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Have you done any blind drills where marks and blinds are mixed? I think that would be a good place to start. Also I am curious, is this a hunting dog, hunt test dog, or maybe a trial dog?
 
I will start right now. If I were running a Derby dog I wouldn't do any handling in the field.

Please tell us your take on this.
 
Me? I'm new at this. I've only trained two meat dogs that retrieved ducks and dove for me and and my friends. I'm not sure where I am going on my journey with this new one and I'm looking for knowledge and insight.
OK, I will say something more about this. I am very old school and have some old ideas. One of them is handling young dogs in the field. The other is not doing handling with Derby dogs.

1. Many of the young dogs that I see that are taught handling at a young age seem to develop a tendency to pop. Granted, these are usually hunt test dogs. I believe that this is a result of handling at a young age in the field. I shot at a Junior Hunt Test yesterday and saw more than a couple of dogs pop.
2. A Derby dog, older than 6 mos. up to 2 yrs. old, is run on marking tests. Popping on a mark is a no-no. You want to develop the marking. Also, this tendency to pop might survive into a continuing field trial career.
3. The popping is not critical IMHO for a hunting dog. However, I still don't want my dogs to pop. I didn't travel hundreds of miles, spend a lot of money on dogs and training to get what should be an excellent marking dog but then to encourage him to have poorly developed habits on running marks.

This is my opinion. I am sure that many disagree. However, I do know one amateur trialer who has two FC-AFCs who I believe agrees with me.
 
Popping on marks is usually a result of poor/improper training and overhandling, not simply a function of "handling in the field". All of my dogs are handling, decheating, etc while young, popping on marks is not a frequent issue, because my pro is very thorough and very good at building a foundation and we work hard at keeping a balance on the dogs. I don't run much derby and don't have any placements, just greenies, but, they are all handling, running blinds, decheating, etc before they ever get entered in anything these days. If a dog starts popping on marks, something is out of balance and needs adjusting and it certainly doesn't need to become a lifelong habit, unless something is really off. Derby isn't the end goal for us, so we don't "train for derby". Key is knowing when to handle, when to help, when to let a dog hunt and work it out, when and how to set up marks to teach a dog and build a solid foundation. Handling doesn't make dogs pop, handlers do.

I'm not going to advise the OP on when/how to intro blinds with marks, there are plenty of training guides that address that, but, did want to say, that it won't ruin a dog's marking if one does so correctly. Plenty of successful derby dogs, FC AFC, QAA, MH, handled young.
 
"Two weeks ago I started my pup on cold blinds. When and how can I start running cold blinds in the area of marks?"

First of all, are you training and following a program? For example, I have pup that is 13 months. She has worked her way through single T and is nearly finished with swim-by. Today we ran her first land cold blinds. When these progress to being able to run sets of three/four cold blinds comfortably, we will begin to combine marking and blinds in a drill like setup called the Key Relationship Drill. This presents blinds that are past the old fall, close behind the gunner, wide of the gunner, under the arc and finally poisons......an alternative is to teach those concept blinds in separate, isolated setups.

"When" is more of a judgement call for a pup. If you think your pup is ready......you probably know better than anyone else. However, have a sequential plan in place to go about combining marks with the different types of blinds.

For what it's worth, we plan on running a derby (or two) next spring.

Zero popping regards, Jim
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
Pup is mainly a hunting dog, however, I may at some point down the road enter him into a hunt test. I'm using Voight's essentials but I don't see where it addresses my issue, did I miss something on the DVD's? Thanks!
 
When and how can I start running cold blinds in the area of marks?
Little confused here, do you mean you want to run marks and blinds in the same series, or you want to run a blind to a location you've already had a mark?

I wouldn't really want to run a blind to an area a dogs just had a mark; Wouldn't want the dog to get the idea that he's to be handled on marks, nor that it's a good idea to return to an old fall. I'd want to let the ghosts in that particular field, die down and wait a day or so before running cold blind to or through a location where he's had marks. Still eventually you need to start incorporating blinds into your marking setups- basically run the marks then run a blind. First make the blind unassociated with the marks; run it to the side; then work toward running one btw the marks (out of areas of fall). Let the dog learn the cadence & cues; for marks then blinds. Then start working on running through old falls, throwing a double running one mark, then the blind, then the other mark etc. Oftentimes I'll use permanent blinds when starting off with marks and blinds together. Basically we setup a marking series, then end by running a few permanents the dog already knows, how to get to right through whatever setup we've just completed. Or I'll put a lining stake out on the blind out beyond the marks. So after he pick up his marks; rather than bouncing off old falls etc. when we ask him to run a blind he pretty much knows where to go; then you teach him the proper way to get there. This way even if it gets a bit ugly or the dog gets confused while trying to get by old falls; in the middle of the blind, the dog can finish strong, by running to the post; keeping his momentum up. Once he get's used to running strong though all those distractions, the post retires.
 
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