ARCHIVE: Marginal Note from December 2007

December's Group Training

I originally planned the Field Training Test Series as private training for Lumi and Laddie, to be completed before the resumption of group training.

But in December 2007, I decided to resume group training for both dogs. While understanding that a dog may not perform in group training at the same level as in solitary work, and in competition even less so, I felt that we were ready to give group work another try.

My guidelines for this resumption of group training were shaped by correspondence with Jody Baker and Alice Woodyard, as follows:

• The first 2-3 sessions are run with dummies rather than birds. Hopefully, the dogs will have no difficulty picking up the dummies, uncued and without hesitation, and returning immediately with them.

• Then next dozen or so sessions are run with combinations of dead birds and dummies, with a minimum of one dummy per series. Other simplifications of group set-ups may include running as singles rather than multiples, changing the running order, skipping more difficult marks, or moving up the start line. For many set-ups, moving up is either not practical or is not advantageous, as it would make the mark more difficult for one reason or another, rather than less.

• After that, sessions are run with a flyer every four sessions, still retaining a minimum of one dummy per series.

• After a dozen or so successive flyer retrieves without difficulty on the pick-up or return, flyers can be used every session, and dummies are no longer used.

Entries for group training are mixed in with private test series entries in this journal.