Laddie Test 1.5 (pass)

Test: Three singles:

1. 80 yards (dummy)
2. 160 yards (dummy)
3. 240 yards (dummy)

Configuration:

• #2 thrown 60° to the left of #1
  
• #2 and #3 thrown as an in-line

Poor man marks with dog in sit/stay at start line

No duck calls nor pistol, just "hey-hey" as each mark was thrown

Low, clumpy grass covered with patchy snow

Bright sunlight, negligible wind, temperature 27°F

Location: Power line right-of-way off Snouffer School Road

Pass: Yes

Blind: 180 yard pinball drill, no retrieval article, 120° to the right of #1

Notes: Although this test was supposed to be relatively easy except for longer distance than previous tests, it ended up having a number of challenges:

• Rather than running on lawn, the dogs were running on clumps of grass covered by 3" of melting snow from yesterday.
  
• Because of the rolling terrain, none of the falls were visible from the start line. The dog had to pick up the dummy and run back over a rise before being able to see me waiting at the start line.
  
• Instead of the pyramid configuration I used for previous tests, #2 and #3 were in the same line for this test.
• Also breaking the pattern of previous tests, the dogs ran the longest mark last, which required them to run through the fall for #2 to get to #3.
• At 240 yards, #3 was Laddie's longest mark ever.
  
• Because these were poor man marks, the dogs had to wait in a sit/stay while I threw the marks. For #3, that was a five minute wait.
• The dummy had no scent and poor visibility against the patchy snow, so the dogs needed to rely entirely on sighting the lines to the falls to find each mark.
• When I would go out to throw, a large hawk would begin flushing and resettling in the trees about 30 yards behind the start line where the dog waited. Both dogs handled the distraction well.
• This was also Laddie's longest target blind so far.

Despite the challenges, both dogs performed the test and the blind with great enthusiasm and elegant simplicity.