[drbobsd]

As we are running marks and blinds over snow packed ice of technical water I was wondering if the dogs will remember or is it a whole new world again to them when ice turns to liquid?

 

[Angie B]

As we are running marks and blinds over snow packed ice of technical water I was wondering if the dogs will remember or is it a whole new world again to them when ice turns to liquid?

No none of what they're seeing now will transfer over.... The beauty of training on frozen lakes, ponds. A whole new playing field with all their elements.

Angie

 

[Buzz]

Interesting question Bob. I've been running Ace over points etc, that I plan to take him back to run again when the ice melts. I've been looking for points that have brush on them and such, so he gets the point (no pun intended) when I handle him through. Today we did a blind across big water, over a point, and diagonal across a channel. I was surprised, he seemed more drawn to "beach early" on the ice than he would on water...

Pheasant hunting seems to be biting me in the butt when I try to handle him through heavy cover. That nose wants to go down. I can't imagine what will happen when I start putting some feathers down first.

Did you run the club trial today?

 

[Judy Chute]

There is a woman with Labs here that does just that..runs on frozen pond that we use during season. She swears it helps her dogs to do better when it melts..

We can't trust the ice this year, yet, and I worry about spring fed or moving water under ice ..just a hung-up of mine.

Speaking of which.."I was surprised, he seemed more drawn to "beach early" on the ice than he would on water..."

He didn't feel thin ice under his feet did he and want to get off..on a channel? Just a thought..probably silly one

Judy

 

[Miriam Wade]

Assuming that you can trust the ice is solid (like Judy mentioned-cause thin ice is dangerous business)-don't you worry about poor footing & injuries? Not trying to be critical, but there are just a lot of things I don't do with a dog in the winter for safety's sake.

M

 

[muddyriver]

He said it was snow packed!!! It's just like running on the ground. I train in our swamps this time of year when the snow is down. Its a great way to train with some cover!!!

 

[Doug Main]

Assuming that you can trust the ice is solid (like Judy mentioned-cause thin ice is dangerous business)-don't you worry about poor footing & injuries? Not trying to be critical, but there are just a lot of things I don't do with a dog in the winter for safety's sake.

If I can walk on it, its plenty safe for any dog. :lol:

Footing is not a problem. The ice on the lakes just isn't that smooth & usually has snow frozen on it. We train on the ice when the snow is either too deep or when it has a crust on top that we are more afraid of injury training in the snow than training on the lakes.

No I don't think running across a frozen point will cary over when thawed.

 

[Buzz]

We've been walking on these ponds since December. Very little snow cover to insulate the ice. And to top it off, in the last few weeks here, we've seen very little double digit temps that didn't have a minus sign in front. Given that I walked across the channel @230 lbs, probably 250 lbs bundled up, I don't imagine the dog was drawn to shore because of weak ice. The shores have cover, and after pheasant hunting, that seems to be where he wants to go.

 

[Judy Chute]

and after pheasant hunting, that seems to be where he wants to go

..what a good boy .. , wants to pick up some birds..

 

[Richard Halstead]

No none of what they're seeing now will transfer over.... The beauty of training on frozen lakes, ponds. A whole new playing field with all their elements.

I would also think that the look would be different running across the ice compared to the same look the dog has with it's eyes 1 inch above the waters surface.

 

[ASH]

It was kind of strange with our dogs. They were both young and we trained on this pond all during the summer. Come winter, once the pond froze, you couldn't get them to go on the ice at all. They would stop dead at the edge of where the pond started and you couldn't get them to go any farther. It was really wierd. The older dog was NOT a cheater, yet he wouldn't go on that ice.

Anne

 

[Angie B]

No none of what they're seeing now will transfer over.... The beauty of training on frozen lakes, ponds. A whole new playing field with all their elements.

I would also think that the look would be different running across the ice compared to the same look the dog has with it's eyes 1 inch above the waters surface.

Yupper....

Angie

 

[drbobsd]

Fact that this work won't transfer to summer makes sense to me. Good practice busting shorline cover at angles and up and over cover on points can't hurt in the near term.

Thanks for the responses.

Buzz, went out in final series of qual with both dogs. Dogs and I had great fun. I did get to judge the open which was a hoot.