[Warren Flynt]

alright, here is a new video from today. I apologize for the poor camera work, bit its better than an iphone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkJ7nNl7MUc&feature=youtu.be

my critique: 1. I need to line the dog up better.
2. I need to line the dog up better.

What do ya'll think?

Thanks,

Warren

 

[Wayne Nutt]

Here's my comments:

1. Get a mat. It will help you and the dog know where to come back to.

2. She looks like a young dog. So I wouldn't pinch the marks in yet. I would throw both the marks in the same direction. Like in this situation both marks thrown to the left. Note how she was indecisive as to which mark to go to when sent on the first mark. She kinda split the middle at first.

3. Test the wind before you start to setup.

4. Make the dog sit before sending on second mark.

5. Don't throw from the line, in this instance just run a double.

6. And Howard's favorite comment to me, quit figgiting on the line.

7. I couldn't tell much about the blind. You might want to run blinds outside the marks for a while. It looked like she was popping but I couldn't tell because I couldn't hear the whistles because of the wind noise.

Even with all my comments above, I thought you'll did a good job.

P.S. Where was your heeling stick? and ecollar transmitter?

 

[Evan]

Where was your heeling stick? and ecollar transmitter?

Ahem!

Evan

 

[Wayne Nutt]

8. Heel your dog off the line after blind before giving a happy bumper.

 

[Mary Lynn Metras]

8. Heel your dog off the line after blind before giving a happy bumper.

All good points Wayne. Thanks for posting the video.Good luck to you!

 

[Chris Atkinson]

I thought it looked great.

Here's a sailing tip I learned as a kid that I use daily when training. It takes seconds, and is hands-free. When sailing, your hands are tied up with the mainsheet, tiller, etc. And you need to know the wind direction.

Assess wind direction with no hands. No cigarette smoke, no tossing grass or leaves.

How: Look straight ahead, parallel to the ground. Turn your neck/head until you feel the wind blowing in your face. Gradually adjust your face until you feel/hear the wind blowing equally across each ear. When you feel this, you are looking directly into the wind. (Generally for training, run your marks the opposite way)

You'll be surprised, when you consciously do this, how sensitive your ears will be to the wind. If you're off just a touch, you will sense the difference between ears. When you get it just right, the wind will feel and sound perfectly balanced. You'll never toss grass in the air again - unless it is to show someone else the wind direction.

 

[Warren Flynt]

I thought it looked great.

Here's a sailing tip I learned as a kid that I use daily when training. It takes seconds, and is hands-free. When sailing, your hands are tied up with the mainsheet, tiller, etc. And you need to know the wind direction.

Assess wind direction with no hands. No cigarette smoke, no tossing grass or leaves.

How: Look straight ahead, parallel to the ground. Turn your neck/head until you feel the wind blowing in your face. Gradually adjust your face until you feel/hear the wind blowing equally across each ear. When you feel this, you are looking directly into the wind. (Generally for training, run your marks the opposite way)

You'll be surprised, when you consciously do this, how sensitive your ears will be to the wind. If you're off just a touch, you will sense the difference between ears. When you get it just right, the wind will feel and sound perfectly balanced. You'll never toss grass in the air again - unless it is to show someone else the wind direction.

Thats a great idea, thanks! But, after almost 20 years of playing golf, it may be hard to break the pinch and toss habit.;-)

It was pretty windy out there, so thats one of the reasons for the poor audio.

Thanks for the advice, Chris, and thanks for all you do around here.

 

[Warren Flynt]

Here's my comments:

1. Get a mat. It will help you and the dog know where to come back to.

Agreed. She is familiar with a mat, but I don't own or train with one.

2. She looks like a young dog. So I wouldn't pinch the marks in yet. I would throw both the marks in the same direction. Like in this situation both marks thrown to the left. Note how she was indecisive as to which mark to go to when sent on the first mark. She kinda split the middle at first.

She looks a little young, but will be four this Spring and will be (hopefully) running Master this Spring- if my schedule works out. She's just a tiny girl, just under 50#. We've been working on different concepts. Yesterday we were 'going over' converging marks.

3. Test the wind before you start to setup.

Agreed. I retested because I thought it shifted a little, and it had.

4. Make the dog sit before sending on second mark.

Agreed. Was sloppy on my part.

5. Don't throw from the line, in this instance just run a double.

I usually don't throw from the line, but with one winger being out of commission, I said what the heck.

6. And Howard's favorite comment to me, quit figgiting on the line.

This seems to always be a problem.

7. I couldn't tell much about the blind. You might want to run blinds outside the marks for a while. It looked like she was popping but I couldn't tell because I couldn't hear the whistles because of the wind noise.

The wind was pretty bad, which was messing with the audio. She never popped, but can I definitely understand the conjecture.

Even with all my comments above, I thought you'll did a good job.

Thanks!

P.S. Where was your heeling stick? and ecollar transmitter?

Ecollar transmitter was around my neck, along with whistles and Winger Remote. Its amazing how much crap we use to train dogs.

Oh, and I forgot the heeling stick- but have rarely been using one since basics, as she sits her butt down pretty well... is that bad?

 

[Wayne Nutt]

1. I really would get a mat. It is helpful in lots of ways. You can get a real good one for only $20.
2. After having received constructive comments over the last few yrs, I have learned to carry my ecollar transmitter in my hand not in a holster. This is a good idea. You only have a very short time for an effective correction. If you are fumbling and trying to untangle from the rest of the stuff around your neck an opportunity may be lost.
3. I still use a heeling stick most of the time even with my older dogs. A great opportunity for a stick correction was when she didn't sit on returning from the first mark.
4. It's a pain in the butt but you should have some stuff at or near the line: mat, buckets, chairs, gunstand, gun, birdracks, holding blinds, etc. The practice session is also about creating as close as possible the atomsphere of a test.
5. Even when I do a video, I use a mat so I know where the line is and start in a holding blind and walk him to the line.
6. Once upon a time, I would hand throw from the line like you did. After a while, after the first two marks were down my dog would look up at me. The "what the hecks" always cause me problems later.

My intent is to be helpful. Again, I thought you did a very good job but maybe the above will make it better yet and help you get a MH title.

I highly recommend Dennis Voigt's Training Alone dvd. It was made for guys like us.

Regards,
Wayne

 

[Warren Flynt]

1. I really would get a mat. It is helpful in lots of ways. You can get a real good one for only $20.
2. After having received constructive comments over the last few yrs, I have learned to carry my ecollar transmitter in my hand not in a holster. This is a good idea. You only have a very short time for an effective correction. If you are fumbling and trying to untangle from the rest of the stuff around your neck an opportunity may be lost.
3. I still use a heeling stick most of the time even with my older dogs. A great opportunity for a stick correction was when she didn't sit on returning from the first mark.
4. It's a pain in the butt but you should have some stuff at or near the line: mat, buckets, chairs, gunstand, gun, birdracks, holding blinds, etc. The practice session is also about creating as close as possible the atomsphere of a test.
5. Even when I do a video, I use a mat so I know where the line is and start in a holding blind and walk him to the line.
6. Once upon a time, I would hand throw from the line like you did. After a while, after the first two marks were down my dog would look up at me. The "what the hecks" always cause me problems later.

My intent is to be helpful. Again, I thought you did a very good job but maybe the above will make it better yet and help you get a MH title.

I highly recommend Dennis Voigt's Training Alone dvd. It was made for guys like us.

Regards,
Wayne

Thanks Wayne. Your input really is helpful, and thanks for the Voigt recommendation- I'll definitely look into it. My next purchase may be a four wheeler, to lug all this crap around!

Thanks,

Warren

 

[Wayne Nutt]

You might want to consider a mule instead of a four wheeler. I find they are more to my liking. Plus I have an alum. two hole dog box in the bed. The only addition from this picture is rails along the front and back of the dog box. There is a 6-8" tray on the dog box which is really helpful.

 

[Trevor Toberny]

Where do u get a good may for $20 around here Wayne? All the good ones with the holes like the pros use are $52 at tractor supply.

 

[Wayne Nutt]

Fatique mats (3X3) are available at an every day price of appx $20 at Lowe's and Home Depot.

http://www.retrievertraining.net/forums/showthread.php?t=77228&highlight=Training+mat

 

[Trevor Toberny]

Sweet, thanks

 

[Howard N]

I love it, Wayne has a dog box on his ATV but where does the dog ride?

Shoot Wayne, your dogs aren't spoiled or anything are they?

:lol: :razz:

 

[webfootkennel of IL]

Semi-Trailer mud flaps are free and work very well. Go to a trailer repair shop, they usually have piles of used ones, just the right size. Also work for dog trailer mats.
The mat not only tells the dog where he should be but allows us to monitor creeping.
I usually start with a 1/2 pallet with a door mat glued on it when starting to steady, and evolve to a rubber mat in the field.

 

[Jon Couch]

Is the dog trained to heel on both sides? If she does I would have started her out on the right hand side based on the order you threw the marks making her look across your body for the hand thrown mark. Then you could of just stepped forward to push her into the other marks. Looks like that would have altered her line to the go bird. And it looked like you were watching the marks and not the dog. Only things I noticed other than and Wayne's comments dog and handler looked good. I really like that you took your time with your casts and held them in place. Nice job.