RetrieverTraining.Net - the RTF banner

first time training, and getting discouraged in transition pattern blinds

11K views 49 replies 15 participants last post by  dtmanring 
#1 ·
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3MHpCvCJDk&feature=plcp

Here is a video of what is becoming a discouraging situation for me. I spent all last week teaching this pattern blind, and when we reache the end of the 120yrd blind she started avoiding some verry minial cover as you will see on the go and return as she approaches the pile. I spent all this week tring to correct her line at the end.

To begin with when i started teaching this blind i did not even think there would be a problem , but she obviously does not like the change in the height of the grass although it is not but maybe 3in where the bush hog cut uneven.

Things i have tried.
1.move up to where she begins to flare and send.
2. move back away from where she begins to flare and run it from there and correct when she begins to flare.
3.handle when she flares to get her back on line.

over the week she has gotten her line a little better but still flares 5 to 10 yards compared to the 15 yards in the video??

should i be worried about this?
should i move locations to a place with absolutley nothing to flare from?
should i just move on to another leg?

this one week job is turning into a three week one due to this little flare, and i dont know if i should just move locations?

Thanks alot.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Are you talking about that little cover next to the large shrub-tree on the left? Doesn't seem like a big deal to me. I don't think the cover is black and white enough for your dog to understand. You'll need to find a more obvious (to you and dog) piece of cover, one that isn't easy to flair around, and run through it. Starting very close then backing up. The cover you have is so vague
I don't think the dog is even aware he or she is cheating.

John
 
#3 ·
thats what i thought, but i dont understand why she is flairing. This is her first pattern blind so i am not trying to force her through cover i just do not understand the flair in her line?? and am trying to stop it. Is this somthing to try and stop at this point or move on?

Is her line good enough to move on i guess is part of my question.
 
#5 ·
Has she gotten a collar correction near that spot, or maybe whistle stops? I ask because I too see no significant cover to flair. How did she respond to corrections on T work?
 
#6 ·
Yes her line is good enough. I think you are making too big a deal out of the flair. You are trying to teach a pattern blind that you will use over and over from many different directions and distances, it would be very unusual for a dog to run perfectly straight right from the start. As long as your dog isn't avoiding some obvious factor (which will be taught later), don't worry about it. Keep it fun and build on that momentum. Later on you will add factors one by one and teach your dog how to deal with them.

John
 
#9 ·
OK I just watched it again. Now that I look at it twice, it isn't a flair off a factor, she is slightly off line right from the send, then gets to a point out there about 3/4s, and either sees the pattern blind stake, or remembers where it is and turns toward it. My dogs do that all the time, no big deal, you can work on improving the initial line later.
 
#12 ·
I just read it as a little bit of drift. Nothing to be concerned about. Add in the other two pattern blinds.

I'd be more concerned right now by the fact that she doesn't know sit. I'd work on sit until told to go.
 
This post has been deleted
#15 ·
I wouldn't give it a second thought. Dog has not been taught to fight factors. Pattern blinds are about going, not going laser straight(at least thats been my approach)

I would teach 2 more legs. I wouldn't nit pick on pattern blinds. I wouldn't plan to need a whistle or cast until diversions are added.

Just my opinion. I could be wrong.

Bill
 
#18 ·
If she has run the same line over and over she is in her mind going straight to the pile. This is the line she knows and will continue to use . Dont worry about it. Later when she gets better at handling you can come back to this blind and straighten it out by handling.
 
#19 ·
This is a very beginning handling dog, do not worry about the line. DO NOT NIT PICK a young handling dog! There is MUCH latitude....
 
#20 ·
Pattern blinds aren't lining drills. You're off to a good start, even though I think your distance is too great for a first pattern blind. But that's just me. I gradually work them up to about 150 yards, and accomplish the scope and purpose of PB's, and move on - transitioning to cold blinds.

Evan
 
#21 ·
Deff. no pro here, and I didn't see much I would worry about as far as the line, but if this is something you are genuinely concerned about, place the bird on the line at the point of "flair" and work it back from there gradually. She should run over the each additional progression. Personally I think this would back track you to sight blinds until she gets to the full distance. She looks to be progessing great for a year old pup. Personally wouldn't worry about it.
 
#24 ·
I don't train in the "US standard method" but two things strike me.

First I echo what Howard said; that "sit" needs work. A dog that won't sit properly isn't giving you real co-operation, it's the thin end of the self hunting wedge.

Secondly I'm puzzled by the technique you are employing to line the dog up; given that you are having to restrain her, how do you alter her body / head line? It looked to me as if she was actually aligned to the nearby small shrubby tree, took the line correctly, and just bent off as she needed to when spotting the target.

Eug
 
#26 ·
Looks like she's being lined up with the shrub. That could be attributed to you lining her up wrong by holding her steady. I would go back to the basics to get her steady at the line and she'll probably start lining herself up automatically once she's properly trained to heel up next to you correctly. I'm in no way an authority on training but my Pro won't take my 2 dogs to the next level until they've mastered the first one. That way you only have to correct one thing at a time. Just my thoughts.
 
#31 ·
Yes, as long as you get that little creeping issue smoothed out before moving on. It doesn't look like it will take much.

Evan
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top