[Wingshooter]

Ok so I have been paying a lot of attention when she runs marks. Generally she does not have a banana with right to left marks just left to right marks. She is almost always running right at the gunner on left to right marks. I then just watched her when they threw marks. On left to right marks at 40 yards or 140 yards she never takes her eyes off of the gunner. She does not track the dummy at all. She is fixated on the gunner. She will run almost to the gunner and then curve to the right.

 

[mjh345]

Ok so I have been paying a lot of attention when she runs marks. Generally she does not have a banana with right to left marks just left to right marks. She is almost always running right at the gunner on left to right marks. I then just watched her when they threw marks. On left to right marks at 40 yards or 140 yards she never takes her eyes off of the gunner. She does not track the dummy at all. She is fixated on the gunner. She will run almost to the gunner and then curve to the right.

Might want to check her eyes

 

[houstonLBD]

maybe use hidden gunners like in a hunt test? i had a similar problem when i first introduced remote launchers to my pup, she would run to the launcher and not focus on the bumper. when i hid the launchers behind bushes/trees and she couldn't see the origin of the throw, she started to lock in on the actual trajectory. Plus, you did say that she stepped on all the marks at the Junior hunt test.

 

[captainjack]

A friend of mine had a dog that came in to every bird from the left. The dog was about blind in the left eye so had to position itself to see things with its right eye. Dog made MH & QAA, so not a death sentence if it is a problem with vision in one eye.

 

[truthseeker]

If her eyes are OK. ( witch likely they are) and you do not want to take my first response to your issue, here's another. Put her back on a hand held launcher for a few. You can buy dummies that will go out almost 80 yards. I start all my pups on the hand held. I will not say, what wind I start them in, because last time it started a sh*T storm form some.

Keep the faith.

Keith

 

[John Robinson]

7 month old puppy with 2 AKC JH passes runs marks with a banana line to the left. She usually nails the marks but runs with a big banana line. Any suggestions?

I would set up some singles with factors on the left side that would tend to push dogs right, not a lot, we certainly don't want to teach her to cheat factors, just as a test to see how strong this left side banana is. If she actually pushes left so hard that she punches trough the cover, water, wind ect, you will know it's a strong influence that needs to be figured out. If she bounces off the factor and runs straight, you will know that she can run straight to the bird and we can go from there. The question is does she banana left no matter what, or is it situational?

As a footnote, the dog in my avatar kind of crabbed. If you stood behind me on a blind or mark, you would swear I was false lining him left by about 10 degrees, then be shocked to see him run straight as an arrow to the bird. After a thousand sends I unconsciously compensated for his crab, anybody else running my dog would invariably point him at the bird and he would go ten degrees too far right. Maybe she is like my Cody, only left.

 

[truthseeker]

I would set up some singles with factors on the left side that would tend to push dogs right, not a lot, we certainly don't want to teach her to cheat factors, just as a test to see how strong this left side banana is. If she actually pushes left so hard that she punches trough the cover, water, wind ect, you will know it's a strong influence that needs to be figured out. If she bounces off the factor and runs straight, you will know that she can run straight to the bird and we can go from there. The question is does she banana left no matter what, or is it situational?

As a footnote, the dog in my avatar kind of crabbed. If you stood behind me on a blind or mark, you would swear I was false lining him left by about 10 degrees, then be shocked to see him run straight as an arrow to the bird. After a thousand sends I unconsciously compensated for his crab, anybody else running my dog would invariably point him at the bird and he would go ten degrees too far right. Maybe she is like my Cody, only left.

Nice post.

Thanks John.

 

[Labs]

When you are training, do you run with your ecollar on the dog?

 

[John Robinson]

When you are training, do you run with your ecollar on the dog?

What would an ecollar have to do with it? Are you thinking she is being willful in always taking a left banana? The key issue is why does she do this. Is it a 'push-off' an old line, caving into a factor the OP doesn't recognize or does she just line differently as I alluded to in my last post?

 

[Labs]

The dog could possibly be bugging due to the collar. Funny that the dog doesn't do it in a test, with no collar on, eh? That's why I asked...

 

[captainjack]

The dog could possibly be bugging due to the collar. Funny that the dog doesn't do it in a test, with no collar on, eh? That's why I asked...

I see the point, but the dog also only does this on marks thrown to the right. The dog runs straight when marks thrown to the left.

 

[captainjack]

I have a dog that will start her line to the left. I tried a few things, moving up, no other guns in the field, throw big white bumpers on short grass at moderate distance so she has a target. No improvement and I could tell the recalls and/or handles were taking a toll on her attitude.

So I'm taking a different approach... I will not intervene unless I read she is giving in to a factor like squaring or falling off a hill, wind fade, avoiding cover, etc.

If the worst thing I have is a dog that runs toward the gun (only when birds are L to R) and then out to the bird, I've got a dog that can pass a MH test and probably finish a few trials.

 

[John Robinson]

The dog could possibly be bugging due to the collar. Funny that the dog doesn't do it in a test, with no collar on, eh? That's why I asked...

Sorry I thought you were going to suggest putting a collar on to fix the problem with force, you were suggesting the problem could have been created with force. I read the OP as she does it in training, and at hunt test, as she nails the mark with a banana. I'm with Capt Jack, as long as she's not caving to factors I'd ignore it. If she is as good at remembering where birds land as posted, I'll bet she grows out of it with time.

 

[Mark Littlejohn]

The all time high-point yellow female in the country does this.
As long as she's not avoiding factors, I'd live with it.

 

[Labs]

I see the point, but the dog also only does this on marks thrown to the right. The dog runs straight when marks thrown to the left.

I guess it would depend on what side of the neck the collar is on...it would be interesting to hear where the collar is placed...also if the dog does it in training without the collar on. Have seen this a lot in younger dogs coming out of FF...why do you think it's suggested to run T work from a front sit rather than from heel...bugging. That's my take, on it...but I haven't seen the dog in person, so it's merely speculation from where I'm sitting...

 

[Labs]

Banana is back on left to right birds only. The banana is to the left to the extent that drawing a line from the gunner to me she will banana to the left side of that line and then correct it as she gets closer to the mark but will generally be on the left side of the mark 1-15 yards. Right to left marks she is almost dead straight. Also doing pile work and there is a slight banana to the left but on near as much as a left to right mark.

Along with my other speculation...are you running marks in the same area that you are doing your pile work?

 

[KwickLabs]

Late to the party, but many years ago, this issue (banana) appeared when I started stretching pattern blinds. The answer to the issue (from RTF) was ”it is an outward expression of too much pressure (perceived or real).”The solution was to simply be more gradual with distance increases and adjust pressure (perceived or real). Less distance is often “magical”.

In the present programs, the rush to quickly discover just what a pup is made of…..many have a need to find out just how far a pup can go early on. It isn’t any wonder the “banana” may appear.

In this thread, one approach was to ignore it and the “banana” will probably go away (no longer feeling the pressure) or it may become a habit through continual repetition and/or pressure issues.

Either way, read the dog and adjust accordingly. A pup is probably saying "I feel pressure." an older dog that does it all the time is saying "I have this habit. Live with it."

 

[Wingshooter]

Never used corrected with collar on marks. She heals both sides so I have tried to shield her from going left. Eyes were Cerf'd 2 months ago. So last night we ran 4 marks left to right using flagman bumpers with just a duck call and throw with no gun when the dummy was in the air. Started at 40 yards and progressed to 80 yards not running the same line. Thrower would move right each time. She ran super straight lines and stepped on each mark. She does bug a bit when the duck call is blown. She will turn her head away from the call and look over her right shoulder and then look back. Weird.

 

[truthseeker]

Never used corrected with collar on marks. She heals both sides so I have tried to shield her from going left. Eyes were Cerf'd 2 months ago. So last night we ran 4 marks left to right using flagman bumpers with just a duck call and throw with no gun when the dummy was in the air. Started at 40 yards and progressed to 80 yards not running the same line. Thrower would move right each time. She ran super straight lines and stepped on each mark. She does bug a bit when the duck call is blown. She will turn her head away from the call and look over her right shoulder and then look back. Weird.

This is some what the that same as hand held, but with launchers. keep it going,but be careful not to have the same angles as the set-up before. If they bug out on the call. Just say, " mark " drop your hand and continue.

Good job.