(left click on thumbnails)
"Kooly single" |
"Kooly blind 1"
|
"Kooly blind 2" |
single & two blinds |
"Goose Flap"
|
"drying off" |
"woody pair" |
"woody drake" |
Square Pond bird shots
note: wood ducks were too
far away for
quality
"pics" = for now
just
proof the nest box
might be occupied |
|
(early morning) Gunny trained at the Square
Pond grassy area - worked a 10 bumper mini-pile with
four orange bumpers in the middle (on a Flexi-lead)
note: delivery to heel improving (bumper flags and ropes slightly
distracting on pickups)
later at the Macktown DTA Gunny did several
singles off a remote sit in matted cover
note: the white flagged 3" Avery bumper was easy to see in the matted
cover
and it was quite clear that he was "looking" for it
note: used a short choker tab, but only asked him to sit "near me"
anywhere to
take delivery = this went very smoothly and his deliveries were much
more
responsive = head up, good sit and willing drop on command
note: his remote sit on the whistle is crisp, square and looking
straight at me
(the early whistle sit training is paying a huge benefit)
note: did some field OB before and after the marking session
(left click on thumbnail)
(Gunny)
"10 mini-pile" |
Spring & Summer Training Plan
Priorities: 1) fundamentally sound dogs - mentally & physically
2) APLA testing in the fall of 2008 & spring of 2009
3) AKC Master tests in 2009
4) two days off per week - no training (maybe some "roading")
5) design themes & routines with rationales and goals
(meet the specific needs of each dog)
6) train with group twice a week
7) training locations close to home - Madison Retriever Club DTAs once a
week
8) Taffey - steady on flush off point & maintain MH skills
9) Daisy - calmer and more consistent, deverlope MH skills & solidify
upland
10) Kooly - calmer and quieter & prepare for MH
11) Gunny - through transition, solidify upland prepare for Derby & SH
tests
Categories: 1) responsiveness, 2) "birdiness", 3) control, 4) focus, 5)
retrieving
The training theme is maintaining a balance in the five key categories.
Gunny - April 7th-12th
NOTES: April 10th start working Gunny on the "look at me" drill
April 11th started to introduce three-handed casting to see just "where"
he is mentally,
ended up using the over hand "fetch/back" toss with exaggerated
positioning to aid
him in taking the correct turn, his dominant turn side is clearly to his
left (right "back"),
up until now "back" means to run forward & needed to go back to
"fetch/back" to get
him to turn around....."look" at me is an issue - he is not
avoiding.......just "gawking"
around & a extra bumper in my hand keeps him focused & on task
presently, if he is
running around in the field and I suddenly blow the whistle, Gunny
will sit facing me and "looking" really solid, however I don't want to
loose that by
"using it up" in the 3-HT intro
Apr 7th - (afternoon)
Taffey, Daisy and Kooly did off lead OB with healing stick
wearing an e-collar
did the "usual" plus worked on "remote drop" = all three were sharp
Gunny did the "usual" OB drill with 2X's efforts on the right
side, including front sit "drops"
(into my hand) of a bumper during the "responsiveness" drill, OB is very
sharp
note: pinch collar and Flexi-lead
(early evening) 1st Zig-Zag at the Industrial DTA - cold and windy
Taffey was eager on the 1st Zig-Zag = good
lines some handles
Kooly was very sharp and took great lines =
focused and happy
Daisy was clueless at first, poor initial
lines, swerved to previous lines, would not "lock" &
too "amped" = repeated & 2nd time she was much improved...good lines and
now
thinking = the edge was off & glad I repeated
note: maybe
run a cold blind or short drill before every "real" training session ?
Gunny worked at the Industrial DTA cold......west wind, 40 yard
leg established = pile
with bumpers visible from 20 yards, fetch/back from side & picked up
two, moved back
in small increments to 40 yard distance with a little confusion on
bumper #7 = moved
up, no issue and he fired on the eighth bumper at 40 yards full of
spirit (he was having
fun and giving up the bumpers nicely on the "drop" command
note: changing over from "fetch" to "back" (been using both with "fetch"
first
followed by a quick verbal "back")
Apr 8th - (afternoon) trained all 3, ran orange bumper wagon wheel at
the Rockton Sport Complex
(before running their singles at Macktown) once around on left (push)
and second round
from the right side (pull)
Kooly is did extremely well on this, he is
giving me 10º "clicks" on push & pull and runs
consistently straight
Taffey lines up straight, but her eyes tell
me more = they don't always look straight ahead
and she wants to scoot forward too much
note: need to focus on stopping this motion
& paying more attention to her eyes
Daisy did much better on this drill vs.
yesterday's Zig-Zag = Daisy has to be lined up straight
and "kicked off" as quickly as possible, the more I "mess with her" on
the "lock" the
worse she gets (this will improve) the Macktown DTA and ran three remote
winger
singles in a three down the road setup with stickmen ("3" Avery
Flashers)
note: OR "mess" with her more in training
and get her "over it" - don't make
excuses
moved to the Macktown DTA and ran three three remote winger singles
along the "road"
Daisy ran first and went long to short ("up
the road") longest angled much more than
shortest, all marks required crossing the gravel road
note: nice job and straight as an arrow on
the two longest, on the last mark she
popped at the edge of the road, sat there as I gave her the long stare
which
means "FIGURE IT OUT!" After about ten seconds, she wheeled and went
across the road right to it. After Kooly hesitated at the cover and
ditch on
this side of the "road", It may have appeared to land right behind the
cover
(and not across the road). She popped because it wasn't there.....Kooly
took his own initiative and quickly figured it out.
Kooly was just simply terrific, his marks
were "down the road"
note: great lines & stepped on each one
(had slight hesitation at the ditch on one)
Taffey went last and it was starting to
rain = picked up the long winger, moved back and over
making the first 2 marks longer & very tight with extreme angle
entry/exits
note: she lined each of them (no rust)
Gunny ran three 60 yard remote winger
singles with stickmen at 90º, using choker tab to
work on steadiness, he "jumped" on all three and was very
focused......rain later in the day
Apr 9th - (morning) Taffey, Kooly and Daisy
repeated Tuesday's OB drill work - wearing choker tab
note: did OB lesson as each one was
brought out of the house to go in the van
did the honoring/steadiness drill at the Square Pond = Daisy's feet were
busy to start with,
but then they all settled & did a solid job (no issues)
moved to Macktown DTA all three ran a set of four cold blinds (in the
old nursery)
note: no real issues with Daisy, Kooly or
Taffey (Taffey's initial lines were very
good) each had noticeably different attitudes at the line - experience
is part
of that, Kooly is the easiest to work with, Taffey and Daisy require
quicker
whistles based on precise anticipation
note: used all orange bumpers at 100 - 150
yards
(left click on thumbnails)
"first three blinds" |
"fourth blind" |
"Taffey"
|
"Daisy" |
(morning) Gunny repeated
Tuesday's OB, need to work on "looking" at me on remote sits
(early afternoon) Industrial DTA ran four bumpers on the first leg =
super, put 8 bumpers
at the second leg & picked up 2 bumpers from about 25 yards & moved back
to the line
(50 yards) = he picked up 3 more
note: quit after 5. good at line = "dead bird"/hand down/"back"
(afternoon) trained at the Industrial DTA & ran three 50-75 yard remote
winger singles
spread over about 135º, at first he was looking at the previous
stickman, but picked up
the correct one and focused
note: fired hard & line each one = lots of enthusiasm
note: using 3" Avery Flashers with flags
Apr 10th - Taffey, Daisy & Kooly had the
day off - rain
Gunny started the "look" drill & did it
twice plus OB indoors (because of rain)
Apr 11th - (afternoon)
trained at the Industrial DTA and worked the Zig-Zag drill
orange bumpers
Taffey was not as good at lining up today = body line
good........eyes lying
Kooly was very consistent and lined
well = once around was enough
Daisy was much better today
(see April 7th) tossed bumpers back to original positions and
ran the set at least three times, looking for more precision and
"messed" with her
until she got the right line, she continued to improve as the "extended"
work
challenged her, many repetitions seems to be a good approach for her
(she loves
to train)
Gunny trained at the Industrial DTA...ran
one bumper on the south leg, two bumpers on
the west leg and established the north leg, then turned around and ran
each leg again
note: had to move up on one "go" for the new leg the second time around
(he
was confused & once was enough)
after training the older three dogs Gunny ran three remote
winger/stickmen singles on
east side of the property (just beat the rain)
note: Gunny did a much better job of returning to heel, did three-legged
pile work
ahead of these and evidently some of the "steam" had been released
(evening) Gunny did the
"look" drill in the living room - improving & working
April 12th - snowing - day off for
all
April 13th - day off for Taffey, Daisy and Kooly
(morning) Gunny did his OB lessons in the
field at the Industrial DTA = short and sweet
put two bumpers at 50 yards for the south & west legs then four bumpers
at the west
note: Gunny had no issues, went on every "back" and return to heel again
shows
gradual improvement (repetition is "winning")
note: there was some "smoothness" today = he is slowing down to do the
"wheel to heel" routine & almost remaining on the "sit" after "drop"
after the training at the Industrial DTA, drove to the Square Pond DTA
and did the
second lesson on the right & left "back" casts as the intro-prep for
three-handed
casting = this went much better today - he
does remember the previous lesson
note: intro lessons should be simple & short to give him time to
assimilate, it
was interesting to see the huge difference one day made & "fetch/back"
registered today
note: the next lesson will be off a remote place board
April 14th - (morning)
Taffey, Daisy & Kooly - OB review in
driveway before loading up for training,
moved to the Industrial DTA & did a session of walking baseball
note: spent extra time with Daisy and she showed improvement as the
session
progressed
note: Taffey is still refusing to take straight backs unless I wear her
down
note: Kooly appears to handle very precisely, but he is a "cheater" his
memory is so good, that even if he is moved he remembers where the
previous bumper was thrown
(afternoon) at Rock Cut State Park DTA.......group training - five
singles in a W
marking drill with two real BB
Taffey ran them all with a remote line &
I threw in the field = perfect job for her
Daisy ran a short blind first & afterwards
marked all 5 singles sharply & her feet
were not busy at the line
Kooly was taken to the opposite side heel
and ran a short blind after watching
each single fall = great job
(morning) Gunny did his OB lesson at the
Industrial DTA - good job
note: after the afternoon group training session it is clear that Gunny
needs
a ton of more exposure to "greeting" other people with respect to his
manners (mostly jumping up on them)
Gunny ran two bumpers at each leg and he
ran them smoothly & returning to sit
positions (both sides) more like a habit than being enforced
(afternoon)
Gunny worked on the intro to 3H Casting at
Rock Cut State Park DTA
while waiting for the rest of the group = he is getting it now, but
still having a bit
of trouble staying on sit before taking the "back" casts (left and right
almost equal
now in terms of rotating)
group training session at Rock Cut State Park DTA - ran three
stickmen/BB marks,
first real marks in cover which was matted down some, 1st mark missed it
and went
another 100 yards, got disorientated and found a rabbit hole that
smelled good, finally
came back and picked it up.....with the help of the BB, 2nd mark running
right for it,
but the gunner/BB tossed another one (not my idea) and he veered over to
pick that
one up, 3rd mark taking a good line then got a whiff of the bucket full
of bumpers from
the previous station & checked that out before then running around to
find the mark
note: Gunny was kind of like a "bull in a china shop" today, but pretty
"
good at the line (wanted to jump up on everyone)
April 15th - (afternoon) all three ran 3 cold blinds at Macktown DTA
Taffey - ran OK, initial lines fair, need
to correct for poor square sit several times,
she just didn't line her body up as well as usual, she was very "hacky"
right
at the end of each blind = high wind? coming in heat?
Daisy - good initial lines = big
improvement in "looking out" and "locking" = sharp
Kooly - takes each detail in stride and
runs very nice blinds with long "carrys", not
as fast as Daisy or Taffey, but looks stylish with a purpose
(left click on
thumbnail)
three cold blinds |
(afternoon) Gunny (at the Industrial DTA)
ran one bumper at each leg with no issues
note: retrieving routine is getting better every day
note: have to remember, winter weather shut us down on field work for 3
months
then at Macktown Gunny tried to do
some winger singles in cover, too much wind with
lots of distractions had him not focusing on the station = two good
marks and the other
two were not seen
note: stick to the plan.....start with BB in the grass and stretch him
while
working on the focus - Noah (grandson) is going to help me with
this over at least the next four weeks.
(late afternoon)
Gunny worked on "greeting people" with my
grandson & had to go to stick
sit with a pushing knee to the chest when he jumped......message much
clearer.......later in
the day Gunny was introduced to Daisy in close quarters......little did
he know what would
happen if I were not there.......she would give him a quick
lesson......however, she was
tolerant and his understanding of stick corrections for bad manners had
some
"carryover" - he just needs to know what is not acceptable = good day
April 16th - day off for Taffey. Daisy & Kooly
= too warm & the "program" has become more relaxed
(morning) Gunny repeated the three legged pattern = good job
(afternoon)
Gunny trained at the Industrial DTA (short
grass) & Noah threw five singles
at about 75 yards.........the purpose of today was to getting him
looking for a BB/gunner,
after hearing and seeing a "real" gunner, he picked every mark up with
enthusiasm,
in addition he learned the retrieve doesn't go to the BB
note: much learned today and the "right stuff"......good on deliveries
note: huge change in the weather.......sunny, 75º and windy & it was
good to
get him back in the house right away (much cooler & out of the sun)
(evening) two sessions of not jumping up on anyone, Noah's lesson from
yesterday had
some lasting impact, he was quicker to respond today & stopped jumping
after just a
few "knee'ded" reminders
April 17th - (morning) trained at the Square Pond
DTA - ran a set of 4 inline singles with stickmen
Taffey ran as my test dog - wingers
working, mark visibilities, factor issues & all
was working well - she nailed each one because it is easy
Daisy ran a cold blind first, the focus was
to settle her down some with the blind,
today use verbal and collar corrections for sit as indirect pressure for
her
busy feet. she was very good
Kooly was to be "checked" at the line to
continue work on responsiveness, one
backward heel before sending, another longer than usual wait before
sending, one very quick send and the last one had him "no/here/heeling"
to have him run a short cold blind before picking up the last bird
note: his marking drills will primarily have one theme - keep him
off balance with no predictability to increase responsiveness
and exterminate or at least get control of his vocal issues, no
more "ready....set.....go"
note: easy = 45 - 115 yards
(left click on
thumbnail)
"four easy inlines" |
(morning) Gunny trained at the Square Pond
- started with a short session of heeling
and sitting using the choker collar Gunny ran the four inline singles
that were the
set up for the older dogs, marks were shortened up & the number three
bumper
was changed to an all white bumper to increase visibility
note: Gunny was looking out and saw each mark, moving up helped and he
will soon be able to run a similar setup more easily next time
(left click on thumbnail)
Gunny's 1st inlines |
(evening) Gunny ran the three legs fast
except a large piece of white paper pulled
him off line for a bit on one = good
job.......continued at the Industrial DTA after
running the three legged pattern, worked on right and left "backs" as in
three-handed
casting....tossing the bumper to the "spot" while having him sit at heel
(kind of like
identifying the pile.........then re-heeling him in the correct
position, I walked away
leaving on a sit facing me.....then made the cast easier by standing
toward the correct
side.....he was very good with these today = looking right at me, sharp
turns and the
right way
note: Gunny turned a corner today -
noticeably more attentive
note: still need to start getting the
place board into this routine & up until
he was still in the "keep it simple" mode...he has made the connection
between a verbal "back" with the visual back cast
Frontline Plus - Taffey, Daisy &
Gunny waiting for Preventic
collar on Kooly
April 18th - (afternoon) Taffey, Daisy & Kooly
trained at the Rockton DTA - cover was short & matted
down, but there a lot of wind blown paper debris that needs to be picked
up, ran 9-10
walking poorman singles, each had to honor the other two, Daisy reverted
to "looking off"
the mark for a release & she will get no more of this type of mark,
other two were sharp
note: all three were distracted by the fresh, tasty new grown grass
(afternoon) Gunny ran five "poorman" marks
and is getting better with sitting for the
release.....afterwards drove to the Industrial DTA and he was sitting on
a round place
board for left and right "back" casts = did them all correctly, through
a bumper out to
the left and right to imprint the "over" casts = did those correctly,
too
note: "intro imprint" to 3-handed casting is over
April 19th - attended pro Brian Moyse seminar at the Madison Retriever
Club Stoughton FT area
note: Kooly walked around on leash and sat
near the line for exposure of action
without doing any retrieving
note: Daisy did the same thing Kooly did
except they needed a dog to run | |
