The Spotted Devil Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Apparently we had it easy - it was sleeting the weekend before Oh wow - I had the best afternoon playing with my new Bumper Boy For some reason I decided to juggle 3 overexcited dogs/puppy which was quite a handful. Puppy had a great time - had him retrieving dummies from knee deep in water. He is super keen for a baby and spent the rest of the time carrying a toy in his mouth. Ziggy got to swim and fetch toys in his own unique style and Em did the serious work. The BB worked perfectly even after I took it apart and reversed 2 throwers (allowing me to run a double) and programmed it. Memory marks are rusty but all the hot blind and handling work has really paid off. Sent her on a long swim for a blind and she was great. Had to handle twice due to stupid ducks swimming right in front of her and pulling her off line but she took it beautifully. Mr TSD is worried that he's out of a job but I've assured him he's still needed :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Mr TSD helped me wrangle the dogs today as Ziggy pulled me off my bike on Sunday and I landed on my knee/hand/ankle with a nasty THUD! Agility training is on the back burner for a week as hobbling is the best I can do. I've been working on various things with Em lately and continued with them today...memory marks, 2 bird etc and she seems to be getting the hang of it. Super enthusiastic and doing all the basics well so we just need to keep building. I've decided that puppy is half kangaroo and half fish! He precedes every sit with a giant, excitable leap and took off swimming for the first time today like he'd been doing it all his life. I set him up to follow Zig into the water as he just worships him and that worked really well. He also seems to have a penchant for mud :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Mr TSD helped me wrangle the dogs today as Ziggy pulled me off my bike on Sunday and I landed on my knee/hand/ankle with a nasty THUD! Agility training is on the back burner for a week as hobbling is the best I can do. I've been working on various things with Em lately and continued with them today...memory marks, 2 bird etc and she seems to be getting the hang of it. Super enthusiastic and doing all the basics well so we just need to keep building. I've decided that puppy is half kangaroo and half fish! He precedes every sit with a giant, excitable leap and took off swimming for the first time today like he'd been doing it all his life. I set him up to follow Zig into the water as he just worships him and that worked really well. He also seems to have a penchant for mud :D Ouch! Are you using a walkydog attachment on the bike? I have one for Geordie - the shock absorption works really well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 (edited) *gremlins* Edited November 20, 2012 by The Spotted Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Yes, ouch is right! I was holding onto his lead - he was going really well then decided to slam on the breaks to lift his leg and SMACK! I was on the ground with the bike. Not sure that a springer attachment would help? Or would it? Also, I didn't realise how bruised I was so kept riding and then came home and took Em training, not bothering with ice until Monday when I realised how sore I was! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 I'm still managing to squeeze some retrieving training in every few days. Em seems to have made some progress with blinds and handling - just has a really good attitude and is gaining some confidence in herself. Note to self: don't forget where the blind is Was a bit confused about her memory marks......until I realised I'd changed her commands and she couldn't work out what the hell I was wanting! Note to self: don't be an idiot Puppy is going through a REBEL stage :laugh: Little darling has NO recall all of a sudden so is in training bootcamp. Loves walking singles though. Note to self: girls are much easier than boys!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RallyValley Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 TSD I admire you training up two young dogs! Very brave :laugh: . No your doing a great job I just realised I haven't posted in this thread for ages!!! So I will post an update about how out field season went :) Unfortunately field training is pretty limited, being that you have to drive a minimum 2hrs each way to get to a field to practice - add in seasons and shiftwork that means working most weekends and I didn't get out as much as I would have liked. I had an absolute ripper day out earlier in the year where there seemed to be almost too many quail, this really increased Zora's desire... but also showed some weakness in her recall Since then we have only had a handful of opportunities to get out and work and sadly on most of them there were hardly any birds around. She has a great nose and so much desire to find though! Towards the end of the season Zora has done a couple of sessions on planted quail. These sessions seemed to really help her click it all into place, I almost cried with pride when she held this point (see pic below) for a few mins- just rock steady. Then they moved the bird on and she was so good at roading it up by scent. A couple of times this year we did some retrieving work too, the same day as the above point an on a couple of other occasions we used fresh quail and a launcher, even though they were simple singles I was so proud of Zora. She sat by my side, was shot over, went out and got the bird and returned it to hand a couple of times :) My hilight of the year though has to be on our last training session, we were using planted quail and Zora started pointing really staunchly just by scent!! Nothing in the world makes Zora as happy as working does! She is developing into a great little dog, she needs lots more work but she's got a promising future!! She is having a litter next year though so that might interrupt her field season a bit Just one last pic of Z on point: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 (edited) Great to see you back in here RV It's not easy training in the field! Lovely pics of Zora Here's a photo I snapped of the Little Terror this week......did I mention he's crossed with a bloody Mountain Goat? Boot camp is helping - have shaped a reasonable front and just started on the delivery tonight... Edited December 8, 2012 by The Spotted Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Is he staying TSD? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Is he staying TSD? :D Not if he bolts across the oval into the distance again :laugh: He's heading back to his breeder before Christmas as I'm going to the USA for at least a month on 1st Jan (for Uni). When I get back I'll see how I'm coping as it will be thesis writing time. It's a huge commitment and I don't want to spread myself too thin. He is a ripper little dog and Em is having a ball playing zoomies. Zig is surprisingly much more tolerant but doesn't really engage with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 (edited) Well I'm pleased to say that Em DOES understand memory marks Mr TSD threw a few dummies for us tonight on the oval - I used the command that she was used to and she was all over it. Thank goodness! Barkley did just 2 walking singles - on a long line since his recall has gone out the window - but sat nice and steady (no prompting from me just things we've worked on at home), looked forward and went out after them like a shot. Not bad for 4.5 months :) Had to reel him in as he would have done laps of the oval showing off his prize had I let him! Then it was some recall training using Zig and Em as high distractions when he started to improve. Now we have some Serious Springer Zoomies out on the deck :laugh: Edited December 9, 2012 by The Spotted Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 Today was really good. Did some simple drills working on stopping and casting in water. Em was good. I need to remember the following: 1. Keep the whistle in my mouth. Always. Learn to give commands that way. 2. Slow down the send. We will need it for memory marks. 3. Make sure she is sitting straight (or standing when in shallow water) before handling. 4. 3 sends for every stop and cast. 5. At the moment when she is swimming stop and cast immediately. 6. Call her in if she's shopping on pile work. 7. Call her in if she's day dreaming on her way back from a water retrieve. 8. Work seperately on backs, lefts and rights in water. 9. Teach her to pick up a retrieve coming in and to either side (throw it as she's running out to a pile, stop and call in). 10. Keep having FUN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptolomy Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 TSD I admire you training up two young dogs! Very brave :laugh: . No your doing a great job I just realised I haven't posted in this thread for ages!!! So I will post an update about how out field season went :) Unfortunately field training is pretty limited, being that you have to drive a minimum 2hrs each way to get to a field to practice - add in seasons and shiftwork that means working most weekends and I didn't get out as much as I would have liked. I had an absolute ripper day out earlier in the year where there seemed to be almost too many quail, this really increased Zora's desire... but also showed some weakness in her recall Since then we have only had a handful of opportunities to get out and work and sadly on most of them there were hardly any birds around. She has a great nose and so much desire to find though! Towards the end of the season Zora has done a couple of sessions on planted quail. These sessions seemed to really help her click it all into place, I almost cried with pride when she held this point (see pic below) for a few mins- just rock steady. Then they moved the bird on and she was so good at roading it up by scent. A couple of times this year we did some retrieving work too, the same day as the above point an on a couple of other occasions we used fresh quail and a launcher, even though they were simple singles I was so proud of Zora. She sat by my side, was shot over, went out and got the bird and returned it to hand a couple of times :) My hilight of the year though has to be on our last training session, we were using planted quail and Zora started pointing really staunchly just by scent!! Nothing in the world makes Zora as happy as working does! She is developing into a great little dog, she needs lots more work but she's got a promising future!! She is having a litter next year though so that might interrupt her field season a bit Just one last pic of Z on point: RV - what are the two different collars Zora has on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 (edited) We learned to do a 3 leg lining drill in water today. The water was half run/half swim and she took a stop and backward cast really well on the middle pile. Did left pile and right pile separately - needed a slight bit of help from me on the left pile on the way out and a "swim" cast on the right pile on the way back (very cheaty for her) and then she was fine. Gave her a rest whilst Barkley had a swim and a few retrieves. Then we layed out one dummy in each pile position. She eyed off the one on the right but a quiet "leave" and she picked them up very nicely in the order I asked her to (middle, left, right) so a very good start. Lots more work to do of course. Barkley had a great time out today and then I left him with his breeder. He howled when I walked away. I might have cried a bit. And a bit more when I arrived home to a strangely calm house. Mr TSD has admitted to missing him already too. Edited December 18, 2012 by The Spotted Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 Barkley had a great time out today and then I left him with his breeder. He howled when I walked away. I might have cried a bit. And a bit more when I arrived home to a strangely calm house. Mr TSD has admitted to missing him already too. Uh-oh...that sounds ominous. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 Barkley had a great time out today and then I left him with his breeder. He howled when I walked away. I might have cried a bit. And a bit more when I arrived home to a strangely calm house. Mr TSD has admitted to missing him already too. Uh-oh...that sounds ominous. :laugh: lol...not really. I think Ziggy is so much more relaxed already and that's important....I'm not sure I'm ready for 2 entire males and a bitch and I don't think he is either. Really fell for the little rascal though - more than I realised. Such a lovely temperament, energy to burn and plenty of instinct. Hopefully I've given him a nice start :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 I have been slack the last few days - what with Uni, impending Christmas celebrations and planning to go away again it's been just a bit crazy. Em has reverted to being the mischievous youngster in the house and has taken to doing evening zoomies with all the spare energy! Mr TSD helped me with a few drills at the oval tonight. Started with an in-line marking drill. First try at this one and I'm pleased to say that both Em and Mr TSD nailed it :laugh: After a break we did a double mark but both going right to left. Ran at as 2 singles first then as a double, picking up the 2nd throw first. She did well on depth for the memory mark (1st throw) but the 2nd throw dragged her inwards (not unsurprisingly) so she ended up wide of the mark - more practice to be had on that one! Concept wise she was great though :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackJaq Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 Apparently there's a beginner training day early next year which we might go to, and if we're still hopeless after that, i might just have to wait till my next dog Oooh that sounds great, where is it at? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubyroo Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Apparently there's a beginner training day early next year which we might go to, and if we're still hopeless after that, i might just have to wait till my next dog Oooh that sounds great, where is it at? http://www.australianworkingretrievercentral.org.au/bb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2921 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackJaq Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 Apparently there's a beginner training day early next year which we might go to, and if we're still hopeless after that, i might just have to wait till my next dog Oooh that sounds great, where is it at? http://www.australianworkingretrievercentral.org.au/bb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2921 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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