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  1. #1
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Reluctantly Driving Home

    2 months in TX have been terrific, maybe even miraculous. Lots of challenges, hard work and fun. Now I'm in the process of towing the Green Bean home. We left Bastrop rather late in the morning (I had to winterize the Bean) and made it to Freidricksburg. Had dinner there at a German Restaurant (Man! I could spend a week in that little town, not to mention all the surrounding wineries and breweries.) Then we just pushed through until we got to Phoenix. What with filling up frequently, and caring for the dogs, we got to my daughter's father-in-laws to unhook at 11:30 PM and with one thing and another, I got into the sack at 2:00 AM. But it's worth it to spend a long weekend with my grand-babies.

    Now, here's my challenge from my coaches in TX. Number 1. As much as possible, segregate Rocket Dog from the older dogs. All of her satisfaction in life has to come from me. Her focus has to be on me. I have to be the center of her universe, she doesn't have to spend her day figuring out how to be top dog in her clique of dogs. Naturally, this is not going to be 100% approachable, but it's got to be a goal... particularly during the HT season. This may sound somewhat controversial, but we were doing it in TX and it made a pretty dramatic difference. Number 2. (Which follows from number 1.) Twice the number of walks around our BLM trails daily. This before starting our daily drills on heeling, and 7 bumper lining drills, walking from the holding blind, everything I can think of. Number 3) Use more single point blinds. I have some retriever friends who I think will allow me to train on their property maybe once or twice a week. I'll see what we can put together.

    Meanwhile, I know I'm returning to a bodacious amount or yard work. (I can't imagine.) And I have to take the Bean to the trailer body shop because I'm having some modifications and a few minor repairs done on it. I need the trailer back in service by April 28th. What happens then, you ask? It's clean-up day and club training day prior to our double header. We are going to try and run the Master again. I will drag the Bean out there and get it set up and supplied and start living in it and training on whatever part of the grounds are permitted for that. (Lots of acres. Shouldn't be a problem.) I'll be getting out training with my old training group as much as possible. There is stuff I haven't even considered that will pop up, I'm sure.

    It's going to be a mad, mad, April and early May!

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  3. #2
    Senior Dog Jollymolly's Avatar
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    Wow time flies. Im glad you had such a great two months and look forward to hearing about the masters.

    As far as the Bean goes is it easy to manage on your own?

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    TuMicks (04-11-2019)

  5. #3
    Senior Dog IRISHWISTLER's Avatar
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    Aye Lass,
    So glad your time in TX was so good for you and for RD. It sounds like you have identified specific goals and have a solid plan on how to reach them, so very important. I have great confidence in ye J. Keep us informed on ye progress please as I just loved watching ye moving forward.👍

    Slainte Mate,
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    Joanie Madden, Mary Bergin, Adrea Coor, and Nuala Kennedy, each an Irish whistle goddess in her own right.

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  7. #4
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    You don't like to sit around much, do you? I guess you have had enough recently to last you quite a while. Is the Green Bean one of those little teardrop shaped trailers? Do you stay at a campground with, um, "facilities"? Good luck with all your upcoming endeavors!

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  9. #5
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    It sounds like your trip was well worth it. Thank you for posting your 3 follow ups. M and Elle spend a great deal of time together but M is my cling on and Elle is daddy's girl so they do have divided times with me. Today they took turns starting some nose work exercises. As for exercise (walks ) I tend to open the back door and let them run through the fields on their own. Elle got lots of individual walks when she was recovering. We started our drill work last week and may get out for some tune up work on Wednesday. Today it rained so I dug out the obedience equipment and will have it ready for when it dries up.
    We are planning our first fun training on April 28. We have invited the local HRC club to join us. I should be fun running each others set ups.
    Like you I have a great deal of work to do to get the dogs ready for FT season. I have set up a schedule of 2 days of field work, a day of drills, 2 days of fitness for Elle and 2 days for formal obedience and Rally. I would like to keep working on the obedience so they are ready for a CDX and advanced rally in late October. Hope I can keep it going.
    Good luck with you training and keep us posted on how the Master tests go. I am sure that RD will do it.

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  11. #6
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    My sense was that the judging in TX was pretty generous. But I haven't run but one Master so have no basis for comparison. I will say that they did follow the golden rule that marking was of utmost importance. And she got a lot of marking work when training with the FT folks in TX. But I'm nervous about our next Master which will be the home club. I have GOT to get out and train with my old group from which I've been absent for almost a YEAR what with that whole cancer thing. I know IW had to take a hiatus from training and knows how hard that is!

    So this is a picture of the model of R-Pod. Not mine exactly... mine is filthy and covered in smushed bugs and such. I took this pix off the web.



    I pull it with a 6 cyl Eco-boost F-150. We could bop down the interstates about 70 mph (in TX the speed limit is 80 mph) without too much problem. I have a 30 gallon tank which is a good thing cause I get 9 miles per gallon when towing. I can hitch and unhitch pretty easily if it's level. I use a weight distributing hitch. Don't let anyone tell you you don't need one. You certainly do when you're driving North with 30 mph winds coming from the West and slamming you around!

    We stayed at a farm where the owner has created a little "compound" with sewer, water and electricity hook-ups. To say it's a great facility for retrievers... well, let's put it this way... it's where the National FT Championships are being held this year in the fall. Man, it would be so cool to watch the superstars run... I mean, yeah... I love HT and all, but let's face it, we've heard the names for so many years and you'd like to see them in person. The chances of getting a slot to stay on the "compound" are slim to none because they're going to be there in their huge fancy rigs and trucks full of dogs for weeks before the national.

    The main issue in living in the Green Bean for more than a weekend is where do you put your "stuff". I have plastic bins that I line up and have one for a "pantry", one for cold weather outer clothes, one for other clothes, one for dirty clothes/detergent/dryer sheets/etc, one for dog food (must keep away from racoons and coyotes.) etc. etc. Still, it's kinda claustrophobic inside. Maybe "cozy" is a better word. These "feather lite" trailers are not meant for very cold weather. Single pane windows will develop a lot of condensation and frankly, it gets cold back in the "bedroom". But next time around, I'll have an electric blanket. Which isn't a solution for when you're boondocking of course. I have a little marine toilet/sink/shower closet which worked fine for me. And an INSTANT POT. I gotta learn more recipes but that and a coffee pot are essential. I have a small refrig/freezer for my essentials.

    So I hope I can get some training in sufficiently to keep her sharp for her next HT. We'll see.

    Problems in meeting that goal... First morning back, LeeRoy found a hole in the fence and disappeared. A good samaritan found him, we're re-united... but in addition to fence repair, tons of wash, tons of snail mail to go over, dentist appointments, house cleaning, ARGH!!! I barely have time for drills. But we're doing our best.
    Last edited by TuMicks; 04-11-2019 at 01:58 PM.

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  13. #7
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    Intrepid!

  14. #8
    Senior Dog zd262's Avatar
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    Love the green bean! I have a small folding hard top trailer (aliner), but I love the r-pods.
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  15. #9
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    I wish I was brave enough to tow a little trailer like that around but I just don't have the confidence. You are right about the field trailers hauling big unit around. A lot of them spend the winter in the south so their rigs are like a second home.
    We got out yesterday to do a few drills M was flying so I don't have too many concerns about getter her back on track. Elle really needs some more handling drills. She was trying hard but made a lot of mistakes. Patience will be the key. I forget sometimes that she is still a pup, won't be 2 until late June. Today the weather is cold and miserable again. Tomorrow we are going to work on obedience.
    The house work will just have to wait until the mood hits me.

  16. #10
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Anna Scott View Post
    I wish I was brave enough to tow a little trailer like that around but I just don't have the confidence. You are right about the field trailers hauling big unit around. A lot of them spend the winter in the south so their rigs are like a second home.
    We got out yesterday to do a few drills M was flying so I don't have too many concerns about getter her back on track. Elle really needs some more handling drills. She was trying hard but made a lot of mistakes. Patience will be the key. I forget sometimes that she is still a pup, won't be 2 until late June. Today the weather is cold and miserable again. Tomorrow we are going to work on obedience.
    The house work will just have to wait until the mood hits me.
    OMG... I just got a bid on replacing the section of my original fence, 19 years old... 183 linear feet. $8600.00!!! That's just an aside. I digress.

    Actually, the R-pod... and I'm sure there are trailers even more compact... tows like you almost forget it's there. I think the trick is to use judgement about your route from A to Z. I feel even more confident about repeating the trip now that I more or less know the way. In spite of what the "experts" tell me about the weight distributing hitch, (what are you doing with that? Boy if that isn't overkill, I don't know what is... HAR, HAR.) I know it makes a huge difference. I also found out that I don't want to use Ford's Towing function on it's transmission. The trailer is so light, the towing setting almost interferes, especially when I'm going downhill. I'd rather shift down myself than have the computer dropping it down to lower gears and causing the RPM's to race.

    I went through baskets of mail. Gosh... hated that more than anything. Had dental appointment. No training today. Lots of trail walking and maybe go to the park and work on more drills with RD tomorrow. My truck is still hooked up to the trailer because I'm taking it in for some work on it. Until I drop it off at the trailer place, I can't really get out and get off-road to train with the group. So maybe the middle of next week.

    Speaking of fancy rigs... when I went to the HT in TX, I couldn't believe what some of those pro's haul around. I think there was one 22 hole trailer with all kinds of additional whistles and bells. I kinda asked a person what one of those things cost. He guessed well over 100K. But a) they're totally written off on taxes... and b) the financing can be stretched out for many, many months. It's all business economics, I guess.

    Wish I could write off the fence. Oh, well.

 



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