The Journal -
"Yesterdays" (March/September 19, 2003)
Mar. 1 "The Hills" - two remote launcher easy in line doubles (130, 180
yards)
used chukars
- tough background, first one did well, second - set up in a different
area,
wind shifted
and with it in her face reduced marking to a scenting exercise (duh!)
2 Day off! too cold, too windy, too many other things
to do
3 afternoon: review literal casting graph drill
reference = "Smartwork"
cold, windy, snowing - not thrilled
with the drill, but did fine (bored)
4 cold, windy, snowing - nothing to gain = day off!
5 8 inches of blowing snow - driveway - whoa-goes &
S-drill
water training guess - last week in march
(maybe!? = March 26)
6 two dog walking "poorman" marks 16th fairway Ledges
Golf Course
(still deep snow, but level, safe
running)
7 Day off! (more snow this morning, way too much snow
to be training in the normal areas)
work on remote wingers
8 SNOW! OB
9
Badger State HRC Training -
0°with
-16° below zero wind chill -
PASS
10 fun bumpers - front yard (wait 'til
break in the weather!)
MAIL HRC Finished
ENTRY for April 12th
11 work on remote wingers, yard lining
two dog walking "poorman"
marks 17th fairway Ledges Golf Course
(still deep snow, but 40°)
****11 days**** con't HRCH+ training limit distances to 175 yard max.
every third
day do upland training on pheasants, chukar and/or quail (3 days)
emphasis on
OB, control, steady and I flush! Slow Down at the
line!
start
definitive casting drills & increase concept marks - indent and
inline
Stoughton
three times; use Retrieve-R-T'r
12 Run one set of in-line triples as singles at "Macktown"
easy distance but tough angle
entry into cover
across one lane dirt road - straight line to each mark 70, 90, 120 yds
Introduce definitive casting drill- drill 1
(right) went well extra whistle cast
on the 20 & 80 yd flag. pile 40 yards out;
picked marks cleanly & ran all
"backs" straight and hard, stopped at flags
sharply (ran Drill 1 to the left in
different area) repeat Drill 1 and move on
to Drill 2
13 Blonhaven - five chukars first birds in three weeks = no
surprises good long points,
but wouldn't let me flush = none shot, ran
one set of three in-line singles with the
Retrieve-R-T'r angled across the
pictured sorghum set-up
(link) -
excellent lines and
marks 60, 100, 150 yards followed by one
long (red shot) mark; ran the definitive
casting drill down a hill & to the left in
cover (she's got this down and runs the 40 yard
angled casts hard = excellent "mo")
pointing picture links:
one & two
(home HRC has Upland Test Sunday
& needs a test dog - can't do with MPR soon)
14 kids home - no school = definitive casting drills,
repeats of drill 1- right & left
16 - hundred yard marks plus 8 lines to
"spots" followed by casts, mud flying and
hard charging to all, speedy returns,
attrition once at each 80 yard "spot" - took
each correction smartly, she loves drills,
not even tired & looking for more
15 BSHRC Upland Hunt Test (gunning & taking pictures, didn't
take Taffey)
Day off!
16 ran DCD 2 at "Med Center" - left and right = excellent,
ran DCD 3 right - one whistle
recast, repeat = went very well so we did
drill 4 & 4a = no problems
(+40°temperature
change tough)
17 Ran two sets of in-line triples with one as
double/single
(link) & one as a
triple
(link)
(75, 135, 210 yards) at Stoughton, used
remote launchers & widened angle on triple
(double/single tight), ran
blind 1 (150 yards) &
blind 2 (125 yards)
(links) out of marks
field, ran DCD 5 in light cover twice -
only one whistle correction & went well
(future = repeat DCD 5 and prepare for
Drill 6)
(still.....ponds iced & frost in ground =
Kansas out?)
(1.5 hour round trip, door-to-door total = 4 hours, 55-65°and
sunny)
18 Trained with group at "The Rock" three singles - 75 yd
remote winger,
175 yd Maxx 5000 (big hunt and handle,
needed second dummy, done in by
cross wind, great line to about 150 yards
veered into the wind, repeated
winger/Maxx as a double: 100 yd gunner & 80
yd blind (no'd off to run blind first,
picked up mark, ran blind again = handler
totally misjudged position);
ran three Retrieve-R-T'r marks with the last an
indent
ran
Definitive Casting Drill 5a (link)
-
to the left,
went very well
19 cold, windy, light showers = Day off?
20 12 singles using Retrieve-R-T'r, 8 remote honors with
Lick retrieving
ran
Definitive Casting Drill 5a (link) - to
the right & done very well!
ran double & triple (both well
done); foggy, in between the rain
ice out on Legend Lake, "Square Pond"
(almost), Stoughton - low water, some ice
21 ran 5 W-stickmen "poorman" marks at Stoughton with primer
pistol & Dokken (200, 140,
175, 130, 190 yards) - Taffey fetches from
the line & returns to the line (place
board) after each mark, 3 blinds (75, 125,
240 yards) run from last two marks and
from the line -
Drill Set-up (link), ran three remote
honors (Taffey) using Retrieve-R-T'r
with Lick retrieving; finished with Taffey
running a short (75 yards each) concept triple
& a 150 yard single using the Retrieve-R-T'r
(not tired and looking for more),
run two miles on the bicycle path (both
dogs, evening)
22 trained with group - ran three singles and marked very
well (90 yards - gunner into
deep cover, 100 yards Maxx 5000 light cover
over a slight rise, 175 yards - gunner
in the middle, tight beyond Maxx); ran two
blinds 180 yards up the middle/left
and 150 yards behind/tight to short/mark
gunner, worked from both sides comfortably;
"mini" mark honor drill;
two miles on the bicycle path (both dogs)
23 Double "Euro" tower shoots at
Blonhaven - 2
twelve round shoots of 400 birds each,
60°and dogs adjusted to temperature,
having two Labs to run makes it easier ("picked"
almost 100 birds between (Taffey & Lick),
cold water hose after to cool off, Taffey
finally was able to run blinds between
rounds (she is learning to deal with the heavy
distractions and maintaining focus)
24 Day off!, demonstrated
"working a pile" & three-handed casting
25 Run five blinds at the dry "Sand Ponds" (evening)
first three blinds (link) (130, 175,
230 yards);
last two blinds
(link) (175, 150 yards)
lined first and last, #2#3 still having
trouble judging depth on blinds like these, #4 two
whistled (blind lines getting back to good
form, excellent "mo", carrying casts well;
definitive casting drills have greatly
reduced scalloping; need to work on tighter
angle backs)
26 One simple splash double (60, 90 yards)
First Spring Water
(Link) at the "Square Pond",
Definitive Casting Drill 5a+ (Link) (+
= across pond corner, marks 100 yds, pile
requires a 60 yd cast) (need to
work on drop and shake habit when leaving water
with first retrieve - it's back!)
27 "Square Pond" - three bird boy long
stickman singles
(Link)
(200, 150, 125 yard - land/water/land)
28 Cold, windy and rain = day off!
29 One of "those" days = kids = day off!
30 8 "poorman" singles each followed with a blind at the "Sand
Ponds"
nice quick training session, good "mo" & casts on blinds, getting
very comfortable
with heeling to either side with a simple hand signal
31 Trained at Bong with Bruce B. & "Ripley"- ran 10 blinds
off 10 Retrieve-R-T'r marks
(holding blind, two buckets, popper
shotgun, duck calls, each dog alternates and ends
up with 5 marks & 5 blinds),
Taffey demo'd initial
Definitive Casting Drill, and ran #6
trained on 10 quail, Bruce flushed
and gunned, Taffey pointed & handled birds
under control to work back out of
Upland Hunt variation (END flushing on command)
ran easy "flower pot" water double at
the "Quarry Pond" to cool off
Ap. 1 5 W- stickman stations with chairs, white
coat gunner, primer pistol and BIRDS
(two
close marks 140 yards, three long around 200 yards across harvested
corn)
7 dummy
tune-up drill across the corner of the "Square Pond"
2 Stoughton - 6 white coats: first set-up = 3 singles (left
to right, 150, 225, 135 yards),
second set-up =
4 tight, tough singles
(Link) (125, 200, 150, 250 yards),
third set-up = two blinds (125, 275
yards) DUCKS!
finished in the swim-by pond with a three
pile water casting drill
(Link) (water very low)
(marked ALL very well with no flaring,
lined the 125 yard blind & handled through heavy
scent marking area for the long blind,
marking is improving because her line manners
have been refocused (heeling stick) & two
sided is now very comfortable - excellent day!)
3 cold & wet = easy day, S-drill, played with crawl, limp &
dead parlor trick
4 Stoughton - easy 2 dummy
water casting drill
(Link), 3 launcher walk-ups, 3 remote
honors (Lick), four (175, 225, 190, 175
yards) blinds, R-R-T'r -3
triples
(Link) (175, 85,
175 yards with wind = good distance) in
different areas & concerted effort to change
order of retrieve to impact line manners -
positive progress
Note: remember "dip" in learning curve when
introducing & teaching new concepts
(cloudy, misting, 37°, 15 mph wind, 3 hours
door-to-door, What fun!)
5 "Sand Pond" - five blinds off walking 5 "poorman" singles,
theme for all marks & blinds
angle entries and
exits, through willow or cattail cover & up and down the banks of
dry
pond beds (100-150 yard range) Note:
excellent lines, no squaring or cheating cover
and her literal casting is progressing well
( good session!)
6 U-Rock - 6 R-R-T'r concept doubles (short/long/primary
selection), S-drill
7 Snow! - do short walking doubles (practicing primary
selection sequence SLOW
(good session = lots of "reps" got her
motion and "foot work" cleaned up), S-drill
8 "Med Center" - 6 marks from launchers with "blind" pile
(alternate primary selection)
9 Bong - three launcher singles (75 yards) each with a blind
(125, 200, 175 yards),
three honors with Lick retrieving; used
holding blind, gun rack & gun, bucket, duck
call, many extra dry fires (poppers &
primer pistol), emphasis on line manners
SLOW
Definitive Casting Drill 6 (poison from the
left) 2-3 inches of snow! Ponds iced over.
(very productive session - tune-up for HRC
test)
10 Stoughton - 2 land remote launcher triples (125, 200, 150
yards),
(left to right & right to left) using
holding blind, gun rack & gun, bucket, duck call, two
stickmen judges (emphasis on line manners)
SLOW
Definitive Casting Drill 5a+ (Link)
north off the point (from west),
W - drill stickmen "poorman" marks
(indents & big angle back throws), back to
the place
board (125, 50, 145, 60, 130 yards),
repeated to the opposite side with four more marks
(another excellent training session -
developing good marking habits & using her eyes
well.......for an upland hunting dog) Note:
the big bonus of "poorman" marks is that you
can clearly see how the dog deals with a
mark (head, nose, eyes, speed, pattern) so much
less is seen from the line
11 1 easy (but very cheaty) "poorman"
splash triple with diversion (water)
Definitive Casting Drill 6 (land -
delayed poison)
Ap. 12 Regular Hunt Finished Test - Mississippi Flyway HRC Joy,
IL
picked up in the land series
neat test almost 100 white rag geese decoys in a
semi-circle
in front, honor and running dog shooting at first two marks, the first
was a
wiper from
the right that lands 20 yards in front, the next is a 90 yard mark to
the far
right under
the arc of the wiper across some rolling terrain with a change in cover,
the third
mark is about 100 yards about 150°back to the
left in rolling terrain, the
diversion
occurs on the last mark with the blind out at 99 yards right in a line
over the fall
area of the
first mark Taffey looked at all the white going to
the line and was out in
space, the
wiper got a big jumping creep (2 yards) but she sat and just barely saw
all
the marks,
picked up the first two, forgot the third's location blew a few casts to
get it
(should have
picked her up here after not picking her up right off the line (duh!)
then
she was
totally out of it on the blind (didn't want to cast into the wind) and I
picked her
up, scratched
from the water and went home
(Where did this dog come from?)
note : 1) sudden case of test wise? last tests were in February and she
was solid?
2) all the white and/or not enough airing blew her mind?
3) last time she acted like this she was in heat a week later?
What
fun!? Today was a "not do".
Ap. 13 Day off! ponder?
14 easy
day - review whoa yard training
15 review upland pointing &
handling with 6 launcher pigeons (quarter, respond, point
with hardly
any creeping (a little one of them), timed up to 3 minutes before
launch,
steady to
flush, "whoa goes", road three miles, buy 32 quail to keep at Jim's farm
(this went
much better than expected)
evening
trainer training session & advice, "good stuff!"
16 did 9 quail at Jim's (2
extra points and flushes), shot five for her, a few "fly-aways"
for creeping,
rest points & me flush - working check cord with dog alone
(call Toubl
Game Farm about Afgan hen pheasants & chukars)
did one easy
mark with a blind (work ed very, very slowly on all bird deliveries)
evening -
work on stick conditioning, slower "take", higher standards (focus)
17 did 3 quail one at a time
(shot one), upland field OB, ran two cold blinds,
road three
miles, continue stick conditioning, "whoa goes"
18 W cold land set-up (2 dummy
piles at each, 150, 75, 150, 75, 150 yards),
ran "one" W
then turned around and ran three water cold blinds, 1st across a point &
out
into field
(land/water/point/water/land), 2nd down the channel, 3rd across
different
point/out and
up on top of mound (125, 100, 150 yards),
turned around
and ran W second time, moved to technical pond & ran cold blind with
a 30 yard
land entry across two points to a third point (175 yards),
finished to
the left by running a "three fan" land cold blind set-up (125, 150, 175
yards)
(demanded
accurate casts, worked very slowly on retrieve/release and continued
stick
conditioning)
finished "fresh as daisy" and looking for more - excellent work!!!
stopped at vets for 6 month ProHeart Worm shot, weight = 74 pounds (cut
food back)
start oral anti-fungal pills (14 day treatment)
19 Day off!
20 worked with trainer -
holding blind/stick correction/line manners on two winger singles,
road four
miles
21 ran triple set-up with
gunners (80, 125, 100 yards), Taffey was to run last, any motion
at the line
would be stick corrected and back to the truck, first bird (good),
second (back
to the
truck), next time out sat very solid and stepped on all three marks, ran
the blind
150 yards up
the middle.......afterwards worked 6 quail (two at a time - planted on
the
ground = no
launchers, shot one), road four miles
22 ran triple set-up with
gunners (different area - 160, 115, 75 yards - right to left) short
bird last
down, Maxx 5000 diversion on the return of the long memory bird, 150
yard
blind up the
middle five yards behind the middle gunner, made correction for line
manners
(moving) and put her back in the truck, came back out and she stepped on
the
first two
marks and missed the last bird by five yards to left checked up and went
right to
it, ran right
past the diversion, delivered third bird and picked up the diversion,
LINED
the blind
(very sharp!), did 6 quail upland with launchers (2 sets of three) &
shot two
for her,
dropped off both bird crates at Toubl Game Birds, road four miles
(evening)
23 pick up 8 chukars & 2
pheasants at Toubl, ran set-up 1st R-R-T'r double (remote send
line) with
diversion plus a 200 yard blind, afterwards - upland 2 quail, 1 chukar
repeat double
(different area & reverse side remote send) with 100 yard blind
afterwards
repeated more work upland - 1 quail, 1 chukar and 1 pheasant
24 worked 2 quail, 2 chukars
and 2 pheasants (shot three), used 1 more quail with some
flight
feathers removed to simulate bird walking away from gunner (steadiness)
Hook Lake - 2 R-R-T'r water doubles
with blinds & diversions (1st
double (Link)= 150 &
100 yards
with a 150 yard blind down the middle) (2nd
double (Link) = 150 & 75 yards
with a 150
yard blind "down the shore"), emphasis on line manners (excellent day)
25 1 hour run in the upland
field for control and OB at "Macktown", mixed in four cold
blinds
(125-160 yards) = excellent straight line running ("dead bird"/"back"
switch
from
quartering to straight line is perfectly clear), zero cast or
whistle refusals, 2-4 casts
on the first
three blinds with two very nice long angle backs to the blinds, no
scallops,
last blind =
160 yards was angled 45 °across a grass
covered road bed with small ditches
on both
sides, through patches of varying cover (some high grass & hammocks, but
good
visibility of
dog), slightly rolling terrain, cross wind open field with a few small
shrubs, she
lined it - running hard (immediately called it a day, back to
the truck!),
yard OB
drills with stick conditioning, leave for Joy, IL at 5:00 pm
Ap. 26 Joy, IL APLA
Grand Master Pointing Retriever Test
knew
we were in big trouble when she couldn't even do the regular holding
blind
routine, one
step is the "down position which she totally refused to do (should have
picked her up
right there and went back to the truck), TOO WIRED at the line &
that
was it in the
first series (water), steady, but no focus, blind run first in a stick
pond,
cast &
whistle refusals, "sucked" to land and stumbled on blind = went home
early, what
a huge
difference between training & tests, performances have "gone south"
clearly
"test wise" & "newbie" training/handler issues
Taffey gets
BIG TIME OFF, she has more that done her job
27 Blonhaven "Euro" Pheasant
shoot(400 pheasants with four dog handlers) Lick did five
rounds &
Taffey did seven rounds plus picked up all the marks Lick didn't see (Taffey
ran 20+
blinds between 50 to 150 yards excellent straight lines & handled
well =
reinforces "test wise" as THE issue) afterwards cleaned the outlying
fields for
cripples and
"other" birds - she is one tired dog, and it was fun watching her do all
that
retrieving,
warm & sunny = 4 gallons of water, hosed off after both the tower
shoot and
field
scouring (Taffey & Ripley worked together afterwards for about an
hour, Lick and
the other two
handlers' dogs had nothing left for the clean-up)
28-30 Days off! May 1-3 More days off! lay around the
house and hold the rug down
May 2 ran the short gunner station in an Open FT event
(Madison Retriever Club), great view of
the handlers
and forty dogs dealing with a tough quad, I wore a white coat over my
"camo"
windbreaker - 29 dogs got carried (left with the dream of being able to
do that
some day)
Taffey could do three of the marks, but the long mark (retired gunner)
was
a killer for
many , series = "no tricks, here's four birds, see if you can pick them
up"
4 back to training
- establish new test OB and holding blind standards
trained at
Brad's, two sessions in different areas, used two holding blinds, lots
of noise,
any motion or
heeling problems got heavy corrections (no collar) and back to the
truck,
two sessions
= back to the truck on first & a very careful dog on the second (it's a
start!)
5 Day off!
6 Stoughton FT
area - land & water doubles with a blind using remote launcher &
winger
land = 250 &
75 yards with 240 yard blind up the middle
water = 175 &
100 yards with 200 yard blind behind mark (points and angle
entries)
strict line
manners having good effect there, but marking precision has dropped off
(shorten and
simplify marks for awhile)
(note: blinds
= remember - bring back to the original position on a poor cast)
7 Day off!
8 Forest Preserve
field: 12 "poorman" stickman marks (50 - 125 yards) with return
to place
board, two blinds (75 & 100 yards)
three pile
angle back review with precise sits, casts and delivery standards -
slow!
9 Day off!
10 ran two different KRD's at
"The Hills" & use remote winger for mark
1st standard
set-up (125, 150, 85 yards blinds with 60 yard mark) retrieved left to
right
2nd very
tight, different area, retrieved right to left with last blind under the
arc
one remote
winger 150 yard single water mark parallel to shore of lake's dam (to
cool off)
11 drizzle, 37°wind
chill, too nasty & quit early, helped
Brad with his dog's marking,
Taffey used
to excite "Tonka" about retrieving (he watched some & has
avoidance issue),
Demo'd
three-handed casting
12 ran "in your face" remote
winger marks at "The Quarry" with Dokkens & real ducks,
worked
on switching sides while maintaining focus (up the ante on line manners,
lots of
shooting at the line, any motion, except on command = correction, no
retrieve)
ran one
100 yard remote winger mark parallel to the south shore
three
pile water casting drill (50, 100, 75 yards & long angle casts, nine
swims)
13 Stoughton (change
plans/ others training) = ran 5W- stickman marks using duck with
return
to the line routine (5 to the right, then 5 to the left, from northeast
mound,
160,
80,160, 80, 160 yards) *** ran three water blinds, angle entry/exit 80
yards on first,
across
point 175 yards on second, remote winger, big splash poison bird off to
the left at
75
yards, switched heeling side, ran long, tough shore suction at 200 yards
on the third,
then picked up the poison bird
(ran
straight and hard on all ten marks, initial lines on blinds were
excellent, casts on
tough blinds were good, getting better about fading with suction,
quicker whistles have
helped to reduce tendency to start a hunt when exiting water, two blinds
today when
leaving the water "rolled on" in a straight line, other started to hunt
= stopped quickly)
14 Rain = Day off!
15 FT group - gunner &
winger double (250 & 150 yds), single (200 yds), blind (250 yds)
ran long with "mo" to the correct side of the station, but
marking poor (hunted all &
needed handling on first when she picked up scent from the memory bird
downwind),
blind was tough close and "hacky" (not a very good day, but she does
seem to learn
from tough days like this)
16 "Rockcut State
Park"- more "in your face" winger ducks for line corrections with
two-sided heeling changes, 5 remote winger singles (pinned last two,
primer shot
device worked well) five cold blinds at "The Square Pond" (used ducks,
handling
much better)
17 Day off!
18 Badger State
HRC training day at Eagle (main emphasis = test wise issue!)
ran triple (100, 100, 50 yards) with a 99 yard blind through the short
fall,
(just as the third bird went down, four people apparently picking
mushrooms walked
right by the winger station and into the edge of the woods directly in
line with and 20
yards beyond the fall, after finally getting here no'd off the pickers
she needed handled
to the mark), ran the two right marks (in different fall area, used
secondary selection
and changed heeling sides on delivery ran simple pond double with
channel blind
19 "Rockcut State
Park"- five "in your face" winger Dokken's plus 2 doubles, with lots of
primer shots, re-heeling and line manners showing improvement and more
awareness
ran 10 marks off of 5-W "poorman" stickmen back to line marks (150, 75,
150, 75, 150 yds)
ran two cold blinds
(link) (175 & 200 yds, one whistled and four whistled)
(excellent attitude and trained well)
20 "Rockcut State
Park" - ran two sets of 4 inline "poorman" stickmen marks and back
to
the line, ran walking singles (50-75 yds high wind), "in your face"
singles and doubles
using primer pistol with Lick and Taffey taking turns retrieving
or honoring
21 Day off!
22 Stoughton - ran
two singles (300, 200 yds. - FT group had set-up a triple & asked if
I'd like to run) small hunt on the long one after running to the gunner
& she ran right to
the other mark, ran five pile water casting drill in swim-by pond, ran
two long remote
winger single marks lots of land leading to an across some water mark
(need to work
on maintaining the line when entering the water - not looking to area/simpify)
23 Day off!
24 Yard
work, Taffey lounged around the yard while I pulled weeds (Day off!)
25 Day off!
26 Lining,
push/pull drills & re-heeling two-side practice
27 Stoughton
- W stickmen marks (125, 75, 125, 75, 100 yds), three inline singles
(100, 150, 200 yds), three across the swim-by pond 100 yd marks (with
Chris)
28 Eagle -
ran KRD twice (60 yd remote winger mark thrown over line of blind #1 at
120 yds, #2 middle blind 200 yds, blind #3 on the right at 160 yds. ran
mark then
blinds 1,3,2 tight (30°), repeated with the
mark now a poison bird, ran 3, mark, 1 then
2
(re-heeled off of poison mark to run #3 "learned" blind (any re-run
blind is no longer
a
cold blind) , line manners very good,
5 blinds on the fish pond with the first one
remote, stopped on all whistles and patiently waited for every cast
(very sharp!)
(almost beat the rain)
29 "Rockcut" - 4
single remote winger marks
run two poison remote winger KRD's in different areas
May 30 Evan Graham's Dog Training Seminar at Des Plaines
Cons. Area, IL
ran five fairly difficult stickmen singles , marked well, one reason is
she has
done Stickmen drills like this, simulated test conditions were a big
bonus (got in some
excellent corrections, ran two blinds up the "middle* and across,
learned more about
correct casts when dog is dealing with suction and when to a help a dog
in trouble ,
ran stickmen retired gunner drill - neat drill! (first time for her and
she crushed it!)
What a great experience today was. We went to the Seminar to learn plus
find out if
the "program" to get her under control and more focused at the line was
working. No
question the day exceeded expectations plus her marking skills have
dramatically
improved.
May 31 Taffey was used in a sit standard demo (and did
super! yet very ironic) I was happy to
get the chance to have her do this demo. Great training as she is the
demo dog at
finished level in our Annual Badger State HRC Dog Training Seminar
(June).
After watching Evan's dog demonstrate the Definitive Casting Drill 6, we
all went to
another field to run DCC#1, I did accomplish some good things in the
drill - short
whistles and an excellent correction for delivery, but screwed up the
actual drill, which
shows that even though you know something cold ('cause you've
worked on it a lot!),
if your mind is not balanced **** happens quickly
This was another outstanding day of learning.
June 1 ran triple (45°),
white coats, ducks (with a live flyer last), true QAA standards
her manners were very good, picked up the last two ducks down , but
evidently forgot
or didn't see (very well) the first bird down (memory bird) resulting in
the second no-go
she's ever had (250 yard Derby mark last spring), I thought she saw it
and when I finally
said "Dead Bird"/"Back" she lined it, this is the first "big" triple she
has ever run and
the distance of the marks coupled with what a live flyer is supposed to
do (erode
memory) affected her confidence just enough to cause the no-go.
Got in a well
timed bird handling correction which was effective.
These three Journal entries do not give justice to the finer details of
each day and
fail to describe the wonderful people I met. I could have not scripted a
better
Seminar experience than these three days!!!
June 2 Day off!
June 3 Walked to a close by Nature Preserve and threw
a few short marks out into the marsh
like we did when she was a puppy. This dog training "stuff" never ceases
to be fun!
June 4 Day off!
June 5 Two "poorman" stickmen marks (ducks, primer, 75
yds out & 40 yds apart), Taffey
returned to line on retrieves, then I returned to the line and ran
Taffey on 125 yd blind
up the middle, ran past scent/falls & flared hill, four whistles to the
blind (one scallop) ,
repeated concept in different field (95 yds out & 30 yards apart with
145 yd cold blind,
flared left gunner (a little), but split the middle with "mo" & three
whistled the blind
with self-correction of the flare
note: increase the distance & add wind,
water - then
use remote winger for long distance, gunner marks up the
middle (different areas)
June 6 Day off! rain
June 7 yard push-pull drill, review three-handed
casting with place board for advanced dog
demonstration Badger State HRC Dog Training Seminar (June 21st - Gander
Mnt.)
June 8 Badger State HRC training session at Eagle Dog
Training Area - line standards
corrections at the line over ran both marks (double) frustration hunt on
second, took
her off the line to come back later for a single mark & re-heeled to run
blind before
(not a good day, except for corrections)
June 9-11 Days off!
JJune 12 helped Brad with started dog, Taffey ran a big water 150
yard cold blind with a long
land angle entry (three casts - nice job with excellent, long initial
line)
June 13 walking "poorman" singles (8 marks - 75 yds to 225 yds) -
"Sand Ponds" area terrain
and cover ideal for these types of marks including small rises for
Taffey to sit on, warm
June 14 Day off!
June 15 "Rockcut" - 7 remote winger "in your face" marks with re-heels
to run at two different
blind piles (line manners control issue - no ready/set/go attitude or
movement),
ran seven blinds
(link) at "The Square Pond" (75, 85, 125, 90, 90, 110, 125 yards)
very responsive, not leaning hard when locked, but excellent angle
entries & lines,
popped on land 4th blind immediate correction got her "flying" quickly,
all entries
were airborne
June 16-18 R&R <FrontLine Plus>
June 19 Roland Olson Forest Preserve - walking singles, mini- KRD
and a "poorman" triple
June 20 yard work on re-heeling motion ( one side to
another)
June 21 Badger State HRC Dog Training Seminar at Gander Mountain-
Taffey did the
advanced dog demonstration (two sessions)- walking singles and back to
to place
board, two dummy - 3 handed casting, water triple with a blind and two
diversions,
honor and "pick-up" (easy fun with unusual distractions)
June 22 Badger group session at Eagle DTA - winger triple with
bucket poppers, short wiper
with a blind (line manner corrections, worked on pre-casting on blind,
retrieved
marks out of order (for line control), used both sides and re-heeled on
blind and last
bird), water double with channel blind, memory bird picked up after the
blind,
diversion, re-heeled twice (before blind and after pick up of last bird)
land marking work mediocre (line corrections), water was excellent!
June 23-5 R&R - company, soccer, fishing trip
June 26 "Sand Ponds" - four remote "poorman" singles (100, 150, 200, 225
yds followed by
200 yd blind
(set-up link) - Taffey sent back to line), different area - four
remote
"poorman"
inline singles (100, 150, 200, 250 yds with 300 yd blind - same
routine)
June 27 Stoughton - ladder marks drill for
land/water/land/water/land pattern blind (50, 75, 100,
125,
175 yards) - "poorman" stickmen Taffey returns to the line routine), 6
walking
"poorman"
marks across the technical pond (175, 150, 150, 175, 200, 225 yds same
line
routine), 225 yd blind across two points & down the "tech" pond, 275 yd blind
(link)
across
two points on the "big" pond, (marked well - enter area of fall with
more
purpose, handled well at "big" distances, note: angle backs still
too much over if quiet)
W- marking
drill (link)
(8 land marks 75 & 175 yds alternating - same line
routine), land triple followed by two long singles with Retrieve-R-T'r (75,
150, 75 yds)
(trained from 5:30-8:00 am alone - perfect weather = sunny, 60°,
nice breeze, low
humidity) Taffey trains like a BEAR, airborne entries going out and
coming back, rips
back to line line ("place") on all "poorman" stickmen drills then chases
Lick all over the
place trying to maul her when we're finished
NOTE: 4,200 yards of water/land marks + 3,100 yards of land marks =
7,300 yards
over 4 miles in 26 "sprints" with an average distance of 280 yards
each
short term plan - train for HRCH (Finished Title), have one pass & need
3 more,
"snag" = heat cycle due middle of August & Wisill/Badger State HRC Aug.
23,24
decrease white coat training & increase shooting at the line ("bucket
stuff")
June 28 Day off!
June 29 Stoughton (early) - three walking "poorman" singles (75
yds land, 75 yds on to point,
150 yds across two points, turned June 27th 275 yard blind into a
pattern blind,
re-visited Force to Water ala Evan Graham's Seminar
technique/notes
(backing up - finished forcing from behind a huge mound, went well)
June 30 Day Off!
July 1 Stoughton (early) - solidified 275 yard
two point (water) pattern blind, ran 9 walking
"poorman"
single marks with the "line routine" (five inline and four check-down)
note: pinned three & marked all areas well, hunt pattern tighter & more
consistent
July 2-3 R&R
July 4 Stoughton (early, after storm) - ran 275 yd
pattern blind (twice, used ducks),
ran 6 R-R-T'r singles and 1 double, two honors with Lick
July 5 Day off!
July 6 Stoughton (early, ahead of storm) - ran
remote launcher triple (link) (240, 145, 45 yds),
ran 275 yd pattern
blind (link) (twice, used ducks), three honors with Lick
July 7 morning storm & hot - Day off!
July 8 Stoughton (ahead
of storm - again!) - ran
remote launcher
triple (link) (175, 140, 45 yds)
ran 275 yd pattern blind (lined it), ran 250 yard "cheaty" angle entry
with thin point and
mark's arc "in and out" behind large single tree, repeated & lined the
pattern blind
note: time to establish the second leg of the pattern blind
July 9-10 R & R
July 11 Stoughton (early) - note: first day with Bushnell YP
1000, Wow! sure wrong about yds.
established second leg of pattern blind 176 yds ran it twice, then ran a
75 yd remote
winger mark before lining the 216 yd leg, set-up a W - marking drill
with stickmen
across water (143, 118, 152, 132, 171 yards) Steve threw marks, set-up a
water double
with a blind up the middle past a remote winger "poison bird" (too close
to the line of
the blind), shot from the line ala HRC, ran easy land double with blind
(105, 65, 70 yds)
note: ran with no noise & marked off the gun well, line manners much
improved
ready for August HRC Finished Tests
July 12 Day off!
July 13 yard work - selection drill
July 14 "Rockcut" - marking off the gun bucket drill,
remote launcher triples
with 180° (4 left & 3 right, any foot
tapping or creeping corrected = stick and/or
back to truck), trucked 4 times, last run = no tapping or creep and less
"lean"
July 15 "Rockcut" (morning) - marking off the gun
bucket drill- three triples sets
"Sand Ponds" (late evening) - walking singles - six marks (85-105
yards),
three blinds (75-137 yards)
Note: mail in HRC Finished entries (Aug. 23-4)
July 16 Day off!
July 17 Stoughton (early) - train with Chris,
ran pattern blind (both legs),
ran two easy channel blinds (mostly woked with Chis's dog)
July 18 Day off!
July 19 Madison RC work day, ran four "over the
point" marks early, trained with small
group in the afternoon - ran short, cheaty water, "in your face" remote
winger
triple with a 103 yard blind up-the-middle)
note: cheated water twice, switched, hacked the blind, heavy line manner
pressure!
ran double plus two blinds (different), picked up go bird ran blind,
picked up memory
ran second blind note: different
dog, much improved & nice job
ran four "whoa/go" drills
July 20 yard - 180°bucket
drill (YBD)
July 21 repeat slower, quieter
and more deliberately the YBD
July 22 "Sand Ponds" walking singles, YBD
July 23 YBD, easy day
July 24 YBD, easy day
July 25 Stoughton (early) - trained with Chris & set-up five
blinds to run one after a single
Retrieve-R-T'r mark, two handlers, two dogs, running dog handler shoots
gun from a
bucket & honoring dog/handler "shoots" mark with Retrieve-R-T'r, teams
alternate &
each dog runs five set-ups and honors five set-ups, remote winger
diversions bird on
the last mark, lots of duck calls and "motion" at the line, holding
blinds to start and
dogs "put up" once
Bong (evening) - trained with Tom, ran double with a blind in the
Retriever Pond,
honored on same set-up note: Stick Pond is
useless!
July 26 Day off!
July 27 Bong (Badger State HRC training day) - "Gravel
Pond", short, easy, three splash, wide
triple (middle/left/right - 75, 60,50 yards), tough 112 yard blind
up-the-middle with an
"in-your-face" diversion, finished off with a 50 yard blind off to the
left
note: need to do maintenance drills to reduce scalloping
ran ladder marks (no break) on the over-grown runway (92, 145, 212, 278,
348 yards),
reason = Muddy Waters RC Fun Day "Longest Retrieve" contest, intense
lean and
good marks from the line, full speed out and back, no heat distress
and ready for more, she loves to run big, is in shape & tough!
(partial clouds, nice breeze, low humidity, 75°)
note: new rangefinder proved very useful
July 28 Med Center - Review "big" semi-wagon wheel
drill, 90 yard diameter semi-circle
with seven piles 15°apart, place board in the center & teaching/review
casts made
from 25 yards in front of place board, four dummies in each pile (cast
back to board)
note: very sloppy in the beginning, some confusion and certainly wasn't
paying close
attention to the different angles, attrition and no or good got her
focused
and she figured it out after about 24 carefully sequenced casts
final review after a short water break = ran the eight casts from 45
yards in front of
the place board, doing right verbal over, right silent 60°angle back,
right silent 75°
angle back and a verbal right back, repeated same sequence
starting with the left over
note: she took all eight casts correctly
July 29 Stoughton (early - 6 am, 58°) - set-up & ran a
cold, land semi-wheel in calf-high wet
grass (19 retrieves), this went well, then transitioned it to the end of
a wide channel
formed by two points in the technical pond, went as expected, initially
quite a bit of
swimming with attrition, the piles were semi-visible and created some
suction as did
the points (14 retrieves), finally seems to have learned the distinction
between the
unacceptable scallop and silent straight angle backs (60° & 75°)
note: review this drill once a week (fewer retrieves, land & water)
through August
ran "poorman" mark (northeast mound to southwest mound) 356 yards from a
place
board (Taffey sits on board, I drive truck back around field trial
grounds road,
walk 100 over yards over to the SW mound, fire the primer pistol and
throw the
dummy, release Taffey by shouting her name, she lines the mark, but runs
right over
it, checks down at 400 yards and comes back on the line to pick it up,
we get in the
truck, drive back up to the NE mound to get the place board, 7:45 am
head on home)
July 30 Day off!
July 31 Stoughton (early) - train with Chris (work on
"cheaty stuff"), ran six-pile casting drill
in a big channel (down the shore - left and right), ran 8 walking
singles with both
dogs - across points, angle entries & exits (splash, shore and out on
land),
worked on bucket pivot with shotgun (11 "dry fires")
note: after HRC test - work on driving long after water exits
Aug 1 YBD, yard OB
Aug 2 Muddy Waters RC Fun Hunt near
Wasau, WI (Taffey's birthday - 3 years old)
ran "mock" seasoned test, tried to pull her off go bird (been working on
this in training)
thought she was but swung back toward go bird and had to handle her on
both easy
marks, lined the blind, Noah ran her in a started junior handler - he
did a very good
job, "big air" - 6 and 10 feet (we need practice! - not gonna' happen!),
fastest retrieve
(5th), longest retrieve - great line & jumped on the 150 yarder,
perfect line and pin on
the 250 yard mark, didn't even see the 350 yard mark (looked away at
just the wrong
time), extremely valuable training day,....... and fun!
Aug 3 Work Amateur FT at Stoughton -
Madison Retriever Club (Taffey - Day off!)
dry fire (popper) gunner station on 2 blind series & 1st bird retired
gunner in a quad
Aug 4 Set up training schedule
with focus on HRC Finished test - 19 days
YBD (drill about every other day), marking set-ups - indents, hip
pocket, in-line
(triples - as singles, double with single, & triples), multiple blinds
(land & water),
walk-ups (use ducks), use live flyers each week, work on line manners
and control,
diversions, honors
train at Bong - six days, Hook Lake - three days, Stoughton - three
days,
Rockton - three times, Whitewater - twice, Janesville - twice,
Sand Ponds - four times, do YBD - seven times
Aug 5 YBD, Sand Ponds - 3 easy
concept triples
Aug 6 Bong (Gravel Pond) -
one live flyer walk-up with a blind, 1 blind off remote launcher
live flyer single (Taffey sitting at heel), 1 blind off hand-tossed live
flyer (Taffey
in remote sit), 1 blind off remote launcher "dead" duck, 2 Retrieve-R-T'r
(short, long)
followed by a remote launcher mark (duck, bucket, popper gun) for a 40°
water triple
with all marks out & up on land), repeat triple on land (180°, last go
"duck" in water)
note: handled very well in water, slow down casts on land (she's
too quick!)
easily remembered all marks, watch angle entry "intentions"
high sit/line standards with heeling stick, fresh ducks handled very
well
sharp training session!
Aug 7 Stoughton (early) -
multiple blinds (2
water - link &
3 land - link), bucket popper drill,
2 remote launcher doubles - one down the shore & a tight indent (bucket
& popper gun)
(setup #1- link ,
setup #2 - link)
note: literal casting improving, excellent "mo" on blinds, pre-casted on
longest
blind (made her sit longer), line manners improving (less anxiety),
easy, solid session
Aug 8 Bong (early) - train
with Brent, set of 5 land marks - 50-150 yards (2 dogs/handlers
walking singles), (Retriever Pond) remote launcher & gunner big swing
triple with
blind & diversion, 1 remote launcher walkup, three pile angle casting
drill (demo)
note: lots of honoring & did fine, ran triple set-up "super" and two
whistled
the blind (two very nice slight angle backs), much better at
swinging
with the gun - YBD helping, line manners continue to improve (5 month
project paying off - getting her under control helps me relax)
Aug
9 Day off!
Aug 10 Hook Lake (late morning) - three
different Retrieve-R-T'r/remote launcher doubles
with three blinds & diversions (HRC Finished distances, bucket & popper
gun)
double #1 (link)
- marks (55 & 93 yds), blind (96 yds)
double #3 (link)
- marks ( (62 & 101 yds), blind (107 yds)
note: water blinds - very good initial lines, one whistled first two
with
perfect angle backs, last used five whistles with a tight line,
stick correction for creeping (about three feet) on last double
Aug 11 Stoughton (early) - train with
Brad, four off the big mound walking singles, two pile
very "cheaty" water lining drill, ran the two Madison Am.FT blinds (got
'em, but
wouldn't have been called back), two long land/water/land doubles (this
type of
factor is a weakness, not much better (squaring and suction) = go back
to singles &
return to place board might increase repetition learning)
Aug 12 Day off!
Aug 13 Bong - ten walking singles
(water/land, duck, primer pistol, HRC distances 80-120
yards, remote send & return to line/"place"), five land blinds 86 -123
yards, shooting
from the line, three bucket drill triples (left to right, right to
left, middle/right/left)
Aug 14 Stoughton - train with Chris, three
tough water blinds (ducks), bucket popper
drill - three triples, ten walking land singles (2 dogs/handlers, ducks)
Janesville, WI - HRC training
Aug 15 Stoughton - two "modified"
Tune Up
Drills - A = 4-piles with three dummies, run from
left-side & B = 6-piles with two dummies, run from right-side (emphasis
on angle
entries and "cheaty" water corners), bucket drill (3 triples)
Aug 16 Day off! Hot!
Aug 17 Bong (weed removal work day, Whew!)
- early, five blinds with the last two poison
birds (in the "Retriever Pond"); afternoon, eight "poorman"
walking singles with
return to line for remote sends (highlands above the "Stick Pond")
Aug 18 Stoughton - two dog "poorman"
singles (five land & one water), bucket drill (three
rounds), "vets" - both dogs Lepto booster shot, weight (Taffey
- 68 lbs & Lick - 79 lbs),
sent entry form for Fox River Valley HRC Finished test on Sept. 20th
Aug 19 Day off! Hot - good day to let down
Aug 20 Bong (early) - trained with Brent,
full bucket drill, ran two land blinds (with ducks),
ran a live flyer walk-up (handler shooting duck), did another live flyer
over water
(Brent was the gunner), ran remote winger & gunner double with diversion
(ducks) -
bucket & gun HRC style in the Gravel Pond, ran six water Tune Up
blinds,
ran Retrieve- R-Trainer double
(link) at the H Pond
note: Taffey back to the truck on first bucket drill
Aug 21 Stoughton (early, forecast - 94°) -
trained with Chris, ran four land singles (ducks),
ran two blinds through & across the falls/lines of the marks, ran 112
yard "cheaty"
water blind (duck), ran four solid "cheaty" water singles (ducks) - HRC
style
note: Taffey back to the truck on first land single
Aug 22 ten hand-thrown swimming singles at
Legend Lake
Aug 23,24 Wisill & Badger State HRC
Finished Tests (Lick Started test dog Sunday)
note:
when taking Taffey to the bitch check it was obvious we had made no
dent in the 5 month long program to change the test-wise problem,
after picking up everything in the water series, scratched her from
the land series and Sunday's test, very disappointing
Aug. 28th Taffey goes to a pro
for a few months - change of scenery, evaluate, more work,
maybe run some Q's
road
Lick two miles (am) again two miles (pm)
Aug. 29 road
Lick four miles split (same way as Thursday)
Aug 30 road Lick two miles (morning)
& review three-handed casting (evening)
Aug 31 scouted southern Wisconsin
farm for dove - used mountain bike and Lick
ran two miles, picked worst time of day, still saw dove
Sept 1
scouted hunters at
Storr Lake and Lima areas - no shooting
Sept 2
dove hunt at Brad's (take Lick)
Sept 3-6 days off
(simple yard work)
Sept 7 dove hunt at Milton (take
Lick)
Sept 8 day off
Sept 9 road Lick easy two miles
Taffey is entered to run AKC Master at Horicon, WI (Sept. 20th)
Sep 10-12 easy yard work - casting & OB
Sept 13 road Lick two miles
Sept 14-19 easy work with Lick
(realized I had the Chinese & Tune Drills' names reversed & corrected
Journal)
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