This week we have been busy trying to train each element that we expect to be part of the tests this weekend.

First we trained water doubles and water blinds.  The water situation at the moment is not great since we really haven’t had much rain and it has been so hot.  This pond is also used by some guys who race little motorized remote-controlled sail boats and they always get there before we do, so we have to share the space.  ( Far be it for me to comment on anyone’s hobby, but standing in the hot sun on a 90 degree day racing remote-controlled boats, I do not get. :lol:)  However, you do the best you can with what you have available.  The doubles were in open water, but we worked on putting the memory mark way out there so the dogs would have to first pick up the “go” mark and then remember and swim a distance to the “memory” mark.  We also threw a couple of diversions.  We ran the water blind along side of where I was throwing the memory mark.  They both did very well and hopefully with the training we did in the water last weekend, they will do OK with the water marks and blinds at the test.

Another day we worked land doubles and blinds with ducks.  We also worked walk ups because this is something we have not really trained since Spring.  A walk up is when a mark is thrown while the handler and dog are approaching the line.  It tests the dog’s steadiness and its ability to mark.  We used the winger and ducks because we wanted it to be very tempting for the dogs to break.  Neither did.  Thunder was funny because whenever a bird was launched, he stopped walking to watch it and then a look came over his face like, “Wait, I am supposed to be sitting!”.  He then sat down as he normally does waiting to be released.  We never trained this, it is something he has in his head I guess because he is so used to being sent to retrieve from a seated position.  The trouble with him stopping to sit is that it could put him in a position to miss seeing a mark.  It will be interesting to see what he does on the walk up at the test.  Both dogs also had a little refresher on “hold” due to a sudden case of dropsies.  🙂

Thunder has not run a hunt test for two years.  That’s OK because his handler has never run this level test either.  We anticipate that Thunder might be a bit rusty, and his handler might make some errors, but they are ready enough.  Thunder’s handling improves every time we train it and we are now throwing in some harder blinds.  He may still be a bit rusty on marks since we have had limited time to train those and no real cover to train in.  But he has a good nose and knows the game, so we shall see.  Storm is hot and cold.  There are times she is in synch with her handler, and other times they are not on the same page.  She is used to a different handler and she is quick.  If you give her an inexact handle, she will be off and running before you have figured out that she misunderstood what you wanted.  All of that will improve with time as she and her handler work together.  Hopefully they will be on the same page for the tests!

Have a great weekend!  I expect to report the test results on Monday.  🙂