# Hunt test disaster??????



## cut'em (Oct 23, 2004)

I went to my clubs mock hunt test yesterday and my dog failed miserably. Everything I trained her on she threw out the window and acted like a first timer to the sport. I've ran her 5 days/week using 3 gunners up remote launchers and real ducks for months now. mixing land a water, short and long marks and training along side other dogs in our group. First big problem was the live flyer, she started her hunt too short and when she finally found it she picked it up and carried it 20 yds. and dropped it, stood there 10 seconds looking around then walked away without it. I command fetch and she ran back picked it up a dropped it and again walked away 5 times till she got it to me. Mess up #2 and 3, Water! This dog is a water nut I mean she flies into it oftentimes hitting so hard she's totaly under water. Not yesterday nope! why go in the water when I can run the entire bank around the pond? both times in to the duck then back out to cheat. I'm at a loss as where to start. How far back into the basics do I need to go? The dropping part is "only" with live flyers, she never drops a cold dead bird and heels at my side till I take it from her 100% of the time. Water has never been a cheating issue execpt for one place that I train at where she seen me walk down and load the launcher, now she knows and has used that appraoch route which is a big cheat. A little other background note, she's a corn field goose hunter and most of the time after we shoot and I send her theres alot of birds on the ground flopping around this is when she shops and always has. Carrying, then dropping and move to another to do the same. I think the live flyer is bringing back hunting memories and she thinks there's other live kills on the ground. I crank out my actual hunt test cd while training her and she's gotten used to most all of the excitment of a hunt test. My biggest question is what do I do now? everyone I train with was in disbelief seeing her run. I can't accept the "she had a bad day' and go on to training as I have in preperation for a real hunt test, only to have her do it again. She has just been collar conditioned three weeks ago and is now 4 years old. Sorry for the book but I'm at a loss!
Cut'em


----------



## nosib (Dec 4, 2008)

I know exactly how you feel. Super condfident in your dog then when you want them to do something they are like... no its my day to do what I want. Sorry to hear your anger. It seems like dogs know when you expect them to do good and have that added pressure and crack or something. I've had my dog do the same thing but not to the extent of retrieving something. She has always done that well. I have a pointer and was super happy that she pointed multiple birds then the next week I wanted to show some friends, and magically she became a flusher? wow emberasing.....


----------



## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

First, I'd revisit force fetch with live birds. At a minimum, I'd shoot a bunch of pigeons for her and nail her with the collar if she sets the bird down without bringing it NON STOP to heel.

Second, the dog has to be bank broken, or dechaeated.

Third, you have to teach her the swimby.

Sounds like you're working very hard with her but omitting a lot of basics.


----------



## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

gonehuntin' said:


> First, I'd revisit force fetch with live birds. At a minimum, I'd shoot a bunch of pigeons for her and nail her with the collar if she sets the bird down without bringing it NON STOP to heel.
> 
> Second, the dog has to be bank broken, or dechaeated.
> 
> ...


Exactly what i was thinking, the swimby is a pretty critical part of there water work, teaches the dog to handle in the water and gives you a tool to put them back in the water if they bail early on the return as well. If ANY of the basics are skipped you can end up with a mess on your hands and no way to fix it, I see it every week with the HRC group I train with. Over train for the level your testing at and don't run untill your dog is training consistanly at the next level.

What program are you following???


----------



## cut'em (Oct 23, 2004)

That's just it I've never really followed a step by step hard core program. I do have and refer to the lardy videos, but must admit I don't go a,b,c,d I have jumped around. When she took off around the pond on the release I could have been able to stop her with one whistle blast for an instant remote sit, but I then would have only been able to call her back to line up again. I just started again with the casting her using the baseball bases method. Out to second mostly with lefts and right casts occasionly. That I'm going to work her on till she gets it then try to find the right pond for some swimby drills and also some decheating work. My question is in the videos I've seen it shows throwing a bumper straight ot then start quartering inland till it's nearly landing on the shore 30 yds to the right. If I do this and she starts cheating do I call her back telling her NO and reline her up till she goes straight in? Then how bout on the return do I nick her if she gets out? How will she know to stay in the water if it close to shore when she grabs it?
Thanks for you help,
Cut'em


----------



## speckline (Dec 13, 2008)

Getting and following an established program would go leap years for you and your dog training. Not saying you don't know anything, but just saying that a program will give you the sequential steps to advance your dog without the wheels falling off. 
I use Smartworks and some of Lardy's cc stuff. The sequence of the program is well thought out and is expained in terms that I understood why we were doing things and where it was going to pay dividends in the end.
Best of luck!


----------



## cut'em (Oct 23, 2004)

I got the Lardy Total Retriever Marking 4 dvd set. But it seams to skip the basics like all of you have mentioed. What dvd should I get that will give us the guidance we need?


----------



## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

The "Fowldawgs " Series is very informative , covers everything through transition. and is affordable.


----------



## simme (Mar 31, 2009)

I would go to Lardys site and download his flow chart. Using the techniques by Lardy, Graham, or Stawski should help you remove glitches. It seems that in a hunting situation a lot of errors go uncorrected and leads to bad habits that have to be fixed later. I think that is the reason a lot of guys train the dog before they hunt with them.


----------

