# What would you like to accomplish training this year?



## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

Since its been awfully quiet in here recently I thought I'd start a good discussion on what you're hoping to accomplish training wise and possibly competition wise this year with your dogs.

Last year was the most rewarding year for me in my fairly new dog training hobby. All but the 6-10 month age of my main go to dogs training has been done by myself. This dog is extremely talented both afield after waterfowl and pheasants as he is on the line in hunt tests and even field trials. Being this dog has been my first real competitive dog, I've been blessed by his abilities.

Last year at the age of 3 we accomplished 7 straight AKC Master Hunter passes without a failure which included titling him a Master Hunter as well as qualifying for the Master National event. Also at the end of last years trialing season up here, we entered and ran a Qualifying Field Trial stake. In that stake we not only finished, but also took home a 3rd place ribbon out of competing against over 30 other dogs including many who had been trained professionally all their lives as well as competing against some professional trainers as well.

This year with the unseasonably warm temperatures we've been able to get a pretty good head start on the training season and with age an maturity in the dog, there wasn't much rust to shake off so far this spring. Things are progressing very well and with some adjustments in my handling, we're on a good start to what hopefully will be another great season. With this dog this year, my goals are to get the dog qualified all age with either a first or second in the qualifying field trial stakes as well as hopefully finish an Amateur all age stake before the season is up again.

What are your goals for this season?


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## aaron.shippy (Nov 6, 2011)

It sounds like you have a good dog on your hands. This summer I'm hoping to master retrieving to my hand and the dock jump with my 2.5 year old German shorthair. I think he would bring a bird back to me if I waited it out long enough but if it's a cripple he tends to shake it and destroy it. Last summer he would run to the end of the dock and stop then dip in the water. Hopefully this year we can get to a lake enough to get him leaping good off the dock. The downfall is there isn't many lakes too close to Fargo. If you have any good tips or pointers for me I'm open to suggestions. It sounds like you have more experience in this category than me.


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## birdyman24 (Jan 9, 2012)

I hope to continue to get my 4 month old setter pup on as many wild birds as I can right now, and hopefully hunt over her a bit this fall, but right now just continuing with obedience training for the most part, and hopefully I can get her to realize that kids socks are not an edible object.


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## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

aaron.shippy said:


> It sounds like you have a good dog on your hands. This summer I'm hoping to master retrieving to my hand and the dock jump with my 2.5 year old German shorthair. I think he would bring a bird back to me if I waited it out long enough but if it's a cripple he tends to shake it and destroy it. Last summer he would run to the end of the dock and stop then dip in the water. Hopefully this year we can get to a lake enough to get him leaping good off the dock. The downfall is there isn't many lakes too close to Fargo. If you have any good tips or pointers for me I'm open to suggestions. It sounds like you have more experience in this category than me.


I think dock jumping is pointless for a field dog, sorry. It'll only get your dog into trouble with a great big jump off a possibly unknown dock or bank of a pond. I don't retrievers with great big water entries because it often causes more problems than it helps, especially when it comes to health and safety.

As far as retrieving to hand and not eating or chomping birds, teaching a command of "hold" should be in order. Also go back and formalize and work more on obedience as that is a cornerstone of all training. Ensuring a solid recall command will get you everywhere. Find yourself a good training book on pointing breeds about teaching to hold or find yourself a group of trainers involved in NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association http://www.navhda.org/) and they should be able to help you out.


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## rottengander (Oct 2, 2010)

Just picked up my pup 3 weeks ago (11 weeks old today). Goals for the year would be basic obedience, hold, and collar conditioning. Maybe some hunt test in the future? It would definatly be a learning experience for the both of us.


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

Chaws said:


> . With this dog this year, my goals are to get the dog qualified all age with either a first or second in the qualifying field trial stakes as well as hopefully finish an Amateur all age stake before the season is up again.
> 
> What are your goals for this season?


Don't be in a hurry to get out of the Qual. Make him win out. Once you're in the all age, you're there for ever and most week end's you'll be going home pretty early. 

It is a HUGE jump from the minor stakes to the major ones.


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## Guest (Apr 25, 2012)

My black male became QAA with a win this March at 25 months old so it would be nice to add a MH to his name and then continue onto all age stakes. With my yellow female I hope to do the same, add a MH (she is a SH now) and then continue onto all age stakes by fall. I have 2 others under 2. My yellow male who is 10 months old now I would like to get his SH and run some derby's closer to fall. Last but not least I have a 20 month old black female that I would like to get a few derby placements this summer and continue her onto Qual's this fall.

Hey and somewhere in there get a couple of them ready to hunt pheasants and ducks!


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Ran Remy in his NAVHDA Natural Ability test last spring and he scored a flawless Prize I. Trained him hard all summer after that and we reaped the rewards from September through the end of December.
This year I'd like to solidify his staunchness on birds. He holds point with the best of them, but hasn't gotten through steady to flush, shot and fall. 
We also started working on line retrieves last summer before his untimely surgery. I got him pretty good on hand signals. I suppose I'll continue that a bit, although I think there are more important things for him to learn first.
I would REALLY like to get him trained up for the Utility Test in the fall, but that is going to take some serious time, effort and supplies. Plus, with the bird shortage, just finding cheap chukars for training is next to impossible. I still have to head out sometime and round up barn pigeons. Anyone want to get together some evening and tag team? We could split the spoils 50/50.


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## spankylabs (Feb 27, 2011)

Kind of a shame watching the snow goose videos. Lots of guys needing to work on steadying. Hardly a video out there that doesn't have one or more dogs running in the dekes before the first shot at some point and the rest have dogs breaking at the shot.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

Got my pigeon toe traps made today. We'll give 'em a spin this week. If it works I'll post some pictures.


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## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

How about some updates guys? It's been about a month and a half since this thread started and I know labguy23 has gotten a couple Master passes recently but how about everyone else?

Myself, with my 4 yr old Master Hunter dog ran 3 trials, two of which were qual entries and the other was an Am because I was traveling for work and couldn't run the qual that weekend. We've gotten a RJ and Jam in the quals and made it to the 3rd series of the Am before getting dropped for a handling error on my part on the water blind. My younger soon to be 2 yr old dog has ran a couple derby's making it to the 2nd and then to the 3rd series. She's had mental errors and gotten dropped but hoping we can finish at least one derby before she ages out at the end of July.

I'm running both in the HRC test in Pequot Lakes, MN this weekend just for a little change of pace and to try out a venue I've yet to observe or run in. Should be fun.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

I've been working Duke on pigeons in the toe traps twice a week. The challenge for him isn't finding the bird but locking down and being steady to flush. I don't want him steady for the shot. It's coming along and only 90 days 'til grouse opens. Soon I'll mix it up a bit with 2 or 3 toe traps in sequence, like a covey and we'll see what happens.


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## spankylabs (Feb 27, 2011)

QAA for our youngster at 27 months. She is enjoying retired life so far.


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Got bamboozled (well, not really) into training Remy for his UT this fall. 
We've been working on his search a lot. Seeding the far shore of a pond and making him do repeated fetches. Last night's session was great. He's really learning to widen his search area.
But bigger still is steadying him to wing, shot and fall. We started this Tuesday on some chukar and launchers. He jumped (as predicted) on the first flush, but quickly corrected himself on the following bird, even with a shot from a starter pistol. He gets the concept, it's just going to come down to repetition and consistency on both our parts.


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## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

spankylabs said:


> QAA for our youngster at 27 months. She is enjoying retired life so far.


What dog is that? Was it on Springer's truck? Run her in some Am's. I've ran a couple Q's that were equally as difficult as an Am.


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## spankylabs (Feb 27, 2011)

Maddie took 2nd at the nodak event for Team Dynamic. Done until I win the lottery. Tough to run your own hound and work a 70+ hour week. Puppies and well funded dakota hunts in her future.


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## Guest (Jul 1, 2012)

Berkley is at 3 Master Passes so far. Had a couple bad breaks and handler errors or he would be a MH by now. Oh well we have enjoyed most of the tests. This weekend was a tough one though  Handler error + too much perserverance =no ribbon X2.

I am learning more about handling in Hunting Tests every test.


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## rottengander (Oct 2, 2010)

My pup Alka (now 20 weeks old) has been doing great. Sit, heel, here, down has come very quickly to him. Started intro to guns last week, and water marks. We will be starting formal obedience in a few weeks. Then hold and coller conditioning. After that it should be hunting season. After his first season we will be working on ff, honoring, blinds, and hopefully take him from a good pup to a great hunting partner!


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2012)

What a spring/summer. Berkley got his MH and QAA all before 30 months old. My female Becky won the 52 dog Qual at CMRC at exactly 25 months old, happened within an hour of Berkley titling MH. That was an awesome day! My young male is looking great so we didn't mess with hunt tests, and his mom is now with my uncle hunting her butt off. I could not swing 3-4 competition dogs this year :-? .


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

My 27-month-old GWP Remy (Top Shelf's Kashisking) scored a perfect 204 Prize 1 during his Utility Test a couple weekends ago. Looks like we're Invitational bound for 2013 in Ohio :beer: Hopefully I can add that "VC" to his name...


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## cedarsedge (Sep 21, 2006)

My female just got her MH this past weekend, she went 5 for 6 running in masters this year. She already has 3 qualifications for Master National in 2013, so we will try to get the other 3 next Spring/Summer. Now time to do some hunting

Dan


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