I am working a 6 month old lab. We are currently going through formal obedience, and he is doing great thus far. We also are doing some marks every day to keep things fun for him. The problem I am starting to see is that he is developing a tendency to release to the gunner before going to the mark. I am using Evan’s Smartworks but haven’t seen this yet on his series. He started doing this when I attempted to sit the dog and walk out and throw his mark. Setup-- “about 30 yards in front of the dog, mark landing 20 or 30 yards to my right or left.” So I am strait in front of the dog and the marks are landing at roughly 45 degrees to the dog. He started releasing to me the breaking right or left to the mark, and now this has started to happen when I have a BB So now what did I do wrong and how do I go about fixing it??????? Thank you in advance for any help or advice.. Dustin
So you are doing stand alones? And dog is breaking?
He is kinda young to be super steady.
What I would do is not let him have the mark. Pick it up before he gets to it, then go back and sit him. Walk back out. If he moves a toe nail, rinse, repeat till he is steady. Then throw, if he breaks, rinse repeat. If he used to be steady and now isn't I bet he'll get it in no time. Maybe make the marks shorter till he gets it.
Fire drills. Throw another mark when he is running to the gunner. Just make sure the bird boy knows to do this....some of your bird boys are thick headed.
he is not breaking on me he is pretty steady thus far. my problem is he is running to the gunner "or me in stand alones" before he picks up the mark. I have not yet had a problem with him breaking on me yet.
But there was a thread not too long ago about someone else's pup running at the gunner, and lots of suggestions on the cure. I bet you could find it just by looking through a few pages of the most recent threads.
I know we saw this on him last week when we worked, but it is getting worse. So you are saying that when i release him if he goes at the gunner, then throw anouther mark in the same place as the first mark?
Dont know about my thick headed BB but we do have a world class gun opporator/ ranger driver
With a young dog, going to the gunner is fairly normal. You can throw a second bumper while he is enroute that will keep him focused on the mark. At some point though he will learn there is nothing at the station for him. The stations should remain completely silent and not help him. Give him time to figure it out. As well the cover should be short, the bumper/bird visable and he will learn that his goal is where the mark landed not the station.
Paul has very good advice. The Ranger operator/starter pistol shooter is always ready to go. He shot a coyote in the face Sunday morning with his .410. That one won't be coming to turkey calls anymore.
Short cover, white bumpers, have the BB throw long flat throws, (90 degrees from the gunner)
Long throws from the gunner so they are nowhere near him, like as far as he can throw it. Nothing to look at but the mark itself. Keep the marking distance short as you already are.
There is a old Rex Carr Drill for young dogs that will solve your problem
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