Hi Again !

Well we went out and had a great time ! We only did 4 retrieves all marked and done on a track, so they were nice and easy.

Here's one of them

http://www.zippyvideos.com/27711480668995.html

That was the second retrieve we did, it was quite windy so that's what the noise is, you can here the other dog panting quite heavily behind us as he had to be put on the lead when the flatcoat was doing a retrieve otherwise he wants to run in and join in the fun as well, at the end of it you can here my clicker !

I was a bit worried as I thought he might be a bit funny about retrieving again as the last retrieves he did were on the test, but I needn't have worried, he did them fine ! In fact after only 4 retrieves and a bit of a run around he was thirsty again and quite worn out, I'm thinking he's wither become very unfit since I've started full time work or something else is maybe up. I think it may be fitness though as we used to do 3 mile walks every other day and in between he gets a quick run in the woods, where as now it's mostly just quick walks in the woods for him On the weekends is when we mostly do longer walks.
Anyway I'm getting off the subject, if you liked the video I'll do a some more if you like as we progress of him doing other things during training, I've started a training log up as well like you suggested, I did do one a long long time ago when I started Working Trials but he was going through 'Rip what I can get when you go out stage' and unfortunately he got hold of the notebook I was using one day when I left him to go to the shops and he ripped it apart. I think now he was trying to tell me something

xx

I loved the video He did very well.

But - not to spoil the fun here - be carefull with the flat land.
Its hard to tell from the video, but what is that on the right side?
Is it possible for you to move closer to that and then place the dummy, first visiable close to that? Then later, hide it just in the side of whatever that is?

You can either take the dog with you, or if you´re sure he´ll stay, let him wait while you walk out with the dummy, and then take it atleast 2-3 times the length out it is now Just make sure he sees where you put it at first and then clearly point out the direction to him followed by command (I use "out"). Help him out by whistle the "search" command when he´s there and keep that up til he knows excatly what the "out" means.
Watch him if he needs support on his way out.
I use "yes yes yes" on the way out if its "a learner" or a tough one.
That way they knows their on right track and should they go off, simply stop the support and either recall or whistle him down and point out the wanted direction.
He´ll love that

The sort of line you have there, is a great support for him

More please

Well you could have told me!! There was me thinking I was having a relaxing day in ......

Glad you liked the video

We can easily do some more, now that we've figured out how easy it is to put them on the internet from our camera.

Why should I be careful with flat land would I be teaching him something that he shouldnt be learning ?

I'll try what you've recommended later tonight, although it's quite hot today so shall see when I get home from work later on.

The track where we went, is actually a plain in the forest and there's a mixture of heath and grass, that track you can see is where there's a deliberate track made by a tractor with a lawn mower on, it goes right round in the shape of a sqaure and the plain is about the size of 5 football pitches.
On the right of that track it's about 25 yards of heather and grass with the odd gorse bush scattered in it, behind that is a fence as the track runs parallel with the road. Will try and demostrate with letters like you did before.

*******heather/grass***********************
------------------edge of track on left---------------

mowed track



------------------edge of track on right--------------
***************heather********************
****************************************
***************************************
******************$$$$$(gorsebush/tree$$ *******
************** @@@@@(bit of grass scattered about) ***
++++++++++++++++++++fence++++++++++++++++++

=================Main Road==================

How many times do you think I should retrieves like that before I increase the distance to double or triple of the original distance like you suggested ?

He will sit there while I go and place a dummy out not a problem so I can do that without any trouble, I have always kept quiet when sending him out for a mark although I use the commmand Get Out for a blind, but for a mark, I just say his name as a release, because as I was told at the test, for a mark you shouldnt have to say anything to them, if you do then you'll loose marks. I've always called out 'Lost There' as the command to start hunting, I know other people use Hi-Lost though. I'll start supporting verbally now like you said, as once again at the test I was told I should keep on at him and keep using my voice. I guess I didnt do it before (supporting him verbally) because I thought I sounded silly. But now I wont

Thanks for all the training advice and I'll do a load more video on the weekend for you ! Can I see more of your girl ??

Sorry to have to make you walk the dogs with me, did you get a bit fed up with me telling you where to stand when videoing me and the dog ?

Hi willow.

Only just popped on to to see if you had on Am on my way home soon, so just a quick reply for now. Will see if i can get back on later ok

Flat grounds is ok for for starters, but you´re no beginner and your dog can pick up some bad habbits on the flat land imo.
Besides, the training we do, wheter its for an actuall hunt or trial, is never on flat land. Its very rare you will find anything that will land on a newly mowed lawn Try make the areas as interesting and varios as possible. It will help both you and your dog.

The reason I suggested the hiding of the dummy is to prevent him from fooling around or getting bored with it. We would like to keep their enthusiasme and speed while working and to get them to think a bit will do that.

IMO you can place the dummy much further away tonight - or next time you train. As long as you still support him by doing as I wrote

A mark needs no "out" command and shouldnt. I simply snaps my fingers after making eyecontact and dont support her in any way for a mark.
But that requires your dog has marked it - also the 2 and 3 etc. and can remember it.

Its great he will stay when you leave him, but at what distance?
If you´re only sure he´ll stay at 50 metres, dont go 100. Then you need to train that until you´re sure he knows and understands or you will have a conflits when retrieving should be the issue - bad mix.

When do you use the "lost there" (Hi-Lost)?
I think you do that when searching? And that would be a big one?
Or am I blond again?

Anyway, I´ll pop back on later and when I get home look for some more pics and videos. I´m afraid I only have the "basic training" I made J and Gordon Lover, but my bf has promised to help out making some new ones (as if he had a choice )

Speak soon

Hello !

Well we didnt go out tonight training but I did something just as exciting ... I've brought a car !! It's one I've wanted for awhile. It's a Subaru Forester T reg And I collect it on Saturday morning

Now back to training .... I'll probably go out Saturday afternoon (take the dogs out in the new dogmobile ) and will do a few marks, will get my husband to Film it.

I use the command Lost There when he's on a blind and for when he's searching/hunting in the area that I know it's in. On a mark I stay silent, as he should have remembered it.

If you want to know anything else I do then I'll happily let you know

Speak soon
....

Off to go and hunt for a tailgate guard for my new car, if anyone can suggest a good make then feel free to PM me with a recommendation

Congratulations on your car :smt038 :smt038 I hope the dogs will love it too..since you name it dogmobile
Post a pic when you´ve picked it up? I cant help with the tailgate guard as I am in DK, but hopefully others read this and can

I get the command now, was just wondering if/why you dont use the whistle?
What do you do when windy, raining, far away, etc? (shout? )

Heres some of what we did yesterday (and I wont do that mistake again, just didnt think )
http://www.zippyvideos.com/192844630675005.html

And here´s what used to be our playground for quite some time.
See the fence? And the grass is long enough to make her use her nose, not her eyes when out there
http://www.zippyvideos.com/20336607675025.html

This is great we can do videos for each other, I love seeing them !

To be honest I dont know why I dont use a whistle command, but then again I've never known anyone in this country to use a whistle command as a hunting/searching command, :smt017 everyone I've met shouts/calls out HiLost or Lost There. It make much more sense though to use a whistle as the noise goes further.

With your first video I do accidental things like that as well ! So your not alone, because I dont have sound card on my comp, I didn't know if that first retrieve was a blind or a mark ? I'm going to to take a wild guess here and say it was a blind ? As you stopped her and then told her to go back, so therfore in theroy on a mark she should just go and retrieve it without any command from you ? Hope that's right.

Speak soon

K x

The first was actually a mark (I told her to mark it before throwing it and I snapped my fingers to send her - not pointing out she should go) which I added some excitement to by stopping her half way out there. It both helps the obedience and her memory

I dont get the not using the whistles really.
Trials are suppossed to be as similar to an actual hunting situations as possible. Many hunters use trials to test how far they´ve come, and what needs to be worked at.

The verbal commands should be as few as possible and on actually hunts the same. Imagine ppl in the woods shouting at their dog
There would be no wild life left in miles

And my mistake I was so annoyed I had no-one to help me filming so I did it myself. And even though its no excuse it made me make some pretty stupid mistakes :smt021 Think I´d better focus on my dog instead