I've taught my dogs to heel on both sides because I felt that in some situations it would be an advantage to run my dog from one side over the other. I run Hunt tests (AKC ), Master level. An example would be where the third bird of a water triple was a flyer out 25 yds thrown angle back rt to left landing in the water, "smack", to the right of the line. I would think that it would be an advantage to run from the left side. I was recently told by a Pro that if I started a dog in a test heeling on the left then do the whole test with the dog on the left and vice versa. He said some judges will write down a great big "Whuss" on your sheet and ding ya if you switch sides to help the dog pass the test. I've never heard of this. Any comments? Would this be true in FT's.
Why Two Sided Heeling?
Pepper Dawg
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I've taught my dogs to heel on both sides because I felt that in some situations it would be an advantage to run my dog from one side over the other. I run Hunt tests (AKC ), Master level. An example would be where the third bird of a water triple was a flyer out 25 yds thrown angle back rt to left landing in the water, "smack", to the right of the line. I would think that it would be an advantage to run from the left side. I was recently told by a Pro that if I started a dog in a test heeling on the left then do the whole test with the dog on the left and vice versa. He said some judges will write down a great big "Whuss" on your sheet and ding ya if you switch sides to help the dog pass the test. I've never heard of this. Any comments? Would this be true in FT's.
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That is quite possibly the dumbest thing I've heard of. Gettin dinged because of the side your dog heel's on. Lardy does it and he doesn't seem to be hurtin over it. If getting dinged gets me 7+ Nation Open wins then ding away....i two side heel all my dogs and one thing is for sure, it does not help them mark the bird. It gives me some extra control tools on the line and may help a dog that is obviously confused on a mark slightly but for the most part it ain't enough to ding a dog for needing more help. If anything they should get extra credit for being trained to a higher level and more versatile....
/Paul
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I have never known or heard of any judge that cares from which side you run your dog. Judges should be watching performance. How you get your dog to produce the best possible retrieve, within the rules, does not matter. Once I give the # you can: send from the right, left,in front, snatch the bird from the dog's mouth and let him run to the next one without sending at all... I don't care!
Tim
Tim
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Judges dinging you for using two sided heeling should NOT be judging. They are just looking for a resaon to drop a dog.
Two sided heeling is a training control tool. If the bird is thrown left, run from the left side. Bird thrown right, run from the right.
Lets say the last bird down is thrown left. The blind is deep and tight to the holding blind the bird was thrown from. The lines to both birds is very close, right?.
You line the dog up for the mark on the left and send. For the blind, you line him up on the right to run the blind. The line to the blind IS different to the dog, as compared to thee line for the left thrown mark.
In Lardy's seminar several years ago he stressed the impotance of 2 sided heeling. It's another tool in your bag of tricks. Almost everyone I train with uses 2 sided heeling and sending.
There is something to it!
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I judged a national winner in a derby where he commented on the two sided healing. He said if the two sided healing works then this dog should go on the wrong side of the gun. He said this after he sent the dog from the wrong side when he made the comment. Sure enough the dog hunted on the wrong side of the gun.
Does it work? I don't know but if the flyer gun needs to have the dogs mind changed from staring directly at the gun, you have the option of the other side to keep the dog from staring at the flyer gun.
Does it work? I don't know but if the flyer gun needs to have the dogs mind changed from staring directly at the gun, you have the option of the other side to keep the dog from staring at the flyer gun.
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I've seen situations in the events where it would be a great advantage. $.02
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I heel my dogs only on the left, BUT when I judge I do not care which side the handler has his dog. That said, I have seen a lot of handlers screw up a dog by heeling them on the wrong side especially on water blinds.
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A deeper understanding of a one sided dog in in the animal learning push-pull on blinds and in the handler learning what proximity to the dog will cause. I advocate for 2 sided also to set up my dog for the best possible success I can have. In marks it can have a profound effect on destination and influencing the line of the dog.
This is a tough point to make over the internet without a group of people who do both one sided and 2 sided. I have seen both used to assit the handler to achieve a result, and both has merits if taught to the dog, nothing in this game is simple and if studied with a mentor who has the ability to teach the resons why a particular method is desired then much can be learned. I have seen a one sided dog schooled in push pull with proxmity and to a lessor degree the placement of the hand over the dogs head to achieve the same result. I have seen a 2 sided dog schooled in the same manner by using each side. The dog has to be taught consistantly and be able to pick up the cues but it can be rewarding.
As far as the judge who made the comment. I agree that they should not be speaking before they think.
This is a tough point to make over the internet without a group of people who do both one sided and 2 sided. I have seen both used to assit the handler to achieve a result, and both has merits if taught to the dog, nothing in this game is simple and if studied with a mentor who has the ability to teach the resons why a particular method is desired then much can be learned. I have seen a one sided dog schooled in push pull with proxmity and to a lessor degree the placement of the hand over the dogs head to achieve the same result. I have seen a 2 sided dog schooled in the same manner by using each side. The dog has to be taught consistantly and be able to pick up the cues but it can be rewarding.
As far as the judge who made the comment. I agree that they should not be speaking before they think.
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Half full glass perspective in practice...
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So please explain the correct use of two sided healing. Yes my dog does it because I taught it but I think sometimes I use it incorrectly.
Thanks
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In the purest sense, it is used as a cue to help the dog remind the direction in which the bird is thrown.
With a single thrown left to right, you would run the dog on the right.
It can also be used to block an attractive bird to increase focus on a tougher bird. For example, double.
Long bird on right, thrown right to left
Short flyer on left, thrown right to left.
On setup, run dog on right to increase focus on long bird.
When dog returns from flyer, run on ...
Left because that is your cue?
Right because that is where dog was on setup?
And so it goes ....
With a single thrown left to right, you would run the dog on the right.
It can also be used to block an attractive bird to increase focus on a tougher bird. For example, double.
Long bird on right, thrown right to left
Short flyer on left, thrown right to left.
On setup, run dog on right to increase focus on long bird.
When dog returns from flyer, run on ...
Left because that is your cue?
Right because that is where dog was on setup?
And so it goes ....
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Left because that's my cue, and because I can influence the dog's line more by pushing than pulling. I'd like to keep her in front of the gun unless there's some obvious factor taking the dog wide of the throw.
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What if the gun is retired? Is it still a cue? And if you set the dog on the right, aren't you better reinforcing the memory of how the birds went down?
And do you really push better than you pull?
I find if I want gross movement, push is easier
If I want subtle movement, pull is easier
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If the gun's retired I'd put the dog on whatever side I felt was most advantageous regardless of which side the bird was thrown on. If there was a stand out flyer left to be retrieved I might put the dog on the opposite side to partially block the dogs view as I sent for the retired bird.
I regularly expect the dogs to come in and go for a memory bird from a diffrent side than they viewed the test. That's what I do in training so I try to maintain consistency. I'm not sure keeping them on the same side reinforces their memory, but I'd be open to reasoning to that end.
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When I set up on the line, I pick my spot based on where I think the dog gets the best look at the money bird, and work to get lock from that spot.
So, when the dog returns and is being set up from the money bird, I try to recreate - as best I can - what it was like as the birds were falling. So if I set up for money bird on right at time birds were called, I would set up for money bird on right when I was getting ready to send for money bird.
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