Training
Try Just a Tap Jon Prescott
Getting my 3 * year old wire ready for her first UT test, I was somewhat dismayed this last spring when she decided she wasn't going to wait to be sent for the retrieve of the shot bird. I thought we had covered this n ground but had forgotten that my son and the neighborhood kids had spent the late winter getting their kicks watching Schnaps retrieve a Frisbee in the snow. I also had probably not been as consistent as possible during the last hunting season. Talking to an old friend, Don Smith, whose trained many a Wirehair over then past 30 years, he suggested I go back and repeat the steps of the retrieve training sequence starting at the training table, but this time incorporate a tap on the head with the "Fetch!!" command. I had remembered that Clyde Vetter, a well respected NAVHDA trainer had demonstrated this technique at a NAVHDA clinic and I decided to give it a try. Over several weeks in May, we retraced our steps, first on the training table, but every time I asked Schnaps to fetch, I gave her a light tap on the head. If she went without the tap or moved at all before being sent, I would "whoa" her, and then retrieve the object myself. I did this in all cases where she was being asked to retrieve any object and corrected her whether it was a dummy, a ball or a frozen bird. Before being sent for the duck search, I tapped her: before sending her through the decoys for a sight retrieve, I tapped her: before sending her for the retrieve of drag, I
tapped her. I even used it to release her out of her crate. The lesson being - if you don't feel me tap you, you don't go anywhere. Resist any tendency to release your dog without this tap. Use it consistently in every instance where you are releasing the dog or asking it to perform a chore away from you. Even if the dog is in thick cover and the bird is shot and down, fight your way to the dog and tap him with the "Fetch" command. The extra seconds he waits for you to arrive reinforces his steadiness. In addition, we repeated the stop to shot sequence as well as the stop to flush (thank goodness for homing pigeons! i). By June, she understood through the reinforcement of the stop to flush, shot, and the need for the tap that all thrown objects and shot birds would be retrieved only when I said so and that she must wait for the "tap". Hopefully, I now had a triple fail safe system in place, three events that would trigger steadiness on her part. The test went great!! She had six finds in 30 minutes and was perfectly steady. I even got a little cocky, strolling to her and tapping her lightly with a hushed "Fetch" command. All the birds came back to hand with Schnap's tail going a mile a minute. Thank you Don and Clyde. It works!! By the way, do a real thorough job on that stop to flush. If your dog has "big time desire", it may be the key to teaching your dog to honor. But, that's another subject. If anyone has questions or a particular problem, give a call (973379-3109) or e-mail meatclan.prescott@worldnet.att.net. Always happy to make suggestions or network you with others who may have better ones.
Usingthe Wind-by Mark Powell
The wind is a very important factor in your success in a field trial. Considering that the pointing breeds use airborne scents to find game, this should not be a surprise. How you handle your dog to take advantage of the wind (or in some cases, not let the wind be a disadvantage), can make the difference between a placement and a bust. Tio #1: Ride a brace before yours is up and scout the wind on the course. While the wind at the breakaway may be a consistent five mph breeze out of the north, due to the terrain on the course, it can swirling out of the south at 20 mph in the birdfield. The only way to find out how the wind is behaving all over the course is to ride it and check out the wind. Tio #2: When the course has the wind at its back, try to direct your dog to the front away from likely bird objectives. If you watch seasoned field trial dogs, they often race to the front when the wind is at their backs away from objectives, then work the objectives into the wind. There is a reason for this. Veteran field dogs know that they are at a disadvantage when the wind is at their backs. Most bumps and stop-to-flushes occur when the dog has the wind at it's back. If your dog works objectives with the wind at it's back, move it to the front as soon as possible. Tip #3: If your dog is working into the wind on a backcast, do not call it to the front until absolutely necessary. Hopefully, you will have good judges who can appreciate a dog that chooses to work into the wind. If not, you will have to forego the opportunities to find game when the wind is at your back. I have seen a lot of dogs in trials that were much smarter than the humans judging them. You have to be smart enough to determine what the judges are likely to think about a backcast into the wind. Tip #4: In the birdfield, work into the wind thoroughly, and race your dog to the downwind side of the birdfield. Spend as little time as possible working your dog with the wind. A zigzag pattern into the wind will cover more objectives to the dog's advantage. A quick return to the downwind end of the birdfield will maximize your dog's time working
into the wind and opportunities to find birds. Tip #5: Try to flush birds with the wind if you can.This may be tough to accomplish, especially if your dog is directly downwind of the bird (do not flush the bird into your dog, ever). But birds usually want to get out of trouble the fastest way possible, which will be with the wind. By having the bird get out of sight faster, you will also minimize the pressure on your dog. This will make a tougher shot for the gunners if you are in a retrieving trial, but a bird flushed into the wind will likely turn and go with it anyway. Tio #6: If the wind is very strong, keep your dog to the front unless there are objectives in lees. A "lee" is a sheltered area from the wind, such as the downwind side of a hill or treeline. When the wind is howling, the scent will likely be scattered, diffuse, and transient, making the situation perfect for stop-to-flushes and bumps. Only objectives in wind protected areas are likely to produce good finds. The wind can be a great ally in field trials, or can cause a stake to go void of placements. How you handle with the wind can make all the difference. Have fun and good luck at your next trial!
Reprinted with pennission from the Pointing Breed Sports in the Field Internet World Wide Web pages (http://members.aol.com/attwater/ pbsports), sponsored by Attwater Publishing. Attwater Publishing is the prou publisher of QUALIFYI A Guide to Successful Handling in AKC Pointing Breed Hunting Tests by Mark Powell, available for $21.90 including first class shipping and handling (Idaho orders must include 85¢ state sales tax), 1-800-513-3772.