The No-Bird from Hell...

[TuMicks]

I have not posted for a while because I've been helping prep and work and compete and apprentice judge our spring HT double header. I'll have to spend time updating myself on all the excellent posts and posters that I've missed on this site just as soon as I've washed, folded, and put away about a thousand loads of clothes, cleaned the green-bean (my R-Pod Travel Trailer) and gotten a little rest, lest I doze off in front of the computer.

So, most of you know the saga of Ram-Jet Rocket Dog, the Chopper Grand-daughter with more horsepower than all the Budweiser Clydesdales put together. We have been working assiduously on correcting her for any creep, flinch, wiggle, sneeze, blink... whatever, on the line when the birds are going down. It has been getting better, but some days have been better than others. Friday of last week was the first HT she's run in over a month. So... I was hoping it would go well. But a stupid duck had other plans.

We ran 24th in the Junior, so Rocket Dog had lots of time to get jazzed up on the truck, even though we were parked quite a way from the action. I think they can smell ducks and cordite (or whatever is in gunpowder) and hear the bang/boom of shotguns and duck quacks as far away as the next state. So she was hyped. Even so, she walked at a very nice heel position all the way down the dirt road (I decided to NOT put her on lead... just demand a good heel position). She started to get a little crazy when we got into the first blind, but with a couple of reminders, she assumed a DOWN position. She exited both holding blinds pretty well, only trying to beat me out of one of them once.

We got to the line and the land flier was first. I told her to SIT... and boy-howdy, regardless of the camouflage of blinds, bushes and tree branches, she knew what was out there. Like an addict in a crack house. So once she stopped fidgeting and was steady, I put three fingers under her flat-buckle collar, and called for the birds. The farm kid that was throwing them, heaved that bird up and that drake kicked in the after-burners looking for wind under his wings. He went straight up, lost lift and swung right at us, dropping in altitude to try to get some airflow and literally strafed RD and me. I'm looking at the gunners and see their barrels turning to follow the duck... and FREAKED OUT. (OMG!!! They're going to shoot my dog!!!) RD, on the other hand, is keeping her eyeballs on that duck coming straight at her. So, the minute I heard "No Bird" from the judge, about the time that bird flew past us, I pivoted in front of RD. (Like, duh. WTF. So they would shoot me instead of my dog??? But these things aren't rational.) Of course, the gunners were experts and did not fire. This whole time, I did not actually take my hand out from under RD's collar. And bless her heart, she stayed steady in spite of everything, including my spaz-out. So the judge said... "Would you like to take her back into the holding blind?) And like a complete IDIOT, I said... "OK."

Of course, in RD's brain... that was like saying LAUNCH! And she leaped forward, taking me with her, whereupon I tumbled off the sand-dune we were standing on. I lost hold of her but yelled... DOWN!!! And would you believe it? That's what she did. So we were both laying down in the sand in front of a judge that, doubtless thought this grey haired granny had just broken a hip or spine or head or something.

When the dust settled, and we got back to the line... she stayed pretty darn well. Not perfectly like we demand in training, but pretty well, nevertheless. The only thing was, she was sticky on (but after encouragement, let go of) that flier and the subsequent freshly killed bird. She'd never done that before. I was hoping it was just that her brain was scrambled. Happily, on the water series, she was back to normal with regard to her mouth and delivery to hand. However, since it was the water series, she was not as steady as previously. But still, acceptable by Junior standards.

We got our ribbon (number 3), I did NOT break anything, and we will now take another month of training to get her head screwed back on. Because RD has a big dose of Cosmo on both sides (as well as a LOT of other fine FC/AFC/CFC/CAFC/NFC/NAFC/etc/etc retrievers) her marking is spooky good. So the time lost in actually retrieving marks... is not really lost.

But it has been a crazy week.

[IRISHWISTLER]

TuMicks,
Good on ye Lass! Now wrap up that last leg on ye next HT and send out a photo when ye land the JH! We know ye can do it. Faugh a Ballagh - "CLEAR THE WAY"! :-)

Cheers,
TEAM TRAD

[Labradorks]

Woah. That sounds intense! I would have been afraid I be shot, too. Glad you're OK and congrats on your third leg!

[Anna Scott]

Fliers are so unpredictable. You did really well with RD. She is teaching you a thing or two to watch for at the line. Congratulations on your third leg and do keep us posted on your successes.
The short marks at hunt tests and working certificates make my heart pound. With the long marks of a field trial you have time to catch your breath before that next bird is coming down. We practice a lot of short marks before a HT just so that we know that the dogs are rock steady. However there are two kinds of dogs on the line. Those that have broken and those that have yet to break. You can never be too confident.
Get some well deserved rest and then tell us all about your double header.

[TuMicks]

The view from our Hunt Test HQ. The Stillwater range of the Eastern Sierra viewed from the Western side.



This particular Junior series had exceedingly short marks. Maybe 40 yards. Like that is supposed to be easier for the dogs (NOT!) These are not supposed to be breaking tests. But that's what they set up.

The second Junior of the double header, we set up some more significant (though absolutely basic) tests. The first mark was maybe 70 yards, followed by a water mark. But this didn't really result in any failures except for the dogs that didn't deliver to hand (which always happens with a small % of dogs). The third mark was maybe a similar distance. But the dogs had to go through a small patch of cover, going up a very slight hill and angle across a road. The duck landed in a patch of short grass and was easily visible. But if the dog didn't cross the road, they were on the wrong side of the very slight wind and just got lost. We ended up passing 19 of 28 dogs.

I marshaled at the Junior we ran and one of the Senior tests, and apprenticed at the second Junior. In the process of watching all this, I really began to appreciate how some tests either advantaged or disadvantaged a high roller like Rocket Dog. Not that I would consider any such test "unfair." But just something to think about in training.

[windycanyon]

Sounds like you are getting to see a nice range of tests. I personally HATE the short mark tests! In fact, one of mine ran a double header this past weekend in UT for JH title and nearly gave his mama a heart attack when he barreled right past his land live flyer. Of course there was all kinds of feathers and scent so he had to work thru all that but found it, TG! I had kept telling her to be SURE to train short marks (they train a lot w/ FT folks) but short to them isn't what I meant!

So are you going to trust RD w/o restraint next test or ????? Anne

[JackK]

That's great! Through all of that he still managed to get a ribbon I can picture jumping in front RD dog when the gunners turned .. I'm sure I would have too without even thinking. What a beautiful scene for a HT!

[TuMicks]

Sounds like you are getting to see a nice range of tests. I personally HATE the short mark tests! In fact, one of mine ran a double header this past weekend in UT for JH title and nearly gave his mama a heart attack when he barreled right past his land live flyer. Of course there was all kinds of feathers and scent so he had to work thru all that but found it, TG! I had kept telling her to be SURE to train short marks (they train a lot w/ FT folks) but short to them isn't what I meant!

So are you going to trust RD w/o restraint next test or ????? Anne

No, probably not at her next HT (which I think will be Glide, OR in mid-June.) I will likely walk to the holding blind from the truck with my lead in my pocket. I also may walk from the blind to the line w/out a lead. (She seemed to be more obedient without it.) But as the birds go down I will probably have my fingers on her collar.

[windycanyon]

My pup owner's training friends were giving her guff about restraining Turbo on the line at JH but I told her not to chance it w/ him-- I wanted to see that JH asap!!! LOL.

[TuMicks]

Just looked at our schedule and Glide, OR is not in the cards. Our next chance will be Treasure Valley in McCall, ID. It's a double header. I will spend the $$$ to go there. And I'm confident we can get our final Junior pass. I am thinking about signing up for both Juniors and use the second one to lock the steady concept into her little brain box. Maybe (assuming she twitched, flinched, blinked, or danced) if she got heeled off the line at a REAL hunt test , as opposed to training... it might make an impression. I don't know. I'll think about it.