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Those set ups look so far advanced. We're still working on much more basic things! Thank goodness Saturdays forecast looks warm but still likely rainy/yuk mix. but it will be soooo good to get back outside with the group to do a training session-when the email went out to the group yesterday confirming the time, the one fellow said we'd better all wear name badges!
At this point i think its going to be on re-enforcing "watch" and trying to get the dogs running a straight line to the fall, not running off of say a tree line to the gunner to the fall - that showed up as a hole just after Christmas. They're not confident enough on watching the bird fall to take that mark directly when its out in the open - the group reviewed where we'd worked and what the set-ups had been and it looks like that was causing some problems.
Really, what an incredible winter we've had so far. we've been able to train outdoors comfortably in winter gear with the exception of the last 2 weeks. Couldnt have dreamed of that happening last winter! Much less been able to work thru the depth of snow last year!
One of the really promising and super sweet dogs (got his WC at the Chessie club's trial last fall and went on to get i believe 2 legs toward his JH later in the fall) from our group won't be joining us any longer - he has cancer, and its likely only going to be a few more weeks before they have to make the decision. He was diagnosed between Christmas and New years totally unexpectedly, and was coming out until early January and other than a slight swelling on the top of his muzzle you;d never know, but had biopsies done after our 2nd january training session and couldnt come out the following week because of the stitches, then they found another mass (unrelated, but still cancerous) in his gut, removed that the 1st of Feb, he recovered nicely from that. But now its just a matter of time - he's having his 3rd and likely final chemo today, and they'll check him next week, but the doses so far haven't shrunk the cancer in his nose, so thats all they can do. Poor guy, he LOVES field work, but they don't want to risk him hurting himself. I almost wish they'd bring him out Sat for one final "play" for him. He still feels good, and wants to do stuff.
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