Thur Aft with TY

[copterdoc]

I cannot express enough how important it is that you separate the yard from the field right now. It is critical.

Pile work, is yard work.
Marks, are field work.

DON'T MIX THEM TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!

The yard is full of pressure. You are teaching the dog how to deal with it, and work through it.
When you get through it, you can leave all that "pressure baggage" in the yard, and bring the skills that you taught the dog in the yard, into the field.

But, you can't do that, if you did yard work in the field, and field work in the yard during basics.


Separate them.
Have a place that you do yard work, and do your yard work there.
Have a DIFFERENT place that you can work on marking, and do you marking sessions there.

They don't need to be miles apart. As long as the dog can separate the two "worlds" it's what you want.

And quit throwing marks from the dog's side. Get a helper to throw for you. Or, sit the dog, walk out and throw it yourself.

[Jay-Bird]

I cannot express enough how important it is that you separate the yard from the field right now. It is critical.

Pile work, is yard work.
Marks, are field work.

DON'T MIX THEM TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!

The yard is full of pressure. You are teaching the dog how to deal with it, and work through it.
When you get through it, you can leave all that "pressure baggage" in the yard, and bring the skills that you taught the dog in the yard, into the field.

But, you can't do that, if you did yard work in the field, and field work in the yard during basics.


Separate them.
Have a place that you do yard work, and do your yard work there.
Have a DIFFERENT place that you can work on marking, and do you marking sessions there.

They don't need to be miles apart. As long as the dog can separate the two "worlds" it's what you want.

And quit throwing marks from the dog's side. Get a helper to throw for you. Or, sit the dog, walk out and throw it yourself.

Its very hard to find 1 spot to train right now, two would be almost impossible... Also pretty hard to get anyone out when its -27 celcius.
Also you are the only one to offer advice on seperating them, infact others have encouraged it to get a more balanced approach. He absolutely loves marks and retrieving, it makes him happy.
Doin the best i can with absolutely horrible conditions.

[Wayne Nutt]

I don't agree with anything Paul said. And he is right, he doesn't make any of the rules.

[Paul "Happy" Gilmore]

I don't agree with anything Paul said. And he is right, he doesn't make any of the rules.

Now wait just a minute here Wayne, you say you don't agree with me and then, you end up agreeing with me? lol...

[Wayne Nutt]

I should have said, I don't agree with anything Paul said but .......

[Paul "Happy" Gilmore]

I should have said, I don't agree with anything Paul said but .......

going to have to start including you in the Fallon and Marvin wisecracks pretty soon...

[Wayne Nutt]

My two cents. It is not necessary to train every day. A minimum of four days a week is necessary and you can produce a good gun dog with this effort.

I train 5-6 days a week depending on whether it is hunting season or not. I do not do marks every day. Typically I will do marks, drills and blinds (depending on the stage of training) on M-W-F. On Tues and Thru I will do only drills or blind work. Sat I usually do just marks with young dogs and work with my clients and friends with their dogs.

Balance is important but by this I think it means don't get in a rut and just do one thing for an extended period. A few days in a row in focusing on a specific task is not a program ender IMHO.

[Jay-Bird]

Had a great day today. Although it is -23 with the wind TY and i went out alone,(without my brittany) i got to my spot let him out of the truck, had him sit, released him to air out,tossed some fun bumpers, reigned him in, sat him at the line i walked out and dumped my pail of bumpers ran him to the pile 5 times, waled away from the line and tossed a couple fun bumpers came back to the line ran him back 4 or so times, stepped away and gave him some fun bumpers sat him and walked out to the left and right to drop 3 bumpers in both over piles sat him at the apex of the t and did a couple/few backs then an over and repeated 3 times. Walked away tossed fun bumpers and moved on to a handfull of marks with real birds and dokkens.
He is running really good now and happy as can be, tail just givin'er.

[Steve Shaver]

I'd start backin off the fun bumpers a little. a couple beofre you start and a couple after and keep the session fun.