Snort, squeak, squeak, snort, snort...

[TuMicks]

Wow!!!

It went great today! Steady as a ROCK. Perfect heel position without any prompting.

I know we'll have to keep at this forever. But my-oh-my.

[Anna Scott]

Congratulations! Noise is one of the hardest things to extinguish. I am back to doing some steadying drills as both M and Levy broke at the last ft. I was just too busy to work them the week before the trial and both were higher than kites. I am not sure I would enter dogs again when chairing. Just too much else on your mind to give them a fair shake.
I really liked your drill with the food. M gets really excited at meal time. She learned it from Chant, who always behaved as if she hadn't eaten in days and this was her last meal. M is really not interested in eating she just likes the excitement of the preparation.
I admire your consistence as this is one area that I really have to work at. Good work on your and RD's part.

[Scoutpout]

way to go! funny enough, that was the comment i got from my trainers at field on Monday. QUIET. We're still working on the delivering to hand business. I am clearly not teaching him this (hold) in a way he "gets". despite 3 peoples detailed instructions/videos/etc. annnyyy how, because dead duck day is the highlight of Scout's week, we're continuing to work on other concepts, playing with things that might help the to-hand bit, and i'm crossing my fingers that one day it clicks. the rest of the WCI and JH stuff is no problem for him, but i've got to have him bringing it to hand.

so to help this "quiet" theory along, the folks let him run a back to back single, and just watched us. nice to the line, he's watching the layout and heeling in a nice straight line as i line up on the 1st bird. watches it, gets released, nice line to the bird, gets the bird, gets whistled, wags at the gunner, brings bird back at normal "Scout" speed (have i mentioned he is NOT a FT dog at all???) toward me, and as i see him getting close, i say something to him, and bam, down goes the bird at the line. grr. so they said, lets run it again, from the blind. only this time, don't say anything to him until his is beside you, and that will only be either sit or give.....so back up to the line, nicely, repeats the 1st mark, gets the whistle back, and as he is coming back, I pivot into position for bird #2. Now he knows darn well there's going to be more than 1 bird to get, and i can see him as he's coming back to the line, he's looking to see where i'm facing, and kinda looking past to see if he can see the gunner. Now he winds up in an acceptable heel, with the bird, and i can take the bird while saying Out, then sit.. THEN say Good boy, woo hoo! then back to a sit, and repeat for 2nd bird - not saying anything till he gives me the bird, then a party for him. Its sooo hard not to say anything! like bring it, here, bring me the bird.... their theory is (like RD), he knows his job, but thinks its over when i start saying anything to him, some kind of "clue" that his job is done on that bird as soon as i acknowledge and speak to him. when i don't, he comes all the way to me with the bird.

We;re going to be working on hold tonight with various objects he likes at home, and then we'll try the "quiet" idea again tomorrow at training...

it sure sounds like all your hard work with the steadiness has paid off! i'm sure you guys will do much better than you think you will at the Senior.