How Factors Effect Dogs

I'm working on a 30-40 minute presentation to offer at a Club meeting. The topic will be "How Factors Effect Dogs (terrain, cover, wind, lighting). Rather than simply regurgitate material already on the market, I've decided to draw on the wisdom and experiences of this forum for ideas. I'm undecided if I'll do this via power point or lecture and white board. For formalities sake, let's assume my audience has all followed a dedicated training program and has dogs ready to do AKC Master level work. What advice would you offer the group as to how factors effect dogs? If you were asked to speak on only one factor(terrain, cover, wind, lighting) and emphasize the most important thing to be aware of as a Handler, what would it be?

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Originally Posted by cpmm665

I'm working on a 30-40 minute presentation to offer at a Club meeting. The topic will be "How Factors Effect Dogs (terrain, cover, wind, lighting). Rather than simply regurgitate material already on the market, I've decided to draw on the wisdom and experiences of this forum for ideas. I'm undecided if I'll do this via power point or lecture and white board. For formalities sake, let's assume my audience has all followed a dedicated training program and has dogs ready to do AKC Master level work. What advice would you offer the group as to how factors effect dogs? If you were asked to speak on only one factor(terrain, cover, wind, lighting) and emphasize the most important thing to be aware of as a Handler, what would it be?

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WIND!!!

Dogs live by their noses more than we know!!

Cindy,

"Factor" has become something of a buzz word in the retriever world, and often there are incomplete or even incorrect assumptions made about the well known 'factors'. What they are is diversion factors, and each operates on one or more of the following; Flare, Suction, Drift. Those influences divert dogs or they would not be factors.

You mentioned terrain (very non-specific), cover (somewhat less vague), wind (i.e. crossing?), lighting (Not likely to be a factor in testing, or in hunting with a responsible hunter). You wouldn't normally be worrying about completing retrieves during lightening, but rather getting you and your dog to safety. All that taken at face value, let me give you some examples of how factors work in diverting routes.

Flare: An obstacle, like a fallen tree or hay bale, is directly in the path to a blind retrieve. If the dog does not choose to jump over it, but instead run around it, he has been diverted (flaring it). Only one example.
Suction: A recent fallen bird is near or on the route to a blind, and draws the dog offline toward it instead of remaining on the line given by the handler. (suction to the old fall) Again, just one example.
Drift: A crossing wind (say - right to left) blowing across the route to a fall. The dog follows the direction of the wind rather than holding the line; drifting with it.

If some physical element in a set up, especially in or near a route, it is only a factor if it tends to divert dogs by its presence.

Evan

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Originally Posted by Evan

Cindy,

"Factor" has become something of a buzz word in the retriever world, and often there are incomplete or even incorrect assumptions made about the well known 'factors'. What they are is diversion factors, and each operates on one or more of the following; Flare, Suction, Drift. Those influences divert dogs or they would not be factors.

You mentioned terrain (very non-specific), cover (somewhat less vague), wind (i.e. crossing?), lighting (Not likely to be a factor in testing, or in hunting with a responsible hunter). You wouldn't normally be worrying about completing retrieves during lightening, but rather getting you and your dog to safety. All that taken at face value, let me give you some examples of how factors work in diverting routes.

Flare: An obstacle, like a fallen tree or hay bale, is directly in the path to a blind retrieve. If the dog does not choose to jump over it, but instead run around it, he has been diverted (flaring it). Only one example.
Suction: A recent fallen bird is near or on the route to a blind, and draws the dog offline toward it instead of remaining on the line given by the handler. (suction to the old fall) Again, just one example.
Drift: A crossing wind (say - right to left) blowing across the route to a fall. The dog follows the direction of the wind rather than holding the line; drifting with it.

If some physical element in a set up, especially in or near a route, it is only a factor if it tends to divert dogs by its presence.

Evan

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So I'm thinking perhaps I can now narrow the subject matter down even more to: How factors work in diverting routes. Thanks Evan.

Can we please move past "way to kill a thread" thank you Dennis and Evan and hear from some Amateurs? It's Ladies Night.

Way to kill a thread? That is an increditably rude thing to say considering they answered your question very well.

I'm not of the female gender but I sure would agree with Dennis that wind is probably the biggest influence on dogs....Steve S

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Originally Posted by cpmm665

Can we please move past "way to kill a thread" thank you Dennis and Evan and hear from some Amateurs? It's Ladies Night.

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I'd like to assume your sarcastic response was intended to be humorous (you failed). Both Dennis and Evan gave astute answers to your question and it would serve you well in incorporate their answers in your presentation.

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less."

So, without being sacrcastic...

Could Lynn and John please help me understand how I, as a handler, can use what Evan wrote in response to this question...

"If you were asked to speak on only one factor(terrain, cover, wind, lighting) and emphasize the most important thing to be aware of as a Handler, what would it be? "

What was the one factor?

What was the most important thing for me to be aware of as a handler that was emphasized?

Lynn, I'm going to guess that you was kidding.... because Cindy was... you know about them being thread killers. They gave such great answers that no else has anything to add, but wait... my dog is at senior level and the greatest factor of them all is water cheating. He understands the concept of down the shore, past the pt, channels, cheating entrys and re-entrys and all but he has to be reminded every once and awhile to remain sharp. It's like he's seeing what he can get away with after not doing that factor in a while. Anyway that's my take, that water cheating is a tougher factor than all the others put together, good luck on your presentation.

Jeff Warren