Blinds, Pick-up Speed Drills

Oaks Area 2

CONDITIONS: Temps in 30s, light snowfall, northwest winds 15 to 20 mph.

SERIES A. Double land blind (Laddie, then Lumi)

The first blind, a CCD, was to the left at 110 yards, with the line to the blind requiring the dog to flare around a tree at 80 yards and blind placed between two trees twenty feet from one another. The second blind, an OD, was to the right at 160 yards, with the line to the blind through a narrow keyhole formed by two trees.

My mindset running the dogs was a hair-trigger WO, but neither dog required it.

SERIES B. Speed pick-up drills

For Series B, we did pile work with ducks at 50, 100, and 120 yards. Both dogs performed well, including accurate outruns, speedy pick-ups, enthusiastic returns, and solid deliveries.

I discovered that when Laddie had a choice between ducks and ODs in the pile, he chose an OD about 70% of the time. Given the same choice, Lumi chose a duck 100% of the time. I was under the impression that Laddie used to be the same way. I don't know why he changed.

Oaks Area 1

After a break when we went for a short drive, we returned and resumed training back at the Oaks fields.

SERIES C. Double land blind (Lumi, then Laddie)

The first blind was an OD to the right at 150 yards. As each dog took a turn at the double, the other dog waiting in the van, neither dog had any difficulty with the first blind.

The second blind was a duck to the left at 390 yards, with the line thru a wide keyhole formed by two trees at 350 yards. My primary interest with this blind was the long distance pick-up and return with birds, and I thought the distance was within both dogs capability. But it turned out that the line to the long blind was directly into a snowy headwind. Both dogs showed significant resistance to running straight into the wind, both dogs apparently found some sort of diversion to the right at 200 yards (perhaps remains from one of the many animals that occupy that field), and both dogs resisted being cast straight back from any further than about 200 yards.

With Lumi, I walked up and ran her from 290 yards. With Laddie, I walked up twice, with Laddie finally completing the blind from 200 yards.

As for the primary purpose of the series, both dogs had excellent pick-ups and raced me back to the SL, carrying and delivering the duck with no difficulty.