Freighter
Freighter

For our Saturday training, the weather was pretty cold but thankfully not as cold as it has been and no wind.  The sky kept looking like it wanted to clear, but we had intermittent snow showers.  They were light enough that I was able to take some pictures.  Good thing because for this particular triple, I think it is easier to explain with pictures.

Triple
Triple

The dogs were running marks over a frozen pond.  (A mark is bumper or bird that the dog watches being thrown out in the field for it to retrieve.)  The benefit to running marks over a frozen pond it that it offers some different terrain with the banks simulating small hills.  Also, finding a bumper in the deeper snow can offer its own challenge.

This was quite a challenging triple thrown as follows:

Mark #1 was thrown at the far side of the pond.

Freighter Watching Mark #1
Freighter Watching Mark #1

The dog watched that bumper fall and then the person throwing the bumper (I will call him the gunner) walked all the way back to the spot to throw Mark #3.

When the gunner got almost back to the spot to throw Mark #3, the handler at the line turned the dog and threw a bumper onto the path, this was Mark #2.

Freighter Watching Mark #2
Freighter Watching Mark #2

After watching Mark #2 the dog had to turn back to watch the gunner throw Mark #3.

Freighter Needs To Turn To Watch Mark #3
Freighter Needs To Turn To His Right To Watch Mark #3

This set-up is an advanced set-up.  There are so many things to trip up a dog and so much for a dog to remember, but the hope is that the dogs will learn from any mistakes.  Many of the dogs had a difficult time with this set-up so we ran it a second time and they did much better.  Freighter had trouble with Mark #1 the first time, but had no trouble the second time around.

Freighter Being Sent To Retrieve Mark #3
Freighter Being Sent To Retrieve Mark #3
Across The Pond
Across The Pond
This Bumper Was Out In The Open And A Straight Shot Across The Pond
This Bumper Was Out In The Open And A Straight Shot Across The Pond
Headed Back
Headed Back
Back Over The Snow Bank
Back Over The Snow Bank

Requiring the dogs to jump over snow banks, adds more challenge than running on flat ground because it takes their eyes off the spot where the bumper fell.  Anytime a dog must take his eyes off where a mark fell by jumping a hazard or changing positions at the line, it adds difficulty to the set-up.

Freighter Almost Back With Mark #3 (The First One That He Retrieved On This Set-Up)
Freighter Almost Back With Mark #3 (The First One That He Retrieved On This Set-Up)

Next the dogs picked up that long Mark #1 at the far side of the pond.

Freighter Being Lined Up To Mark #3
Freighter Being Lined Up To Mark #1
He Is Off
He Is Off
Up And
Up And
Over The Snow Bank
Over The Snow Bank
Heading Across The Pond To Mark #1
Heading Across The Pond To Mark #1

The first time Freighter ran this set-up, he got to the far side of the pond, but did not see the bumper since it was mostly buried in the snow.  He must have thought he had over-run it because he hunted back to a point of land closer to the line.  He was handled to the mark with a “back” cast and he found it.  The second time around, he slowed down on that point of land and sort of scanned it with his eyes, but seemed to realize that he had to push over it to get out to where the bumper fell.

Not Fooled This Time
Freighter Slowed Down But Was Not Fooled This Time
Pushing To The Back Bank Of The Pond
Continuing To The Back Bank Of The Pond
At The Bumper
At The Bumper
Freighter Has It
Freighter Has It
Back Over The Land Point
Back Over The Land Point
Almost Back
Almost Back
Good Dog
Good Dog
20150221-Freighter22
Off To Pick Up Mark #2
Nice Job Freighter
Nice Job Freighter

The last part of this set-up was an honor.  An honor is where the dog watches the marks fall for another dog.  The dog must sit and watch.  Freighter has blown a couple of tests on the honor so this set-up was great practice for him.

Freighter Honoring The Working Dog
Freighter Honoring The Working Dog

There was such a delay between marks that Freighter had a tough time just sitting and waiting.  We will definitely run more of these types of triples for Freighter in our own training.  He can do the work but we are still working on steady with him.

23 thoughts on “Longs And Shorts

  1. Hi Y’all!

    That waitin’ bit is understandably difficult!

    Y’all come on by,
    Hawk aka BrownDog

  2. So what do you do when a dog breaks on the honor? What about the running dog? Love your blog, please keep it up. I look forward to reading it.

    1. At a test that means the honor dog is out. Normally you say: “no here” or somehow recall the dog. It can mess the running dog for sure, but it is part of the test. If the running dog breaks, the honor dog still must stay put. But remember that you can talk quietly to the honor dog whereas you cannot talk to the running dog.

  3. Freighter really seems to have a great deal of enthusiasm, can almost see his mind at work! Great jump stretches! Good job fella!

  4. Wow! First, great job Freighter! Now, those seem like some really difficult marks especially with the snow. I think it is amazing how well trained the Brown Dawgs are…seriously. I hope Freighter can be more steady and also be a good honor dog too.

    1. During a test there are lots of places where a dog can be tripped up, honor and being steady for the marks are definitely two of them. But at least during the honor you can talk to the dog quietly and tell them stay or sit or whatever. Sometimes even that is not enough though…lol.

  5. Great pictures! Looks like a freighter did a good job even though he had trouble the first time. He remembered and ran a great second.

  6. Glad you had some decent enough weather to be able to get out there. Great job, Freighter! That sounds really complicated and I’m impressed at how well he did.

    1. Thanks! I learned how to make circular type from YouTube University. 🙂

  7. Nice photos. I know when I’m training, I pretty much count the first set of bumpers, or the first bird I plant for them as a warm-up just to refresh them on training.

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