[hotel4dogs]

Hot off the press, LOL.
Apologies for the camera/photographer. Hope you can see the dog, anyway.
He REALLY likes this duck retrieving stuff! I had my husband toss it into the soybean field where Tito couldn't see it, and then sent him (Tito, not my husband) out to get it....3 times....success each time!

 

[K9-Design]

Very cool! And nice big pretty duck! Now let's see what he does with a rotting slimy one like you normally get at a test! (ha ha)
Why did they put tape over the eyes?

 

[hotel4dogs]

Oh I'm so proud of my little boy, he's never even SEEN a duck until today, didn't he do a nice job?? (just thought I'd slip a brag in).
The duck was from a hunt trainer at the trial, he just gave it to me to be nice. The duck was live, he tapes the eyes and then throws it and lets it flap around on the ground and sends his dogs out to get it. Says it's a great way to train dogs for about 100 reasons that he patiently gave me, none of which I remember. He had a word for it, too, not flapper but something like that.
It was quite dead by the time Tito got it, however.

Very cool! And nice big pretty duck! Now let's see what he does with a rotting slimy one like you normally get at a test! (ha ha)
Why did they put tape over the eyes?

 

[K9-Design]

Oh that made me laugh, a flapper! It's a flyer Or cripple or shackled bird. Hmmm....usually we tape a wing and the beak but I guess blindfolding them might work pretty well too, although if they survive I'd hate to rip the tape off their pointy little heads.
If you think that dead one is cool wait until Tito gets a live duck, what fun!!! Definitely make that a priority!

 

[AquaClaraCanines]

He's so pretty!

 

[Oaklys Dad]

Tito looks very proud of his quarry. He looks very happy to please.

 

[hotel4dogs]

LOLOLOL, yep, that was it, a shackled bird!! Flyer! heehee !

Oh that made me laugh, a flapper! It's a flyer Or cripple or shackled bird. Hmmm....usually we tape a wing and the beak but I guess blindfolding them might work pretty well too, although if they survive I'd hate to rip the tape off their pointy little heads.
If you think that dead one is cool wait until Tito gets a live duck, what fun!!! Definitely make that a priority!

 

[hotel4dogs]

thanks, I just can't express how exciting it was to see him just "know" what to do. It's just so, I guess, in them....

He's so pretty!

 

[hotel4dogs]

thanks! It's why I'm such a "soft" trainer with him, if he knows what I want, he'll do it, period.
What a great day!

Tito looks very proud of his quarry. He looks very happy to please.

 

[DNL2448]

What a proud boy, bringing mom dinner! Ya know, I think I like flapper better then shackled bird, I will start using that from now on!

GO TITO!!!

 

[hotel4dogs]

And I keep walking around saying "hooked on quack" and giggling!
I thought flapper made perfect sense, that's how he described what the bird would be doing when it was blindfolded!

What a proud boy, bringing mom dinner! Ya know, I think I like flapper better then shackled bird, I will start using that from now on!

GO TITO!!!

 

[Merlins mom]

Tito is SO handsome!! Glad he did so well!

 

[hotel4dogs]

thanks much! I'm pretty proud of him at the moment!

Tito is SO handsome!! Glad he did so well!

 

[AmberSunrise]

Oh - he's so beautiful and looks proud of his bird Sound like he is a natural.

BTW: We put cottony batting wrapped with vet tape around the eyes - that way you can pull the blind-folding off without hurting the duck/pheasant if they are alive.

 

[grrrick]

Love the pictures!!!

 

[sammydog]

Yay Tito! That is sooo cool! He is just good at everything!

Never used a blindfold for a "flapper" (hehe) but sounds like it may work. What I have seen are binding legs maybe wings and taping the beak shut.

 

[GoldenSail]

Beautiful pictures it looks like he is a natural!

 

[hotel4dogs]

I just took his rank, stinky ol' duck out of the fridge and tossed it around a few times, he is just in his glory! I can see that it needs to hit the freezer, now, it's pretty gross. It's so amazing to see him doing exactly what he was bred to do!

 

[Finn's Fan]

If people don't believe dogs are "hard-wired" for certain tasks, Tito is here to show them the truth! Isn't he just having so much fun?

 

[AmbikaGR]

I just took his rank, stinky ol' duck out of the fridge and tossed it around a few times, he is just in his glory! I can see that it needs to hit the freezer, now, it's pretty gross. It's so amazing to see him doing exactly what he was bred to do!

Barb here is a suggestion as to what to do with the duck to help it last longer (more training days)

Suspend the bird, especially if wet, and have a fan blow on it till it is totally dry. Then wrap it in newspaper, place in a plastic freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. Then place in the freezer. You will be amazed at how "fresh" they stay when treated this way every time.

And it sounds like you may have gotten biten by the "bug"!