How many Handler's... Enter a test just to get..

[Howard N]

Often people don't have ideal grounds on a regular basis so they work on their fundamentals and their team work. That can go a long way.

This is true, very true.

[1tulip]

There is one caveat about training at the hunt test and that is... dogs who misbehave only at the tests... and not in training. One of the dogs with whom I train crept horribly this weekend, and the handler reheeled her and took her off the line.

I don't know if this is any cure, but at least this behavior failed to get rewarded in any way. Won't hurt. Might help.

[rednek]

Based on where you live I would make every effort to make friends with the folks who have the nice training grounds 50 miles north of you on Rt 301.
Also, there are several properties around Culpepper VA that were good enough to hold field trials so make a point of getting to know who's who there as well.
Right in your own backyard on King's Hwy 3 near the river is a boat load of water to train on. Old sandpits are often excellent tech water. Go look at the one on Rapahannock Rd. Go to your local small airport and it's cheap to hire a small plane for an hour or two to go up and search both sides of the river for possible natural training spots from Fredericksburg on down. Also, you can often find good land and sometimes ponds on the old S curves left by a river.

Google maps is a great and free way to find training grounds and water.

[browndogbill]

I would think that a pro would have a good area to train at home.

[Byron Musick]

Maybe you could give us an example Byron of what a pro was doing that led you to believe they were there with their dogs strictly to train.

Angie

I did mean to imply or say "Strictly to train", I said to "to gain experience and exposure" by entering events. It seemed they (pro or handler) used the tests to give the dog exposure without worrying about pass/fail criteria, in that the exposure was more important, or this is how I perceived it, obviously I could be wrong!! More importantly I don't want to dig a deaper hole than the one I find myself in this morning!

Has anyone not gone to a test and told themselves "Crap, don't think I've done marks like these!" Then did you run them anyway or did you scratch?

I know I have ran them and at the end of the day thought, "Well we learned something today, that my dog either already knew how to work it, or pup figured it out while "on the job". Then I felt the event was a learning experience, maybe not for the dog, but the handler in knowing how the dog responds.

Does this make better sense?

Now my question was "Has anyone ever entered a test to get exposure"?

I guess in my mind every hunt test I have entered I saw something different than what I've trained for, or trained on, scared the crap out of me every time.... I guess I figured others might see this as a challange/opportunity vice seeing it, scratching and going home to replicate it, i.e. train first....

[Hambone]

Every FT I enter is mostly for "exposure" for me. Sure ain't about bringing home ribbons. I am sort of hard-headed and don't have a lot of folks to train with that are experienced field trialers so I pay my entries and learn from my mistakes . . . at least I hope I learn. But that is training for me - not my dog

[Byron Musick]

Based on where you live I would make every effort to make friends with the folks who have the nice training grounds 50 miles north of you on Rt 301.
Also, there are several properties around Culpepper VA that were good enough to hold field trials so make a point of getting to know who's who there as well..

I've trained on both those properties, just can't afford to every day!

Right in your own backyard on King's Hwy 3 near the river is a boat load of water to train on. Old sandpits are often excellent tech water. Go look at the one on Rapahannock Rd. .

I had permission to train on that technical water on Rapahannock road, I had exclusive dog training permission!! That is for the two weeks before some ass sued the land owner because their son tripped in a boat while fishing. Because of that I lost my permission, this after I had cleared off quite a bit of the property with my tractor and bush hog, I had it ready for spring training, worked it, then lost it... that really stunk!

[Rick_C]

Are there pros in the area you can train with? I've spent more weekends than I can count throwing birds for all the dogs on a pros truck for the opportunity to run my dog(s) on his set ups and get advice on what to work on.


.

[Ray Kirkpatrick]

Based on where you live I would make every effort to make friends with the folks who have the nice training grounds 50 miles north of you on Rt 301.
Also, there are several properties around Culpepper VA that were good enough to hold field trials so make a point of getting to know who's who there as well.
Right in your own backyard on King's Hwy 3 near the river is a boat load of water to train on. Old sandpits are often excellent tech water. Go look at the one on Rapahannock Rd. Go to your local small airport and it's cheap to hire a small plane for an hour or two to go up and search both sides of the river for possible natural training spots from Fredericksburg on down. Also, you can often find good land and sometimes ponds on the old S curves left by a river.

Google Earth is cheaper still!

[Jay Dufour]

Can't believe this has stayed up top all day......