The cold weather has let up for a few days, so Maggie, Sport & I went down to the nearby fields for a short training session. We had not been out training since Thanksgiving and it was time.

As always Sport showed his usual enthusiasm to get out and bring back the bumpers. The field was short grass, the snow had melted everywhere except under the northern shade of some of the firs and in one or two remnants of the drifted snow. It was hard ice and crystalline. There were spots of mud.

200 yards away was the gaggle of hundreds of geese that had come in and more were starting to collect in the field, they were looking for grass. This was a mixture of resident and migratory geese. I had not been to these fields for some time and can see that the geese have been using it as a big rest stop.

I met two others from the group and we threw some quick series of singles and a few doubles for each dog. Singles first for each dog, then singles and 2 doubles. Nothing fancy, we wanted to push the dogs further out with each bumper to get them to move greater distances from the line. Then we turned to another area and pushed their limits in another direction. All the dogs did well. No playing with the bumpers on the retrieve, though the temptation to stop and savor the goose shit was a problem.

Saturday and Sunday were picture perfect November days. The training group met in the afternoon of each day and the temperature was in the 60's, the sky was blue and there was little wind. There were a few walkers on Saturday but they moved out quickly. The only people who walk on the nearby trails are people with sporting dogs anyway so they understand.

8 handlers showed up at the fields with both puppies and dogs. I can see that we may have to break into two groups to set up one place for the older dogs where we can set up multiple marks and blinds and have another area for short sessions with the puppies. This way neither will interfere with the other and once the puppies have had their 10 minutes or so the handlers can return to help the older dogs.

Sport did not go out Saturday because one of the folks noticed that his tail was hanging and his hind quarters were stiff. That must have been from the water on Friday. Today he moved his tail and went out for the birds, not the bumpers. More drills.

I have been taking time to walk the dogs in the afternoon and have met up with some folks who have a prescribed walking route that takes them through one of the training areas. It's a fast paced walk and letting the dogs run loose gives them more exercise than being leash bound to their two legged partners.

After the initial greeting off we go and though Maggie may wander or lag a bit when she scents a small animal in the taller grasses, she does manage to catch up. There is the occasional body slam as they dogs run around, sprint ahead and play their own version of tag. Everyone enjoys the hike. The days are getting shorter and if we do not start before 4pm we are walking back in the dark. It is only a couple of week to the solstice and we will have more daylight to walk.

It rained today and we had another training session scheduled at the preserve with fliers. The rain had started about 2 AM and continued during the morning. We arrived at the pond in the rain, but what does a little rain matter with water retrieves?

The turnout was low, only 6 people showed up, which permitted several runs. When it was our turn to the line everything seemed to go wrong, the first bird was wiley enough to fly off into the trees, yes, the gunners missed, so we turned and faced the winger, the bird never left the winger, that left only one tried and true method, somebody threw the bird. Sport started straight out for the bird, but decided to take an arced path around via the edge of the pond and grabbed the bird. (Note to self: work more in the water.) Finally the bird in hand I put Sport back in the truck to help for a while.

Later on the second try of the land retrieve Sport went out and came straight back, bird in mouth happy to hand it to me.

So after 2 runs we packed up as the rain started up again and continued all the way home.

Aerial Photos

I printed out aerial photos of our training areas, they are fairly current and good enough for our sessions.They are good visual aids for handlers and the throwers I hope they will reduce the confusion. of where to go when sent out into the grass. If they use the chalkboard in a locker/training room so why not here? I marked the mown grasses from the unmown. I do not see anything wrong with assisting the throwers if it will make their job easier and make it clearer for the handlers where they are expected to send their dogs. This should keep the training session moving and reduce any arguments that could occur when throwers are unsure of the direction they are to throw.

Summer Training

Training at the Manorville fields on Sunday. It is part of the monthly scheduled events for practice with live birds. The weather typical of a July day was hot, but not too humid. The field was cleared several years ago, The shrubs and trees that were cut at the time, had been stacked in loose, uneven piles waiting to be burned. I would not call it the best field for pheasants or other upland birds, for the area had long since become ceased as a sustainable environment, It was more suitable for the turkeys that now controlled the fields. Nothing was maintained since cutting, new shrubs with stickers on the branches and boughs were growing back in.

We set up the line along the edge of trees and two stations, one for fliers, was placed about 30 yds. or so from the line along the tree line. The other with a winger was set up in the field behind a large pile of shrubs about 45 yds. from the line and about 30 yds. from the fliers’ station. We could call for singles or doubles; later we sent another thrower 10 yds beyond the fliers, for triple retrieves. The entire session went well, some dogs missed the combination with 3 birds, but all picked up fliers and the from the winger. Afterward we set up blinds in the field for senior level dogs.

Sport went out for the singles and brought back his birds without difficulty. He did not bolt from the line and found his birds fairly quickly.

Later, Sport and I walked down to the pond and I sent Sport into the water to retrieve one of the birds, He went swimming, he was supposed to bring back the duck but he is not ready for this and had more fun paddling around. He grabbed it once but he kept his head too low, he needs more experience retrieving in water.

Training picked up again at the fields area, we were kept out for a few weeks and are back again. We have to get out and look for other locations. Saturday we worked in the back mown area. It was windy and we wanted to work on the lee side of the hill.

Sport has a lot of energy, being released from the car is too much for this pup; I will have to work obedience heeling drills with him more so that he settles and focuses when he comes to the line. It's no time for a romp around the training area.

Once settled he found the marks and came back quickly, quick whistles work best with a minimum of using my voice for calling.