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conversation on the line?

12K views 61 replies 34 participants last post by  moonstonelabs 
#1 ·
I ran a variety of tests this summer. Some AKC Senior, some Master, and some HRC Finished. Some were recorded by my wife with video-cam from behind the line. Some have a lot of vocalization going on as the dog is coming to the line and preparing to run. Some comes from the judges talking to bird stations via radio and some from the judges talking to handlers in the last holding blind, and to late comers who want to view the test. While my dog was not distracted, I must confess that I was to some degree distracted.
It is unreasonable to expect that when you are called to the line, that until you call for birds that it remains somewhat quiet? When we are hunting it is frequently highly noisey, but that is hunting, not testing.

I expect my dog to remain quiet and steady. Why not everyone else? JD
 
#2 ·
Guilty as charged. I think it has something to do with the way we handle pressure, some need quiet some like noise. I don't appreciate a lot of noise from the gallery but will certainly talk to the judges my dog and myself on occasion.
 
#3 ·
My dogs are quiet in the holding blinds & at the line. I am training a newcomer who does whine in the holding blind. He is a work in progress. Won't run much util it improves.

The truck is a different matter. Both the newcomer & my sons dog bark in the truck. It is loud & distracting. Bark collars are frowned upon by some. At one test a person with some authority asked that I not use them. Parked my truck beside him & let him listen to the chorus all day. I am guessing next time the response will be different.

I am also guilty of being loud. As a teenager I suffered from 100 watt speakers & constant heavy metal music. Add to that a lifetime of gunfire, often with no hearing protection. Now I am partially deaf. My conservations are loud. Judges, Marshall's & everyone else scolds me in the gallery. There seems to be no cure. Maybe I should wear the bark collar.

It gets worse as this deaf, nervous DAH goes to the line. The nervousness increases the volume by 10. Maybe a training day with a judges correction is in order for me. Thankfully the guys I train with have no problem pointing out my shortcomings.
 
#4 · (Edited)
#10 · (Edited)
Totally correct! As a judge or worker near the line, it is easy to get preoccupied with the mechanics of running the test and forget about the guy and dog in the holding blind or sitting on honor. This is understandable during a re-bird, lunch delivery time, but every measure should be made to do all that as quietly and efficiently as possible. Then when it comes time to call the working dog to the line everything should be set and quiet.

On a related note I have noticed handlers are all different on line, some are quite talkative and relaxed, some are nervous and chatty, while others have their game face on and totally focus on their dog without saying a word. Judges should follow their lead and err on the side of quiet.

John
 
#6 ·
I don't want any movement behind me when handling my dog, but other than that, carry on your conversations it doesn't bother me or my dog. I try to be quiet and considerate of others but I am ALWAYS in the same flight as Fishduck and he is always talking to me.

Lonnie Spann
 
#12 ·
Our Own Payton Manning WHINES at the crowd, when HE has the ball,,, for the Crowd to sit down, shut up,, and pay attention in church..

He can even control the drunk crowd at the game! Imagine being able to control a inconsiderate drunk!:):)
 
#8 ·
I think Its our day and age.

Its just a lack of respect to others. It shows You think YOU are the most important entity around if you Babble on while someone else is running a dog.

Judges that do this are also inconsiderate IMHO, cause they should have a radio to be able to quietly ask for guns up, plant the blind ect..

The Judge should just use the tool provided to him to talk,, and that is a pencil... Zip his lip, and Pay attention with his eyes...

Consider what the topic of most of the MINDLESS BABBLE that goes on in the Gallery. Cant it just wait for time period between dogs???

I like to talk too....But I have been reminded there may be an Honor dog waiting for the next handler, maybe a holding blind very close to the line,, I always fell bad if someone has to tell me to shut up..Its just Lack of respect on my part...

Despite what I might think,, I am not the most important person there that day..

JMHO

Gooser
 
#9 ·
The only "Good " talk I can possibly think of,, is the communication between the working dog handler and the handler of the Honor dog.
That comuinication is prolly respectful, and shows sportsmanship..
 
#11 ·
No dog will ever get a "library quiet" test. Radio talk WILL happen, the loudest jet in the US Military inventory WILL do a low flyover, someone WILL call the kid doing traffic control and tell him to wake up, the kids down the street WILL get on your radio channel and start goofing off, 10 Harley's with straight pipes and that 427 Shelby Cobra with side pipes WILL drive by at high RPM when you're on the line getting ready to run etc, etc, etc,....

I completely agree that it's distracting although, much more for the handler than the dogs. I've never seen a dog suck to a retired gun station instead of a flier because the dog heard some noise on the radio. You'll never get a sterile library type environment. There will always be whistles, chatting from the gallery, chatting from the camp trailers and radio noise. Up to the handler to suck it up and run the dog and not make excuses.

I've heard it blamed on the gun station when it was people 300 yards away at the porta-potty laughing. That made it 500-600 yards away from the line. Use that as an excuse why the dog sucked in to the flier station? The dog sucked to the flier station because its an F-ing flier station.

Ahhh......don't get me started.....
 
#21 ·
I completely agree that it's distracting although, much more for the handler than the dogs. I've never seen a dog suck to a retired gun station instead of a flier because the dog heard some noise on the radio. You'll never get a sterile library type environment. There will always be whistles, chatting from the gallery, chatting from the camp trailers and radio noise. Up to the handler to suck it up and run the dog and not make excuses.

Interesting. I have seen dogs suck to a retired station enroute to a flyer. In some cases, there was noise or movement from that station that I am pretty sure was a contributing factor. I don't recall it ever happening to me, but to other dogs, yes.

I have also seen cases where a loud noise behind the line has caused a dog to turn its head at an inopportune moment, and the dog did not see the full flight of a mark.

That being said, as a competitor, you take what you get and do the best you can with it.

As a common courtesy, others should do their best not to be the cause of excess distraction when others are running.
 
#13 ·
Have you ever attended a meeting,, and the person speaking is a notable personality that most attending are intrigued to listen to what he may say,,, but when he approaches the podium to speak, he has to stand and stare at the group to get them to shut up?:confused:

Does that drive you all crazy as it does me??

Gooser
 
#14 ·
I totally agree with Happy. There are going to be distractions. Train for them. The people complaining about the gallery, whiny honor dog, bitch in heat ect, are the same people at every event.

I once drove my Ranger across a piece of property to invite someone to join our group. Got chewed out for distracting his dog. It was no surprise that his dog went out on the blind at the next event.

If I am too loud & inconsiderate then I will quit rebirding, moving stakes, shooting flyers, delivering lunches and go sit by my truck . I will park away, cook on the grill & shoot the breeze with Lonnie. Maybe some of the complainers will pick up my slack:rolleyes:.
 
#15 ·
Mark, I have worked quite a bit along side of you at a hunt and I can say I have never heard you be that loud to distract the test. You will never be able to sit by your truck and grill. IF half of the gallery that is talking loud would get up and do 1/4 of what you do all hunt test would be better. Train in a group and make noise while training and dog just gets use to it.
 
#17 ·
As I stated in the OP, the dog does not seem distracted. He comes to the line and looks around picking out the bird stations. I really can't say that at the time I am truly distracted myself. I'm as deaf as fishduck for much the same reasons.
What I noted last night as I watched some of the videos was how much noise there sometimes was on the line. Most be the nature of the sound recording.

Roseberry....our dog doesn't run tests any more....;)JD
 
#18 ·
I train with distractions all the time. A 7 year old girl and 4 year old boy. Just yesterday I came out of the holding blind and my dog was whacked on the back with a hoola hoop. Just kept going to the line. They are usually playing baseball or screaming or any number of other things doesn't seem to bother my dogs at all. Helps when I get to a trial and everybody wants to be moving and talking.
 
#20 ·
I guess I'm good at just ignoring it....you train enough in a training group you learn to block out the distractions and focus....when you are on the line, if you are letting the happenings around you distract you are you doing your part? You can not control the actions of those around you so why let it cause you heart burn, control what you can and focus. Yes I agree, there should be a little more respect given to the handler, but it doesn't always happen. The last HT I ran (you were there JD), I was surprised at how close the gallery was allowed to sit, at times I wondered if the dogs weren't watching the gallery vs. their handler....however I didn't worry about it when I ran my dog, not much I could do about it, so I just roll with the punches and do my job as a handler. I think we let things bother us more so than we need to.
 
#22 ·
1st doesnt bother me.. I'll talk to line, on honor bucket But when i'm on bucket or running dog no talking

The only time i really think "hey be quite" is when the judge is talking with other judge or marshall, bird boy etc... You called me to the line!!! If you arent ready dont call me!!
 
#23 ·
I tend to be more distracted by others talking in training than on line at a trial. I would guess it means that I'm not as focused.

I have had young Derby age dogs be distracted by noises and movement by the judges on line during a trial. Usually an inexperienced dog in it's first few trials.

DP
 
#24 ·
I am very hard of hearing, if i can hear someone behind me talking they get the glare. If this doesn't get their attention, they get "Quite on the SET". If this doesn't do it, they get "Shut the F UP!". If people want to visit they should stay home, too many things to do besides talk when training or testing to run ya mout.
 
#27 · (Edited)
All right I will come clean...I talk and I have been hushed before. My bad. I will try to be more thoughtful in the future, but not until after October 19th at South MS! I will be running Finished AND I'm headed down there to have a good time. *Hopefully this will be Jack's last Finished test. I'm planning on socializing with friends and hopefully lots of celebrating.

In training my dogs have been subjected to lots of noise, illegal and immoral acts, and downright rudeness at the line. The worst HT gallery would be more like my dogs attending a church service. Carry on party goers, don't let me interfere just because I have a dog at the line, we don't even know y'all are back there.

* Notice I said "hopefully". Worse thing that can happen is for Jack not to pass and y'all have to put up with us at a few more tests.

Lonnie Spann
 
#28 ·
Happy and his dogs get nervous in Church like settings... :)
 
#31 ·
If the judges place the gallery far enough from the line, conversations in the gallery shouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately, I've run of lot of HRC tests where the gallery was way too close to the line or the holding blind. Even had holding blinds in the gallery. In my opinion, the placement of the gallery should be based on its distance from the line, not how well the gallery can see the test. If the gallery can't see all of the test, so be it.
 
#32 ·
Having fun is the purpose of this game for most! I can vouch that both Lonnie & Karen have a good time at a test. If you need total quiet please take up golf. As Mark mentioned the gunfire is quite distracting.

The original poster mentioned that his dog wasn't bothered by the commotion. This is the case with a dog truly ready for the level of testing. The almost ready dogs fail. Regardless of how distraction free the environment these dogs find a way to take themselves out. The handlers will find a way to blame it on something without looking in the mirror.

A typical gallery contains partially deaf, fun loving individuals that love retrievers and live to play these crazy games. They will brag about their dogs & relive the shining moments. Good luck keeping them quiet.
 
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