Land Doubles, Marks and Blinds

Oaks Area 3

For Series A and B, I had two throwers, Nate and Austin. They were instructed to call "no, sit" and block the dog from the bird if either dog dawdled on either bird, but neither of them did so on any of today's marks.

While I handled each dog for Series A and B, I had the other dog in a down/stay behind me. Lumi held her down/stay without difficulty. Laddie tended to stand up, but he didn't leave the general area where I'd placed him.

SERIES A. Land double (Lumi, then Laddie)

For this double, the memory-bird on the right was thrown left to right into a ditch at 80 yards, landing out of sight on the far side of a crest. Then the go-bird on the left was thrown left to right at 50 yards. When the dog was sent to the go-bird, the memory-bird's thrower retired behind some trees.

SERIES B. Land double (Lumi, then Laddie)

For this double, the memory-bird on the left was thrown right to left at 100 yards. Then the go-bird on the right was thrown left to right at 90 yards . When the dog was sent to the go-bird, the memory-bird's thrower retired behind some trees.

Blunt Road Area 3

Before running Series C, I returned Nate home so he could meet with his tutor. I then drove Austin and the dogs to a field that I discovered recently and have trained at before, but have not, as far as I can remember, typed up my notes for that training.

The field is part of Seneca Creek Park, between Seneca Creek and Blunt Road, a ten minute drive from home. It's one of at least four possible training areas along Blunt Road. Click here for a satellite view of the field we used today.

Though not apparent in the satellite view, the terrain was as difficult as any we've used, covered in unmaintained, uneven, long, dry, clumpy grass mixed with a dense network of prickly vines, dotted with shrubs and small trees, and filled with saplings springing up everywhere.

With Austin and the dogs waiting in the van, I placed an LP for our SL and screwed in the tie out behind it, then planted the blinds. Finally, I went back and got Austin and the dogs, and sent Austin out with the starter pistol and two ducks to throw for us, one for each dog.

While I handled each dog, I put the other dog on the tie-out.

SERIES C. Land single with double mark (Laddie, then Lumi)

With Austin holding the ducks and standing on the left side of the course as a diversion, first the dog ran the 40-yard blind to the right. Next, Austin threw a duck left to right at 60 yards and the dog was sent to retrieve the duck. Finally, the dog ran the 110-yard blind to the left, under the arc of Austin's earlier throw.

Performance notes. The only thing eventful about today's three series was that nothing bad happened. Both dogs turned in high quality performances on every series. They had dead-on marking, enthusiastic outruns, no dawdling pick-ups, reasonable returns, excellent deliveries with no dropped birds, good initial lines on the send-outs to the blinds, quick responses to every WS, and consistently accurate casting. Although I attempted to introduce challenges — retired guns, a divergent double, a blind run when a mark was visibly about to be thrown, an under-the-arc blind, and difficult terrain — both dogs made every series look bland and easy.