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Why Do We Do This???

14K views 54 replies 38 participants last post by  runnindawgz 
#1 · (Edited)
What’s worse ???


1) Crash and burn in the first series…………………( Total embarrassment)-------- OR

2) Crash and burn on the last bird of the fourth?????---- (Absolute disappointment)

1) We get a late start to the FT. I break a few driving laws and manage to make up the time. (320 miles one way). When we arrive at the trial slightly late, I’m not too concerned because I have a late number. As luck would have it the first series was delayed for fog. The test starts an hour and a half later. It’s a relatively easy test. We pound the flier (as did most). Line up for the memory bird she, (dog) gives it a good long look. I send. She runs straight at it, gets about 30 yards from the mark and turns HARD left. Almost like she was on cable and hit the end of it…..Directly back to the flier station..

Not wanting to let her get away with that I decide to pick her up. She had other ideas……..
Back at the flier station she is all over the bird crate and will NOT come back to me…………..Did the walk of shame and put a rope on her (still on the bird crate),,,,TOTAL EMBARRASSMENT !!!!
We had a 5 hour ride home to think about it...........

(Note to self: Never shoot 2 dozen fliers for a derby dog in the week before a trial)


2) MapQuest directions night before trial.. Leave house early and drive to “MapQuest” location. Discover that we went an hour too far south, ask for directions etc. etc. Get to trial an hour and a half late. I lucked out!!! They were only on dog #9, I wasn’t too late.

We make it to the fourth series. Which is on day 2 (Read late start=late finish) Nine dogs back to the fourth. We run next to last… Hammer the go bird. Send for memory bird she gets spooked, unsure, and nervous. Dog pops……. I pick her up. Don’t know if we were in the color or not,,, BUT??????
ABSOLUTE DISAPOINTMENT

On the way home the wife says “Are you done pouting”? I said sure… (When I was younger I would be mad as He!! and storming)…She then follows up with “ Tell me again why you wanted to get back into this game” ???

Response: Your missing the journey enjoy it………………We laughed and continued our drive home..
Why is it that do we do this ????

Edit: That's a rhetorical question..:cool:

Randy
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Great post Randy! So true and yet we keep coming back. I'm only 4 years into this obsession, but realize it's the best thing that ever happened to me - despite being eliminated in the first 5 minutes after driving several hours and paying for the "night before" hotel room - more than once!

To me, this sport and the drive to achieve mediocrity, is the perfect life lesson in "It's the journey, stupid!" And what a wonderful journey it is. I love every day that I get to train my dog and I love looking forward to training my dog when I'm not able. What is better than to always have a goal and something enjoyable to look forward to!! Nothing! Even when you have to spend a bunch of dumb time in the car and eat cold boiled eggs for breakfast the morning before a trial or test.

The good times aren't as good without the hard times, maybe.

So, in summary: What Dave said ^^^^
 
#4 ·
Damned if I know.

After getting lost and turned around about 5 times on the way to the grounds, then waiting for a 1pm start, and then done within the hour with maximum humiliation, and really having no idea where in hell I was, I just plain got in the car and drove south and west by the compass on the dash until my blood pressure was down and I hit an interstate with a familiar number.

Bah.
 
#5 ·
How about going almost fully across the continent to go out in the first series of the Master National? (Make that 3rd bird of the first series and not being invited to run the blinds.) But NEXT year it's practically in our back yard. We gonna try again? You bet!!! (We're already half way there!)
 
#7 ·
As I've gotten older, I've stopped choosing. For example, when asked "brownies or ice-cream?" I respond, "BOTH!" and I mean it. To answer your question: BOTH! Get multiple dogs and you'll get your share of both, sometimes in the same test. In fact, just a month ago at a master hunt test in Michigan, I had one dog go out out on the first bird (the go bird flyer...embarrassing!!!) and another dog go out on the water blind (last bird of the last series...frustrating). I wouldn't want another hobby, though. Training and running multiple dogs and working through multiple problems makes us better trainers and handlers. Going out early or going out late remind us that this isn't easy, that the ribbons and points aren't just given away, and even more importantly, make those successful weekends more special and more meaningful. Like the song says, "If you want to see a rainbow, you've gotta stand a little rain."

Better luck next time.

Sincerely,
Bobby
 
#8 ·
I've done both.

I'd much rather go out in the 4th. If you crash and burn in the 1st, you never played. If you have 3 good series and bomb the 4th you've played, you've enjoyed the ecstasy :) before the agony :cry:.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Howard I agree.....BUT,,,,I've run 7 derbies with this little girl. (3 in Canada and 4 in the states) We managed one 2nd place and one Jam.

Then crash and burn in the first............the other 4 times,,,, she went out on the last bird of the last series.

As Doublehaul mentioned it could be worse...Freeze on the last bird.

I guess I'm guilty of selective memory,,,,,,,,,,,,,I only remember the good times field trialing. Totally forgetting about all those long rides home thinking about the Could've, Would've, and Should haves.

At the end of the day it's all good. Nothing like standing at the line in the fourth......Other than the select few that have gone to line in the 10th.

Earl, I can't even imagine having a dog break 8 times in a row......I'd be suicidal.

Lucky Seven, Don't worry, that won't happen again....I thought I could bore her with fliers....I was WRONG:confused:

One last thought: When I was thinking about buying a boat one of the experienced boaters I spoke to said...." If your idea of fun is taking a cold shower and ripping up $100 bills buy a boat"

I think that may apply to dog games too....

Thanks for listening,

Randy
 
#9 ·
Dain Bramage...

Gotta be it...
 
#11 ·
I've got a 9 year old bitch that has given me the direct definition of the term "bitch" She's done things her own way and I am/was a novice handler when I started with her; not a good combo. It's taken me this long but she just got her 3rd leg of SH last weekend and was 30 feet from the last water blind she'd ever have to do in her life and she blew up and blew me off.

I have failed so many tests with her I've lost count.

Learned a lot from her, but the best of all: laugh and have fun, because you never know what's going to happen on any given day.
 
#12 ·
First derby, went out on memory of first series. Only consolation is that 10 others did the same thing before us. Second derby, went out on memory of second series! Making progress, then aged out!

Another significant frustration, had not one but TWO dogs looking strong going into third series of a Q. Both blew up and ran wild on the water blind and it took forever to round them up and bring 'em back.

A month ago got my first senior pass with my young dog who wasn't supposed to be able to run anymore. The joy and pride payed back in spades for the above!
 
#13 ·
I am totally desensitized to crashing and burning in the 1st series. That is what the cooler tray in the dog truck is for :)

I could stand some blowing up in the last series of an AA stake. Hopefully this fall.

I have run a couple of flawless hunt tests with one dog only to have him break on the honor at the very end. I guess running an Am one weekend and then running a HT the next is not the best idea. I think my wife has experienced the worst of the worst a time or two: run the whole thing perfectly and then be dropped when the black hearted critter would not give up the bird the last bird.
 
#14 · (Edited)
If you run a female, you know that at any time they just might decided to go girl on you ;) If Mine waits till the 4th, just about the time I start to think; she might actually want to play today; then she decides to do things "her way" i'm much happier than if she decides to do it in the first. By that time I'm so relieved we made it that far, & that I've gotten most of my money's worth, that I can sometimes laugh about it ;)
 
#15 · (Edited)
Geez....I thought we were the only ones to have melt downs.

Creeping on the honor, and not coming back.
I am commanding "here, here, dammit ELVIS----here!"

He only heard 1 thing, there he was.....GONE!!!
Couple things go wrong, I get nervous.......:shock:

Can't wait to run again..........:D

stan b
 
#18 ·
Ok the last 8 I repeat 8 starts one of my gals has broke in the first series.. Witts end she was noisy pushed in that area and guess what? she started breaking in the all-age. Tried a Master hunt test and guess what she broke in the first series. Thought maybe the white coats, naw, wasn't that, had another one years past that got his master hunter and HRCH after retired from trials because of line manners issues. That aint her problem. Pulled her from trials for one year. Broke her out after a year and she broke in the first series. She has a home until she dies , she is a good hunting dog, in training runs like a field champion, NFC/AFC X FC/AFC sired. We aren't exactly a rookie at this dog game and train with very experienced folks. Why do I still do this after 4 plus decades, three of the five voices in my head say I must!
 
#23 ·
Great post, enjoyed reading it.
 
#25 ·
It gets worse than going out in the 1st or even the 4th.
It's called a Greenie.
 
#29 ·
Had 29 1/2 AA points (about half n half O&A) before getting an Amateur win and retiring. Had to beat Grady that day.
One time, me handling in Open, needed win for FC-AFC and Qual for both Nationals. Got 2nd and None of the above.
Oh joy!
 
#30 ·
" MapQuest directions night before trial.. Leave house early and drive to “MapQuest” location. Discover that we went an hour too far south, ask for directions etc. etc. Get to trial an hour and a half late. I lucked out!!! They were only on dog #9, I wasn’t too late. "

LOL Garmin did the same thing to me this weekend except it was when I was really tired going home.
 
#31 ·
Very frustrating year so far. Finished pretty strong last year but it didn't carry over. Got tired of running quals so moved up to run the am. Figured we could flame out there just as easy so why not try it. This past weekend first series was a monster triple. 440 yd long middle bird, 360 yd right hand bird, both retired . 100 or so yd flier right in our face shot into the test. Couldn't get him to look out at the long gun and he swung to the flier on the shot. So I cued him dead bird and he lined almost the whole way to the fall and he dug it out. Lots of good dogs handled or picked up . I was disappointed not getting called back but very proud of my dog for getting all those birds.he never would have, even two months ago. Half way home I was ready to get back out there and keep training.
We're getting better little by little and having lots of fun.
If success was easy to achieve in this game, it wouldn't mean nearly as much.
 
#33 ·
I was disappointed not getting called back but very proud of my dog for getting all those birds.he never would have, even two months ago. Half way home I was ready to get back out there and keep training.
We're getting better little by little and having lots of fun.
If success was easy to achieve in this game, it wouldn't mean nearly as much.
I most of us in the game have to set our own standards for success. Working 60-80 hours a week and only training on weekends or when I can play hooky and sneak out, I can't relate to the folks who are upset about greenies very well, but I have learned which of my FT friends to congratulate for a JAM and which ones not to. Of course, if I had 8 in a row, like Breck, I am sure I might see things differently.

I remember the first time we picked up all the birds in the first series of an AA stake. It was a big field and not quite good enough to get us back, but I didn't care, I was so happy. Then we moved on to where we started getting called back pretty regularly and going series by series a little farther each season. Hopefully this fall I might need to start training on water marks ;)
 
#32 ·
If success was easy to achieve in this game, it wouldn't mean nearly as much.
Waaaaaay True.
 
#34 ·
Hmmmm... Do we play these games because of ribbons? Or is there something else... You drive to the event full of hope, happiness and excitement that you have trained you dog for his/her first event. Nevermind that you couldn't possibly train yourself for YOUR first event! You are going to hang out with the people who coached you along the way, and people you have heard about, and people who you have talked into coming..

You roll in to the festive atmosphere and grab your catalogue and watch the test dog. You have heard about the test dogs wonders, and you start to feel the fear gripping your stomach when you see the test dog blowing it. If the test dog screwed up, how is your dog going to perform? Yikes! Back to the truck you go, and you remember to air your dog, and start to get ready for your 1st time to the line... Maybe just get back in the truck and chill for a while...

The marshall has sent someone to look for you. Ugh! You have to run ahead of someone! What?! Now you Get out of the truck, and immediately go puke behind the truck. Then get your dog, and with shaking hands put her on lead. Pray that she doesn't notice you are nervous and drag you to the line. On the way to the test area, relish the feeling of the thunderous stomach ache that has all of a sudden over come you again. Only this time you have to make a trip to the woods and pray that no-one sees you, and pray that you remembered some paper products.

Once your internal organs are completely empty, you continue on to the holding blinds. You start to notice that you can hear nothing but loud rushing sounds in your ears. You try to shake that and clear your head. You realize how stupid it is. You realize that you don't even know why you are playing this dumb dog game, and that you should just go home. You wish you could go to the woods again. You wish that no-one would notice you because you just KNOW that EVERYONE is staring at you and only you, instead of watching the test.

Your feet begin to feel as if lead weights are in the soles of your shoes. By the time you get to the last blind your feet will have sprouted roots and you will be unabe to move them when the judge calls your name. Finally when you have mentally been able to force yourself out and up to the line, you will be horrified that your genious dog has just knocked over the judge, pulled birds off the rack, or has just positioned herself about 5 feet ahead of the line. So then you feel a new surge of panic. You forget what you are allowed to say and do. You pray you can get your dog back into somewhat of a heel position. You call for the birds and with each one your dog creeps forward again. You just know she will launch early. And then the relief sets in when the judge says "dog".

And after he gets the birds, and the rushing in your ears passes, you can hear the gallery clapping and your legs feel like rubber as you walk back through the crowd. This is why we do what we do. You get sucked in that 1st time and can hardly wait to do it again...
 
#37 ·
Perfect.......I am just curious, when does this stop?:confused:
 
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