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  1. #11
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    The group running the triple were ready for it and have well trained dogs. One of this group of dog has won the Canadian National under a pro and his owner has won a Canadian National Amateur with his other dog. The young dogs M's sister, and another of her age bracket did totally different marks. Howard and Greg were getting the older dogs tuned up for next weekend. I even tease Howard about it being a dirty little set up.

    As far as the obedience club goes they are very nonjudgmental about the e-collar. I one the other hand was very surprised when I saw others with e-collars training obedience. I had only ever use the collar for yardwork and distance never the close range of indoor obedience. Duh I guess they can be used anywhere. The other thing I raised an eyebrow at was prong collars on little tiny terrier type dogs. Guess they can pull just like a big dog.

    The group we worked with yesterday ask it they could use treats while training. I told them I had no problem with it but I think they will find that their dogs soon want the bird much more than a treat. There was only one lab in the group that wasn't sure about picking up feathers (duck) but she sure wanted to retrieve. We will start with the wing on a bumper to get her used to the texture of feathers.
    Rocket Dog would fit right in with the group here. I call my husband the Pied Piper. Every morning he makes his coffee and gets biscuits for the dogs. His little pet gets hers first one in bed and the others all trail along behind him waiting for their second. When she gets up they get their next biscuit. In the meantime Chant and M have snuffled every pocket he has trying to pry a biscuit out. What a routine.

    We are off to train just hope my knees hold out. Getting old is the curse of the field trainer. Hip and knee problems seem to be the norm. I swear it is all the uneven terrain we walk on.

  2. #12
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    All I can tell you is that I had my first knee surgery at age 21 (I noticed that my knees were crackling and swelling when I was still in nursing school) and for the next 50 years never knew what it was like to not have knee pain (and swelling.) I have had both knees replaced and no more pain. It's amazing. You don't know how you unconsciously limit yourself until one day you do something and think... Sh*t! I didn't even hesitate! Who knew I could take stairs two at a time!???

    Your dogs would have to sit around and get fat for at least 8 weeks after you had one done, but as long as they aren't learning bad habits... it shouldn't retard their progress. Gotta think about yourself. After all, you'll probably be running M in the Big Time for many years to come.

    This next weekend is the Sierra Nevada Retriever Club HT. No water. Big sigh! I will be running (with my older dog) and working the Senior. I'll help marshal Master on two of the days when I'm not at Senior. Hope to be able to post the diagrams of the tests. (For the Master dogs, I guess the good side of things is that all the series will go fast. No 20 minute water triples with double blinds.)

  3. #13
    Senior Dog
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    My sister has had both of her knees replaced. She heeled so fast with the first one we had her out throwing birds in about 4 weeks. The second one was done in the fall so we gave her a little more time off. The young lady who did her physio told me that the surgeon could take my knee caps off and remove the arthritis and replace the knee cap or give me artificial ones. I am not quite that bad yet but there are days when I get pretty stiff.
    I wish you good luck on the weekend. I am sorry that you are experiencing such hardship with the drought. It really isn't good for anyone. We feel it here in Canada with higher produce prices. If I can't buy Canadian I look for American. I really don't want anything grown in Mexico and am not too sure about the South American produce.
    The first field trial in Canada is this weekend but it is just too cold to run a young dog. Ours haven't even trained in the water yet and the judges don't seem to take how cold the water still is into consideration when they set the test. We are holding a workshop this weekend and then I will send M back for a tune up and to finish the swim-by. She will run her first derby (junior) at the end of May. Today she reran the blind I taught last weekend and did a terrific job. Maybe we are making progress. Taught a second blind and we will use them as memory blinds for a couple of more times.

  4. #14
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Well... heck. If this drought gets any worse, I might have to load the dogs, hitch up the travel trailer and hit the road as a vagabond going wherever there's water. After enough 150 to 220 mile round-trips to well-pumped ponds in California, it might just be more cost effective to close the house and get out of Dodge (or Reno, as the case may be.)

  5. #15
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    OK... Welcome to Nevada everyone!!! Remember that sweltering hot hunt test we finished this past Sunday where it was so hot we were worried about dog safety and running ice and water out to our bird-boys and other workers. Yeah, today I was driving through snow squalls to our training site. And there were chain controls over the passes. Can you farking believe this!!???

    Decided that I have to start retraining the old dog to run in Master again. Her no-go issues appear to be a thing of the past. Although I'm not a Master level handler, I think I've learned what I can in the Senior stake. The training set up was not awfully challenging, but it was a triple and double blind.
    -7th-jpg

    Old dog and I took them outside-outside-in. The two right hand birds were tight but #1 was short so not that confusing for her. They had to pretty much leap over some cover or risk going behind #2 or get pushed back into #1. Bridget made it all look really ho-hum. She almost lined the blinds. One maybe two whistles.

    Rocket Dog got her blinds first. She deviated to the right on the long blind and I thought... Cr@p! Now I need an over into the wind. Put out my left hand and BOOM! She charged full-tilt right into that wind. Then it was one or two whistles at the end. (Interestingly, I almost never have to walk into the field anymore. She lets me handle her from the line. So that part of her training is coming along.)

    She has had very few marks in her life because we have been working so hard on line manners. Well... I plead guilty. I let her get away with substandard line manners today (creeping) because I wanted to know if she still marks like a puppy (hunting short, etc.) We did these as singles (we're that far behind, but necessarily so...) and the answer to my questions is NO. She marks like a big girl now. However, I have to work hard to put the genie back into the bottle and get stern on her line manners once again.

    So it was crappy weather but we got a lot done. We train with a pro and, because our economy here is recovering, it seems like every hunter in the area wants a trained dog. She is filling every hole on her truck and hauling a trailer with 4 extra holes behind her. She even has two Curly Coats. (OMG... don't get me started. Dumb as stumps.)

 



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