself- in which case are there any books/DVDs you would recommend?

Maybe mollipop can help you, I believe she's in Sydney? I know that trialers will get together and train. You could also contact the Working Gundog Club, the contact on Dogs NSW site is Joe Law 02 4973 5329 [email protected] They sometimes hold training days and welcome anyone who is interseted in the sport, I'm sure they could point you in the right direction.

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Did anyone in Victoria go to the Springer Clubs's RATG last Sunday?? Would love to hear how the test went!

No - idiot that I am I double booked myself after promising Alex I'd enter :hitself: I'd also love to hear how it went.

Training wise - Em has been doing fun water retrieves, 8 dummy (4 W, 4 O) wagon wheel, lining drills and casting drills. In the wagon wheel she was coming unstuck on the second last orange dummy - kept getting sucked in by the white one and then was so confused when that wasn't right. However, big break through today - she was still a bit hesitant but took the line so much better and we had a huge party :happydance: Pushing distance on the lining and casting drills too. LL is still away training (she got suckered in by the improvement in the weather!) so we are concentrating on drills for a bit.

ETA: It was Saturday ;)

Edited by The Spotted Devil
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Did anyone in Victoria go to the Springer Clubs's RATG last Saturday?? Would love to hear how the test went!

We had entered but it clashed with a show I had entered! :o We had a US judge so went showing instead :laugh:

I keep checking the working retriever forum for results but nothing yet, would love to know if there were passes!

Mmm should have checked before I wrote the above LOL So bummed I couldn't go :(

The English Springer Club held Victoria's first open to all breeds RATG at the weekend. As has been experienced in other states we had a large entry with 15 dogs from the various gundog breeds turning up on the day to run in the Novice class.

The grounds at KCC park were very boggy and before long the dogs were up to their armpits in mud and in their element. Of the 15 starters our judge Ros Buckley handed out 8 pass cards. Thanks once again go to our judge, helpers and competitors for making it such a successful and enjoyable day.

1st Ch (T) Ch Everweis Park Xquizid CD TSD ET - Weimaraner - Mr B & Mrs L Evertsen

2nd Goldshyne Photo Finish CDX ADM ADO JDX JDO2 GD SD - Golden Retriever - Hollie Edwards

3rd Ch Goorambat The Manor CDX AD JD SD GD SPD - Golden Retriever - P & J Convery

4th FTCh Walgeers Oscar - English Springer Spaniel - RD Watt

5th Elderberry Scarlet (Imp UK) JD - English Springer Spaniel - Mr A Hill

6th Walgeers Jodie - English Springer Spaniel - Darren Smith

7th Ch Abtei Arms of Valour CDX - German Shorthaired Pointer - Mr R & Mrs K J Winters

8th Walgeers Cloe - English Springer Spaniel - Darren Smith

Edited by tollersowned
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Thanks for the recommendations re the boots.

I have ordered some Muck boots online. I was very impressed to see that some of their boots have been tested with rattlesnakes!!

RS, you are a very dedicated trainer. I am also training for UD at the same time. We had a magic moment last week. Molly finally caught on with the articles. She hadn't realised til then that she had to use her nose - she was waiting for something to be thrown or for me to give directions.

Think I also use "fetch" for the gloves though it's probably just whatever comes out of my mouth at the time.

Also had a break- through with her going straight into water.

Sounds like Em is also going well, TSD. She is a Springer Spaniel, right? I'm thinking that I would like one, though it wouldn't be for a couple of years (there would be an instant divorce if I got another dog atm). Do you need to express interest with a breeder a long way ahead?

I agree, you feel like a party when they finally "get" something.

Aussielover, I mainly train by myself. I live in central Sydney so you can't even take a bird to Centennial Park. I go to Obed. training at Glenorie and use their land and river for retrieving. I could give you contact details for someone at Kurrajong who runs retrieving classes at all levels.

I also do obed. training at the Eastern Subs DTC grounds with a PT on Wed. arvos and sometimes get him to throw dummies for me at the end of our lesson.

I have a major problem atm - Molly is in season and can't go out anywhere for training. She is entered in her first Open RATG at the GR Nationals on the 15th and 16th June. Panic, panic!!

Sorry about the long rave.

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mollipop - did you buy them from muckboots or from a dealer? I take birds to my local sports oval which is very quiet generally - Mr TSD is fully briefed to pack them up quick smart if anyone else rocks up :laugh: Springers are F.U.N. :thumbsup: I will take some more video of her training soon as her attitude is so much more intense since the last videos we took. I'm sure Molly will be fine - sounds like she is doing pretty well anyway!!! Remind us when the weekend draws nearer so we can cheer you on from afar!

Thanks for the results TO :) Good to see a variety of breeds doing well!

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Well I went down to the local lake to do some training a bit earlier. It's a bit mucky and there are people walking around and ducks on it so it's not a place I prefer to go to, but as I really need to get my act together and find water to train with on a more regular basis, I decided to go down.

Well, we almost had a duck casualty eek1.gif Ruby decided she'd rather chase the ducks in the water, and almost got one! I managed to call her off them before she got one icon_smile_mad.gif So we move further down the lake and what do the stupid ducks do, but follow us!! How bad is it for a retrieving dog to want to chase ducks :o

Anyway, we worked through the duck distraction and she didn't go back to them, so she was retrieving with ducks nearby (though I did tell her if she finds a dead one, she is allowed to retrieve that one and bring it back laugh.gif Just not allowed to kill it herself!) Will this confuse the poor dog by retrieving near ducks? Will she soon shy away from dead birdies because she has been told to leave the ducks alone? confused.gif

Anyway, I'm having the most success at the moment with having her come all the way out of the water and to me (without dropping the dummy and shaking) when I bribe her :o ie. show her the treat up front. This totally goes against my training but gosh darn it I am at a loss as to get her to bring it back properly when water is concerned! I aim to phase that bribe out and only reward when she proves she can do it more reliably. At least she isn't spitting the dummy to get the reward, she knows she has to hold it to earn it. And she's coming further out of the water now than she has been previously so it's a start :)

Boy this water is tough work!

Edited by RubyStar
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Hey RubyStar, as you're the creator of this thread :thumbsup: do you think we could edit the title to be Retrieving & Field Training Talk or prehaps just Gundog Training Talk? I'd love to post some more pics and chat about my boys field work, but feel like I'm always hijacking the thread. I fear a thread dedicated to Field work would just be myself and RallyValley though :o If you want to keep it to just Retrieving, then no worries :D

Edited by FHRP
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:cheer: THanks RubyStar!

So, RallyValley, did you get out to the Field Trial you mentioned earlier in the thread? I'd love to hear what you thought/saw!

OK, so I'll bore you with an update on our Field progress :D

Polo and I have now been to two weekends of ANKC Utility Field trials, in Melbourne. I am very chuffed that he has placed second at each Novice event and already has two Championship points :thumbsup: I did pull him from the Open event we did, even though the judge put us through to the second round. He seems to lose his brain a bit completely on the second day :o We have also competed in a local club Field Trial, open to all Pointing breeds, with entries mainly made up of Pointers. No points were awarded at this trial. It was a 'non shooting' event as it was held in NSW and I even entered Rogan, but it was the start and finish of his field trial career :laugh: Unfortunately, although Polo was 'in the box seat' going into the 3rd and final round, he ignored a dog on point and "blinked" a back :( This seems to have become a bit of an issue and I'm now working on consistent backing from him. I have thoroughly enjoyed my foray into the Field Trial world and hope to continue next year, but I've also learned what a huge disadvantage it is for both myself and my dog to come at the sport without the shooting background and experience, especially entering trials where birds are taken. Lucky I'm a pretty determined person ;)

A few pics from the club trial. We almost look the real deal!! ;)

Me firing a blank over Polo who has pointed and flushed a quail. A lovely English Setter is backing Polo

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Polo on point

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Again about to fire a blank over Polo, you can see the bird in this one, between me and Polo

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Rogan on point. This was taken the day before during training.

5770658301_6e2cb0824e.jpg

Edited by FHRP
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Congratulations on your results - worth the drive after all :thumbsup: Love the first pic especially! You will have to educate us, FHRP - I would love to hear more about the ins and outs of field trialling. Although I have been told by unbiased slightly biased sources that spaniel field trials are the best :D

So you have to be a good shot as well, eh? I think I'd better stick with retrieving!

Edited by The Spotted Devil
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I have been to one Spaniel and Retriever field trial and enjoyed watching the dogs. I did not enjoy all the walking up hills and over rocks. At least quail paddocks are usually flat :D Are you going to the Vic Gundog Clubs S&R field trial at the end of August with the international judge?? I'd imagine that would pull quite a few entries and be one to watch.

If you trial in a shooting state, you do need to be a good shot, or have a gunner who is a good shot. That's what I do :thumbsup:

eta. Thank you for the congrats :o

Edited by FHRP
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