After the weekend shows we got out in the field on Sunday for some much needed training.

We selected a field that had some cover with a downhill slope.  When we train, we think about which areas we would like to work on during the training session.

Our dogs are weak when marks are thrown at the bottom of a slope or at the bottom of a hill.  I think it is because we have not trained it much since they train a lot on flat land.  They also need to work on not breaking (or leaving the line before being sent).  With those two objectives in mind, we set up a triple with a blind.

We used ducks for the marks and the blind.  Mark #3 was thrown from the line and up close just to tempt the dogs to break.  I threw mark #2 by hand at the bottom of the slope and mark #1 was thrown with our winger.  The dogs picked them up outside mark #3, outside mark #1, middle mark #2 and then they ran the blind.  The blind was set-up in between marks #1 and #2.  Setting the blind there adds difficulty because the dogs will naturally be pulled in the direction of those two marks.

Thunder was up first.

Thunder had trouble with the middle mark (mark #2).  In fact all three of the dogs did.  Between the wind and the downhill slope, they kept veering off to the right.  I think mark #3 kind of wiped out mark #2 for them.  Thunder is a bit rusty on his triples since he hasn’t run many, but after a bit of help he got it.

Thunder did a nice job on the blind.  A couple of handles and he had it.

Next up was Storm.  She did a nice job.  She also had a bit of trouble with that middle mark, but hung in there and hunted it up.

Last but not least was Freighter.  He was nice and steady for the marks, including the one which was close.  Actually all of the dogs held their sits which was good.

Freighter needed several handles to get to the blind.  He kept getting sucked over to mark #2.  Hubby continued to work with him and he gave up that idea and got to the blind.  This is exactly what you want in training because you are sure to see this at a test and you only get one or two shots to get the dog back on line.  Better to have multiple whistles in training than at a test.

I have noticed big improvements in Freighter since he has been out training on this property.  The first time out, his nose kind of overwhelmed him and smells tended to pull him off line when he was running blinds.  The other thing he did was run with his nose down because those smells were so tempting.  You really do not want the dog to do either of those things.  I guess the novelty has worn off because Freighter ran his blinds with his head up.  Also, he is starting to hold his sits longer even when he is far from his handler and in cover.  This is exactly what we want him to do.

This was a productive series.  The dogs need this kind of work so we will probably work on more downhill marks in the future.