I was planning to stay out of this but reading this makes me think if something isn’t said nothing will change. You are focusing on one dog and not the others? Why is that, yes he had more but all dogs with no birds or non no birds are also affected. You focus only on the tenth what about the other 5 marking series? The issue with no birds has been getting worse each year to the point the gunners blame the throwers the throwers blame the gunners (as seen in the post above) everyone at the events listening has heard it. That in itself tells you there is a problem. The biggest issue I see is the whole let it ride out, lets see how far you can throw it, lets see how far out we can get it before we shoot, and all the other statements that have been made and heard. These events are not about how big a flyer those in the field can get (who are there for 20-25 dogs then changed out), but about the dogs who toe the line.
As Ted and David say the flyer is the most unfair bird and that is simply because it is allowed to be. I have had many discussions and listened in on many more conversations with those who have been at this a lot longer than me. It seems that pretty much all of them would like to see parameters set on the flyer. In this the judges go out mark the spot they want the bird to land just like a dead bird then mark ten yards each direction from there. This gives the flyer a 20 yard area to land, as someone that has thrown and shot a lot of his own flyers I can tell you this can be done. By doing this yes dogs have to mark, they have to decipher through the older falls, but what they do not have to do is use a handle, go out of an event, gut hunt, etc on a bird that is 30 yards farther and deeper than any other. That plain and simple is not fair to the DOG, for them to go out and work the area of all fresh shot birds, feathers, blood, etc that other dogs have had and there bird be nowhere close. IF that is the only way you can get dogs to hunt then the bird placement of the whole test should be revisited. A dog is supposed to honor their nose and work an area, a 20 yard area is plenty to see this.
Until we stop pointing fingers, making excuses for our failures as humans which we all have, then we will never get to making this fair for the dogs. A lot of you posting on this thread have spoke in the past about sportsmanship and honor for fellow contestants, why is it you don’t have those same thoughts for doing what’s best for the dogs? By settling for birds being unfair for some and not others you are settling for mediocracy, do you also settle for mediocracy when training your dogs? I can tell you the people that are at the nationals most likely did not, so why is it fair you ask so much of your dogs but not also the mechanics of the test? Why is it if a dead bird is short by four yards or it misses an island its a no bird but if a flyer is 20-30 yards farther they roll with it? Every bird should have a parameter set on it of what is fair to the dog, if the guys in the field cant fulfill that then they need to change or the bird needs to change period. I personally would like to see paid bird throwers at the event just like every weekend trial I attend this was also another great topic recently. I know there are groups that are willing to give grants to help this, I also feel if they raised the entry fee $50 per dog at the national to help cover the cost you wouldn’t hear much complaining and you would have guys that do this all year in the field. you would cut way down on thrower changes lowering the odds of bad throws. No one is trying to mess up or miss a throw, but you raise your odds putting someone in the field that does it 5-6 days week all year vs the guy that does it 4-5 times all year.
The gunners and workers do give up a lot to go to the events and everyone appreciates it, but so do the handlers and owners. Everyone is out of pocket, it cost a lot to go to them. The way I see it you can continue to point fingers and blame everyone else and nothing changes or just like when you work through a problem training a dog we all can work to find solutions and ideas to make it better. These dogs work their butts off for us to try and do it right, to get better, to do what we ask of them and we owe it to them to make things as fair as possible and do right by them. Nationals are about show casing great dog work and nothing else so lets find the best way to let them do that. These conversations are only good if you look to improve instead of place blame. I am sure some will agree and others will disagree and thats ok with me but lets try to blend it all up and give the dogs what they deserve.