Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 33
  1. #1
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    2,366
    Thanked: 1096

    Back home with our first Senior Ribbon

    So I was calmer than I thought I would be. That was good.

    But Rocket Dog was not. She was bug-nuts but held it together, enough.

    She didn't squeak. She just crept abominably. Not our standards. Not even close. So there is something that just explodes in her head when there is a HT situation. I have used the analogy of a Crack or Meth addict, but I think it's more powerful than that. She just HAS to have that bird NOW or she will DIE.

    I spoke with the judges afterwards. The judge said she LOVES Rocket Dog. "You have a great dog there!" But I think her dogs are also meth/duck heads. She said but for a small hunt on her flier, she would have scored a perfect 10 for each mark. (The flier was an 8). Her blinds were fabulous. I kept her tight. We challenged the blind. She answered each whistle, took every cast. The crowd applauded us. I think her blinds brought up her trainability scores and obscured what her line manners deserved. I would have graded her down a lot more.

    So we will keep at it. At home and in training. We'll train our butts off... try to get some more live fliers. But seriously, I think the only thing that will get through to her is to be taken to a hunt test, told to sit... watch her birds go up... and (assuming she creeps) have the collar slipped over her neck saying SIT! I told you SIT! and thank the judges and then drive the both of us home. I will just have to bite the bullet. For sure, if I go to any more HT's and let her do what she did over and over... the pattern will be set and there will never be a Master ribbon.

  2. The Following User Says Thank You to TuMicks For This Useful Post:

    Charlotte K. (08-09-2016)

  3. #2
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    3,947
    Thanked: 2421
    Quote Originally Posted by TuMicks View Post
    So I was calmer than I thought I would be. That was good.

    But Rocket Dog was not. She was bug-nuts but held it together, enough.

    She didn't squeak. She just crept abominably. Not our standards. Not even close. So there is something that just explodes in her head when there is a HT situation. I have used the analogy of a Crack or Meth addict, but I think it's more powerful than that. She just HAS to have that bird NOW or she will DIE.

    I spoke with the judges afterwards. The judge said she LOVES Rocket Dog. "You have a great dog there!" But I think her dogs are also meth/duck heads. She said but for a small hunt on her flier, she would have scored a perfect 10 for each mark. (The flier was an 8). Her blinds were fabulous. I kept her tight. We challenged the blind. She answered each whistle, took every cast. The crowd applauded us. I think her blinds brought up her trainability scores and obscured what her line manners deserved. I would have graded her down a lot more.

    So we will keep at it. At home and in training. We'll train our butts off... try to get some more live fliers. But seriously, I think the only thing that will get through to her is to be taken to a hunt test, told to sit... watch her birds go up... and (assuming she creeps) have the collar slipped over her neck saying SIT! I told you SIT! and thank the judges and then drive the both of us home. I will just have to bite the bullet. For sure, if I go to any more HT's and let her do what she did over and over... the pattern will be set and there will never be a Master ribbon.
    Congratulations! One down...how many to go?

    If the dog is truly a meth head when it comes to birds, I have a feeling that walking away will not work. If she is in an emotional state, can she really learn? Will taking her away cause more anxiety next time? From what I hear, more live flyers is the ticket; make it the norm. But, what do I know? If it makes you feel better, when I was volunteering and on the line at Masters, I am pretty sure the vast majority crept. The judge would tell the handler to bring the dog back to heel. Only one broke. But, I know what you mean about criteria. I'm the same way.

  4. #3
    Senior Dog Meeps83's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,917
    Thanked: 1052
    Congrats!

  5. #4
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Illinois
    Posts
    10,985
    Thanked: 6722
    Congratulations!
    Hidden Content
    Kissing Bandit

  6. #5
    Senior Dog JackK's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Southeastern MA
    Posts
    1,045
    Thanked: 733
    Congratulations !

  7. #6
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    714
    Thanked: 304
    Congratulations on a well deserved ribbon. You are doing it right. I have been working on "cold" honours with my 2 this week. They both broke at the last FT. Like RD my M thinks that every bird down belongs to her. Levy has been as steady as a rock up until that trial. just goes to show that the old adage is true. There are dogs that break and there are dogs that have yet to break! If they learn they can get away with it at a test or trial then you are in big trouble. It may cost the price of an entry to teach the lesson but it may save in the long run. You have worked so hard with RD that she knows why she is being taken off the line .Now enjoy your ribbon before the moment passes and then nose to the grind stone again.

  8. #7
    Senior Dog IRISHWISTLER's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    CT
    Posts
    2,598
    Thanked: 3967
    TuMicks,
    Grand work! :-)

    Cheers,
    TEAM TRAD
    TEAM TRAD PRO STAFF
    DUBLIN DUCK DYNASTY

    Joanie Madden, Mary Bergin, Adrea Coor, and Nuala Kennedy, each an Irish whistle goddess in her own right.

  9. #8
    Moderator
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Greenwood, Delaware
    Posts
    7,348
    Thanked: 7148
    Good job!!!!!!!

  10. #9
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    2,366
    Thanked: 1096
    Quote Originally Posted by Labradorks View Post
    Congratulations! One down...how many to go?

    If the dog is truly a meth head when it comes to birds, I have a feeling that walking away will not work. If she is in an emotional state, can she really learn? Will taking her away cause more anxiety next time? From what I hear, more live flyers is the ticket; make it the norm. But, what do I know? If it makes you feel better, when I was volunteering and on the line at Masters, I am pretty sure the vast majority crept. The judge would tell the handler to bring the dog back to heel. Only one broke. But, I know what you mean about criteria. I'm the same way.
    I know you've seen RD at the Junior and she didn't jerk me off my feet then. I thought we'd made good progress in training and was amazed at how crazy she was at this first Senior. I will say, she "gains momentum" as the day goes on. She wasn't too bad in the land series. But by the time we got to the water... oh, my!

    I will talk to my training group about more fliers. That is for sure the closest we can get in a non-HT environment. We don't always have someone to shoot them for us. But surely we'll be able to get some in.

  11. #10
    Senior Dog windycanyon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    C. WA
    Posts
    1,624
    Thanked: 1235
    Congratulations!!!! So when is the next test???
    Hidden Content
    The WindyCanyon Girls (taken Summer 2018)
    IntCH WindyCanyon's Northern Spy CDX RA JH OA OAJ CC (14.5 yrs)
    IntCH WindyCanyon's Ruby Pink BN CD RA CC (4.5 yrs)
    IntCH WindyCanyon's Kanzi BN CDX RE JH (5 yrs)
    IntCH WindyCanyon ItsOnlyMoneyHoneycrisp BN RN CC (16mos)
    IntCH WindyCanyon's Pippin BN RI CC (2.5 yrs)
    IntCH WindyCanyon's Envy CDX RE JH CC (10.5 yrs)
    IntCH HIT WindyCanyon's Kiku A Fuji Too CDX RE JH CC (10 yrs)







 



Not a Member of the Labrador Retriever Chat Forums Yet?
Register for Free and Share Your Labrador Retriever Photos

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •