Sometimes things that look easy are actually hard.  That was the case at last Saturday’s group hunt test training when the dogs ran a blind out in a field.

A pile of bumpers were placed out in the middle of the field for the dogs to retrieve but the dogs did not see where they were placed which is why it is called a blind (retrieve).  The dogs are directed to the pile by their handlers using whistles and arm signals.  Easy right?

Not so fast.  The bumpers were orange and they were marked with an orange stake which made them more difficult to see.  A black stake was placed off to the right side as a sort of diversion.  In training sometimes we use black stakes to give the dogs a visual, but in this case no bumpers were placed there.  It was a trick!

Still the blind was straight ahead through some light cover.  It should not have been that hard, but all the dogs struggled with it which is why we train it.

You want the dog to run in a straight line until they hit the pile of bumpers.  Some dogs were pulled toward the black stake to the right and when they were “no’ed” off that, they over compensated to the left.

Freighter was no different.  Just as he got to the line, someone in the field to the left fired a shotgun which grabbed Freighter’s attention (you might hear it in the video).  This made Freighter think “bird!”.  He kept looking to the left and it took a while for him to settle down and look out toward the blind.  This is where it takes patience on the part of the handler to wait until the dog is looking in the correct direction.  Hubby waits Freighter out before he sends him.

Freighter was pretty tentative at first and he veered a bit left and ended up in a bit of cover which must have smelled good because his nose was down rather than up.  Hubby stopped and recast him and he was still pretty tentative.  It could be good smells or lack of confidence.  Hubby let him carry a bit before stopping him.  This can help build a bit of confidence.  You do not want the dog anticipating that it is going to be stopped and some of that may have been going on with Freighter.  Once Freighter was clear of that cover, he picked up speed but eventually started to veer off line to the left.  Hubby stopped him and cast him with an angle back toward the blind but he must have spied the black stake and took off toward that.  Hubby stopped him again and cast him back.  Eventually Freighter was right in line with the blind, but not deep enough.  Hubby cast him straight back but Freighter kept digging to the left.  He was still interested in that shot or maybe he smelled something.  Hubby gave Freighter a right over because he was way off line, but Freighter went left again.  That is called a cast refusal.  That is something that may be OK at a Senior level test, but not good at a Master level test.  Hubby told Freighter “no” and probably nicked the e-collar.  Freighter realized his mistake and started to come in towards hubby.  You don’t want the dog to come in either.  You want the dog to sit on a whistle blast so hubby blows his whistle again and Freighter sits.  This time Freighter takes the right over and has the bumper.

If the video won’t play try here.

Not a great blind by any means but it showed an area where Freighter needs a refresher.  This is the purpose of training: to point out holes in training or to show where areas are solid.  Freighter’s overs are not solid.  Last year his backs were not as solid as we would have liked, but this year it is his left and right overs.  So hubby went back to basics and put some bumpers out in a field and worked on basic T-work to refresh Freighter’s overs.  He will get some refreshers until these are solid.

Do you ever go back to refresh basic training?