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.