Sunday, January 6, 2008

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.

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