2 birds at once

[sportlab89]

I have a friend who is looking to run in HT with his lab. He has been training to duck hunt, but now her wants to put her in tests. Sometimes during a retrieve, she will pick up the long bird first and the on the way back, she will also pick up the other bird, having two birds in her mouth at once. How would this play in a HT? I know about switching, but this is something that I never heard of in a test.

[rbr]

Automatic DQ

[John Robinson]

Automatic DQ

I'm not up on the latest hunt test rules, but do you have a rule to support your position?

It has never happened in a field trial that I have ever seen, so it's probably a moot point, but I too have a dog that can pick up as many as three full size mallards without setting one down to pick up the other, then bring them all back from the long station. I know this because we commonly throw the long bird twice to give the dog another look before we send, my dog is the only dog on the truck that seems compelled to pick up every duck in the area before returning. This has led to heated discussion on how you would judge it if he were to, for example, pick up a tight in-line bird on his way back from the long bird, and did it without dropping, or even shifting his hold on the original bird, bringing both birds back at once. One could argue he should get extra credit for saving time and disturbing less cover.

I would have a hard time dropping that dog, but would have an equal hard time judging it.

John

ps: My advise to the OP would be to get on the come-in whistle hard, and avoid any drama or judges dilemma.

[thelast2]

It is common for young dogs to do this, not that hard to fix either. Just takes reinforcing of the intial here command.

[sportlab89]

How should he go about fixing this problem?

[Mike Perry]

I would pass the dog as long as the first bird retrieved was not dropped to pick up the second. Saw a big Chessie do this once with the diversion. Both were brought back and delivered to hand.
Judges passed the dog.
MP

[Raymond Little]

How should he go about fixing this problem?

FF would be a start, then CC to HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Raymond Little]

I would pass the dog as long as the first bird retrieved was not dropped to pick up the second. Saw a big Chessie do this once with the diversion. Both were brought back and delivered to hand.
Judges passed the dog.
MP

Why not just put a game vest on'em and they can clean up the entire field???

[John Robinson]

On a related note, I once saw a dog win an Open, where in the first series, she picked up the long middle bird second, then took the long way home, running all the way over to stand over the left hand bird, she actually dropped her bird but picked it up again without switching, then after a bit of emphatic come-in whistling returned to the line. Needless to say, she knew right where that check down bird was and pinned it.

There was quite a lively debate in the gallery, pulling the rule book out to look for appropriate clauses, trying to determine if she switched, or should just be dropped on general principal.

John

[gdgnyc]

It is common for young dogs to do this, not that hard to fix either. Just takes reinforcing of the intial here command.

How should he go about fixing this problem?

To be fixed only if you see it as a problem. There are several ,people who don't view this as a problem.