My friend told me to always handle on a blind, even if my dog gets to within 10 feet of the bird without a handle. The rule book says on a well-planned blind it might be possible but highly improbable for a dog to locate the blind on the initial line from the handler "SO IT MUST BE HANDLED TO THE BLIND."
What does this mean?
Does it mean since it is unlikely the dog is going to find the blind without being handled, the handler should automatically handle no matter what line the dog is taking?
Or is this phrase saying handling is a necessary skill to be tested because, given a lot of natural hazards between the dog and the blind bird, a dog will probably deviate off the initial line even if he is trying to stay on the line?
Full Quote from the rule book:
On blind retrieves, wherever possible, the Judges shallplan their hunting situations taking advantage of hazards,such as islands, decoys, points of land, sandbars, ditches,hedges, small bushes, adjacent heavy cover, and rollingterrain. Despite such natural distractions, it shall bepossible for a dog to find a well-planned blind-retrieve onthe initial line from its handler; that it will do so is highlyimprobable because of those natural hazards, so it must be handled to the blind.
I suspect your friend was referring to two or three things.
Obviously, never let your dog hunt on a blind.
In training it is more important that your dog takes the casts you give than it is to do the blind perfectly.
Handling your dog all the way to a blind does two things. It impresses judges and it saves your ass when the line to a blind take the dog a few yards downwind of a diversion bird.
Whether the dog is handled or not on a blind is of no consequence. If the dog takes a good initial line and goes directly to the blind, that's fine. However, I've had cases where the dog is sent and about halfway there, starts a grand tour of the field eventually stumbling on the bird. Then the handler says the dog "no-whistled" the blind. Not in my book and that's the book that counts.
I have seen a dog take a straight line to the blind and just before the dog picks the bird up, the handler whistle sits the dog just to prove it can be done.
If you send a dog on a blind and he holds the line you sent him on directly to the blind, I'd be inclined to score that very high.
If he veered a bit and needed to be handled back to the line and did so without hesitation and sharply, I'd be inclined to score that very high as well.
If for some reason 3 whistles were required and the dog took each cast sharply I may mark that very high as well.
A blind that is truly lined is a beautiful thing to observe as a judge and probably the sweetest reward a trainer could ask for.
A checkdown whistle at the end of a blind is good handling. it prevents the dog from running past the bird, which is always a possibility. In my book, it does not affect the score as long as the dog stops.
Dogs rarely line blinds, in my experience.
Most judges don't count whistles, Per Se. We do keep track of whistle and cast refusals. The exception is a blind in which the dog has no real momentum to the bird, and is not carrying casts a considerable distance, as the regulations require. -Paul
I ran Hunt Tests for years before moving into Field Trials and have judged both games at all levels. Not saying I'm the ultimate authority or anything, but my observation is that many handlers have rose-colored glasses when watching and recounting their own dogs performances. Can't tell you how many times I overheard handlers bragging about having lined or almost lined the blind, when in my and my co-judges opinion, the performance was a clear failure to challenge the line to the blind. A dog that runs a semi-circle arc that is 40 yards off-line in the middle with no attempt by the handler to correct the line is not a passing performance in my book. Likewise, a dog that lines out to a 100 yard blind and is 20 yards off at the end and winds the bird and runs over to it has not "lined the blind", IMO. A dog that truly lines a blind is a beautiful thing to behold and it does happen, but is infrequent if judges properly use natural diversions in the field to influence the dogs line.
My current SH lined her blinds on our last day of tests, nailing her SH that day.
I spoke to one of the judges later and he indicated that when a dog takes a straight line on a blind and nails it! It shows a high degree of control by the handler and by the dog, to stay on a straight line.
I always make every effort to release her on line....but as you all know, this is not as easy as it sounds, you have to really be able to read your pup, before you release...
The land blind in an amateur a couple months ago had a point of cover on line extending out from the left, farther left you lose the dog in low terrain, to the right an open field.
A very nice guy with a good young dog returned after running and said with an optimistic tone "he missed the point but he lined it". We just smiled and shook our heads.
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