It’s Follow-up Friday. The blog hop that:
Let’s you wrap up your week and leads you right into the weekend.
Thank you to Jodi from Heart Like A Dog and co-host Sue, from The Golden Life for hosting the hop!
A special “thank you” to Jodi for entering my link in the hop the last couple of weeks when I wasn’t near a computer to do it. Thanks bunches!
Today I am answering questions and including some pictures of other dogs that I took this past weekend.
Monday Mischief–Hunt Test Mischief
Sue at Talking Dogs asked: Are you sure Freighter wasn’t just trying to look like he was playing with the duck… in order to stay in the water?! That’s some wicked heat!
Dakota/Caren/Cody asked: Maybe Freighter took a longer time in the water than necessary because it was so hot out and the water felt good?
Yes, I am sure it was the heat. But he was just playing around too. We have seen that behavior before (Grandpa Thunder). We will be working to clean up that return.
becomingcliche asked: By stopping the test, will Thunder feel rewarded or punished for his mischief? Or does it just seem to be all in a day’s work to stop where you are?
Hopefully Thunder felt punished. He did not get a bird. Sometimes you could work it until he got the bird but he was so far off and he was pretty heated up. Plus there were dogs waiting behind him. In this case, just best to pull him and not risk heat stroke.
MyBrownNewfies asked: I’m wondering if they ever postpone a test due to heat?
They can postpone for weather, but it has to be really severe. Usually when it is hot, they will pull the marks in close and make what they call a breaking test. This means it is designed to see if the dogs will break, (leave before being released).
It caught Storm this time. One of the things we had wanted to work with her the week before the test was “breaking” birds, but with the weather, we just weren’t able to really do it.
Sand Spring Chesapeakes asked: So Storm couldn’t be called back and have it as a controlled break?
Unlike Seniors, there is no controlled break in Masters. The one good thing is that she didn’t get out to get the bird and came back when called. She can be fast when she wants to be. We will be working to put big pauses between birds for her and reinforcing steady.
SlimDoggy (@MySlimDoggy) asked: Great job Freighter- way to save the weekend. I know it’s tough to ‘work’ when its so hot, but swimming after ducks isn’t really work is it?
Freighter really loves to swim. Of all three dogs, he loves it the most!
snoopys@snoopysdogblog asked: I’m just thinking, if you got a pass and you included some mischief, the testers must have liked it?! Tee Hee – Maybe they’d like you to take the mischief to the next level next time?
Please don’t give him any ideas! 😆
Freighter’s Junior Test Part 2
thatjenk asked: You said you rarely hear you have a nice dog because you run Chessies? Why is that? In my experience, they’re perfectly nice dogs!
The judge meant that he has the potential to be a good hunt test dog. Usually people ooh and ahh over Labs since they are more popular breeds and I think they identify more with them. There are not a lot of Chessies testing (although this test had quite a few which was nice). Years ago Chessies had a bad rap of being surly dogs, (some of the old-time field bred dogs can be surly). It was nice that the Judge just looked past the breed to the dog’s performance.
MyBrownNewfies asked: How many times are you allowed to tell the dog to sit? is it a one shot thing and if they don’t move it you just move on?
In Juniors as many times as you want. What you cannot do is put your hands on the dog to “help” them sit. At the Senior and Masters levels there would be less tolerance for repeating commands.
The dogs are not required to sit. But at higher levels, you are not allowed to hold the collar and a standing dog or a creeping dog will be a breaking dog. The thing about Juniors is usually you have to physically turn the dog for the second mark. That is not something we have really practiced in training. If we throw a double for Freighter, he is seated in one position. Perhaps if his handler had put him on lead and turned him, he may have been able to get the second “sit” out of him. But that is a lot of messing with the leash since you must have it all the way in a pocket while running the dog.
Freighter’s sis Sunny earned her title on Saturday. Congrats to Cindy, Sunny and Darrin her trainer handler. Since she finished her title on Saturday she ran Seniors on Sunday. She finished the test, but did not pass. Great experience for her.
The power has thankfully stayed on this week. I have moved all of the blogs I follow to Feedly. I hope it helps me be better organized and they are easier to access on my phone should the power go out again. 🙂
Our weather is finally cooler! Have a nice weekend!
Thanks again to Jodi from Heart Like A Dog and co-host from The Golden Life for hosting the hop! Check out who else is hopping!
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
I love your follow up Fridays. I love reading the questions other folks ask. 🙂 Hope you guys have a great weekend!
What a great follow up! Guess I better read the rule book, I thought you got a controlled break in masters. Opps. Have a great weekend, it is going to be cool so enjoy training or relaxing. Nice of you to add pictures of the other dogs running.
I liked the pictures that I took of the other dogs better than my own…lol. We learned about the no controlled break rule the hard way. Storm did the exact same thing at last year’s test. Stinker!
Thanks for joining the blog hop, great follow-up and I was happy to add your links. No worries there!
It is so interesting to me all of the rules for hunt training. Here’s a dumb question, what is the purpose of this exercise? Is it designed for people who are hunting with their dogs to train them the proper technique or is it simply for the pleasure and bond of working your dog?
I love the photos, there are some really beautiful dogs. I love Thunder and Storm, but i think (I know I say it all the time) Freighter is going to be THE dog. Have a great weekend.
We really admire the way those dogs follow rules and commands, it is amazing but I for one am thankful we are much more lax at our house and don’t have to do those tests. That would really be tough! Those pups of yours are really something!
I love coming here to learn. 🙂 I’d never heard of Chessies before reading your blog, and knew less than nothing about retrieval. I still feel like I know nearly nothing, but it’s fun reading about your trials and training! Glad your power is back, too!
Others ask the questions I am thinking. Great follow up.
Blessings,
Goose
I learn so much during these posts!
Thanks for answering my question. I guess it boils down to any event that is judged by people (from conformation dog shows to Olympic human high-dives and figure skating, to hunt tests) – there’s an element of subjectiveness no matter what. Frustrating, no doubt, but it’s nice when the judges are transparent and make efforts to look at performance only.
Great wrapup and explanations but I do have one more question I keep meaning to ask (Sorry if it’s one you’ve probably already answered and I just forget) Who is handling your dogs for the tests? Is that your husband or your trainer?
That is my husband handling Freighter, Thunder and Storm in this test. 🙂
Yes we too like reading your answers to the questions others ask. Have a fabulous Friday.
Best wishes Molly
Thank you for answering my questions! Makes sense that would alter the test a bit for heat. I’ll hold my next question until next week 🙂
Since we have not been around for awhile it was nice to read your follow-up Friday and get an idea how your week has been. Great pictures as always!! Have a wonderful weekend. Hugs and nose kisses
I love Fridays when everything gets explained! Thanks! And I really like all the pictures of the other dogs today.
So enjoy watching the dogs work and thanks for the great explanations. Happy Weekend.
Great follow up. Fun to see the other dogs competing. Hope the heat is not so bad and you have a great weekend.
It is SO MUCH FUN to follow your blog. Thanks for giving Sunny her congrats. Your dogs are great and do it all.. Is Freighter going to SCKC support show? onto his next title 🙂
Interesting to read about the bad rap that Chessies used to have, and I am happy to know that you are your dogs are changing that reputation!
Well I learned a lot more about their testing again today. Cute Golden Retriever there. Are there any unusual breeds in these tests ever? Or mixed breed dogs? I’ve been using Feedly for quite a while now and I like it.
I agree with Ann “Paws” Staub, that Golden really caught my eye. Striking coloring!
Nice follow up, sorry the heat interfered with Thunder’s test too. Its been brutal.
Great questions and answers, and I really enjoyed all the photos. It’s fun to see the variety of dogs out there. So glad to hear that you are getting a break from the heat, I’m sure it makes the training easier for you and the dogs.
Well done all! Is it just me, or do they always look quite proud when they get the bird? 🙂 They’re beautiful.