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Rowdy (by Pirate) First Ribbon

4K views 23 replies 18 participants last post by  Sundown49 aka Otey B 
#1 · (Edited)
Rowdy got his first ribbon yesterday, akc senior hunt test.
http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab247/waynenutt/398_zps32e24ea9.jpg

The test was a really hard test. Eight dogs of 29 passed. There were 21 dogs carried to the water series. One of the passes was to a MH dog that was down sandbagging so the owner could maintain judging eligibiltiy for senior level.

Some features of the test that I thought were hard:
Land-the blind was only about 50 yds or so away from the fall area of the flyer and at about the same distance.
Water-the blind was beside a pennisula directly across from the dog. The dog had to avoid the point then swim almost parallel to the pennisula.
 
#3 ·
Did they drop dogs for taking the land instead of swimming by to the bird? Seems a bit strict for senior. Congrats to you and Rowdy showing such good results from your effort and allowing us to tag along through videos.
 
#4 · (Edited)
The test was in vicinity of College Station. It was like a different world down there. The fields were all green and the ponds were full. There was a big storm Sat night and Sun morn early. It took almost an hour to get to the test site because of the most direct highway being flooded.
I don't think very many if any dog were dropped by the judges. All the ones I saw were picked up by the handler for a variety of reasons.
Rowdy actually beached a little early. He was all the way across the pond
But closer to the peninsula than the blind.
The blind was not hot. It was marked by an orange ribbon around a log at the waters edge. The duck was up the bank from the log by a yard or so.
Some dogs had trouble with the marks and wouldn't handle. Some wouldn't take a cast off the point. There was a storm cross wind right to left.
The dogs that had trouble with the marks were up wind and wouldn't check down.
 
#6 ·
One of the passes was to a MH dog that was down sandbagging so the owner could maintain judging eligibiltiy for senior level..
now Wayne,
don't you mean to say
"keeping in line with akc judging requirments to be able to give up weekends so others may play with dogs.
To be burnt, soaked, muddied, dusted, chafed and run over by a bus in the name of the non-slip retriever
"
.... ? ;)
 
#8 · (Edited)
First congratulations on your and Rowdy's successful completion of this test.

Next I want to say that after almost 17 years in this sport I still feel that Senior is the hardest level to prepare for, to run, and to judge.

Now, I'd like address your comment about my dog "sandbagging" by running in a senior test. I feel that term is very offensive. Maybe you feel like I am somehow cheating the system. Let me assure you I will not intentionally break a rule. On page 17 of the newest copy of Regulations and Guidelines ..... It says, "Dogs that have acquired a Master Hunter title at an AKC licensed or member club Hunting Test are eligible to enter Junior and Senior Hunting Tests."

The rule was changed by approval of the AKC Board of Directors, nov, 2011. You can find it on line.

As to the difficulty of this test, it was challenging, but as you say there were dogs going out for all sorts of reasons, including at lease one break, one refusal to go when sent for the memory bird, and one who retrieved the log with the ribbon tied around it. I think one reason for the difficulty especially for a lot of the younger dogs was that with this drought we've been in, many have not had the experience of finding game in cover because it's been so dry that even the weeds won't grow.

Again, congratulations on your dog's ribbon, I look forward to seeing you at future tests!
 
#18 ·
.....As to the difficulty of this test, it was challenging, but as you say there were dogs going out for all sorts of reasons, including at lease one break, one refusal to go when sent for the memory bird, and one who retrieved the log with the ribbon tied around it.!
I just gotta ask, was it a Golden Retriever that brought the ribbon back?
 
#11 ·
Lady Duck Hunter, I did not mean for my comments to be demeaning to you.
They were meant only to indicate statistically your pass
shouldn't be included in the aspiring senior hunters.

But I can now see how my comments could be interpreted negatively. Therefore I apologize profusely.
 
#14 ·
Congrats Wayne and Pirate:). Your hard work has paid off. Thanks again for those videos. We all have gotten info and insite on how to train from them. Take care
 
#15 ·
Way to go Wayne and Rowdy!!!! Keep up the fine work!

Chris
 
#20 · (Edited)
No, Ken, it was a black lab.

Owner was surprised and says he never throws sticks for his dog to retrieve. The log was very dark and smooth, maybe it looked like a dark bumper, and for sure it would have had duck scent on it as almost every dog that picked up the blind dragged the bird into the water over that stick.

Just one of those weird things that dogs do sometimes.
 
#24 ·
Congratulations Wayne for your success with Rowdy. You have put in the time and effort to do a good job with his training. One of my most prized ribbons came on a test where there was 5 out of 30 pass.
 
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