Dog takes off before I finish cast...or perhaps barely start cast

[mitty]

Followup:

Thanks all for your help on this issue. Things are much better, and I think it is because I have somehow managed to slow down. I am trying to count to ten between casts (which is like a count of 3 in real time), and it seems to be making a huge difference.

Not only has the casting problem featured in this thread diminished, but I am seeing fewer and fewer loopy and crooked sits as well as fewer
slipped whistles in my dog.

I also need to remind myself that the sound of the whistle toot reaches the dog's ears later than my own, especially on a long blind.
Perhaps some of her erratic behavior was caused by me correcting her for a slow response to a whistle she may not have yet heard.

While we have a ways to go, when I notice my dog making poor progress to the blind, more and more often I think to myself, "oh yeah, slow down!" And instead of the blind continuing on its downward spiral towards disaster, it gets better!


Original post:

LOL I thought dog was self casting but nooooo...as soon as she sees my hand twitch she is off!!!

This explains a lot---blinds are either spectacular or a disaster, she is better at water blinds than land blinds.

So she has not been seeing whether I am giving her a straight back or an angle back because as soon as the hand starts to go up she's gone!

Now, what to do about it?

I've been following Lardy TRT, into late transition...dog is 21 mos., she is running cold blinds (either spectacularly or painfully bad). My first dog. I just realized what is going on as I was working with her on taking casts through cover.

Advice?

Thanks!

[Duckquilizer]

Are you varying the time it takes you to give the cast? Maybe even giving a VERY slow movement on you cast?

[captainjack]

Lardy addressed the issue at an advanced workshop.
Return to pile work. Stop dog and pause, then make small movement, maybe sway to one side. If dog goes, immediate stop whistle. May correct for continued failures. Once you can sweat the dog out and make slight movements without the dog going, move to BB blinds with same standard.

[Howard N]

S l o w,, D o w n!!

[Breck]

as soon as she sees my hand twitch she is off!!!

If you're not doing so already, just Before you blow the sit whistle place both hands in front of your chin in the "prayer position". (without dog seeing you).
People that don't do something like this generally telegraph their cast just getting hand in position before even casting with dog watching. not good.
Blow whistle, wait count of 5, cast. If dog moves or auto casts, blow sit whistle again, (maybe call dog in a bit), wait count of 5, cast. If dog still keeps moving before your cast using attrition ramp up the correction from a verbal no, to getting in his world.

[MooseGooser]

Isnt he just breaking his "sit" on HIS terms?

Isnt he just training you into believing that HE has all the bases covered, and knows what He is doing?

Fast dog===== slow down.
Make him wait out the cast.

Sounds like to me, you are teaching "sit" isn very important. Not a good road to go down.

Ask me how I know this.

It was explained to me just yesterday in a very good way.
Its like learning to Dance. Someone leads, and Someone follows. But it has to become moving with each other or toes will get stepped on.

Gooser

[Miriam Wade]

Lardy addressed the issue at an advanced workshop.
Return to pile work. Stop dog and pause, then make small movement, maybe sway to one side. If dog goes, immediate stop whistle. May correct for continued failures. Once you can sweat the dog out and make slight movements without the dog going, move to BB blinds with same standard.

I was at one of the Lardy/Voigt/Burns/Voigt workshops and this is the advice I was given also and it works. I have to re-visit it sometimes, but Lardy, et al said that a lot of dogs need tuneups on their weak areas. The advice to slow down (ha! I'm giving advice that I have a hard time putting into practice sometimes!) is paramount because the dog needs to be held responsible for sitting and waiting. He also isn't allowed to go based on any movement you make. You can start by purposely moving to one side and correcting him for auto casting. When his sits are solid -sweat him out and cast slowly. It will make/help him really focus on you. I'm sure someone can articulate this a bit better, but it does work and doesn't lead to any lack of momentum.

**Just saw Gooser's post. Great reply!!

M

[mitty]

I've got a long list of things not going right cuz I go too fast. Someone told me, "Your poor dog" when they saw me a few months ago whipping up my arms before my dog even finished sitting...I hope I've improved since then!

So the real question is, how do I get ME to slow down??? Fast dog+fast handler=bad combo LOL.

[The Snows]

sweat him out and cast slowly. It will make/help him really focus on you. M

We had one of these "auto-casters" too! With this dog it was (and still is) imperative to sweat him out, then cast S L O W L Y. He has definitely slowed himself down, but in the excitement of the moment (test or trial) I still remind myself who I am running and make sure that I am working slowly.

[mitty]

Lardy addressed the issue at an advanced workshop.
Return to pile work. Stop dog and pause, then make small movement, maybe sway to one side. If dog goes, immediate stop whistle. May correct for continued failures. Once you can sweat the dog out and make slight movements without the dog going, move to BB blinds with same standard.

How would one do corrections (assuming I get to the point where I can blame the dog and not myself)? Dog is sitting, cast is dog's signal to go...I'm afraid I would end up with a dog that doesn't go at all if I nicked him for starting to go as I cast.