We are in a good groove with training obedience & field every other day. Last night we drove down to Ocala to the MADTA building for open floor. Slater did heeling, some recalls, stand for exam with a novel judge (I train so much by myself I think it's important to find "new" judges for SFE), and stays. Here is a short video of him heeling:
Today we went out to Williston for field training, trained on the big pond.
Set up 3 marks, one following the shore about 65 yards through a bunch of mud and weeds, middle one a long big swim about 85 yards across the pond then hidden in some weeds, and a third one we used a bumper boy shooter, bird launched from behind us at the line forward into the water. Blind was closer to shore basically the same direction as mark #1, rather cheaty down the shore blind, then put up another blind across the pond away from the marks that was basically get-in-and-swim.
I did the two long birds as singles for Fisher, and the middle bird as a single for Slater.
Slater first, he did the double with the two long birds and shooter as a diversion on the way back. He got his go-bird just fine and completely fell apart on the memory bird! I'm not sure if he forgot, was confused, or what, but he also was completely focused on the bird in my HAND (go bird) and kept looking at it when I was trying to send him for the memory bird! When I finally sent him he took a few strokes in the water then turned around like, HUH? And was still looking at the bird in my hand. Not sure if he was just obsessing over it, if I somehow inadvertently encouraged this recently, or what. Of course we had just the winger at that mark so no gunner to help (thought doing this as a single first would avoid needing help) but we used the sound to eventually get him out there, then he was like Oh yeah! You mean this bird out HERE???!!!?!? He did a lovely job on the diversion, then we lined up for the blind and it was more confusion. He jumped in and sorta swam around and started heading back to where the bumper boy was. Well hello. Yes I could have handled -- it was a blind -- but good lord, the point of a blind is not to jump in then instantly start slopping around. I called him back, did a heel-nick-heel (with a low 2 -- I think it more gave me something to do than really correct him) then sent him again, he dove in and got about halfway out before I had to handle, so that was good.
Not sure what all of that was, but I think I need to KISS with Slater for the next few sessions. I ended up running two water blinds with him at the end of the day, similar length (say, 60-70 yards swims straight across) this time with blind stakes and he did a lovely job. All I really want is him to head in with purpose and not be weird
Okay, Fisher up next. Did long birds as memory birds and the short breaking bird as the go-bird. Despite the fact he "almost" broke -- crept a few feet but held it until being released -- he was AWESOME. Good dog!!! He two-whistled the shoreline blind (and even took a very literal cast on the first cast into the water, which was a good dog) and one-whistled the long out-to-sea blind. I have worked on nothing but very simple baseball casting and very simple lining drills with Fisher and it has brought his confidence at the line up and anxiety down. When I said "Dead bird - sit" on both blinds he instantly locked on and took gorgeous initial lines. He can do it if we keep things cool.
The star of the day was my mom and her pup, Harvin. Harvin is almost 3 yrs old, Fisher x Brooke. Just about 2 months ago we started throwing the bumper for Harvin and teaching Mom how to handle him. They are doing amazing! He is a VERY good marker and very trainable. He goes in the water like nobody's business. Today he fetched 4 bumpers in the water, two single on land with cover, and then met a duck. To that he said, um, ewwww!!!!! But I helped and put it in his mouth for him and pointed him at my mom, he carried it all the way back to her. We did this twice. I think before long we'll have him picking up the duck. I will have to FF him but he actually is pretty good at holding onto the bumper (and duck).
There's our little day!!
