Break in the action...

[TuMicks]

Dear M&E... Come on out to N. NV and I'll throw your ducks for you.

[Maxx&Emma]

Dear M&E... Come on out to N. NV and I'll throw your ducks for you.

Lol, that is very kind of you!

[Scoutpout]

I had to laugh at the bucket of skanky dead ducks... we had to "retire" a pigeon and chukka today, ick. a few turkey vultures around, so they got tossed waaayy up onto a barn roof for the scavengers.

M&E, it is something you just kind of ignore, because the pleasure of watching retrievers work is just so, so, COOL, that you can ignore what you just had in your hand! and, (some of them look at me like i'm a wimp), gloves are your friend! I have a nice light-weight pair of gardening/mechanics gloves, leather on palms, fingers and thumb, and backs are fabric (pink!) that fit really well, so I still have "feel". When I'm picking up the next well-worn bird, I just try to gather its wings into natural nested position (and head tucked back on the ducks), then it doesn't seem so "dead". plus i don't inhale when i'm standing over the bucket with the lid off! only 2 of the others i'm training with wear gloves, but i'm ok with wearing them! the one lady visibly blanches, and really doesn't like dead things, but she feels its important for her boy to do what his breed is supposed to do and right now, he's still on bumpers and dokkens.

We did water work for the 1st time today! we did walking singles (4 of them) at the farm 1st (real birds - mix of duck, pigeon and chukka), wind was behind the dogs, so a bit more challenging, but most did well, it was much harder for the 2 that were still working dokkens to find them. 1st bird lands in mostly open ground, then next bird thrower was sort of behind hillock, bird lands behind tall cover, 3rd one bird thrower behind another hillock, bird lands behind hillock, last bird thrower visible sort of on the far right this time throwing to the left (all others have been clockwise, thrown left to right) bird landing well behind hillock. and hillocks in 3 and 4 has tall scrubbish thick cover. I found it similar to the walking baseball from a few weeks ago. If the weather hadn't held off we were going to stay at the farm and doing the wingers, but it still looked ok so we drove out to the pond place. So far, we're just hand-throwing the birds. and yes, the mallards are heavy! its hard for me to get a gooooood throw with them! the guys seem to be able to throw them better.

i've got to get Scout more watching straight ahead instead of turning his head (and shifting front feet sometimes) toward the gunner/thrower instead of lined up with me "marking" as the bird comings into sight. He has "figured out" that the bird comes from the gunner, so follows it the whole way. it was rather obvious with the way they were doing the walking singles.

We then drove to a very nice pond, and did simple singles with dokkens for introduction. none of these 8 dogs even have a WC yet, and the 2 pups (sisters, 9 months) are doing well. The one girlie swam out for her 1st time, touched the dokken (they're using very smaller dokkens for the pups, and medium ones for the Tollers) and came back without it. So her mom (actual dog mom) was sent out to get it, and she was allowed to follow. then threw one, and she was allowed to follow mom, 3rd throw, she went right out and brought it back. Other little girlie did the same kind of thing, but a bit more hesitant, she did manage to get one and bring it back just off the bank. Then there was another dog who is 2.5, and hasn't swum yet, and he did great! really splashy doggie paddle, but did well. I wasn't sure about Scout because he's not that enthused about dokkens and bumpers, he likes the real dead things. but, after working them already with the walking singles, he did 5 really nice, confident retrieves for me. And because the thrower was a bit more "hidden" and well off to our left, it was easier to keep him lined up straight.

We were expecting torrential rain and wind (but at least it was pleasantly cool today! only up to about 60), and thankfully it held off until we had just wrapped up the water work, and were just discussing next saturday's plan. Where we were at the pond, it was a bit of a treacherous drive in, and they said when we got there that we needed to high-tail it out at the 1st sign of rain, or we'd be stuck. I've never seen 4 mini-vans get loaded up so fast! the one lady loaded up then was taking photos of the area, i said you better get going! I wasn't as worried with my truck, but didnt' want to leave her, or get stuck behind her!

Such fun! and Scout looooovvveesss it! he rested on the drive home, so was wired again by the time i got the truck unloaded. I thought ok, we need to keep working the "take" exercise with his dumbell (then progress to the "hold" which we need for obedience as well as the field work in a big way!), so we did a bit of work with that, and had a bit of a breakthrough there too!

Note my entirely inappropriate jacket! I keep hitting the thrift stores looking for a decent soft shell or rain jacket in a "dark" or "camo", but havent found one yet!

[TuMicks]

Nice pond Scoutpout! It sounds like you have an enthusiastic retriever there. And, hey... I like the jacket! But we want to see the pink gloves!

BTW: Had 4 stitches in my hand just a little while ago and was wearing a bright blue latex glove over it. Lovely. But I always have a big pack of babywipes in my bag. I hate wiping the slime on my jeans.

[Scoutpout]

Yes, turned out to be a great pond and only a 10 min or so drive from the farm we're training at - a little loud from the highway traffic on the far side, but nice entries, and good cover for the gunners. I have the gloves on in that pic, but you can't really see them, and I wish i could remember where i got them from, i'd like another pair for when these wear out! And considering how "enthusiastic" (not!-or he hides it really well!) he is for most other activities other than hiking and chasing squirrels, he really is enthusiastic about the retrieving! He literally quivers waiting on the line.

You'd definitely want to keep the birds and pond water away from you cut! Hey, maybe you could convince them your day job is with the Blue Man Group! I don't think i could keep up with a dog like RD. Even in Rally and Obedience, when i've been working with friends' dogs so they could watch their dog, I am so used to working a laggy dog, that i was having trouble with their go-getters!

editted to add, i hit 3 thrift stores today, plus 2 regular stores, and still no luck with a decent jacket. I know Cabela's and other like stores sell good ones, but I can't spend that kind of money on a jacket i'd be wearing once or twice a week. My "outdoors" clothes are purposefully bright (tops anyway) so I can be seen. You wouldn't be out hunting in that nice fuschia (at least not successfully), I guess thats part of it.

[TuMicks]

For AKC (and I assume CKC) Hunt tests, camo is not required. I actually usually am wearing something kind of muddy red because it's a shirt I like. Do you have Walmarts near you? I have found some stuff there.

[Scoutpout]

Thanks for the Wally World tip, we've got tons of them.
CKC rules specify "dark" clothing, not necessarily camo. I have dark pants in greens and browns; dark shirts in greens (ickky on me, but oh well) and blah dark tans, navy blue, and black; black rain pants; but its the jacket and rain jackets that i have only in nice bright colours! I do have a lovely canvas jacket from LL Bean, but even that is a muted dark-ish pink, its a toss-up between 4 judges if it would be ok. And around here, you need to be dressed for everything from 100 degrees and blazing sun down through pouring rain and 50 to 80 degrees to sleet and wind and 30 degrees. So I really do need a decent rain shell that fits over a coat, and a lighter wind/rain shell that can be worn on its own over t-shirts.

[Maxx&Emma]

This may be the stupidest question you have ever heard but I need to know the answer, lol! I know the "long dead ducks" are used multiple times and kept frozen in between uses. Does the freezing/thawing/freezing/thawing and sitting out in the Summer heat while training not cause an issue for the dogs? Can they not get sick? I know I have removed some very disgusting items from the mouths of multiple dogs but this sounds even more extreme than a dead bird, dead frog, cat poop, etc. I would be scrubbing myself with bleach if my dog snuck a kiss after holding a long dead duck in its mouth, lol!

[TuMicks]

I guess there is a limit to how rank they can get. I haven't seen it yet, but I suppose it could happen.

Sometimes, for some dogs, under some circumstances a dog may begin to chomp down on certain ducks, usually well-used wet ones. But a well trained retriever usually doesn't do this. One thing I've seen dogs do with REALLY ripe ducks is run up to them, sniff them, then roll in them like they are a primo piece of carrion. (Which, I suppose they are!) When you see that, it's time to get rid of them.*

I gotta say, I have been amazed at times at the cr@p they will retrieve and seem to enjoy.

*We put them in plastic bags and put them in the garbage cans outside.

[Maxx&Emma]

Thanks for the answer Tumicks! If you find something am asking dumb questions, please let me know. I don't want to insult anyone with my ignoranxe.