Back from a c-c-c-c-c-c-old training session at Dan's. 20 degrees, a bit windy, and about 3 inches of snow on the ground there.
Started with some very, very hard single marks. Which of course Tito didn't mark correctly, but that's okay, our focus was to get him to put up diligent hunts and he did. Very pleased with that.
Then on to upland, working on steady to flush. Hmmmmm.....he's getting REALLY good at catching birds as they take off. That was not exactly what we were hoping for today! He caught 4 of the chukkars/pigeons today! But he also clearly understands the concept of putting the butt on the ground when the bird clears the cover, and also understands that some of them are going to get away and there's no point in going after them (a HUGE relief for me for pheasant hunting!). Hurrah for using homing pigeons in training!

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Gibson's Golden Girl, CD, CGC, TDI (born 3-20-1997), a.k.a. "Tiny"

CH Rosewood Little Giant, UDX VER RA SH MXP MJP VCX WCX CCA CGC FFX-OG (born 3-10-2007), also UCH HR UUD UJJ URO1 UHIT a.k.a. "Tito" (the Tito Monster)

and my heart dog
Gibson's Golden Guy, CD, CGC, TDI ( 01-31-1998 - 01-02-2012) a.k.a. "Toby", "HRH"

20 degrees!??? That is mental. WOW
It was overcast and 73º here today.
Found a new field near an office park and ran blinds with the guys today, they did well and had a good time.

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--Anney
"Fisher" CH Deauxquest Hard Day's Knight UDT VER RAE MH WCX CCA VCX OS DDHF :: www.go-fisher.com
"Slater" Morninglo Wing-T Your Bird Can Sing MH WCX CCA
"Bally" Richwood Wing-T Workin' Like A Dog
anney@k9-design.com

30 degrees and 73 degrees, you all have it too good! Here's to a warm spring soon!

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Wiseman Wildfire Grayling Fish On "Lucy" http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=520329
Hunter my rescue boy
Reilly CGC http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=536281
Tiger Brandy Lee 1999-2012 http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=528567
Pennie 2000-2007

The real problem is that we don't have any snow (60 miles north of Dan), so I wore regular tennis shoes!! If I had known he had snow on the ground, I would have thought to wear my boots. Needless to say, my tootsie were frozen!!!

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Gibson's Golden Girl, CD, CGC, TDI (born 3-20-1997), a.k.a. "Tiny"

CH Rosewood Little Giant, UDX VER RA SH MXP MJP VCX WCX CCA CGC FFX-OG (born 3-10-2007), also UCH HR UUD UJJ URO1 UHIT a.k.a. "Tito" (the Tito Monster)

and my heart dog
Gibson's Golden Guy, CD, CGC, TDI ( 01-31-1998 - 01-02-2012) a.k.a. "Toby", "HRH"

Try Icebugs :: Welcome to ICEBUG :: they make a nice variety of metal studded winter running shoes and boots. They are insulated too. I wear mine to about -15F then I switch to insulted hiking boots. Cold feet is no fun it will really ruin your day. Be good to yourself! If you train when it's cold just think how much better you will be when it is warm. Now if it would ever be warm up here I'd be so happy.

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Wiseman Wildfire Grayling Fish On "Lucy" http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=520329
Hunter my rescue boy
Reilly CGC http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=536281
Tiger Brandy Lee 1999-2012 http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=528567
Pennie 2000-2007

wow, those icebugs look really great! I have to look into them!

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Gibson's Golden Girl, CD, CGC, TDI (born 3-20-1997), a.k.a. "Tiny"

CH Rosewood Little Giant, UDX VER RA SH MXP MJP VCX WCX CCA CGC FFX-OG (born 3-10-2007), also UCH HR UUD UJJ URO1 UHIT a.k.a. "Tito" (the Tito Monster)

and my heart dog
Gibson's Golden Guy, CD, CGC, TDI ( 01-31-1998 - 01-02-2012) a.k.a. "Toby", "HRH"

you lost me at "snow"

__________________
--Anney
"Fisher" CH Deauxquest Hard Day's Knight UDT VER RAE MH WCX CCA VCX OS DDHF :: www.go-fisher.com
"Slater" Morninglo Wing-T Your Bird Can Sing MH WCX CCA
"Bally" Richwood Wing-T Workin' Like A Dog
anney@k9-design.com

Hey we only made it up to 70 degrees 3 times in 2012! I've never lived anywhere else that you can wear a heavy wool sweater in July.

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Wiseman Wildfire Grayling Fish On "Lucy" http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=520329
Hunter my rescue boy
Reilly CGC http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=536281
Tiger Brandy Lee 1999-2012 http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=528567
Pennie 2000-2007

Anney you need a smack ! ! !

__________________

Gibson's Golden Girl, CD, CGC, TDI (born 3-20-1997), a.k.a. "Tiny"

CH Rosewood Little Giant, UDX VER RA SH MXP MJP VCX WCX CCA CGC FFX-OG (born 3-10-2007), also UCH HR UUD UJJ URO1 UHIT a.k.a. "Tito" (the Tito Monster)

and my heart dog
Gibson's Golden Guy, CD, CGC, TDI ( 01-31-1998 - 01-02-2012) a.k.a. "Toby", "HRH"

I don't have much to say since it's like 9 degrees with 4 inches of snow and ice and what feels like 1 hour of daylight here; but since I'm killing time while my files upload, I'll sketch out my training plans for this year.

We left off doing singles, doubles, steady, honor, diversions, running pattern blinds, sight blinds and starting simple cold blinds, and doing all kinds of drills in dog skool, culminating in "run by" - which she did! albeit with a very confused expression.

Gladys should be back from nursing her puppies at the end of January. We'll get her readjusted to our routine, the usual obedience, and hopefully go back to dog skool mid-to-end of February session, to get back in the drills groove. Then at least these 4 areas to focus on:

a) As the pattern field conditions allow, back to pattern blinds and back in the collar groove. Then incorporate concepts w/ the pattern blinds

b) run by then swim by (in the spring)

c) sight blinds, simple cold blinds, then ramp it up

d) singles, doubles, diversion birds, honor; mix it up, alternate with drills and blinds

Addendum: I forgot, she was starting to do triples and delayed triples too, we'll build back up to that. Keep it mixed up.

We're lucky we have dog skool teecher to tell us what to do and make sensible training setups; plus one of our training buddies has surpassed us to starting to train for Master, so he makes good setups. Looking forward to spring :-)

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Boomer, Gladys, DeeDee, and Dawn