Demonstration of FT dogs to General Public

[Loren Crannell]

On Friday, my employer wants me to do a demonstration of my FT dogs to members of the staff. (see grounds) The CFO and executive team will also be watching. If the link doesn't work, go to Google maps and look up Electronic Arts in Redwood City, CA.

We have a large 200 yard by 100 yard lawn that runs down the middle of our campus. I was going to run the Double T for my transition dog, and run a couple of cold blinds for my 2 year old.

After the handling show, I am going to show a few others a triple retrieve at a nearby field.

If you had the opportunity to demonstrate what your dogs could do, what would you show? IMO, the more people that understand the high level of training we do can only help us later.

Loren

[limiman12]

I would show the team work and trust aspect taht is built in the team. I would bet that the exec's would be interested in showing that when a team works together it is greater then the sum of its parts....

I know that when we did a demo days, what always drew a crowd to the tent was when I did Baseball, stopping just before he got to the pile and then casting to a different pile, people were amazed that a dog could be trained to do something like that.....

One laady asked how old he was, "five and a half" "well my dog is seven and he won't do that" she had no concept that it was the amount of traiining not the age of the dog that let them do those things....

[Juli H]

How much time do you have?

If you have a time constraint, maybe 8 or 12 bumper wagon wheel....People will be amazed that you can line your dog to a particular bumper....it will be a relatively quick drill as well....

are you allowed to use live birds? are your dogs good with live birds? People are always amazed that my dogs retrieve birds without killing them...not sure if this would be a 'politically' correct thing to do for the uninitiated....

run a poison bird blind...explain the hunting scenario where this would be a realistic hunting scenario...

Juli

[BonMallari]

I have done something similar but at an elementary school and got one of the students to send my dog and accept the bumper, the kids really loved it and then everyone wanted to try it..keep it simple and dont try and show off too much...

[Richard Halstead]

Have one of your coworkers hide a simple blind and you can whistle sit and cast to the blihd.

[Don Smith]

run a poison bird blind...explain the hunting scenario where this would be a realistic hunting scenario...

Yep! I always incorporate that into a demo. I always set up some kind of hunting scenario and explain what is going on and why, e.g. sending on name on marks vs. "back" on blinds (related to a hunting scenari with two dogs) and do some of it on steroids, e.g. some 200 yard marks, one 250 + yard blind. I always explain the importance of distance ("if I drop all my ducks at 15 yards, I don't need a dog"). Normally, my setup would be along the lines of a delayed quad with the first bird being a poison bird, a blind within less than 5 yards past the poison bird, pick up the marks, poison bird last (memory thing) and then a monster blind. If possible, I try to do it sitting on a bucket and using primer loads to actually simulate hunting. If I can't use birds, I use Dokkens.

There are plenty of things that can be done and, certainly, showing control is a big thing, but drills may appear to the novice as just "tricks" in my opinion. Using some sort of hunting setup gives them a context.

[Joe Dutro]

It doesn't matter what you do they will be impressed. For the last 4 years I have demos for the NWTF Jakes day to the county to my east, NWTF state jakes day this year, and our local NWTF the last 2 years. And although these are turkey people and most of them kids they love it. Multiple marks are ok but what they really like is the handeling. I usally start with a double and then run 2-3 blinds with a poison bird to show control.
Joe Dutro

[Loren Crannell]

and then a monster blind. If possible, I try to do it sitting on a bucket and using primer loads to actually simulate hunting. If I can't use birds, I use Dokkens.

Hey Don, I live in the bay area. If I used a primer load I would have SWAT all over my butt!! I hear you though on the tricks versus control.

For the large group at work, I plan to do this:

For the 2 year old Qualifying dog, I plan to have somebody plant a 250 yard blind and then I will have somebody throw a poison bird.

For the 1 year old, I will proably just wait for the retrieving demo or do the Double T.

People are always amazed how you can stop a dog and cast. Even when I do wagon wheels on off days. So this should be entertaining. There should be about 75 people watching.

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For the retrieving demo, I plan to run a big time FT land/water triple with a retired gun for the 2 year old, and run a single and a double for the 1 year old with no retired guns.

There are 5-8 people who want to see the big setup and I have to train the dogs anyways, so I actually get throwing help for once.


This should be doable within the time limits that I have.

[Loren Crannell]

Have one of your coworkers hide a simple blind and you can whistle sit and cast to the blihd.

I like it!!!

[Loren Crannell]

I have done something similar but at an elementary school and got one of the students to send my dog and accept the bumper, the kids really loved it and then everyone wanted to try it..keep it simple and dont try and show off too much...

If I ever did a demo for kids, I would certainly have them run the dogs. Very empowering for them!