The Spotted Devil Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Makes sense! Maybe go back to basics then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkyTansy Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 MG - similar issues with Ari and a land retrieve. she will go and get it, but the enthusiasm isn't there as it is with a water retrieve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RallyValley Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 (edited) Here is Zora playing around with retrieving a dumbbell - you can't hear it because of the wind but the closer she gets to the dumbbell she starts to make these excited noises. She has not yet had to do multiple retrieves without a treat so for the first few kept waiting for her reward Edited January 4, 2012 by RallyValley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkyTansy Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 look forward to seeing it RV - i can't see it at work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I started Gibbs on the dumbell hold this week, at first he had no clue but I made him think about what I wanted, then clicked treated when he touched dumbell at all and now he will actually pick it up and carry it mighty pleased Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkyTansy Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 MG! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Here is Zora playing around with retrieving a dumbbell - you can't hear it because of the wind but the closer she gets to the dumbbell she starts to make these excited noises. She has not yet had to do multiple retrieves without a treat so for the first few kept waiting for her reward She is as cute as a button Glad to hear things are going better MG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 A long day at the computer, a lonely pigeon in the freezer and Mr TSD on holidays could mean only one thing this evening Had so much fun at the oval. Started with double marks using dummies (I don't think the penny has completely dropped yet so will keep it simple) then had a good rest in the shade. Then it was time to toss birdy single marks and I also used the cap gun (which is louder than the normal gun) to practice steadiness. I'm not sure who was having more fun - me, Em or Mr TSD Despite being incredibly excited, Em showed really good self control - nice and steady to the shot. On one occasion she nearly broke and then stopped herself straight away so she was still sitting but at an odd forward propelling angle. The retrieves were great - she ran hard, straight out, straight back, no parading and beautiful delivery. Returned to heel nicely but it was all she could do not to grab the bird back again - she didn't but you could see her concentrating very hard on heeling. So cool to watch - it's quite an honour to watch generations of instinct at work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkyTansy Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 well done TSD sounds like you had a very successful afternoon! Can I ask where did you get your cap gun from? I can't find any? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 It was indeed a fun and successful afternoon ST! I bought the cap gun at a random toy shop - it's versatile....water pistol, potato shooter and cap gun in one. The old cap guns had strips of caps (soooo much fun!) but the PC world we live in means you have to break off single caps to put in. The gun is tiny but perfectly suited to the task. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 well done TSD sounds like you had a very successful afternoon! Can I ask where did you get your cap gun from? I can't find any? If you have no luck at the toy shop let me know, they sell them at my local petrol station. Can post one over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RallyValley Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 We need more videos of Em TSD!!! She sounds like you have been doing a brilliant job. Well ST and I met up with some other Utility Gundog for a retrieving session with 'game' (a dummy covered in rabbit) and some tips for the fieldwork and retrieves. The couple helping us out own and bred GSP's and used to breed Brittany's (their last one passed away a few weeks ago ). This is their older bitch Chelsea (a field trial Ch and retrieving titled) strutting her stuff; Lulu returning with the dummy; and Zora racing around with the dummy (which she returned... after a victory lap first) It was both bitches time having a dummy launcher used and they quickly caught on, it really hyped Zora up hearing it being wound up and they both were raring to go. I am also a bit proud because even though Zora was a bit cheeky I was told she is showing good promise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Great pics RV! Zora looks in lovely condition too - I meant to say that before. She is lean and getting some nice muscle development! Good to hear you have some trainers to hook up with too - it really helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RallyValley Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Thanks TSD, very glad the Brittany standard specifies that the dog should be thin, have a clear waist and no roll in the loin. I always love to see Em in such excellent condition too! Would love to see Em and Zora meet up at some stage, maybe the retrieving national this year ;) (Not that Zora will be entered!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 The only National we will be doing this year is the agility one I'd like to get across to WA as a spectator though but will see how I go time wise. Lot of pressure on at Uni this year - hopefully my last as a student for a while!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkyTansy Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 What a shame Lulu returned the dummy holding onto it's "feet"!!! They had a great time, and RS, I think that we may have found a good "training area" for the odd occasion... the river is great with some good entry points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 Great photos RV! And awesome about the training spot, ST, I was going to ask where the place was when I saw the photos on facebook. When do you gals want to meet up? I want to head out and do some training because I hate how slack my training is, and without a regular training partner, it is demotivating. I took Ruby out the other day to use the local lake and do a bit utilising the bushes they have there for a bit of cover, but we both got bitten by an ant and had to abort the lake work and hobble/limp home as it was the first time I had decided to make it a mix of a leisurely walk with a bit of training thrown in (we usually drive anywhere when we want to specifically train). TSD, Em sounds to be coming on really well, well done with her progress, you must be so pleased Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 So....in between chainsawing my way out of our driveway this morning (linky) and getting a heap of video footage sorted for Uni I managed to get some training done! I met LL at a local park that has good water training options and hardly any visitors. Started Em on non-cheaty water marks to warm up and then moved on to known blinds over water. She was a very good girl if not very excited and it took a bit of work reminding her what "heel" meant :laugh: The marks were good - had a bit of trouble with the last one but LL tells me it was quite a hard concept - I asked LL to help her out with another dummy to get her through and that worked well. The known blinds over this amount of water were more than we had done. Em stopped to the whistle well and got the hang of casting in the water after a few tries. There were a few distractions for her but she really gained in confidence and was taking nice straight lines in the end - no cheating either. I broke all that up with a few double marks - one in the water and a very easy one on land - I think she also started to get a handle on that. Plus did a few small retrieves in order to practice sending her straight through reeds, instead of avoiding them. Em gets a bit bored with repetition and enjoys training much more if I mix things up a little - the Labs are fabulous at drills but she looks at me as if to say "oh for goodness sake, I've done that one today!!!!" She had a good gallop and swim with LL's dogs but wasn't very impressed when I kept calling her off the fun birdies and duckies on the lake! A very tired girl tonight :) Actually, both of us are! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Last weekend I drove 4 hours to Howlong in NSW to stay with LL and a lovely friend/Wei breeder/retrieving trialler. Between us in the house there were 6 Weis, 4 Labs and 1 little Springy Ding :laugh: Unfortunately I had a rotten headache all weekend but we still got some good training done.....we had larger bodies of water to train on than Em had experienced previously and I was really surprised at how well she went. The first 2 water marks on Saturday were fabulous and she didn't even look like cheating. She thought about cheating on the way back from a couple of other water marks but took my handle back into the water very well. In fact, she handled much better in the water than I expected her to. We introduced her to the thrower and I made the mistake of putting a few too many novel aspects in one mark - she is used to the bumper boys but not the manual thrower/person appearing out of "nowhere" and got a bit of a fright! But she soon realised that birdies came out of the thrower and we got there in the end. I finished off the weekend having a much better understanding of where Em is at. I didn't have a lot of video footage to play with as we were all busy with our own dogs and I didn't have spare tapes but I hope you enjoy a small sample of what Em and I got up to.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fetchindawgs Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Last weekend I drove 4 hours to Howlong in NSW to stay with LL and a lovely friend/Wei breeder/retrieving trialler. Between us in the house there were 6 Weis, 4 Labs and 1 little Springy Ding :laugh: Unfortunately I had a rotten headache all weekend but we still got some good training done.....we had larger bodies of water to train on than Em had experienced previously and I was really surprised at how well she went. The first 2 water marks on Saturday were fabulous and she didn't even look like cheating. She thought about cheating on the way back from a couple of other water marks but took my handle back into the water very well. In fact, she handled much better in the water than I expected her to. We introduced her to the thrower and I made the mistake of putting a few too many novel aspects in one mark - she is used to the bumper boys but not the manual thrower/person appearing out of "nowhere" and got a bit of a fright! But she soon realised that birdies came out of the thrower and we got there in the end. I finished off the weekend having a much better understanding of where Em is at. I didn't have a lot of video footage to play with as we were all busy with our own dogs and I didn't have spare tapes but I hope you enjoy a small sample of what Em and I got up to.... Great swim by your little girl TSD, and the fact that she didn't try to cheat on her return is a great achievement for a young dog. I'd say having those training sessions and advice from LL has put you in good stead for trial this year. You are entering aren't you ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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