Retrieving & Field Training Talk

[RubyStar]

Well done again RB and Milly! (saw your news in the Lab thread :)) That is so great you were invited to go out training :D Those opportunities seem to be rare so grab 'em when you can! I have FINALLY found a training group and I am soooooooo happy!! :D :D Been longing for people to train with since day dot. Have met up with them twice now and will again this weekend. A small group of experienced and novice handlers, so I don't feel too daunted or like I am wasting their time :) My girl has actually done well in the last couple of sessions, so I am very much looking forward to seeing her improvement in the months to come :D May see me return to trialling if the bird thing resolves itself :laugh: Taking that slowly and using a frozen one in a sock.

Good luck this weekend, TSD!!

Good boy, Polo! You must be chuffed, FHRP!

Go on, Tassie, you know you want a gundog :D Best dogs ever and retrieving is so much fun :p

[Tassie]

RS - any bias there ;-) I think maybe 2 dogs and 5 disciplines - 6 if you count TSD as separate - might keep this little duck occupied. I'll just admire the gundogs from afar (which I do anyway :D .)

[RubyBlue]

Good luck TSD :)

Can someone please explain the difference between novice, restricted, open, all age, etc. Some sound pretty self explanatory but others not so much...

[RubyStar]

Hi RB, here is the description from the rules:

Novice Stake is a Stake confined to Gundogs that have not won any Stake other than two (2) Novice

Stakes (Beginners' Tests are excluded) or has gained Championship Points and/or been awarded an

AARD title. The only form of retrieve in a Novice Stake is a Single Mark Retrieve. A "Walk-Up'' is not

permitted in a Novice Stake.

Restricted Stake is a Stake confined to Gundogs that have not won three (3) Restricted Stakes, or an

All Age Stake, or been placed first or second in a Championship Stake, or been awarded an AARD title

At least one Blind Find Retrieve shall be included in a Restricted Stake. A Blind should preferably be

picked up after, rather than before, a Mark Retrieve, Double Rise Retrieve or a Two-Bird Retrieve.

Where a Blind is to be retrieved first, the angle of separation between the Blind and other items of game

shall be at least 60 degrees.

All Age Stake is a Stake confined to Gundogs that have won a Novice or have been placed first,

second or third in a Restricted Stake. A Blind Find Retrieve must be included, with the dog tested for

steadiness in a Hide at least once.

A novice dog can also do restricted, so you don't have to win out of novice to have a play in restricted.

[rubyroo]

Good luck TSD hope little Em does you proud! You might possibly meet scout who I think is ems little sister, she should b trialling also.

Great new RS, it's great having people to train with you, there is so much to learn and its great being able to help each other.

Thanks FRHP, (feel free to post a photo so everyone can see how handsome he is!) my little rocket monster did really well on the weekend. He finished novice both days and managed to place 4th on the Sunday. We lost a few points breaking the shot (he was gone before I could even fire), and spitting the bird at my feet on his return, I did manage to catch one before it hit the ground! Reading your training posts TSD, I have so much homework to do for canberra trial in a few weeks.

Happy Easter everyone.

[FHRP]

I'm still going through the photos, I've been kept a bit busy this week!! But, here's a handsome Rocket pic :)

Edited October 26, 2015 by FHRP

[FHRP]

Another

Edited October 26, 2015 by FHRP

[RubyStar]

Way to go rubyroo!!! That first photo with the birds feet sticking out of his mouth looks like he's eating the head :laugh: Such a handsome boy! :)

[rubyroo]

Thanks very much, your photos r always brilliant!

RS, god help me if I have another bird destroyer on my hands, touch wood, all his birds were not touched!

[The Spotted Devil]

Thanks for the good wishes all and yay for FHRP and rubyroo There is quite a NSW invasion here :laugh: A couple from Tassie, SA and WA too. And so good to catch up with everyone!!!

So briefly to today's runs.....18 entered in Novice and I was just bloody pleased to finish in the end. It certainly revealed some holes in my training. Only 9 dogs made it to the 3rd run. One thing I concentrated on today was breaking the gun before sending. She was really wired up but steady. Work between the pegs wasn't too bad but very impatient!

First run - land mark (right to left) with plenty of sky but a lot of dogs did not see it and Em was one of them. Several factors for us including first comp since July last year, distracted by the dive-bombing swallows and a lack of marking practice. She went out like a bullet and over ran it but then hunted like a mad thing. Lots of distracting scents but I could see she was working hard so left her alone. Finally got the right side of the wind and picked it up. Slight arc running back and I gave her a come in whistle as the wing was covering most of her eyes. Delivered nicely.

Second run - across splash water and sticky mud (left to right), landing in clear ground but surrounded by tall, spiky, reed, marsh type stuff. Again she overshot the mark (at least she saw it!) but faced the mud/water/cover without hesitation. Hunted like mad and even came back into sight but did not look for assistance. Ran hard back to me and delivered nicely.

Third run - looked like an absolute sitter for Em. However!!!!!!! Mark (backwards to left) into splash. Dogs had to run, cross a narrow channel (swim), run on more clear ground and hit the water. All going great, really nice line to the game, about half way there in the splash water when she really spooked as she headed for the game. 12 months ago this would not have surprised me but not now! She was quite worried and would not pick up the game but I persisted. Handled but then would balk. Finally she took a lovely line back and just kept going. I realised the game had floated so stopped her and cast right. The momentum seemed to help and she finally had the courage to pick it up. Was so thrilled that we pushed through it and grateful that we weren't pulled out. Anyway....I mentioned this to a few people and they all said the same thing - apparently the water is full of carp and dogs have been scared off before! So the poor little devil had no idea what monsters beneath were trying to kill her

Drove to AA stake and went on the thrower for the 3rd run. The wind was pretty chilly today but must give an almighty for my muck boots. My feet were toasty wam for a change :D

So that's it for tonight....have had my butter chicken with basmati rice, peas and roti on the camp stove (with the odd beer and glass of red). Now it's hot chocolate and into the sleeping bag with my Hot Springer Bottle!

It's a bit muddy...

Taking care of business...

Edited March 29, 2013 by The Spotted Devil

[rubyroo]

Sounds like a great weekend, good luck for today!

[RubyStar]

Great stuff, TSD!! Good luck if there's another novice trial this weekend! Who are the WA folk over there?

I went out training this morning and had a blast! Ran Ruby on two single marks (so eager she broke on the first! ) then after a short break, we came back to have a go as a double. Before running it though, I ran her out to a white cone and showed her me dropping a frozen bird in a sock near it, then ran half way back between the bird and the flags and sent her for the blind. Once she delivered, I walked her out again, dropped the bird near the cone, then back to the flags for the double mark. Did that beautifully, then turned her to the direction of the blind. Sent her and off she went in a nice straight line with no hesitation and found it :)

Next we moved the flags so we could create a hide with the scrub, and removed the white cone, to do a blind again and a two bird. I ran her out again to show her where the bird was for the blind, no cone to help this time. Put her in the hide, called her up and sent her. Again, off she ran with no hesitation and she went straight to it :) On her way back the other bird went up but because it was slightly behind some trees and a low plane went over as it was launched from the thrower, she didn't see/hear it. Never mind, we'll try again next week in a more visible spot!

We worked on some sit whistles while out in the field which are really starting to click now, yay! Still more training required on casting, though. Finished with some happy bumpers into the river, but asked for proper delivery which she gave :)

Can't wait for our next session!!

[Ptolomy]

so you spend 2 years teaching a dog to wait and the moment you introduce them to retrieving wait is no longer in their vocab

Looking forward to hearing how everybody went over the Easter long weekend and looking forward to seeing Ruby out in the field Rubystar.

Naughty Nina (NN) had her first go with a thrower today and also her first go with a real birdie. To say she only started retrieving 4 weeks ago I am very pleased with her and her delivery to hand is beautiful.

and one little brag for me.......

I touched a dead birdie without gloves ok it will never happen again but I did do it!

[Tassie]

You girls crack me up - but it's so good that you're having such fun and success with your clever gundogs.

:laugh: Ptolomy - about the vanishing wait - and about ytou being brave :D .

[megan_]

I also enjoy this thread tassie - even though I have no idea what anyone is talking about.

[RubyStar]

so you spend 2 years teaching a dog to wait and the moment you introduce them to retrieving wait is no longer in their vocab

Looking forward to hearing how everybody went over the Easter long weekend and looking forward to seeing Ruby out in the field Rubystar.

Naughty Nina (NN) had her first go with a thrower today and also her first go with a real birdie. To say she only started retrieving 4 weeks ago I am very pleased with her and her delivery to hand is beautiful.

and one little brag for me.......

I touched a dead birdie without gloves ok it will never happen again but I did do it!

The only field you might see us in in the near future is the RATG. Dying to enter a novice trial again! But not yet....

Are you/livertreats entering Strauss in the RATG?

Never say never :D Birdies aren't that bad

I also enjoy this thread tassie - even though I have no idea what anyone is talking about.

I still read TSD's posts and have a few moments myself I'm still very much learning the tech-talk!

[The Spotted Devil]

Soooo tired so will catch up properly later...,

My dog could not mark to save her life but, boy! Can she run a line and handle :laugh: Such a funny little thing today but all the pros tell me not to worry - she's just finally got the hang of running in a straight line that she needs to go back to easy mark training for a few days. First 2 runs were one after the other at right angles to each other - one long and one short and we got to choose the order. Very wide firing pegs so we had to consider the best place to run from. Like everyone else I chose the long one first - Em saw it, took off like a bullet, ran through cover and swampy water and nearly ended up in the bloody All Age run Stopped. Called her in but not far enough so she turned tail and headed back on the same line. Stopped and called her in further. Got her in the area and told her to fetch it up! She hunted methodically and did just that. Judge said "good handling!" which was nice. Handed over the game and he said "gee she's got some go in her!" Ah yup The second run she did the same damn thing - I called her too far in so stopped and cast right back. I should have sent her left back but she took it so perfectly (nearly back to bloody Melbourne :laugh:) that I couldn't help but be pleased. Third run was in water with a sit stay at the pegs so a nice introduction to Restricted. Nailed that, sighted the mark but tried to cheat ever so slightly. I won't cop that so stop and casted. She took a much better line coming back. I was on the thrower for most of the first two runs and half the third one so was pretty tired by the end. Sent Em for an across water blind that another dog failed to retrieve (mark had floated away) and was happy with that. Was heading to All Age to help out but they were falling like ninepins so headed off to train for a bit. The shortest marks in cover were awful so I stopped helping her and picked up the dummy and called her in. Finally she clicked and started to mark them properly but it's not enough for tomorrow. The club put on a catered dinner so it was nice to have no dishes and just sit around the fire with a glass of red chatting.

[Tassie]

Sounds like there was a lot to be happy with TSD :-) ...nice to get a couple of compliments from the judge too . :-)

[The Spotted Devil]

At the risk of repeating myself Em's marking yesterday was still pretty awful but she handled really well. Work between the pegs was much improved, steady as a (quivering) rock, delivery was perfect and attitude was unreal. Runs had a similar feel to the previous day and she overran the land marks by a country mile - she has completely forgotten how to judge depth and has to be reminded to put her nose down and hunt. Stopped and casted with enthusiasm though and brought a smile to our gun steward's face :D Again, she was the only dog who had to swim to the in water mark and the judge declared she was so cute he felt like carrying her to the mark :laugh: Was a bit unlucky as the wind whipped up causing the game to land only 10 metres from the shore line so very, very cheaty.

Thanks Tassie :) All in all I can't be too unhappy. She finished all 3 days and the things I'd trained were really good. I realise my training hasn't been balanced sufficiently between marks and blinds - a trap for young players! But I have had sound advice as to how to bring that back and Mr TSD has offered to throw dummies for us this week I also felt more relaxed, we are starting to work as a team and I think my handling has improved - I've slowed everything down, particularly sending and casting. I tested her deliveries by slowing down the "give" as well.

Had a lovely social weekend but it is nice to discover plumbing again with a hot shower and flushing toilet Breakfast in bed is pretty nice too :D

Edited April 1, 2013 by The Spotted Devil

[RubyStar]

I'm not sure how you can cope with 3 days away like that. I went out this morning for training with RallyValley and a couple of hours of getting mucky, I was DYING for a shower when I got home!!! Feels awesome to get clean again

Well done on your weekend TSD, sounds like Em is coming along fantastically, and I'm sure it won't take long for her marking skills to return.

As mentioned, went out training again this morning with both dogs, had a great time as usual. For once, NICE AND LOCAL RV knew of a spot about 10 minutes from me that I had no idea was there. Well, I did know there was a place there, just had never been and didn't know the exact location. We tested out my brand new (second hand) thrower. Apart from it being so grotty and one leg needed some WD40 to get it undone, it worked perfectly well with just 1 leg and a few novices at setting it up (got home and cleaned it up, spray painted it and got the 2nd leg undone, all ready for next time!)

Started Ruby on a double rise, as we did those last at training on Saturday and she was at that point of she'd had enough, so it didn't go terribly well. Did it first up today and she did it :) Millie also had a go, managed it but doesn't quite get the command yet, so went on "fetch" again I then lengthened it up for her and she wasn't as successful this time, so just hand threw her a couple where she could see and to help her learn the new command. Didn't lose her enthusiasm at all, she loves the game of retrieving! RV's Zora had a go at a couple of single marks and did lovely, she's just working on that delivery to hand which I hear is going great at home, so definitely getting there Then brought Ruby out again for a single mark and blind. Showed her where I dropped the blind then set her up for the mark. Lovely work Did the same for Millie but shortened it up a touch, she was all over that :D

We ended after all dogs having 2 rounds each, as it was getting rather hot and didn't want to blow the enthusiasm. Went down to the water that was covered in shade and threw a couple of dummies there. The girls are really starting to understand that water delivery, yay!

I continue to work birdy holds at home (and frozen pigeons in a sock in the field combined with dummies). I am worried that I am putting all this training in and actually seeing some progress finally, to have it all fall down again when it comes to using birds and never being able to trial Ruby again But regardless, we are having loads of fun in the training. Even doing stuff with Millie she won't ever need to use because she can't trial, but she enjoys it and I guess it is also teaching me :)