Kooly's Timeline from May 1 through June 30, 2004

     May  1   three hand throw marks at Macktown, OB and hold lesson
     May  2  OB and hold lesson, "chucked" one more piece of orange plastic flag - all else normal
                 and vet said OK
     May  3  day off, played in the house and started simple hold lessons
     May  4  three hand thrown marks at Macktown, OB and hold lesson
                 this months Interceptor heart worm/wormer pill
     May  5  48 pounds, three remote winger marks at Macktown, OB and hold lessons                    
     May  6  train at Stoughton, remote winger marks - three land and two water, OB in the
                 yard - heel, sit, remote sits, return to heel, backward heeling (right and left sides),
                 hold lessons, gun conditioning finished  
     May  7  yard OB -  heel, sit, remote sits, return to heel, backward heeling (right and left sides)
     May  8  start formal hold for FF, heel, sit, remote sits, return to heel, backward heeling (right
                 and left sides)
     May  9  trained at "The Square Pond" (water level down at least three feet), ran four land
                 marks and four water marks, ran his first land/water/land - fifty yards across the pond
                 out through some rushes to find, pick-up and return (on the first it took him some time
                 to realize it wasn't in the water and to leave - second time over, up and out = smart
                 and very determined!)
                 morning & evening - hold lesson and heel, sit, remote sits, return to heel, backward
                 heeling (right and left sides)
     May 10 50 pounds, hold lesson in the morning before training at "The Square Pond", ran six remote
                 winger/stickmen marks and four water marks, very close to sharp heel & sit return
                 without pressure
                  

  May 11  "Kelly Myer Field" -  ran six remote winger land marks - right left routine and stretched out,
               need short grass, four water marks at the "Square Pond", two hold lessons, some light OB
  May 12  place boards, two hold lessons, some light OB, fun bumpers blended into "total game"
        
        6 months - reflections & analysis
              Positives:  
                   1a) excellent marker and won't give up on even badly placed marks
                   1b) quick on land and a strong swimmer (faster than Taffey right now)
                   1c) excellent nose
                   1d loves birds (ducks, pheasants and chukars)
                   2) OB coming along very well & ready to formalize
                   3) "hold" progressing nicely for a week plus
                   4) growth and body weight on target
                   5) loves to train and a quick learner
                   6) response to "here" off lead excellent and understands CC to "here"
                   7) respects bark collar
                   8) stick conditioning is very good
                   9) close to being able to do OB off lead (if there are no distractions)
                 10) this is an extremely talented pup with the ability to focus and fire
                 11) understands truck trips, training sessions, other dogs, and the daily routine
                 12) Kooly is in the training & learning mode
                 13) natural retriever and handles dummies well (in the middle)
                 14) loves live birds, can find them and is a natural pointer
                 15) has retrieved quail, chukar, pheasants and ducks
                 16) We can slow down and be way ahead!
              Areas to work on & adjust to:
                   1) picky eater
                   2) still jumping up on everyone but me (getting better)
                   3) likes to "play" with his mouth, not biting but wants to
                   4) line manners are behind retrieving skills, need to slow down marking and
                       wait for OB and FF to catch up
                          note: at six months his line manners are about normal

  May 13  "total game" - individual skill assessment:
                   comfortable moving on and off place boards
                   "here" is solid with early imprinting and properly timed action
                   CC'd to "here"
                    heels well left & right side (can at times off lead - when no distractions)
                    return to heel & sit clearly understood with leash, leg and hand motion      
                    sits on command (at side, remote and with continued walking on my part)
                    hold & walking hold are now solid (loves the game)
                    return from retrieve show inclination to position himself for delivery with lots
                       of motion on my part (the effort is there - normal puppy excitement gets in the way)

       note: these are separate skills developed with simple, fun games over a period of six months
                and especially imprinted the course of a daily routine - "The Walk", entering & exiting,
                eating, playtime in the house, short sessions and training trips with Taffey

              The "learning mode" is a way of life which is based on the premise of predictable fun! 

            puppy learns there are rules, birds are marvelous and dummies mean action, games are endless
            and my master is the universe, I am safe and warm with plenty of food, my day is predictable,
            but laced with anticipation, I am hardly ever bored and the new "stuff" is fun & challenging

      (place boards, collars, leashes, dummies, whistles, buckets, birds, gun fire, trucks, stickmen, decoys,
       wingers, guns, fields, ponds, other dogs, travel crates, boots, boats, hunting jackets all mean fun)

                 incorporating the above separate skills into the "total game" 
                      1) two place boards are positioned 8 feet apart in the yard
                      2) in front of one place board, pup sits and takes "hold" with dummy
                      3) heeled to and sits on place board (on long leash)
                      4) walk to front of pup and command "drop" (dummy release)
                      5) pup is now on remote sit (1st board), step over to 2nd board & drop dummy on it
                      6) step back in front of pup (on remote sit) and command "look"
                      7) when pup is focused on you, step toward dummy on 2nd board
                      8) pup picks up, after in mouth command "hold" and move right into walking hold
                      9) heel back on to first place board (pup at your side) and sit for "drop" command
                     10) repeat to right twice and do left twice (takes less than five minutes)
                     11) throw two fun bumpers
                     12) use hands on, very quiet no's (if required), praise sparingly (except when finished)
                           note: disclaimer, this is the combining of many skills imprinted over a period of
                                    several months, Kooly could do this the first day because there was nothing
                                    new except the combination, when we finished and I said, "Gooood, boy"
                                    Kooly wagged his tail, jumped up and down with excitement as if to say
                                    "I really liked that, what's next?"
  May 13  played "The Total Game"
  May 14  6 months old & 51pounds hold lesson proofed by throwing favorite bone down in front
               of him & walking drills, started FF wearing e-collar & heavy nylon collar with leash
               first session (morning) - not easy, minimal pinch was not enough (as expected from initial
                   e-collar level when doing early "here"), glad I started this when he was "only" 50 pounds,
                   kept calm, quiet & persistent, Kooly whined and "bawled", "bugged" his head to the sides,
                   threw & choked himself a couple of times, tried to whirl around while snapping and
                   trying to bite (half-way expected this from his early puppy biting episodes), two minutes
                   seems like a long time, but he finally, grudgingly opened to take the paint roller, after a
                   minute or two more he was opening each time and taking it, did several to clarify, he was
                   not distressed or down, tail wagging after & pounced on fun bumpers
                     note: I worked up a big sweat! He was a handful.   
                second session (evening) - he was not afraid, "bugged" a little on the first pinch which was
                   considerably "softer" than this morning, still tried to spin, but not wildly, he was much 
                   clearer on what to do and not only achieved the "on/off" light switch effect, but he was
                   reaching, mixed in two "freebies" and the session again ended with him in a positive
                   mood, the finishing short OB lesson was really upbeat and sharp
                     note: tough pup & strong fight, but responded super to the pressure both skill wise and
                              mentally   I am extremely pleased with this start on FF.  He's looking sharp!
  May 15  the plan is to stick to only one FF session per day, for at least the next two weeks (he is young)
               morning - full set of collars & leash, reviewed "hold/drop" from a front sit (twice), moved right
               into pinch from a side heel position, slow response on first, wheeled on second, next two
               head turning (some "bugging"), turning toward ear so switch ears, he moved into a "I get it
               mode (on/off light switch)." Opened on "fetch" with no pinch "freebies" twice, several
               pinches & correct drops led to reaching and finished with a couple of restrained lunges  
                     note: total time = about five minutes
                     note: finished lesson with two happy bumpers and he was upbeat, this pup has the "I will
                              go through a wall trust" in me = excellent breeder socialization and early bonding
                              process went very well, classy, talented pup!        
  May 16  one FF session this morning, move quickly into "on/off" mode, mixed in a four "freebies" &
               needed to pinch on two (fetch command not totally clear), session went well & finished with
               lunging to dummy with restrained half-way to the floor
                  note: taking food away when not finishing in a reasonable time is solving that problem
                           slept a lot more than normal the last few days (this the only hint of the stress of FF,
               went for a walk around the block tonight and he was very upbeat           
  May 17  FF lesson (day fourteen - fourth day on pinch phase) - Kooly came out of the crate with the
               "Oh, s*&t....not this again" attitude, threw two fun bumpers and he pounced on both, when we
               "assumed the position" he stood up...looking to leave or grab in anticipation, with each pinch
               he grew more anxious, so remembering the axiom "train a fast dog...slow", I counted for about
               seven seconds each time to let him gather his thoughts, this made a huge difference, we were
               getting nice movement forward, still getting less than 50% on any fetch chance without an ear
               pinch, he is reacting to the ear pinch and not making a connection with fetch because of being
               anxious (slowing down gave him time to make the connection), he is getting close to the floor,
               finished with two fun bumpers and he was OK with it (slept like a log after the session = stress
               even for the short, single sessions is obvious, stick to the once a day)
                   note: he is moving along quickly, but we are going to take it slow & easy moving to the
                            floor = need to first make a solid connection with the command "fetch" &
                            reduce his anxiety (take time between "requests/demands"}
               later today we ran a few fun things - "Total Game", trip in the truck to the "Square Pond"
               and three remote winger marks from a "pod" (35, 55, 75 yards), ran from a place board, threw
               a Dokken mallard (first time) for three short "cooling off" water marks
                   note: checked to see how he handled running marks during FF, no issues   
                            OB has made a dramatic change - off leash is now much more solid even with
                            distractions, a few relaxed "Walks" in the forest preserve would be good   

                   

May 18  this morning FF lesson went well, after discussing the "slow down" read with pro friend Brian
             Moyse last night, it was the right thing to do with Kooly, Brian tempered it with the "it depends"
             reminder = for some pups you need to speed up to get them focused on the job (it's not all black
             and white), today Kooly started out with the apprehension body posture, but that quickly changed
             when "the wait" was taken, using dummy with a string after a few warm-ups we went near the
             ground = no problems, held the string = no problem, left it flat and held string = no problem, hand
             off = no problem one, two, three feet away = no problem with pinches and a "freebie" on each,
             done in three minutes (with slight restraint on all fetches) and happy bumpers for him
             ran an early afternoon fun "Walk" at the forest preserve with several retrieves, showed some very
             nice marking talent today - knew right where they were!, got on a fresh tom turkey track and ran
             farther away from me than ever before, he lost the trail and looked up wondering where he was,
             came zooming back
                 note: delivered to sit with correct hold and drop on all marks - goooood puppy!  
May 19  repeated yesterday's FF session, much smoother and better attitude, started a few inches in front
             and finished at about three feet ahead on the floor (like a short walking fetch), rest of the day off
             except spent the day on the truck at a training session (he didn't do anything, but listen to primer
                 pistols, whistles and verbal casts)
             helped Brian train (he has seven dogs running in Masters this weekend including Taffey)
                note: unbelievable water area!       

May 20  repeat FF lesson - in front, transition to the and finish with short walk to fetches - line of
             force getting very clear, apply Frontline Plus
May 21  repeat same FF lesson, formal CC to sit session
May 22  finished solid "going to the ground" segment of FF, ran six winger marks at "Med" center
             with a ton of drive (75, 55, 35 yards - left then right), CC to heel session, OB off lead with
             collar on excellent, runs marks off place board wearing a short tab
             great attitude & happy pup!
May 23  today we began walking fetch with one dummy - excellent session with corrections for
             cigar pick-up, Kooly has really gotten solid with the hold and delivery routine,
             late afternoon did the "Total Drill"
                note: not doing CC as a drill, but rather as an extension of the everyday routine of sit
                         before & after exiting, heeling to & from the truck and OB/walks around the block,
                         every time he goes out the e-collar is on, commands can be enforced at all times,
                         part of the regular routine and Kooly is thriving on the predictable structure!   
                note: to date timeline analysis - about 10 total days of hold with 6 of those two-a-day
                         formal lessons, 9 days of the initial pinch phase ending with three days of
                         solidifying "going to the ground", attitude positive and
                         marking drills on a factor less, short grass field are going well
May 24  started "walking fetch" in the yard - diving aggressively after dummies to fetch, sitting to
            deliver releasing nicely on the "drop" command, worked a bit on the occasional "cigar"
            pick-up and he tried to avoid those corrections, learned not to after we got in a few
            corrections on those efforts, up beat, great attitude and good eye contact, repeat tomorrow
            (not because he doesn't get it, but for the effect of repetition), "walking fetch" two days will
            be fine because the "Total Game" has lots of carryover 
            afternoon - six remote "Hi-Vis" winger marks (right & left 55-75 yards) at "Medical Center"  
May 25 did a walking fetch session with the new "offset" dummies, dry walk-bys and when
            commanded to fetch he dove on the dummy, nice holds to heel, sit and deliver on "drop",
            one fumble and ear pinched to that (restrained him from picking it up), great focus on the
            drill and up beat the whole time (like he knew exactly what, when and how to do it, we are
            finished with walking fetch - on to stick fetch tomorrow
 

May 26 started stick fetch today, Kooly has been stick conditioned to sit and the taps on the shoulder
            seemed a bit confusing to him a first....so he was bugging from the heel position (another
            great reason to have a two-sided dog), we got that sorted out in about two minutes (by reading
            his responses to showing/teaching and forcing) and at the end of the five minute session we
            were doing "walking stick fetch", he was heeling nicely and diving on bumpers without being
            distracted by the "sticks", but trying to beat them, AND just as Evan stated the transition from
            stick distraction to stick forcing implement happened (I was looking for it & got it!), mixed
            some "freebies" and we will repeat for deeper understanding again tomorrow, finished with
            fun bumpers and another good session, happy pup with "What's Next?" finish
               pups character analysis - sensitive, wants to please, extremely trusting and resilient,
                                                       focused and confident when he knows what is expected,
                                                       handles pressure by quickly learning and following the rules
            evening - decided to do another "walking stick fetch" session, start out with light tap & did
            fine, increase pressure & he started to show "bug and bolt" tendencies, kept the pressure
            on & he suddenly started grabbing the ends of the "off-set" dummies (validating that theory),
            knocked out of his mouth and pinched to the middle, he figured it out and responded to
            the pressure by doing it correctly, then as I backed down with the pressure his attitude
            became very "up"  and the fetches were crisp with clean deliveries and drops, ran through
            the four dummies off lead twice alternating sides perfectly at the end, he jumped on his fun
            bumpers and was a happy pup, excellent session and "off-set' dummies worked super!

Post from "The Fuge"               
Now that I'm a bit more comfortable with FF, I decided to watch Kooly closely to study the "cigaring" habit (if it came up).

Data/observations:
1) when Kooly drove hard for a dummy - usually no cigar
2) when either screwing around or anxiously avoiding the proper response to a pinch, he more than likely ended up with an end
3) when in tall grass (4 inches plus) cigaring didn't happen very often
4) when fetching off the driveway or very short, worn grass - cigaring was almost a certainty

Analysis: a) cigaring is a lazy habit that is enhanced by light bumpers that are difficult to get off the   ground when a pup is aware that sticking his nose and chin down hard in the middle is uncomfortable
plus avoidance leads away from the middle to the ends
b) when the adrenalin is high, he doesn't care how or where it is
and grabs the whole thing (in the middle)
c) there is little physical penalty for picking up light-weight objects by the end (when either playing or avoiding)

Modifications: 1) make dummy heavier, but maintain same texture
2) create a leverage penalty for picking it up by the end and make the "off-set" extra weight cause mouthing and rolling the dummy awkward
3) eliminate one "end"
4) raise the best "grabbing" part (the middle) slightly off the ground to make that the easiest place to take hold of
5) alternate placing the way the "ends" are facing so the pup picks them up "both" ways

Rationale: These will enhance and encourage the good habit of picking dummies up in the middle.

So, I went to Menard's and bought 3"X1.5" PVC reducers. By vertically placing the valve end (rope removed) in the 1.5" opening and pushing down plus squeezing/pinching the "knobs", the dummy slides
in for a very snug fit.

Early on I spent a bit of time correcting for cigaring, but as with previous threads on this, find it one of the those battles some think of little consequence. On the other hand, others see it as a significant failure in
FF because it may be the precursor to poor mouth habits. It is one of those "pick your poison" issues.

I decided to work on this indirectly by transitioning to the "off-set" dummy idea. We did it as we "went to the ground" and during "walking fetch". We will use them all the way through force to the 9 dummy pile. After that, I will phase them out going to single T.

Disclaimer - I doubt anyone has done this before, but I like what I've seen so far.

         
May 27 morning - ran "walking stick fetch' in the yard, took a few minutes to remember the rules &
            finished up well, evening - ran "Total Game" using over board to set-up adding a back
            board approach
May 28 morning - ran "walking stick fetch' in the yard, much more consistent, worked on CC/sit = up
            & "back out" on CC levels                           
May 29 intro the "back" variation of the "Total game" imprinting on the concept of "over" and "back"
            commands off remote sits going well, do formal CC of heel (up and down with e-levels),
            this went well, Kooly is collar conditioned and capable of handling extra heavy pressure
            (sensitized), did short stick fetch session in the evening, he is really picking up and delivering
            the "off-set" dummies nicely, they are proving very effective as he typically adjusts
            to the "sweet spot" if he misses by just a little (even on the fun bumpers)       
May 30 did e-collar fetch today and Kooly responded quite well to the increased pressure, worked
            up to a medium 5 and "backed out", started in front and worked to walking e-collar fetch,
            finished with a happy tail wagging pup that jumped on his fun bumpers, he is ready to
            move on to FTP sequence 
May 31 ran first FTP mini-pile and Kooly handled the pressure easily - did the fetch, return and
            delivery very well, "Walk" to "Sand Ponds" with Lick for fun and to check water levels (almost
            three inches of rain still no water in ponds, did a few short remote sit marks alternating with
            Lick, evening - worked on OB (especially backward heeling)
June 1  morning - extended mini-pile from in front to about ten yards, some no-goes at first, pinched,
             slow response on force, but big change on praise finished strong and happy bumpers were
             wild, evening - extended to twenty yards yards and used low scattered nicks and praise,
             he could not see the pile, but knew it was there only one no-go, pinched and the rest were
             hard charges and again fun bumpers, kept choke collar and six foot poly lead on the use
             maintaining heel, sit & delivery (drop) standards (no place board)      note: excellent day
             didn't any eat breakfast so - took it away, evening ate fine
June 2  left house at 10:05 am to train at the Square Pond 5 minutes away, ran two 9-dummy piles
            for the first time using a long poly cord and choke collar, good "mo" and the "off-set"
            dummies are working super = clean, perfect pickups every time, alternating delivery side
            and right is much weaker (double up for a few days to get it back in balance), ran two remote
            winger/stickman flower pot singles across a narrow cattail waterway (60, 50 yards), afterwards
            Kooly romped/rolled in the cattails and got muddy  while I broke down the setup and loaded
            the truck, finished with a couple fun bumpers in the pond to clean off and home at 11:15 am
              note: excellent session!
     

June 3 helped Brian and three others train at the Cherry Valley ponds (threw two water marks for
           about fourteen dogs, Kooly did some off lead OB working on remote sit, hear and right left
           finishes, two water marks with primer pistol at the end of training (left at 9:30 an - home 3:30 pm)
June 4 OB first and fun bumpers before FTP at 10 yards with long check cord and repeat at 20 yards,
            6 water singles across the pond followed by 6 land singles across the cattail barrier
              note: right side delivery still weak, do most right side for awhile 
June 5 FTP at the "Square Pond" from 30 yards - delivered to right side all but once and forced on
           every other go at different spots, five marks across the cattail barrier, dunked in the pond to cool
           off and home in a half-hour, yesterday started using the free sample of DinOvite that Jeff Burks
           was giving out at the APLA test, Kooly has been very picky with his eating and the label said this
           additive could help that issue (among others) = three straight meals & big improvement
           Interceptor heart worm + today
June 6 Kooly came along with to Taffey's hunt test at Hook Lake, he is really very comfortable riding
           and staying in the truck,  aired a couple of times and when all was finished he ran three short
           marks through the huge lily pads (did fine!), he is getting use to crowds and the excitement
           of a hunt test               note: one of those special days for him
June 7 ran FTP (nine bumpers) at 40 yards and it was warm, OK first five, still having trouble heeling
            to the right side and this may have led to the "no go" on the sixth = pinched to pile &
            back-nick-back on the next, ran last two fine, four water marks and five land marks across
            the cattail barrier again, he doesn't give up on a hunt and has an excellent nose, showing
            signs of a willingness to be steady and concentrate on the fall 
June 8 FTP at the "Square Pond", dropped back to 35 yards & threw two fun bumpers on the side,
            got a little more animated & forced on two, much improved "mo" and although the 9 bumpers
            were not picked up exactly in order he never shopped at all, returned fast and heeled much
            better on the right side, five water marks across the pond (approximately 50-60 yards), standing
            back 15 yards from the shore Kooly is exiting and heeling for delivery before shaking (he is
            spoiling me!)  note: need to make the landing area of the water marks easier (a bit too much
            hunting, and he won't quit until he finds it = excellent nose), four land marks across the cattails
            with super marks and fast returns,  the little bugger was staying on the sit until I said his name,
            no physical restraint,  showed him a simple double 20 yards to the right and 40 yards at 90°,
            first time he hesitated going out for the second and then picked it up, on the  second double
            he was glancing over trying to locate the memory bird on the way back from the go bird, sat,
            focused and jumped on the memory bird  when he heard "Kooly
                    note: The little yellow bas****.......er......fur ball can now officially count to two!
June 9 trained at the "Square Pond", first we did two fun bumpers and then ran a 50 yard 9 bumper
            force to pile drill followed by three fun bumpers, two easy water marks to cool off, put him in
            the truck and set up three wingers with a spread of 90 degrees, walked forward so the two
            wide wingers were at a much wider angle, ran the 80 yard  single down the middle through
            some cattails, backed up to a different line and launched a 30 yard mark on the right.
            Immediately push/heeled him to the left and launched the other 60 yard mark. He picked up
            the go bird and sat nicely (still wearing choke collar and short tab) looking toward the
            memory bird which had tumbled too far into a soybean field (out of sight), on "Kooly" he
            proceeded to fire out and jump on it, a couple of fun bumpers and then he ran around as
            I took down the wingers, another quick dunk in the pond to cool off
                 note: just intro'd easy concept doubles yesterday, but this was a full winger
                          double and he nailed it
                 note: all water retrieves today, he came right out of water (15 yards off the shore to line)
                          to heel, sits, waits for the drop command and then shakes.
     special note: after returning from the single up the middle when he sat watching for the memory
                          bird, I said "mark" and launcher #1 apparently malfunctioned, I said "sit" to Kooly
                          and walked about 30-40 yards to the winger, replaced the loose wire and came back
                          to the line where Kooly sat perfectly and patiently for my return (I was impressed
                          with his "coolness"                 
           This pup is scary!
             The Plan - keep the sessions short and fun, because he is so young - avoid heavy drill work,
                              after getting to 100 yards on the FTP, only do drill work every other day for the
                              next two months plus be creative in making them seem like neat things to do,
                              always begin & finish sessions with the fun "stuff" -  fun bumpers
                                    note: praise seems to be very powerful with him = save it for key times
         
 June 10 Day off! rained all day so finally passed on long "Walk" in the forest preserve
 June 11 FTP at the "Square Pond" from 60 yards, high humidity at 75°, heeling to right
              side very much improved, had to do extra force on 7th go - he acted like the heat
              was an excuse = rest ran well, ran a similar single double set-up and he really
              knew what was coming, however his anticipation led to some serious head
              swinging, he ran them fine once settled in, I know he can count so back to really
              wide 180° singles and concentrate on line routine/manners & marking skills,
              stopped at Legend Lake on the way home and did three big "out to sea"
              non-cheating water marks (heel, delivery, shake routine going extremely well)
                 Note: no water marks at Sq.Pd. today - grandchildren of the owner were fishing,
                          will help him put up a wood duck house next week (way too late for this
                          year, but he wants to see it in place now)

          training issue: Kooly was/is extremely possessive of small rawhides when he very young
                                 (wrinkled nose, low growls and nervous swinging of his head), the first time
                                 he was shown a pheasant, he would shoulder and posture to keep me away
                                 from "his" bird, now that his OB is sharp - unless I use strict OB procedures
                                 of here, heel, sit & drop some objects are still "his"
          therefore: birds are not going to be introduced by a "let's see what happens" approach,
                          hold/drop first with frozen/thawed ducks, then walking fetch and a mini-pile
                          of three ducks, followed by short land & water marks 
                          (while working on the 100 yard FTP goal)

June 12 One of those days? posted topic on the PointingLab Forum
             Kooly is my new pup and we are presently working our way out to 100 yards on FTP. Today
             we were at 70 yards and things seemed to be progressing nicely. His drive was good and the
             routine of delivery was excellent. It was 79° and humid. Kooly did the first four fine, but when
             I nicked him on the fifth he decided this drill "sucked" and bolted. Now mind you we’ve had a
             few sessions where the concept of force was very clear, but this was Kooly’s way of telling me
             he wasn’t totally convinced. I got him back to the line and he gave me a "no-go" or basically
             "what ya gonna do about it". Ear pinched him for about 60 yards and suddenly he decided the
             pile really, really looked good and ripped out to complete the retrieve. The last three were
             faster than he has ever run FTP. Tail wagging and happy after a few fun bumpers, I realized
             we had both past a test.

             It’s not over. I usually take him over to the "Square Pond" for a few singles to cool off. The
             level has been low for over a year, but recent rains and last night’s thunderstorm had the
             chocolate water over flowing the banks. Kooly sat and watched the mark as it landed just up
             the far side and a bit into the cattails. He lined the mark and as he left the shore, a large mass
             of dead cattails "attacked" him. He panicked as the cattails attached themselves to his back.
             He kept the bumper in his mouth and struggled to get away. They finally floated clear and
             Kooly was "trucking".

             Kooly brought me the bumper. I threw it back out and farther down the bank. This is when
             it became obvious there was a problem. Kooly wouldn’t put a toe in the water and slinked off
             sideways glancing nervously at the water. He would not go in, and water is his joy. What to do?
             Well, I suddenly became "duh" trainer and threw a few rocks out into the water. That didn’t
             work. I finally realized just how spooked he was. I either come up with something good
             quickly or just call it "one of those days".

             The light went on.....fun bumpers! Three on land, the fourth was bounced a few yards into the
             pond and the next farther out. After about six or seven. I sat him facing the white bumper
             (which fortunately had remained in sight the whole time) and said "mark"....."Kooly" and he
             jumped in, swan straight to it and retrieved it. The fun bumpers had erased the fear, but not
             totally......on the swim back he glanced over once to see if the "cattails were coming".

             evening: did hold lesson with large bumper and transitioned to a frozen mallard
                            heeled, sat, re-heeled to both sides, dropped nicely on command, zero
                            problems, did a walking fetch and he picked it right up, held and dropped
                            on command, did few hold/drop sequences perfectly, put the duck in the
                            grass 20 yards away and did the "dead bird/back" thing, he went right out
                            and retrieved it like an old dog (twice), excited yet under control 
                       concerns appear unfounded (thawed duck next, then marks on land & in water)
June 13 took the day off and just played around the house, call vet Monday = lots of scabs,
             dry scale, irritated skin right where the Frontline Plus was applied  
June 14  7 months old & 56pounds ran FTP at square Pond" area - 90 yards (range finder)
             learned two things today
                       1) do not run a young dog on FTP with your truck parked off to the side at 70 yard
                       2) Kooly is not thoroughly de-bolted
             had two pinches to the pile and moved up to 60 yards to finish the rest of the 9 pile,
             moved truck and ran four from 90 yards OK, ran three easy water marks with one wide
             diversion, worked on hold/fetch with thawed duck, very good mouth and nice pick-ups 
                 note: this is enough of the long pile work = recently reading about a rash of ACL
                          issues in young pups - 100 yards and nine bumpers is out, Kooly is going to
                          move on to the shorter 40 yard 3-legged pattern, increase his swimming and
                          do regular "Walks" at the forest preserve   
June 15 set up a 3 legged pattern (36, 49, 44 yards left to right - 90° separation) distances were
             measured after the set-up because those were the ideal places for them, first did a
             quick OB review of right & left return to heel from a six foot remote sit, three bumpers
             at each pile = picked up all three and moved to next, after two somewhat "funky"
             days in a row this drill went smoothly, two splash water singles to cool and Kooly was
             staked out to watch me set-up a remote winger single = 60 yards straight across the
             cattail barrier, back to the stake out and then another = 75 yards angled across and
             farther to the east, Kooly marked both fresh thawed ducks, picked them up cleanly and
             returned to heel/no fuss with a "look me in the eye" drop on command delivery
             (once left side, the other on the right)
                 note: seven months old yesterday, CC'd, FF'd and delivering ducks                 
                 note: found a new use for the "Kwick Bumper" - if you stand one on end it
                          identifies the pile, Kooly picked that one up first (removing it) and now the pile
                          is less visible, but he knows where it is = effective!
             train at BSHRC - Beloit evening session - ran the three-legged pattern and 35 yards as
            a demo
June 16 day off! he can lay back and play, besides today is our 42nd anniversary
             (no dog training is worth a few points)      
June 17-18 two more days of listening to the neighbor's dog bark and making grass yellow
              better known as R&R
                    note: damm!, lost a great training site at "The Medical Center" today
                             (insurance companies want zero claims)
June 19 trained at the "Square Pond" reviewed OB with whistle, walking heel/sits (both sides),
             remote sit/here, remote here/fetch, push/pull = heel/here drill (butt on the ground turns),
             intro two dummy "no off/push fetch" drill (right & left pushes), two easy water fetches
             (cool off,  expect proper heel, hold, drop, shake routine), ran 3-legged pattern with two
             bumpers at each, Kooly did well!  note: left home at 8:05 am back in 40 minutes 
June 20 trained with Chris at Stoughton, did some basic sit/heel OB first, ran three water singles
             (two remote wingers & one gunner thrown), first - toughest mark to date = off a mound,
             down hill into waist high weeds with lunging water, broke into water and swam within
             2 yards of other bank only 2-3 yards off line and picked it up, two - turned left 90° for a
             knee high land mark down the length of the mound, fell off the back side and I had
             Chris throw another quick mark to bring him back into the AOF, three - angle entry back
             to the far right with the same type of terrain entry as the first,  went straight and picked
             it up (nice splash, no wind, ripples made it easy to track), nice job on the three toughest
             marks he as run to date
                   note: breaking through the cattail barrier at "The Square Pond" has taught him to
                            drive over and through "stuff"
             drove to Gallagher training area and Kooly did six/seven 50-75 yard walking singles
             with Chris and his pup - alternating retrieves, knee high cover and Kooly was sharp
             went to the swim-by pond to get a cool-off mark, there was some confusion on the first
             which was for Chris's pup, threw another for her, meanwhile first drifted to the shore
             on the far end, Kooly took an angle entry on "dead bird/back" (he could see it) took a
             nice angle entry, swam straight to it, moved to get him to swim back in the middle of
             the pond = perfect end to the day  
                    note: small "yip" on one mark and did not let him pick it up, never vocal before,
                             might have been because restrained by the e-collar and the prongs poked
                             him, remember to put flat collar on next time (keep track of this)
                    note: solid challenge for Kooly today and he did very well
                    note: OB was a little looser than usual, but normal for a seven month old pup
                             (other dogs and people = distractions)
June 21 rained all day = day off
June 22 trained at Stoughton - ran three remote winger land singles, 1st jumped on it, 2nd big
             hunt, 3rd ran right by it at 70 yards and kept going until stopped with a whistle at over
             150 yards  note: cover knee high and he is not ready for this with out help in the
             field = no more wingers on land marks unless short grass or gunner in the field, ran
             one water mark past a decoy, then intro'd to three decoys with fun bumpers (out, by
             and into), very spooked at first and recalling "attacking cattails" incident of a week
             ago = worked his way through it and finished fine       
                     note: played and romped with Taffey before and after training 
June 23 training at "Macktown" - learned new training rule "Don't let puppies run or play for
             twenty minutes and then do a drill."  Kooly helped me plant five blinds for Taffey, rested
             for 15 minutes while Taffey ran and I set-up 60 yard (new distance) two bumper three
             legged pattern, not fresh & "wandered" through it, second set of bumpers were better                       
             than first, but it is a start and he does go on "back" (not always the right direction)
                      note: WTP means "wander to pile"
June 24 trained at "Macktown" and ran a three bumper 3-legged pattern much better today and
             faster, went to "The Square Pond" and ran two water singles with ducks (first time)
             swam by the first one but came back on the scent, the second he didn't quite know what
             to make of the big drake mallard floating high, but grabbed it and brought it back
             nicely = excellent delivery (nice, firm quiet mouth)
                       note: very nice job on his first ducks from the water
                       note: his fun bumper habits are perfect (right in the middle every time)
                       note: Taffey 66 lbs and Kooly 56 lbs. play fought continuously and fairly for 35
                                minutes in the living room, he would not stop and she never backed down
                                "Let's call it a draw." (Monty Python, but no blood)
June 25  trained at "Macktown" and ran a three bumper 3-legged pattern for the third time (about
              70 yards with 2" white bumpers that can't be see from the line), big improvement - much
              better lines, more zip & better attitude (no confusion), phased out the Kwick Bumpers and
              he held the 2"r's right in the middle, put up for 15 minutes & then ran first "no retrieve"
              alternating honor drill with Taffey, used slip, poly cord on Kooy's neck with 25 yard
              bumper tosses (Taffey and Kooly alternate), "sit" on throw, "sit" at the top of the arc &
              "sit"/wait on the fall (quiet, slow and easy), Kooly did vey well = heeled and delivered on
              the left & Taffey on the right
                        note: Kooly was prepared, mentally ready and competitively challenged & Taffey
                                 was the perfect, automatic assistant (she learned this with Lick) 
June 26 repeat of yesterday's drills (3-legged with left/right delivery and alternating
             piles & honoring drill) - excellent on both
                        note: ready for three-handed casting, increase number of marks & distance
June 27 trained at Milford Hills Hunting Resort (site of the ESPN Retriever Games), Kooly did his
             first water double with a diversion, was good at the line and watched both birds fall,
             picked up the longer "go bird" and couldn't quite see the memory (forgot to ask for a
             white dummy and got an orange) but he went as sent (good puppy!) and was a little
             off line, just as the gunner stated the help he spotted it, his delivery and OB were not
             quite as good as when there are no distractions, but he did very well
June 28 trained at Stoughton FT Grounds - the set-up was three Mini-My-Wingers throwing real
             ducks with "stickmen" gunners, two marks were on land and the last was into the
             swim-by pond, Kooly  picked up all three, did one alternating honor on the water with
            Taffey (did well)

                                    three singles with ducks (middle& right - land, left - water)

June 29 ran the 70 yard three-legged pattern and waited until it was in the upper seventies, Kooly
             did fine on the the first six, seven was at a slow trot. and on number eight he looked at me
             and as if he had decided, "Hey! It's too hot.  I'm done!"  Kind of set this up to see where
             we were. Pinched to the pile and put another down. On "back" he flew, then on the last
             one he did the same (new understanding - he doesn't decide when the work is finished),
             loaded up and went to "The Square Pond" to introduce three handed casting, Kooly sat
             nicely in front (we've imprinted some of the components over the last two months)
                  note sequence: sits. toss bumper to the right, looks at me takes right verbal over cast
                                           (did twice)
                                           repeated twice to the left
                                           did a toss over left shoulder on sit, got the look, took a right back twice
                                           repeated twice for left backs
                                           threw one back and one over then cast back  - took three times, but
                                                slowing it down got him to do it right
                          rationale: rough total picture is like a pre-exposure
                  note: the previous preps made this easy for him and he was having fun the whole time
                           tomorrow do only back lefts & rights with a "back" pile
                           he does focus on me with excellent, locked eye contact = huge plus 
             did four bumpers per each on a water honoring drill with Taffey
             finished with a "one out/one in" drill & using other words mixed in with Kooly and Taffey
             for the sends  (Kooly is adjusting to the steadying drills)
June 30 trained at "Macktown" - ran the 3-legged pattern and got another "no-go" today,
             pinched all the way on one & then he ran four "flat out" with "en route" force, fun
             bumpers and done, loaded up and went home for a short break, then of to the "Square
             Pond" for back right & left to a pile (first stage of 3-handed casting), did a couple of water
             honors with Taffey to cool off