What a day!

[Anna Scott]

Sometimes things just don't go as you wish. This weekends trial was one of them. Missed the Junior (Derby) because of M's heat so only had the two older dogs to run. Put both in qualifying as Chant just isn't in shape to run a big Amateur. Saturday the temps were in the high 80's low 90's. A storm rolled through so when we got up Sunday morning it was 40 degree with a strong cold wind. There were only 16 dogs entered half of them run by pros. The test was a triple. run up hill in heavy cover. There was a plowed field to the side separated from the test area by a hedge row. The long (300yd) center bird was thrown right to left. This was the memory bird and landed in cover behind some low bushes, bird 2 was thrown left to right about 100 yds out. It landed against the bush line. The go bird was 200 yds thrown right to left into deep grass. The plowed field was behind this mark. The terrain was down hill, up hill. My old girl kept getting her feet tangled in the long grass and at one time I thought she was going to take a tumble. She had no trouble finding the two outside birds but when I sent her for the memory bird she seemed to have lost her confidence. She popped so I gave her a back which she took but adjusted her line so that she was on the edge of the plowed field. She gave me another pop almost as if to say I know I'm in the wrong place give me a hand. At this point I was freezing so I called her in. Big mistake. She was the second dog to run. I ran my sisters dog and his line manners were not good. He jumped out on the second bird and I had to reheel him before I sent him. He too had no trouble with the outside birds and took a terrific line to the long bird but as he started up the hill he dropped his nose and started to hunt. I though maybe he had misjudged the distance to the mark so I stopped him and handled him to the mark (one whistle). I didn't expect him to be called back.
The test was a train wreck.Of the 16 dogs only 4 actually did the job. Most were getting lost in the plowed field setting up long hunts and eventually having to be handled to the long mark. I found out the reason Levy set up the hunt where he did was that the open mark from the day before had been thrown there. He was in an old scent cone. A friend's dog popped three times before he handled her to the long bird, should have done the same. The judges called back ALL the dogs except the 2 that were picked up!. Guess you never pick your dog up.
The blind is another story.

[ZEKESMAN]

I have this discussion with my training partners all tw time. They pick up their dogs then regret it. At a test I say hack them through and train on training days.

[TuMicks]

Ach! Feel your pain. Maybe there is another reason for not calling your dog in. The way it's been explained to me is that calling a dog back is sometimes interpreted by the dog as something very punitive.

I had this discussion from the other angle with some HT folks. In Senior stakes a "controlled break" is allowed. You can reheel your dog and (if you're lucky enough and the dog saw the marks go down) you can send them... being dinged some points on trainability. BUT... in our training group, if at a HT one of our dogs breaks, they're called in... Adios amigo... back on the truck. The thinking being that, yes! You don't get that bird and we ARE trying to be punitive.

But, if it were my older gal, I'd try to get her to the bird regardless, since confidence (and drama-queenism) is one of her problems.

At the first HT I handled her in (I ran her in Senior even though she's already a MH) we were told to keep the dog in the water on the water blind, don't let them beach. It was a tough blind for most senior dogs because it was very much parallel and tight to the shore. My dog was actually pushed a little bit more toward the shore because the flier was to her right, and she (being pretty well schooled on don't-even-THINK-about-going-back-to-the-flier) was being pushed left, toward the shore. I was the first dog to run it and was really embarrassed. Whistle-right hand back-whistle-right back-whistle-back... the whole way. Didn't think we'd qualify. But as it turned out, any dog that stopped on the whistle, even if they beached, was carried.

So... (big sigh)... sorry you had a tough weekend. And don't you just hate the weather being so contrary??? You have to take your entire wardrobe to a trial/test. From camo tank-tops and shorts to carhart insulated coveralls and sweat shirts, plus rain-gear. At least I know one item I WON't need, though. I don't have to take a white jacket!!!

[Anna Scott]

I tend to be too critical of our performance. I keep telling myself to relax and just hack through it but then I think of the judges. They have a long enough day without having to watch my beast giving me the finger. I think the pattern was set when I ran my very first junior (derby). I had watched several pros run and not one of them had used their whistle even though the dogs were all over the place. There were a couple of decoys on the water and the dogs were checking them out so when mine headed for them I blew the whistle and cast her to the bird. As I was waiting for her to come in the judge put his arm around my shoulders and said " You were in real good shape until you blew that whistle" there is no handling in a junior stake so we were dropped. Maybe I should forget my whistles in the truck more.