Private Training

In the previous three training sessions, we gradually raised criteria in the alternation drill. Today we trained at a neighborhood ballfield and took a breather, relaxing criteria instead of raising them. We shortened the distance of the long mark to 170 yards, used no birds or bird scent, and fired no pistol. We were forced into these conditions by logistic constraints, but in my estimation, no harm comes from a session of easy successes, and learning may even improve by including such sessions occasionally.

Each dog ran two series back to back, and except for where son Eric was standing to throw the long mark, the two series were identical:

• With dog in a sit at the start line, and Eric visible out in the field, I walked out at an angle and threw a hard white dummy. Then I walked back to the dog and sent him/her to the dummy I'd just thrown. The first two throws of the day, I used an auto-whistle when the dog picked up the dummy. Aside from that, I didn't whistle all day.
• When the dog delivered the first dummy, I walked out at a different angle and threw it again, then walked back and sent the dog to that one. This gave the dog two short poorman marks of about 40 yards.
• Then I waved to Eric to throw a B&W canvas dummy with streamers, calling out "hey-hey" in lieu of firing a pistol. When the dog brought that dummy back, I had the hard dummy waiting for a string of reinforcers: a couple of happy dummies, a game of tug, and a small bite of string cheese. The reason for not using the canvas dummy is that we don't play tug with the canvas dummy.
  

Given this set up, each dog had a total of six retrieves today, four 40 yarders and two at 170 yards.

Both dogs performed flawlessly and seemed to have a great time.

Private Training

Today was our third practice with the alternation drill. To review briefly, the alternation drill consists of bouncing the dog back and forth between two kinds of retrieves:

• A wagon wheel, mixing birds and dummies at short distances, in which the handler is able to maintain complete control because of the close proximity
  
• A long, exciting retrieve of dummies in the presence of bird scent

The idea of the alternation drill is to use the wagon wheel to shape the correct retrieval pattern — devoid of hesitation, shopping, parading, and so forth — no matter what kind of article the dog finds at the fall, and then to immediately utilize that pattern to practice and highly reinforce a long mark of a dummy in the presence of duck scent, preparing the dog for that kind of mark in group training.

Today, we added two new components to the alternation drill. First, instead of working solo, our training partner Barbara was present to throw the long marks, and second, we used a whistle sit for any lining errors on the wagon wheel before calling the dog back, rather than calling the dog back immediately with a recall whistle.

Interspersed with two series of marks for Deuce, Barbara's yellow Lab, the training sequence for Lumi and Laddie was:

• Alternation drill containing three series for Lumi
• Alternation drill containing three series for Laddie
• A long mark for Lumi
• A long mark for Laddie

Details follow.

ALTERNATION DRILL: LUMI

Series A. A poorman triple followed by Barbara throwing a single.

The triple:

1. 30 yards, dead pigeon
2. 30 yards, B&W canvas dummy with streamers
3. 30 yards, dead pigeon

Marks quietly placed while the dog waits at start line. Marks placed and retrieved right to left. Marks separated by 30°.

The single: 70 yards, B&W canvas dummy with streamers, 30° to the left of #3 of the wagon wheel. Thrown on high arc after gunshot. When dog returns, excited laughter and praise, two happy dummies, a game of tug, and several bites of high value food.

I used an auto-whistle on all retrieves in Series A.

Performance: Lumi performed this series flawlessly.

Series B. Identical to Series A except that the mark was further to the left and a distance of 120 yards, and I did not use an auto-whistle on any of the retrieves in Series B, and no whistle was needed.

Performance: Lumi ran this series flawlessly, with one exception:

In the wagon wheel, Lumi tried three times to swerve from #2 (the dummy) back to the line for #1 (the old fall of the pigeon already picked up). Each time, I whistled a sit, then a recall, and each time she responded instantly. The fourth time I sent her to #2, she kept her line and retrieved the dummy with great enthusiasm. When she returned for the delivery, I quickly sent her back out to the pigeon at #3.

Series C. Identical to Series B, except that the mark was still further to the left and a distance of 170 yards. Again, I did not auto-whistle and no whistle was needed.

Performance: Lumi ran this series flawlessly, taking the correct line the first time on every mark.

ALTERNATION DRILL: LADDIE

Laddie ran the identical set-ups to what was described for Lumi above.

Series A. Laddie's performance was excellent, except for much head throwing and a slight reluctance to come to heel with the two pigeons. He was, however, completely responsive to both whistle recall at the pick-up and "give it" when he slowed on his return.

Series B. Laddie's performance was again generally excellent, but his returns with the birds and the long mark were not automatic, and the head throwing and hesitant delivery with the birds continued. He responded instantly to a recall whistle on every mark.

Like Lumi in her Series B, during the wagon wheel, Laddie also tried to swerve from #2 to the old fall at #1, and like Lumi responded instantly to both the whistle sit and the whistle recall. Unlike Lumi, he only tried it once, and the second time I sent him to #2, he held his line and completed a lovely retrieve.

Series C. Based on Series B, I used an auto-whistle for every retrieve. Except for the head throwing and hesitant delivery with the pigeons, Laddie's performance was excellent on this series.

LONG MARK: LUMI

This was a 240 yard single with a B&W canvas dummy with streamers, thrown after a gunshot.

The first time I Lumi ran this, I had inadvertenly left our training gear, including Deuce's much-chewed Dokken, on the exact line of the mark. As Lumi ran on the correct line, she spotted the Dokken, picked it up, and then continued to run toward the fall. I whistled recall and she immediately turned back toward me. I praised her well for her performance, since this had the unintended appearance of an inline double, and I was pleased that she had picked up the short mark first.

I then moved the training gear and ran Lumi again. This time, she ran the long mark to perfection. No whistle was needed.

LONG MARK: LADDIE

Laddie ran the same long mark as Lumi, minus the training gear, and ran it with his usual all-out speed and determination. After we started the mark, a pair of hikers passed the start line and by the time Laddie was returning, they had walked between Laddie and me. Twice Laddie swerved toward them, and each time I whistled recall and he instantly got back on line toward me.

GENERAL NOTES

I didn't use a slip cord at the start line for either dog, and both dogs were steady on every mark.

Lumi had a great day, responding nicely to every whistle, marking with her usual accuracy, and displaying no hint of resource guarding the pigeons. Every retrieve was carried out at a gallop, and Lumi's demeanor was uniformly engaged, cheerful, and enthusiastic. It is so nice to see her healthy again.

I was pleasantly surprised by Laddie's responsiveness on the whistle sit and how quickly he quit trying to swerve to wrong fall on the wagon wheel of Series B. His resource guarding behaviors with the pigeons were not satisfactory, but aside from that, Laddie's performance was terrific.

Private Training

Today, we continued working solo on the alternation drill with Laddie. Lumi did so well with the alternation drill yesterday that I had her rest in the van while Laddie ran, and then brought her out just to run a cold blind.

I could hardly believe how well both dogs did. I noticed that we were working in a drizzle today, and I think that may inescapably give birth to a new superstition on my part. From now on when we're training, I just know that at some level, I'm going to be hoping for rain.

Details of the session follow.

LADDIE

Laddie ran four series of four marks each, that is, four poorman quads. He ran with his usual all out speed and exuberance the entire day.

At the end of each series, I threw a happy dummy for him a couple of times and then we played some tug. Finally I set him up to wait at the start line while I went out to throw/place articles for the next series, and gave him a chunk of fast food "cheeseburger" as he went into his sit.

Series A

1. 33 yards, B&W canvas dummy with streamers, thrown after a gunshot and with a high, exciting arc
2. 33 yards, dead pigeon with dried blood on the feathers, dropped quietly in place
   
3. 33 yards, B&W canvas dummy with streamers, dropped quietly in place
4. 33 yards, dead pigeon dropped quietly in place

The marks were separated by 30° angles, right to left, and were run in the reverse order, #4 first, #1 last.

For this series, I ran Laddie on a 100' line. I auto-whistled as soon as he picked up each article. He responded instantly to every whistle, and brought every article straight back. The long line was entirely irrelevant, and I didn't use it again the rest of the day.

Series B

Same as Series A, except #1 was thrown 60 yards from the start line.

Laddie ran #4 (a bird) fine. On #3 (a dummy), he started on the correct line but then started to swerve toward #2 (the other bird). I whistled recall (no voice) and he spun around and came back to heel.

We repeated that sequence six (!) times. Every time, Laddie responded instantly to the whistle. Finally, on the seventh try, he took the original line all the way to the dummy, picked it up, and came straight back with it. Of course, I cheered enthusiastically, and as soon as he swung to heel and sat down, I quickly took the dummy, placed my hand over his forehead, and released him to the bird at #2 with his name.

On #1, Laddie ran straight to the dummy but then ran past it and started to hunt. I called "give it", and he then immediately picked up the dummy and raced back with it.

Series C

Same as Series B, except #1 was 90 yards and I used ducks instead of pigeons at #2 and #4.

Performance was almost identical to Series B with one major exception. Laddie only tried to swerve from #3 to #2 a single time. The next time I sent him to #3, he took the line, ran to the dummy, and brought it right back. As in Series B, I quickly sent him on to #2.

Series D

Same as Series C, with the following exceptions:

• I went back to pigeons again.
• #1 was 120 yards from the start line.
• The angle between #1 and #2 was only about 10°.

Laddie took every line correctly on the first try this time, and picked up every article on the run as soon as he reached them. This series was essentially flawless.

After the last series, I threw a dummy for Laddie a couple of times and we played some tug, then we ran together to the van and I gave him the last of his cheeseburger as we ran. I also threw his dummy some more and played tug some more as we ran. It was a joyous time for both of us.

The delta between yesterday's last series and today's first was startling, and the improvement during today's training only increased that delta. The alternation drill appears to be an effective antidote to the problems Laddie has been displaying lately.

LUMI

Series A

170 yard cold blind, orange dummy, no pole

The dummy was at the base of a tree and faintly visible to me from the start line.

Lumi's run went as follows:

• Lumi tried to pop at 30 yards. I just continued to look at her without moving, and after about five seconds, she resumed the line she'd been sent on.
• Twice, Lumi drifted to the right toward the bird falls from Laddie's training. Each time, she responded instantly to both my whistle sit and my angle back cast, both times taking the correct line from her new position. I didn't use my voice for handling at all.
  
• Fifty yards from the dummy, she caught sight of it and suddenly sped up and ran to it, picking it up without hesitation. I then whistled recall, but she had already turned for home. The whistle wasn't necessary, but my using it may have served to reinforce Lumi's association between the cue and the correct response.
  
• Lumi did not run flat out in either direction except when she caught sight of the dummy, but she cantered nicely, with a sweet and cheerful demeanor, the entire time.

Private Training

Today I began to work Lumi and Laddie on a drill I call the "alternation drill", focused on helping them to return immediately with a dummy they've been sent to even if they believe that ducks may also be out there somewhere.

I'd have preferred to run the drill at the same facility where we train on Sundays, and with throwers to help me, but since neither of those were possible today, I came up with the following solo drill:

1. I set out six surveyors flags as targets for thrown retrieval articles, at varying distances from the start line and on angles of 30° from one another. #1-3 were 100 feet from the start line, #4 was 50 yards from the start line, #5 was 100 yards, and #6 was 150 yards. Note that contrary to other posts I've written, the numbering of these flags does not reflect the order that the marks were thrown/placed.
   
2. To start the first series of four marks, I put the dog into a stay at the start line and walked out to #4. There, I fired a starter pistol and threw a canvas streamer dummy on a high, exciting trajectory to the #4 flag. I then walked to #3 and calmly dropped a duck, to #2 and dropped another dummy, and to #1 and dropped another duck.
3. I walked back to the dog, attached a 100' long line, and sent the dog to #1, prepared to use the line to guide the dog back if the dog did not immediately return with the duck.
4. With the line still attached, I sent the dog #2 and then #3.
5. Then I detached the line and sent the dog to #4. When the dog returned and delivered the last dummy, I reinforced with a high value treat. That completed the first series of four marks.
   
6. For the second series of four marks, I repeated steps 2-5, but used flag #5 instead of #4.
7. For the third and last series, I again repeated steps 2-5, but used flag #6 instead of #4. For that last mark, instead of feeding the dog at the start line when the delivery was accomplished, I ran toward the van with the dog and tossed the food to the dog as we ran.

This adds up to a total of three series, four retrieves each, most of them quite short. Besides simply practicing the desired retrieval pattern, the drill is also set up so that the dummy retrieves at the end of each series, when the dog is not on the long line, are the most fun for the dog. Those are the ones thrown with a gunshot, the ones thrown high, and the ones where delivery earns a chunk of food. As an aside, this drill also provides practice for long stays, lining, remembering multiple marks, and returning with ducks as well as dummies.

The reason for delivering the last treat while running back to the van is to help the dog begin to learn that even if the treat doesn't come on the start line, as will be the case in competition, delivering the dummy still predicts a fun outcome, in this case, first running together, than a treat.

After setting up the course, I ran Lumi first, then Laddie. Here's how it went.

LUMI

Lumi had almost no difficulty with this drill. The only exception was that, after running the first series of four marks, Lumi had learned that #1 and #3 both had ducks while #2 had a dummy. Therefore, when we ran the second series and I sent her to #2, she started in the right direction but then swerved toward #3.

Nice try, Puppy. As soon as she swerved, I called "here" and she turned on a dime and returned to me without my needing to use the long line. She didn't try swerving off line again on that series of four marks, nor on the next and last one either.

LADDIE

Laddie's performance was higher energy than Lumi's as usual, but not as accurate.

First of all, he swerved from #2 to #3 on both the second series of four marks and the third. Secondly, he didn't respond to "here" or a whistle so I had to use the line to stop him. Thirdly, his returns with the ducks were unreliable. And fourthly, on the long marks run without the long line, he did not return promptly, requiring repeated whistles and calls to get him to stop running around with the dummy in his mouth.

ANALYSIS

While it is disappointing that a dog who has been in training for seven months cannot execute this simple drill, Laddie's performance was actually good news. Previously, it was difficult to create a situation in which Laddie would predictably display his running around behavior in private training, making it difficult to predict whether the week's training would have any effect on Laddie's performance the following Sunday.

Now that we have seen this behavior early in the week, we can continue to practice this drill each day and watch to see whether the behavior persists or declines. If we are fortunate and the behavior declines, extinguishing by the end of the week, we can have reasonable hope that the behavior will also not occur in group training, though of course it's not guaranteed. On the other hand, if the behavior persists throughout the week, that will tell us that this training plan does not successfully extinguish the behavior, and we can expect the problem to be just as bad next Sunday.

Furthermore, if that's the case, we'll have good reason not to run Laddie again in group training until we find a training plan that repairs the problem, and we'll have an objective litmus test to determine whether the plan is working.

Holodeck Training

Holodeck Program
based on guidance from Alice Woodyard and Jody Baker

BEFORE OTHER TRAINERS ARRIVE

• To reduce likelihood of zoomies, run Laddie on pinball drills and cold blinds before the other trainers arrive; let Lumi rest.
• Put on dogs’ collars for slip cords.
• White jacket.
• Load pockets: slip cord, slip lead, pistol, ammo, radio, ear protectors.

BEFORE FIRST DOG

• No birds until we've had some good sessions with dummies; therefore, make sure the gunners have dummies with them when they go out.
• Arrange to run first.

RUNNING THE DOGS

• No multiples for either dog until that dog has had some good series running singles.
• Running shortest mark first, longest last.
• Always use a slip cord to prevent a break.
• Auto-whistle the first two marks of each training day. Based on how the dogs do, consider switching to an only-if-needed whistle for the remaining marks of the day.
• No blinds with the group, since that would let the dogs continue to practice hunting for the article rather than responding to a whistle.
• If a dog has something in mouth, anything but coming right back is bad. Gain control. If you cannot influence them, walk them out of the field and don’t let it happen again. Drop the criteria back, which might mean, stop training with FT group.
• If a walk-out is needed, try to run the dog on another mark even if that was supposed to be the last mark of the series.

RECORD KEEPING PER MARK

• Attempted break?
• Dog returned uncued? Auto-whistle? Contingent whistle? Voice? Walk out?
• If the dog did not come straight back, why (for example, RG, parading, Super D, zoomies, diversion)?

AFTER SESSION

• Purchase some dead birds.

Preliminary

As planned, I set up a pinball drill and a blind for Laddie:

• Pinball drill: 200 yards, four poles (spaced 80-80-40), orange dummies at each pole
• Cold blind: 50 yards, no pole, orange dummy at base of tree

After both dogs aired, Laddie ran these while Lumi rested in van.

Laddie was only 50% responsive to whistles. He was suppose to pick up dummy at each pole and deliver it, then go further the next time, sitting at each pole. After picking up #2, he ignored recall whistle and ran to #3, then switched dummies before coming back. He did better on the cold blind, 67% responsive to whistles and casts, including an "over" with a slight angle in. I gave him chunks of meat for each delivery.

Lumi seemed to want to run the blinds, too, but I kept her resting in the van. Considering how well she did in the group training later, especially Series B, I feel good about that decision.

Conditions

Black & white canvas dummies with streamers for all marks. The other dogs were retrieving ducks, so the throwers had bags of ducks with them.

In both series, Laddie ran first while another trainer held Lumi on lead in a holding blind, then Lumi ran second while the trainer held a struggling Laddie.

All marks were thrown as for Field Trials.

Sunny, 35°F, winds 5-10 MPH.

Low, clumpy grass with many strips of high grass.

Series A

Using a set-up that the advanced dogs were running as a triple and a blind, we ran three singles:

1. 110 yards (into high cover)
   
2. 200 yards (into high cover)
3. 290 yards

Pyramid configuration:

• #1 30° to right of #3
• #2 30° to left of #3
  

LADDIE

On slip cord for all three marks, Laddie did not attempt a break on any.

He ran straight to every mark, picked the dummy up immediately, then ran around with the dummy in his mouth, possibly looking for a duck to exchange for the dummy. Eventually Laddie came in on repeated recall whistles and "here" on #1 and #2.

On #3, after lengthy running around, he eventually dropped the dummy to run around some more. At that moment, I started walking into the field, and would have preferred to walk all the way to him and walk him back on lead. But after 10 seconds, he ran to the dummy, picked it up, and ran to me. I was still 100 yards from him when he picked up the dummy, and didn't know whethter it would be better to whistle a sit and complete the walk-out. Because that risked another refused cue, and because his pick up and return now looked so good, I decided to reinforce that, so I turned and ran back. Laddie caught me and we ran to the start line together.

I had planned to feed Laddie a chunk of meat for all deliveries, but he was so focused on the next gunner after delivering #1 that I didn't want to interrupt with food. I did feed for #2 and #3 deliveries.

LUMI

I was confident that Lumi would be steady, so I didn't bother with a slip cord, and she was completely steady on all marks.

Lumi pinned #1, picked up the dummy, and with auto-whistle ran straight back to me.

On #2, Lumi got off line in the high grass and slope, ranged far from the fall, needed help to find it, and was reluctant to pick the dummy up even when she found it. When the thrower picked it up and threw it again, she ran to it, picked it up, and started to bring it to the thrower. I whistled recall once and she immediately turned toward home and brought it straight to me.

On #3, Lumi again got off line and again needed help. The instant Lumi saw the dummy, she picked it up and brought it straight to me.

After swinging to heel and giving up the dummy for every delivery, Lumi cheerfully looked up at me and bounced around, which I interpreted as hoping for a treat, and each time I gave her a chunk of fast-food cheeseburger.

NOTES ON SERIES A

• Lumi's marking was not as reliable as it used to be in Hunt Test groups, but Laddie's was excellent.
• Both dogs showed high enthusiasm at all times, and Lumi's physical condition seems to have improved from recent weeks. I didn't give her any Rimadyl this week as I've been doing for training days the last couple of weeks, yet she seemed to be the most enthusiastic she's been, especially on returns, in some time.
• Despite a week of practicing Dummy Over Duck Scent, Laddie seemed to completely revert to the Super D behavior he showed last Sunday. That may have been aggravated on #3 because it was a brand new canvas dummy and carried even less scent than the others.
• Lumi seemed to have profited from the week's Dummy Over Duck Scent training. Compared to her problems on every mark last week, she only had trouble picking up the dummy on #2 this week.
• Charlie commented that the distances on this series were "about what you'd get in a Qualifying", which was helpful information to me.
  

Series B

Using a set-up that the advanced dogs were running as a triple, we ran three singles:

1. 110 yards (into high cover, firing shotgun aimed at dummy as it was in the air)
   
2. 160 yards (into high cover)
3. 190 yards (thrower was difficult to see and threw the dummy almost straight back)
   

Pyramid configuration:

• #1 30° to right of #3
• #2 30° to left of #3
  

LADDIE

On slip cord for all three marks, Laddie attempted break only on #1, where the shotgun was used. His marking was excellent on every throw, even though the guy threw #3 before I signaled.

Laddie ran around with every dummy, what Alice calls "Super D". Unfortunately, he ignored initial recall whistles and voice, but he did not bring the dummies to other stations (parading) and he did finally come to me on each mark. On #3, his return fell apart and he stopped to roll on the dummy three times. I began to walk out as soon as he did it the first time, but he finally picked the dummy up and broke into a purposeful run toward me. We raced back to the start line together. Again because of Laddie's intense focus on the next mark after delivering #1, I only fed him after the deliveries on #2 and #3.

LUMI

After all the time we've resumed group training, at last one of the dogs had a good series.

I used no leash to or from the start line, and no slip cord during the throws. Lumi showed no hint of breaking, yet burst from the gate when released. On every mark, she ran straight to the fall, picked up the dummy on the run, spun around, and ran straight back. I auto-whistled on #1 but saw as I did so that it had not been necessary, and did not whistle on #2 or #3. Every delivery included a bouncing flip to heel and cheerfully looking up to me after I took the dummy. While that is not a desirable habit — I'd rather have Lumi immediately looking for the next gun — her upbeat attitude was a joy to watch.

I'm not sure how to account for Lumi's high motivation today compared to recent weeks. Some factors:

• She may have been better rested, something I concentrated on this week, including leaving Lumi home when Renee and I took Gabriel and Laddie for a hike on Saturday.
• She may have recovered from a period of pain.
• Waiting with other trainers in the holding blind while I ran Laddie first may have heightened her motivation to work with me, as I've seen happen in musical freestyle events.
  

Suggestions

I received several suggestions from the a couple of the advanced trainers:

1. When one of the dogs is running around with the dummy (only Laddie did this today), whistle "sit", then cue recall, instead of only cueing recall while the dog is running around.
2. For Laddie, do more pile work on a 100' line, then run Laddie on a 24" check cord on training days.
3. Don't have more than one article in the pile when doing pile work with Laddie, on the theory that it makes Laddie think there are typically more articles out there.
   

Summary

We have trained with this wonderfully friendly and skilled Field Trial group six times now since we resumed group training, each Sunday hoping to establish a baseline upon which to incrementally build more advanced field skills. It appears that we have finally found a baseline for Lumi, an exciting development.

While that is not the case for Laddie, who continues to have problems returning with the article (even a canvas dummy), I felt that today nonetheless represented progress. Laddie's marking was excellent on some long, difficult marks, he picked up every dummy immediately, and he didn't carry the dummies to other stations but stayed in the vacinity of the fall as he carried out his unfortunate hunt for additional articles. Hopefully, our private training over the next few days can address the return problem, perhaps the last piece of the puzzle for establishing that elusive baseline.

Private Training

Today, Eric and Dave brought their dogs -- Josh, Athena, and Sophia -- to a nearby ballfield with Lumi, Laddie, and me. After about 15 minutes of all five dogs playing in the field while I was setting up a series, I ran Lumi, and then Laddie with Lumi honoring, on two singles and a blind each:

1. 100 yards (thrown by Dave)
   
2. 170 yards (thrown by Eric)

Blind: 140 yards, under a tree with no lining pole, orange dummy

After Laddie ran, I also ran Lumi on #2 again.

Configuration:

• #2 was 30° to the right of #1
• #3 was 45° to the left of #1

Each single was set up and run the same way:

• The thrower stood at a pole to throw the mark.
• A plastic bag, open at the top and containing a duck, sat next to the thrower.
• A landing area for the dummy was marked with a surveyor's flag.
  
• The landing area was scented by throwing a dead duck onto the area repeatedly.
• The thrower fired a starter pistol, then threw a black & white canvas dummy with streamers.
• Auto-whistle: I blew a recall whistle every time the dog picked up the dummy, without waiting to see whether the dog would come without the whistle.
  

The dogs ran without slip cords, and both dogs were steady on all marks.

I gave each dog a chunk of fast-food burger after each delivery.

Conditions: Sunny, 28°, no wind. Short grass.

Notes on Lumi's Series: Lumi ran #1 without any problem. On #2, for some reason, she ran a few steps and then stopped. I called her back and sent her again, and she did the same thing. So I whistled a sit, cast her back, and then she completed the retrieve well.

On the blind, she handled well for every sit and cast.

Lumi sat alone quietly and without any apparent unhappiness while Laddie ran his series. I tossed her a bite of food a few seconds after Laddie left the start line on each single.

When we ran mark #2 again after Laddie had run, we had to start it twice. The first time, I tried having Laddie honor but he broke, and when I called "here", Lumi came back but Laddie didn't. I called to Eric to pick up the dummy, and soon Laddie returned. I put him on lead and held him on one side of me while I ran Lumi again from the other side.

On that last mark, Lumi was so quick to return with the dummy after picking it up that I didn't need to whistle. I just cheered as she came running back.

Notes on Laddie's series: Laddie ran both marks with great enthusiasm and no difficulty, including no parading on the return.

Laddie only responded to about 50% of my whistle sits on the blind.

Private Training

Today, Renee and Eric brought their dogs, Gabriel and Josh, to Cheltenham with Lumi, Laddie, and me. After about 15 minutes of all four dogs playing in the field while I was setting up a series, I ran Laddie and then Lumi on three singles each:

1. 150 yards (thrown by Eric onto open ground in front of a mulch mound)
   
2. 190 yards (thrown by Renee into high cover)
   
3. 250 yards (thrown by Eric into high cover)

Pyramid configuration:

• #1 was 30° to the right of #3
• #2 was 15° to the left of #3

Each single was set up and run the same way:

• The thrower stood at a pole to throw the mark.
• A plastic bag, open at the top and containing a duck, sat next to the thrower.
• A landing area for the dummy was marked with a surveyor's flag.
  
• The landing area was scented with bottled duck scent.
• The thrower fired a starter pistol, then threw a black & white canvas dummy with streamers.
  

The dogs ran without slip cords, and both dogs were steady on all marks.

I gave each dog a chunk of fast-food burger after each delivery.

Conditions: Sunny, 28°, no wind. Clumpy low grass with many strips of high grass on a rolling terrain.

Notes on Laddie's Series: On #1, Laddie had a big hunt but eventually found the dummy without any assistance. I auto-whistled, but he ran to Renee (parading) instead of directly home, ignoring my whistle and a couple of voice cues. When he reached Renee, he immediately turned and headed to home, but by then I had walked out from the start line and met him half way. Without saying anything, I took the dummy, slipped a lead over Laddie's head, walked back to Eric to toss him the dummy, and walked back to the start line, where Laddie and I set up to run again.

The second time Laddie ran #1, he ran straight to the dummy, picked it right up, and came straight back. He did the same thing on #2 and #3, except that on #3, he swerved a bit to his right so as to run closer to Renee with his dummy on the way back. I auto-whistled for all marks, perhaps unnecessarily. Laddie ran with his usual exuberance at all times.

Notes on Lumi's Series: On #1, Lumi ran straight to the dummy, put her mouth on it and stood still for a moment, then picked up the dummy and ran straight back to me. I whistled recall when she lifted her head, which may or may not have been necessary.

On #2, Lumi seemed to run right over the dummy without seeing it, then had a big hunt, eventually ending up at the scented landing area for #3. Renee had to call Lumi several times before she came running back to the correct area, but she still couldn't find the dummy. Renee then picked up the dummy and threw it again, and this time, Lumi ran straight to it, picked it up, and came running straight back to me. Again, I auto-whistled, perhaps unnecessarily.

The first time Eric threw #3, Lumi turned her head to look at Renee even though Eric had just fired a shot. When I sent her, she ran a few steps and then pulled up to a stop. You could see her thinking, "I have no clue where I'm supposed to be running to." I called her back to me and asked Eric to throw again.

The second time Eric threw #3, despite all the running around when we first got there, and all the additional running around on #1 and #2, Lumi ran flat out to the dummy, picked it up immediately, and ran straight back with it. Again, I auto-whistled, perhaps unnecessarily.

Lumi's spirits were high the entire series, visible in her galloping charge both directions and in her joyous body language.

Private Training

Today, we trained with training partner Barbara and her yellow Lab, Deuce. I set up a series of singles for Lumi and Laddie. We then trained the dogs in the following sequence:

• Laddie ran the three singles
• We tried Deuce out with gunshots from about 200 yards distance, then had him run three Hunt Test-style singles
  
• Lumi ran the three singles
• Deuce had three more HT singles
• Laddie ran the three singles again, with Lumi alone and honoring 20 feet from the start line
  

The singles for Lumi and Laddie were as follows:

1. 70 yards
2. 130 yards
3. 190 yards

Each single was set up the same way:

• A pole marked where Barbara stood to throw the mark
• A large plastic bag, open at the top and containing two ducks, sat next to the pole
• A landing area for the dummy was cleared in the snow
• The landing area was scented with bottled duck scent

The dogs ran without slip cords. The only break was Laddie on the first mark. Although he succeeded in retrieving that dummy and I then asked Barbara to pick up the dummy if he broke again, he was steady the rest of the day. Lumi was steady both for her marks and when honoring Laddie on the last series.

Other than our Sunday private training after the group training, this was our first Dummies Over Duck Scent drill with the thrower firing gunshots. Because the ground was covered with snow, we used black and white dummies rather than white ones. Our B&W dummies are canvas with streamers. No duck call was used, and the gunshot was fired before the throw.

I gave each dog a chunk of fast-food burger after each delivery. I also tossed Lumi a chunk immediately after each send-out of Laddie while Lumi was honoring.

Notes: On Laddie's first series, he picked up each dummy but then ran around the field, apparently looking for a duck to pick up instead. He did not respond to the first recall whistle or voice cue any of the times this happened, but after a string of cues, he finally turned toward home and ran all the way in with the dummy. By the third mark, he still ran around but not very long.

On Lumi's series, she picked up #1, then looked at Barbara and seemed about to make a step toward her. I whistled recall and she instantly turned toward me and ran back. I auto-whistled on #2 with the same result. On #3, I waited to see what Lumi would do before whistling, and as soon as she picked up the dummy, she broke into a run toward home, so I didn't whistle.

On Laddie's second series, he responded quickly to each recall whistle, and I did not use a whistle on #3.

Private Training

After yesterday's Dummies Over Duck Scent drill, we ran another session today, with Renee throwing a single 160 yard mark for each dog. The mark was a B&W canvas streamer dummy thrown onto an area cleared in the snow and scented with ducks. A lining pole acted as a target for Renee's throws.

I asked Renee to describe what she saw at the fall. Putting that together with what I saw:

• Laddie's momentum carried him past the dummy, so he skidded, spun around, picked it up, and kept on running. Unfortunately, he seemed to have lost his bearings and was running at an angle from the line back to me. Rather than waiting to see whether he'd correct the line himself, I gave a single recall whistle and he immediately swung around and raced home.

• Lumi galloped to the fall (she seems healthier this week than she has for several weeks), looked at the dummy, looked at me, hesitated, and finally picked up the dummy and immediately raced back to me. I didn't whistle, but I did cheer when she was about halfway back. In case it's not obvious, the reason I didn't whistle when she first got to the fall was that I was afraid she'd come back without the dummy.

Private Training

When a field dog reaches an article but chooses not to pick it up, the dog is said to blink the article. That's what Lumi and Laddie were doing on Sunday when they scented ducks from previous marks and therefore did not pick up the dummies that were being thrown as their marks.

I devised a simple drill to address this problem for the dogs to try on Sunday after the group session was over, in which they made progress but which was difficult for them. In subsequent corresponence, Alice Woodyard suggested that I introduce the problem more gradually.

So today, with son Eric throwing marks for us, I set up three poles to mark the locations for falls and we ran the following series of singles:

1.1 -- 30 yards, no scent
1.2 -- 60 yards, no scent
1.3 -- 120 yards, no scent

2.1 - 2.3 -- same as 1.1 - 1.3, except that a large white plastic bag containing two drake carcasses and open at the top was placed behind each target pole

3.1 - 3.3 -- same as 1.1 - 1.3, except that just before the dogs ran those marks, and with the dogs watching, I threw both ducks on the ground in front of each target pole four times

I ran Laddie on all nine singles first. Next I ran Lumi, but in deference to her fragile joints, I had her skip 1.3 and 2.3.

Before training, I picked up two hot-dog shaped "cheeseburgers" at the 7-11 and broke them up as treats for good "sit" responses at heel and for returns on the marks. While I think both dogs could have done the drill fine without the food, I also think that it made the drill visibly more fun for them, especially Lumi.

I was pleased with how it went:

• On 2.1, both dogs hesitated around the bag, Lumi a bit more than Laddie. Laddie hesitated, then picked up the dummy. Lumi didn't pick up the dummy till I called out "give it". I auto-whistled both (without waiting to see what they'd do after they picked up the dummies) and both responded with enthusiastic recalls.

• On 2.2, both dogs picked up the dummy immediately but then turned the wrong direction, Laddie toward the nearby woods, Lumi toward the thrower. In both cases, tweet-tweet instantly turned them back to me and they came running.

• Both ran 2.3 without a problem.

• On 3.1, both slowed a bit around the pole, then picked up the dummy and came running back to me.

• On 3.2 and 3.3, neither even slowed. Laddie's pick-up on 3.3 was one of his patented skids where he loses his footing and rolls over as he tries to spin around at the fall.

I whistled for about 30% of the returns, usually waiting just a brief moment to see what happened after the pick-up, and whistling if I saw hesitation or the dog running off course. Both dogs responded very well to every whistle, like a compass coming around to magnetic north.

Perhaps my favorite moment was on 3.1. Lumi had just watched me scent the target pole at the long mark for 3.3 and then walk back to her. When I released her to 3.1, she was looking at the 3.1 pole, but after a few lopes she veered right toward the 3.3 pole. I whistled recall, and she spun around on a dime and came racing back to me, leaping back into heel, grinning happily, and eyes out to the thrower. I asked him to throw 3.1 again, and this time she ran it as described above.

Holodeck Training

Holodeck Program
based on guidance from Alice Woodyard and Jody Baker

• To reduce likelihood of zoomies, run Laddie on pinball drills and cold blinds before the other trainers arrive; let Lumi rest
• No birds until we've had some good sessions with dummies; therefore, make sure the gunners have dummies with them when they go out
• No multiples for either dog until that dog has had some good series running singles
• Go back to running shortest marks first until we've had some good sessions; then we can work on running a long mark first occasionally
• Always use a slip cord to prevent a break, but watch the dog and try to remember and record whether the slip cord was needed
• Auto-whistle the first two marks of each training day; based on how the dogs do, consider switching to an only-if-needed whistle for the remaining marks of the day
• No blinds with the group, since that would let the dogs continue to practice hunting for the article rather than responding to a whistle
• Use no sub-$100 cues: better to let the dog run to the wrong station, parade, etc. than to call the dog and be ignored
• Use a walk-out only if the dog digs in and won't come, not for the dog running around; if a walk-out is needed, run the dog on another mark even if that was supposed to be the last mark of the series; hopefully, no walk-outs will be needed for dummies
• General rule: arrange it so that the dog can never prosper (get to a dummy or bird) by blowing me off, then let the dog make unprosperous mistakes
  

Solo: After airing both dogs, I ran Laddie on the following both as a warm-up and to take some of the edge off his energy:

1. Pinball drill, 90 yards, four poles (30-30-30)
2. Target blind (pole, no dummy): 140 yards, 30° left of #1
3. Cold blind (dummy, no pole): 50 yards, 30° left of #2
   

Series A: Three singles:

1. 50 yards (dummy) into high cover
   
2. 150 yards (streamer dummy) 15° to right of #1, at base of mulch mound
   
3. 240 yards (streamer dummy) 30° to right of #2 into high cover
   

The advanced dogs ran this as an unusual triple, with #3 as go-bird. They also ran a blind just to the left of #1. They used dead ducks for the three marks.

The advanced dogs also ran a second series made up of two blinds on a tight angle to one another.

General: Marks thrown as in Field Trials

Terrain: clumpy grass with strips of high grass

Sunny, 20°F, winds gusting to 30 MPH

Location: Rover's Content, Cheltenham, MD

Notes: Of about 20 dogs, Lumi ran around 4th, Laddie around 9th.

Both dogs marked well on all three marks, but except for Laddie on #2, both dogs blinked all dummies and refused to pick them up without a great deal of help from the throwers. For both dogs, this included running all the way to other stations. Apparently, the presence of duck scent from previous throws made my dogs think that a duck must be lying around somewhere, so they were determined to keep hunting until they found it.

With help from the throwers, Lumi would eventually pick up each dummy and bring it back to me.

On #1 and #3, Laddie also eventually picked up the dummy, but then he continued hunting while carrying the dummy in his mouth. He didn't respond to a whistle or voice recall, and didn't come to me until I walked about halfway out to him. Then he'd come running.

Laddie Group Training

Series A: 230 yard cold blind, thru lots of strips of high cover.

Series B: Three singles:

1. 120 yards (flyer pigeon): After the bird was shot, I walked the dog from the start line to 100' from the fall and released the dog on a 100' line, holding the other end
   
2. 50 yards (dead duck)
3. 200 yards (dead pheasant)
   

Configuration — indent:

• #2 thrown 30° to the right of #1
  
• #3 thrown 30° to the right of #2

#3 was obscured by a mound near the line. The advanced dogs were to run over a piece of the mound on the way out and back, whereas we moved to the side so the dog could run next to the mound. #3 also had woods to the right of the fall.

Series C: A double:

1. 160 yards (dead pheasant)
   
2. 110 yards (dead duck)

Configuration:

• #2 thrown 30° to the left of #1
  

Series D: Same course as Series C, guns removed. Blind, 170 yards, 10° to left of mark #2 from Series C. Trees and water along left, line to blind thru several strips of high cover.

General: Marks thrown as in Field Trials

Terrain: clumpy grass with strips of high grass

Sunny early, later overcast, wind 7 MPH, 42°F

Location: Rover's Content, Cheltenham, MD

Notes: We arrived early and the dogs aired together. Then, per Alice Woodyard's suggestion, I ran Laddie (not Lumi) on some solo blinds, hopefully expending enough energy to make it less likely that he get the zoomies later:

1. Pinball drill, 150 yards, no dummy
2. Cold blind, 150 yards, 30° to the right of the pinball course
3. Repeat of pinball drill
   

This may have helped, because Laddie didn't attempt any full-course circuits during the group training as he has in previous week.

On Series A, Laddie found dummy fairly easily, but was not responsive to several whistle sits on the way to it. We need to work extensively on that.

On Series B mark #1, Laddie stalled at the fall, possibly chewing the bird. At the instant I tugged on the long line, he picked up the bird and ran all the way back, catching me as I ran back ahead of him. When he caught up, we got tangled up in the long line so I had to take the bird as part of getting untangled. I noticed it was still alive. On #2, I forgot the slip cord and Laddie broke. He pinned the mark but stalled 30 yards out on the return. I ran out, took the bird, and walked him back to the start line. On #3, he tried to break. As he ran out, I ran behind him, but of course he's much faster than I. When he had the bird, I used an auto-whistle (that is, I didn't wait to see whether he'd stall). Laddie came running back, caught me as I ran back ahead of him, and we ran back together.

On Series C, Laddie was not steady on either mark nor honoring. He needed help from the thrower on #1, but brought back the bird on an auto-whistle, which I think was necessary, at least to help him get turned the right direction. He pinned #2, hesitated at the fall, did not respond to whistle, but did respond to "here", so I didn't run out to him.

Laddie ran the Series D blind beautifully, lining it and racing the entire way both directions.

I was pleased that after being walked back after stalling on #2 of Series B, Laddie did not stall on #3 of that series, and responded to whistle or "here" on both marks of Series C.

But I am concerned that this far into Laddie's career he's still having trouble bringing back birds. On the other hand, I also see progress. Now that we're training with a Field Trial group, we're running marks that are generally much longer than our previous group training with a Hunt Test group. Unlike our solo training, these group series are run thru many strips of high cover, along with other factors like rolling terrain and trees. The birds, especially the flyers, are of course more exciting than the dummies we solo train with.

Given these challenges, Laddie is still doing better every week than the week before, so the trend is in the right direction. In addition, while he continues to attempt to rehearse incorrect responses (stalls), I have been improving my arsenal of tactics for dealing with them — today, a long line for the flyer and running out to him and walking him back when he stalled with the dead bird.

I am trying to remain optimistic. Yet I dread the possibility that this is good as Laddie's going to get, and that he never will become reliable bringing back birds.

Lumi Group Training

Series A: 230 yard cold blind, thru lots of strips of high cover.

Series B: Three singles:

1. 120 yards (flyer pigeon): After the bird was shot, I walked the dog from the start line to 100' from the fall and released the dog on a 100' line, holding the other end
   
2. 50 yards (dead duck)
3. 200 yards (dead pheasant)
   

Configuration — indent:

• #2 thrown 30° to the right of #1
  
• #3 thrown 30° to the right of #2

#3 was obscured by a mound near the start line. The advanced dogs were to run over a piece of the mound on the way out and back, whereas we moved to the side so the dog could run next to the mound. #3 also had woods to the right of the fall.

Series C: A double:

1. 160 yards (dead pheasant)
   
2. 110 yards (dead duck)

Configuration:

• #2 thrown 30° to the left of #1
  

Series D: Same course as Series C, guns removed. Blind, 170 yards, 10° to left of mark #2 from Series C. Trees and water along left, line to blind thru several strips of high cover.

General: Marks thrown as in Field Trials

Terrain: clumpy grass with strips of high grass

Sunny early, later overcast, wind 7 MPH, 42°F

Location: Rover's Content, Cheltenham, MD

Notes: On Series A, Lumi found dummy fairly easily, but was not responsive to several whistle sits on the way to it. We need to work extensively on that.

On Series B mark #1, Lumi stalled at the fall, possibly chewing the bird. At the instant I tugged on the long line, she picked up the bird and ran all the way back, catching me as I ran back ahead of her. On #2, I used an auto-whistle (whistled without waiting for a stall), and she had no problem. On #3, I used an auto-whistle and she came halfway, then stalled at 100 yards and ignored the whistle and "here". I walked out and took the bird, then walked her to the van.

On Series C, though I had her on a slip cord all day, I noted that Lumi was steady on both marks. I think she was on Series B also. She had trouble finding #1, but after hunt and auto-whistle, she brought the bird straight back. She did not appear to need the whistle. She pinned #2, but seemed to start chewing the bird at the fall, ignoring whistle and "here", so I ran out to her. Within three seconds of my leaving the start line, she picked up the bird and headed toward me. I called "sit", she sat, and when I arrived I took the bird and walked her back on leash to honor next dog. On the leash, she tried to break honoring.

She ran the Series D blind beautifully, running the entire way both directions, and needing only one whistle, to which she responded instantly, and one angle back cast, which took her straight to the blind.

I'm concerned that in the two cases where I walked out to Lumi, she didn't get another mark because in both cases it was the last mark of the series. I think it might be more effective if I walked out and then had another mark thrown anyway. If she stalled, that would be bad, but if she didn't, it would give her immediate +R for not stalling. In her training so far, she has never stalled on the next mark after being walked back.

I'm also concerned that this far into Lumi's career she's still having trouble bringing back birds, but I see progress. Now that we're training with a Field Trial group, we're running marks that are generally much longer than our previous group training with a Hunt Test group. Unlike our solo training, these group series are run thru many strips of high cover, along with other factors like rolling terrain and trees. The birds, especially the flyers, are of course more exciting than the dummies we solo train with.

Given these challenges, Lumi is still doing better every week than the week before, so the trend is in the right direction. In addition, while she continues to attempt to rehearse incorrect responses (stalls), I have been improving my arsenal of tactics for dealing with them — today, a long line for the flyer and running out to her and walking her back when she stalled with the dead birds.

I am trying to remain optimistic. Yet I dread the possibility that this is good as Lumi's going to get, and that she never will become reliable bringing back birds.

Lumi Group Training

Series A: Three singles:

1. 110 yards (dummy)
2. 150 yards (dummy)
   
3. 220 yards (dummy)

Configuration — pyramid:

• #2 thrown 60° to the right of #1
  
• #3 thrown 30° to the left of #2

Series B: A single and a double:

1. 180 yards (dummy) as the single
   
2. 120 yards (dummy) as memory mark of the double
   
3. 100 yards (dummy) as go mark of the double

Configuration — pyramid:

• #2 thrown 45° to the right of #1
  
• #3 thrown 30° to the left of #1

Blind: 180 yards, tucked into an alcove set back from the primary tree line, just an orange pole, no dummies

General: Marks thrown as in Field Trials

For all marks and the blind, clumpy grass with strips of high grass, occasional standing water

Partly cloudy, wind 3 MPH, 55°F

Location: Rover's Content, Cheltenham, MD

Notes: On Series A, Lumi looked toward #1 just as I was sending her on #3, and since I didn't think to call her back, she ran most of the way to #1 before arcing to her right, where she hunted and found #3. She pinned the other two marks and ran all the marks well aside from that incorrect line on #3. She picked up every dummy uncued and without hesitation and delivered each dummy on the run with no stalling.

On Series B while running #1 — the long mark — Lumi was obsessed with #3, perhaps because #3 was the short mark and we almost invariably run the short mark before the long one. She needed #1 thrown twice, and then for awhile wouldn't go out to #1 even when the thrower waved and called "hey-hey". Eventually she went out and ran #1 well. On the double, she did as well as most of the more advanced dogs, though that included some hunting on #2 (the memory mark).

On the blind, Lumi repeatedly stopped short to sniff around, but accepted whistle sits and casts reasonably well, though not perfectly. As with Laddie, I had to call Lumi several times from the pole once she reached it, since I guress she couldn't believe there was no dummy out there for her to retrieve.

Laddie Group Training

Series A: Three singles:

1. 110 yards (dummy)
2. 150 yards (dummy)
   
3. 220 yards (dummy)

Configuration — pyramid:

• #2 thrown 60° to the right of #1
  
• #3 thrown 30° to the left of #2

Series B: A single and a double:

1. 180 yards (dummy) as the single
   
2. 120 yards (dummy) as memory mark of the double
   
3. 100 yards (dummy) as go mark of the double

Configuration — pyramid:

• #2 thrown 45° to the right of #1
  
• #3 thrown 30° to the left of #1

Blind: 180 yards, tucked into an alcove set back from the primary tree line, just an orange pole, no dummies

General: Marks thrown as in Field Trials

For all marks and the blind, clumpy grass with strips of high grass, occasional standing water

Partly cloudy, wind 3 MPH, 55°F

Location: Rover's Content, Cheltenham, MD

Notes: On Series A, Laddie picked up #1 and then continued running away from the start line. I whistled recall and he instantly spun around and returned to me. He pinned every mark and picked up every dummy uncued and without hesitation. He "dropped" the dummy on one return but picked it back up and came instantly when I again whistled recall. He seemed confident and exuberant at all times.

On Series B, he ran #1 as a single without incident (better than some of the more advanced dogs), then ran to #3 (the go mark of the double) and picked the dummy up uncued and without incident. Unfortunately, he then ran toward #2 (the memory mark of the double) and
ignored both whistle and verbal recalls. When he arrived in the area of the #2 thrower, he ran around with the #3 dummy in his mouth, still refusing recalls. I walked out to him, took the dummy, slipped on a lead, and walked him back to the start line. He did not appear unhappy or stressed.

We then ran #2 as a single. Laddie hunted short for some time, then sat down and looked at me, apparently giving up and asking for help. I radioed the thrower to help Laddie, and when Laddie finally found the dummy, he immediately picked it up and delivered it nicely. I was concerned because, as far as I can remember, Laddie has never given up on a mark before, but several other dogs, including some who were considerably more advanced than Laddie, also hunted short on the same mark (as part of a triple) and at least one also gave up on it and headed for a different fall.

On the blind, Laddie took off into the field when we walked to the start line, and as in Series B, would not come when called. Again I had to walk out into the field to collect him. He then ran the blind nicely with three angles back. As with Lumi, he was reluctant to come back without a dummy, apparently believing that somewhere there was another pole with dummies and wanting me to cast him to it, but after about three calls he did come racing back.