[KEukaFlyer]

After reading the post about the first time hunt tester getting dropped for not waiting for the "dog" signal...I am wondering some of the other $65 lessons people have learned over the years?

Mine happened to be touching my dog's head during the test...that was a $65 scratch behind the ears...too bad the dog doesn't really know what I go through for him!!

What are some other lessons learned?

Joe

 

[Lab-Kid]

Unless you decided to scratch his ears between the time you called for the birds and the dog when the dog was released, the Judges are the ones that should learn a lesson!

 

[John Gassner]

I would say that touching a dog anytime between leaving the holding blind until when you are dismissed from the line and are behind it putting a lead on you had better not touch a dog unless it is accidental.

You can ask permission from the judge such as to remove feathers from mouth or eyes or to check for injuries to feet, etc.

A simple "ear scratch" could be looked at as an ear (pinch) reminder.


John

 

[Trevor Toberny]

I saw a guy who named his dog"DOG" and when the judge said dog his dog took off.

 

[spaightlabs]

when you're running JH, they let you use a collar and to restrain with it until the dog is called. Take advantage of the free gift - I've seen several folks make a $65 donation because the didn't think the dog would break...worry about running steady at SH...

 

[Steve Amrein]

Big AA land marks after 35 dogs picked up and my dog hammered them I took the bird and patted her head on the way to the honor box. The judge that signaled for the honor dog said that I could have been dropped for petting the dog but they didnt. I understand about rules are rules but... sheesh

 

[spaightlabs]

get the dog used to being around decoys (land and water) before the first test...

 

[bruce]

My most memorable [yes there have been others] was at Heart of Texas Senior Water Test a couple of years ago, Buster was near perfect on land in the morning stepping on both marks and one insurance whistle on the blind. [Remember this test was at Fort Hood and either the Abrams or the Howitzers were firing [talk about diversion shots]; anyway on water that afternoon we ran deep in the order and the line was soupy mud and he kind of hesitated to sit at heel I gave him a stern sit, and when he complied I said Good Dog; well I am one who uses that phrase as a release during training to indicate the next one is a Happy!!! Yes he went on the throw, wouldn’t honor the whistle or verbal, and came back with a drake hanging from his jaws wand a smile that said what a good boy am I …. Well we went to the truck and left a director’s chair sitting on top of the hill … it was on the long drive home that I made up my mind no more Seniors; for $5 more we can run Master/Finished …. Yes it is expensive training but then it works out to about $10 a bird and a whole lot of fun …. anybody seen my chair?

 

[Mark Littlejohn]

- Remembering which dog you have at the line to prevent the wrong release command from being interpreted as a no-go (Brazosport, Spring 2004) $65.00

- Remembering where the marks are to prevent you from lining the dog up in the wrong direction. (Pt. Arthur, Spring 2004) $65.00

- Petting your dog while "still under judgement" - even though you're waiting to honor while they're rebirding. $65.00 (Brazosport, Spring 2007)

- Seeing exactly where the birdboy/girl places the blind to prevent you from handling the dog all around the wrong spot with 10 extra whistles. FYI: They don't have to be placed in front of, or within 15 ft. of the stake! (Tulsa, Spring 2006) $65 + a lot of $3.00 gasoline.

- Watching your creeping lil' beeyatch line a third series, third mark she never saw (Pt. Arthur, Spring 2007) = PRICELESS!

.

 

[afdahl]

$65 lesson

I trained a dog a couple of years ago whose work made me so happy, day after day, I got in the habit of telling her "thank you" after she delivered a duck, and she came to take it as a release command. So...I was running her in a hunt test. She did beautifully on the first series. I turned to my right to hand the last bird to the judge, who said, "very nice job." "Thank you," I answered.

And of course the dog left my side to go a few steps ahead, as she would in training when she headed back to the truck for a drink. I quickly recalled her to heel, but not before she had been face-to-face with the dog in the holding blind which was, unfortunately, in the direction I was facing (having turned to give the judge the bird) about four feet away.

The judges dropped her for my allowing a potential confrontation between dogs. Gotta think, in training--how is this going to apply in an event?

Amy Dahl

 

[MoJo]

First Senior Hunter test, land marks then an honor. Dog is very excited but nails the marks. However, she creeps on the honor -a lot-. Stupid handler mistake #62, "Sit. Jodi (dog's name), Sit". She heard the first very quiet, lest I disturb the running dog, "Sit" but when she heard her name she took off. Yes, I sent my dog on an honor...

 

[BMay]

Mistakes

I watched a young man running his dog in an AKC senior test. I think it was for his title. His dog did a remarkable job on both the land and water series. Both blinds were neat perfection. The honor was on the water (last)series. The honor was completed without a muscle on the dog being moved. The judge that was watching the honor dog released the dog /handler team and the gallery came alive with cheers for a well done job. The handler, grinning from ear to ear, pulled out his lead, put it on his dog and walked away. The team DID NOT not qualify! I over heard one of the judges telling the young man "We really hated to drop you BUT...you put the lead on your dog BEFORE you were behind the judges." I thought it was a little weak on the judges part...

 

[DH]

I'm just getting into this game and have a question about that last one. Would it have been ok for the judge to stop the handler and tell him that he wasn't supposed to put the lead on yet? If so, do judges ever do that. Not trying to stir anything up just wondering. Also, is a handler allowed to ask the judge "may I leash the dog now" or similar things? I know the handler is supposed to know the rules but being able to ask would be really nice especially for a newbie like me. Also, I don't want to get a DQ for asking if I'm not supposed to.

DH

 

[BMay]

DH, you can do all the question asking you want, but it should be done before you go to the line to with your dog. Yes, the judge could've remind-ed the handler about NOT putting on the lead...but she didn't!

 

[HuntinDawg]

I've got a good one for you. I ran my old dog in his first Upland Hunt test in the spring. He was fantastic. It could have been the video for "how it is done." Some of the quail even got out of one of the pens by accident in the middle of the test...one flew right in front of him as he was quartering (not part of the test, not a "flush") and he slammed his butt on the ground while at full attention.

Now for the bad part...I ran him in his second Upland Hunt test that fall. A couple of weeks before the test I went over to where my buddy was supposed to be keeping all of the pigeons I had trapped and they were all dead. I had no live birds to train with. I used my mechanical flushing devices to flush dummies in training and of course my dog was steady to "wing" and shot in practice, but he hadn't seen a live bird flush in 4-5 months. When I took him to the test they were using pheasants. The walkup was fine and that was his first real pheasant ever. Then the first flush was a big rooster and my dog lost his mind. You've never heard such a futile whistle blast. He honored on lead.