~ TRAINING WITH TEAM SHOOTER ~

[Irishwhistler]

Aye Mates,

I conducted some retriever training yesterday with "SHOOTER", a female chocolate Labrador Retriever that just turned one year old and with her owner / handler Greg, a retired waterfowl biologist. I have been working with SHOOTER and Greg for several months and she is really starting to come into her own. Now exhibiting some gains in maturity, her focus is dialing in and she is grasping concepts more readily. I fully expect this trend in increased focus to result in SHOOTER becoming a wonderful and outstanding companion gun dog. SHOOTER will be cross trained to hunt both waterfowl and upland game birds as her training continues.

To date, SHOOTER has been conditioned on foundational obedience, place board training, e-collar conditioned, introduced to water, live birds, and gunfire. Demonstrating excellent drive and athleticism, SHOOTER is currently being worked with heavy emphasis on line manners, marking development, and the fine points specific to the mechanics of the retrieve on both land and water.

~ Team Shooter ~ Greg is seen steadying SHOOTER on the place platform at the heel position by his left side as she is visually marking the flight and fall of a training bumper downfield. Greg will purposely delay SHOOTER for a random length of time prior to sending her by command to make the retrieve. Delay before sending the dog is a highly valued technique in the simultaneous building of drive, patience, and steadiness in the retriever trainee.

~ On Send ~ Having been sent upon command to make the retrieve, SHOOTER is seen streaking across the field like a chocolate torpedo, athletic and stylish in every move made, she is determined to find the training bumper which has fallen to the ground some 85 yards downfield of her initial position on the place platform.

~ Making Hunt ~ Having arrived at the area of fall (AOF) if she does not immediately locate the training bumper / bird, the retriever is trained and expected to conduct a methodical search for it while remaining tightly within the area of fall. The development of highly accurate marking skills by the retriever is most desirable. SHOOTER is working single marks at this time. As she develops her skills, she will be expected to mark and subsequently locate multiple marked falls of bumpers / birds. Any birds subsequently retrieved after the initial bird sent upon (the Go Bird) must be committed to memory by the retriever as to their location and are thus referred to as (Memory Birds). In the case of actual birds being worked, the retriever will make use of their incredible scenting abilities to locate birds downed in heavy cover. These skills must be developed on both land and water.

~ On Return ~ SHOOTER is seen returning with the recovered training bumper back to her owner / handler Greg. Upon return, SHOOTER will be expected to come to a seated position on the place platform at Greg's left side and hold the bumper / bird in her mouth until Greg issues the command "GIVE", at which time she must release it gently into his hand. Actual birds carried by retrievers are expected to be done so without excessive mouthing by the dog, a soft mouthed retriever being desirable. In competitions / hunt tests, birds are examined by the judges at the conclusion of each retrieve for signs of hard mouthing and they must be deemed "fit for the table". Excessive hard mouthing by a retriever can be grounds for disqualification.

~ Team Shooter ~ Greg is seen steadying SHOOTER upon the place platform where she is expected to remain motionless and quietly whilst marking the fall of training bumpers / birds during water work. Greg is utilizing a short training tab attached to SHOOTER'S collar to prevent her from breaking to make the retrieve prior to being sent to do so. Again, delay until the dog is completely calm, settled, and making no vocalization is employed to condition the retriever to understand they will NOT be sent if exhibiting dysfunctional behaviors.

~ Dynamic Entry ~ Having been sent to make retrieve during the water work portion of the training session, SHOOTER is seen making the dynamic entry into the training pond, a hallmark of a high drive retriever. I love seeing a high level of intensity and motivation in the retrievers I work with.

~ Mission Accomplished ~ SHOOTER had returned back to the place platform to make presentation of the bumper into the hand of her owner / handler Greg.

Team Shooter has a long way to go prior to her being considered a competent gun dog with many advance level skills to be taught, conditioned, and applied practically under actual field conditions. The groundwork for a solid foundation has been cast and with dedication and diligence in training going forward, the objective sought will most definitely be achieved.

Cheers,
THE DOG WHISTLER

 

[Jeff15]

Nice dog.......