right / left hand backs

[jecartag]

That's correct as far as teaching those angles. However, this is actually part of the process of teaching a dog to take a literal cast....which means take the exact angle directly to the blind. If they are not far off line (quick whistle) you can move a bit (left or right) and make it even simpler. Literal casting (exact angle) is the ultimate goal.

A young dog needs to see different arm angle casts with correct "reps". Drills have two "places" in training. They are useful for teaching and maintenance. The "real thing" (running cold blinds) reveals and enhances skill levels (in theory). It is incremental.

For example, this advanced casting drill is designed to work on a narrow range of left and/or right angles backs. All four of my dogs are through transition and this drill will be used in early spring conditioning and refresher sessions.

Thanks for this stuff Jim. These are great diagrams and are spot on!

[J. Walker]

Looking for drills to teach right / left hand backs

Get a few vinyl peel and stick floor tiles at Lowe's in the lightest color you can find. Set up adjacent to a privacy fence or the side of a building. It should be something solid to help keep the dog from even considering turning in that direction. Walk the dog out with you as you place a slice of hot dog on one of the tiles positioned along the fence. Position the dog 30 feet or so from the tile with his right side against the fence as he is sitting facing you. He'll sure as heck remember that tasty treat on the tile and will be ready to run to it. Give him a right-hand back as you say "Back." Repeat this five or six more times. You're done. The next day, do the same thing. Day three, do a couple of right-hand backs then go to teaching left-hand backs in the same way. From there, move on to teaching the overs with the dog half-way along the fence facing you in the yard with a tile at the right and left-hand over positions. Young dogs absolutely love this game. When you go to the field, you can take along your tiles so your dog still has visible targets to run to.