National Blog

[Eric Fryer]

Like Granddaddy used to say.... That there is a humdinger...

[EdA]

On a test like this how much do no birds help/hurt a dog?

No birds are a factor, rarely are they positive more often they are negative. If there is a particularly difficult gun to pick out a second look might help but the downside is dogs rarely watch the birds the second time as they did the first time. Also keep in mind that if the no bird is on a flyer you do not erase that fall from the dog's memory so if they get a very different flyer than the one the no bird was called on that is a definite disadvantage.

[FOM]

Dog 16 (Gunzer and Colonel) did it

(Summary has been updated to the best of my knowledge/information)

[DWJ]

No birds are a factor, rarely are they positive more often they are negative. If there is a particularly difficult gun to pick out a second look might help but the downside is dogs rarely watch the birds the second time as they did the first time. Also keep in mind that if the no bird is on a flyer you do not erase that fall from the dog's memory so if they get a very different flyer than the one the no bird was called on that is a definite disadvantage.

@ Ed A., during the 3rd. test which was a blind a few handlers used verbal commands during the blind. As a judge or per the standard judging practices, would a verbal command be viewed as a deduction or lower score compared to a handler that would not need to use any verbals on the same set up?

[EdA]

silent and verbal casting are merely individual trainer/handler choices, from a judging stand point it does not matter, I do not even note the cast as verbal or silent when I judge

[EdA]

Are circles enroute, cover or water ?

those are mounds

[Ted Shih]

silent and verbal casting are merely individual trainer/handler choices, from a judging stand point it does not matter, I do not even note the cast as verbal or silent when I judge

I also follow this approach. That is, I could care less whether a cast is verbal or silent as a judge (but, as a handler, I am always interested in the impact a verbal as opposed to a silent cast has)

[FOM]

dog 21 handeld

[3blackdogs]

Natl Open 2012 P19.jpg~4580333.jpg

Disclaimer from Jeff - this may not be exact but it's close. The judges moved the flyer in (not reflected on the marshall's sheet posted on the blog)

[EdA]

Natl Open 2012 P19.jpg~4580333.jpg

Disclaimer from Jeff - this may not be exact but it's close. The judges moved the flyer in (not reflected on the marshall's sheet posted on the blog)

Jeff and his Ipad may have a future in journalism, tell him thanks from those of us at work!