[Loren Crannell]

My dog is learning cold blinds and I am trying to build up her confidence before we enter her in a Qualifying stake. BUT..

when I do enter her in a stake and if she happens to pop, what would you do? Stand there and hope she continues with her line? or..... ? Lets assume there were no distracting sounds or whistles. A pure pop.

if she pops, is that the end of the trial, heavily penalized, depends?


Your comments always welcome..
Loren

 

[Lisa Van Loo]

My Chessie, Gopher, is the Queen of Pop. Here's my advice: Do NOT enter her until she is past this phase. Do continue to work on building confidence on going as sent.

IF she does happen to pop at a test, you need to be prepared. Hope is not a strategy. As SOON as she pops, your hand goes up and you say "Back!". You will probably be out, but do not let her stand there drowning in misery, and don't you ever, EVER blow the whistle on a pop! Giving her a verbal "Back!" (perhaps several) will get you a Thanks For Contributing To Our Club award, but you can always get $70 worth of training in. And even if you are as embarrassed as hell, always thank the judges as you leave the line.

Lisa

 

[JS]

I would yell,"BACK!!!" in my loudest (and I can be loud) and most intimidating voice.

Then I'd turn to the judges and say, "I'm very sorry ... I did not know I shouldn't do that. ". I'm kinda new at this.

JS

 

[Tim Carrion]

if she pops, is that the end of the trial, heavily penalized, depends?

Loren

I depends on the: quality work of your dog's work up to the time of the pop(including previous series), the quality of the rest of the dogs still running and somtimes how fast you are with a whistle.

In general if popping is a frequent problem work it out some more before entering.

Tim

 

[Grant Wilson]

Put your hands on the brim of your cap like the glare of the sun is too much and you can't see your dog. Then walk to the side like you lost sight of her. She'll turn and go when she sees you move! sneaky huh!

I've never actually done this......but I heard it works

 

[John Schmidt]

Read the rule book especially any references to minor stake allowances. In addition, read and understand the faults listed.

Per the rule book, a pop on a blind is a minor fault. Unfortunately the vast majority of judges do not look at it in the same light as the following:

slight freezing on a bird
lack of attention
poor line manners
creeping
going out of the way to avoid water on a return from a water mark
. . . .
(rest of minor faults)

Doing any of the above will likely still allow you to get back to the last series, but a pop is often incorrectly judged in my experience and is used to justify elmination from the stake.

In a trial, you are there to compete. What you do in a trial may be counter productive to your long term goals with the dog. If you are just learning cold blinds and you are having training problems with popping, you are guaranteed to have a problem at a trial. I wouldn't enter. However, if you do enter and you sense a pop coming on, stop, and give a hard back to drive the dog. If you can't anticipate a pop, and the dog does, handle immediately. Never, absolutely never admit to the judge that your dog has this problem by your body language or any comment such as, "he has done this in training". Stand there, dig in and do whatever it takes to get the bird.

If your dog pops once and you do a good job on the blind and had good work on the marks, you should be called back all things being equal. But a hacky blind and pop (or multiple pops) is not viewed favorably.

John Schmidt

 

[JusticeDog]

Lisa had the best advice. Quickly give the back command and cast. Don't use the whistle, as you just gave the dog the "permission slip" to sit - which you reall didn't want it to do.

Don't try to get the dog going through tricks.... the judges are wise to this, and it doesn't tell the dog what it needs to know..... that when I send you, "GO"..... until I direct you to do otherwise.

In minor stakes, it doesn't have to mean that you're dropped, but many judges forget that it's a moderate fault in a minor stake.... and when they are looking to drop dogs, you will be the one to go...

Best to get these issues under control before entering...

 

[JS]

.....

In a trial, you are there to compete.

.....


John Schmidt

Maybe so, but if my dog pops we're done competing. Like Lisa, I'm gonna get my money's worth of training. ;-)

JS

 

[Howard N]

Maybe so, but if my dog pops we're done competing. Like Lisa, I'm gonna get my money's worth of training. ;-)

JS

Not necessarily in a minor stake. I get them unpopped with a verbal command and a cast as quickly as I can. If it only happens once, way out there, it may not be to important when giving out places. Other judges will drop you for it. But let the judges judge it, don't give them any extra reasons to drop you by what you say or do.

 

[Todd Caswell]

Last summer I watched a dog pop on both the land and water blind in the Q and won. Never did figure that one out.

 

[JusticeDog]

Last summer I watched a dog pop on both the land and water blind in the Q and won. Never did figure that one out.

must have had REALLY good marks....

 

[Loren Crannell]

Her first trial is not until October, and she is normally a very good blind dog.

I do agree with Howard that letting the judges judge is a good suggestion. I've seen a couple of pros do the hand up and say "BACK", one was even in the Derby. I will train on the marks and have no problem calling back or handling if the dog cheats or wants to switch.


The complexity of the blinds are much harder now since we are doing Open level of blind work so it obvious that I was asking to much. For now..I am going to tune back the complexity, shorten things up, mix in some FTP, and do more walk out blinds.

Once she is not popping in training, then we'll give it a go.

Thanks for the good comments.

Loren

 

[John Schmidt]

Last summer I watched a dog pop on both the land and water blind in the Q and won. Never did figure that one out.

I guess the judges knew that popping was a minor fault in the same vein that creeping, poor line manners, a short whine on a send, etc. The question is, how many repeated instances of a minor fault constitutes a moderate fault?

Unfortunately a pop on a blind is not judged in the same way by the majority of judges and it is sad, since the rule book is exceedingly clear about the seriousness of this infraction. Until it is changed to something else, I will continue to judge a pop as a minor infraction and wish others would as well.

John Schmidt

 

[JusticeDog]

I guess the judges knew that popping was a minor fault in the same vein that creeping, poor line manners, a short whine on a send, etc. The question is, how many repeated instances of a minor fault constitutes a moderate fault?

Unfortunately a pop on a blind is not judged in the same way by the majority of judges and it is sad, since the rule book is exceedingly clear about the seriousness of this infraction. Until it is changed to something else, I will continue to judge a pop as a minor infraction and wish others would as well.

John Schmidt

The rule book also indicates it's cumulative.... so while one pop you might not think a great deal about, two would be another story... one on each blind...

 

[EdA]

Last summer I watched a dog pop on both the land and water blind in the Q and won. Never did figure that one out.

Read the rule book especially any references to minor stake allowances. In addition, read and understand the faults listed.

Per the rule book, a pop on a blind is a minor fault.

indeed a single pop on the land blind and the water blind constitutes 2 minor faults, there are much more serious offences on blinds

how good were the dog's marks?, how did the other dogs perform?

there are many other things to consider

 

[JS]

Not necessarily in a minor stake. I get them unpopped with a verbal command and a cast as quickly as I can. If it only happens once, way out there, it may not be to important when giving out places. Other judges will drop you for it. But let the judges judge it, don't give them any extra reasons to drop you by what you say or do.

I'm sure you are correct Howard, you may get away with it if you handle it properly and may even finish the trial depending on everything else.

When I say we are done competing, I mean I'm thinking about the next trial, and I'm going into training mode when it happens. No greenie is worth letting them establish a bad weekend habit.

Now if I thought maybe I might be leading the field at the time, I might feel differently, but I haven't experienced that feeling yet! :lol:

JS

 

[Gun_Dog2002]

I'd put a free to a good home sign in the holding blind.....

ok, free to a home......

/Paul

 

[Janice Gunn]

How about this.......the dog that WON the Cdn Amateur National 2009
popped twice and handled twice on the land quad !!!!!!

There WAS one dog that had NO handles thru-out the National and
good blinds...yet some how the judges awarded the win to the above?????
Polictics suck!

 

[BrianG.]

I would yell,"BACK!!!" in my loudest (and I can be loud) and most intimidating voice.

Then I'd turn to the judges and say, "I'm very sorry ... I did not know I shouldn't do that. ". I'm kinda new at this.

JS

Well at this point you would be on your way home.
________
DAIHATSU FELLOW MAX

 

[kawarthalabs]

Janice-I just reread the national writeup and did not see where the winner had handled at all, let alone on 2 birds in that series. Could you expand further on your comment re "politics"?
Thanks Tony.