Occasional back siding the gun

[Nate_C]

With a finished dog running qualifying type marks how do you handle when they take a bad line to a mark that takes them on the wrong side of the gun? My dog will occasionally do this. Some times I am think that he might have missed the bird and is running to the gunner station and just making a bad guess as to which side the bird is on but I don't think this is the case. Though he doesn't look away and truly head swing I think he is not focused enough.
Anyway, do you handle on the way out, the area of the fall, not at all and let him hunt it up. Just curious as to peoples thoughts on the issue.

[Doug Main]

Generally, I'll handle if:

1. The dog is not fighting a factor that is causing him to go behind the gun

or

2. if I've worked on him at the line to try to talk him into going to the correct side and he still is not, going where I want.


If he has just plain mis-marked or forgotten the bird, I'll just let him figure it out.

[russell.jason2]

Have the thrower (Bird boy) help. When training my 9 month old, any time I have a long mark with factors or as a memory bird, I have the most experinced guy/gal in our training group throw that mark. They know when and how to help, i.e a slight lean towards the bird. It is working well with my pup along with a good dose of the "y" drill.

Jason

[Bill Billups]

It depends. "the gun" serves as a marker for you and the dog as a reference to where the straight path to the bird is. Going to the wrong side alone is not so bad but fading with factors is. If the dog initially fades but then starts recognizing his mistake and is fighting the factors, I'll let him go if he's making good effort.

If he takes off towards the bird but then fades behind gun and knows better, handle enroute. If he fades again it might be a toot nick toot and recast.

Try to handle enroute and not around the gun

With an advanced dog that takes a poor initial line you might recall and resend.

This is what I do............ could be wrong though.

[John Robinson]

Generally, I'll handle if:

1. The dog is not fighting a factor that is causing him to go behind the gun

or

2. if I've worked on him at the line to try to talk him into going to the correct side and he still is not, going where I want.


If he has just plain mis-marked or forgotten the bird, I'll just let him figure it out.

Perfect advice. That's the way I do it as well.