More water retrieves

Took Gage back to the lake. We worked from another area using the weeds for him to go through. He did cheat sometimes and bypass the weeds. Today he also chased the three ducks by hitting the water and swimming towards them. Was glad to see him go up to a girl today. He is making progress with his self-confidence.

Water retrieves

Today for the water retrieves we attached duck wings to the bumpers. This really got him going. When he got to the bumpers he dove on them to catch them. His whole head would go under. He was stoked!

Poor yard work

Yesterday Gage had a bad day working on retrieves. He wanted them for himself. Finally set him up where he had to come back to me and stopped. This has not happened out in the field and I hope to stop this before it does.

Blind retrieves

 Gage has started blind retrieves out in the field. First I put 3 bumpers out together. Then my partner threw the forth to the other three. I sent Gage and keep recasting him until all bumpers were retrieved.

 I had been having him mark one and sent him on the second. He would go get the second then go to the marked bumper. I am hoping that the blind retrieves from the same area will reenforce bringing the bumpers straight back to me.

Duck wings

Today Gage was worked on duck wings attached to his bumpers. He was extremely interested and I was glad for the long check cord.

Slow but steady

Yesterday we went to the lake. Gage saw his first live ducks. Much barking and smelling ensued. He never chased them but you could see him getting braver as time went on. His water retrieves were good and he had a ball.
His boldness around strange people is much better. One time I asked a person to give him the sit command, he sat as he should. 

Group training

Gage and I had the pleasure to participate in a training day with a few others. It was very enlightening to see what trained dogs could do. I was like a sponge soaking up all I could. The first lesson was that I needed to make longer cast with Gage.I had the chance to see dogs working retriever field trial drills and hunter drills.

I have now added a second person for Gage's retrieving drills. Needing to get longer retrieves my son has volunteered to help out. It was funny to see Gage the first few cast. When he got to the area that I could throw myself he started hunting. He worked his way our after a time and did bring the bumper back. The second day we went out he had figured he needed to mark better and went straight to the bumper on all the cast.

Discovering new things

I have wanted to introduce Gage to some safe water and today I took him to a local lake. The first thing he noticed were the ripples coming to shore. He was leery at first but I walked out into about eight inches and called him. I walked back and forth in the shallows until he was at ease. Then I threw a dummy on the edge of the shore and we were off to having his first water retrieving workout. We worked out to deep water and back shallow several times. 

After working him for a while and he showed signs of getting a little tied we took a break. He explored some of the lakeside and the fishing docks. When he was rested we went back to the boat ramp where we had been working. 

Straight into the water he went. We played and he chased water I splashed. When he jumped for the splash of course it caused another splash that he jumped for again and on and on. He watched me slap the water and tried to catch the splash with his paw. It didn’t take him long to learn he didn’t need me for this fun. I laughed and laughed watching this pup play in his newly discovered playground. He would play this game going out into deeper water and back in. Once he was treading water like a person trying to grab the splashes with his mouth. 

I have not enjoyed myself with any dog more than I did today. This was one of those days that will bring a smile to ones face for a lifetime.

This is a short slide show of his work.

Dangerious creature found

Gage hunted down the horribly dangerous drier sheet. With considerable effort and enthusiasm , he cornered, corralled, and held at bay this dangerous creature until it could be dispatched. Talk about a versatile dog.

More yard work

Gage is getting better every time he is worked on his retrieves. Brenda's pup cheers him on!

Martingale Collars

I have a fondness for Martingale Dog Collars. It is also known as the no slip collar. For dogs that do not need hard corrections it is a great training tool. It works like a choke chain but is much easier on the dog. 

Shots of Gage and retrieving work

Catch up

Gage and I have been working on the yard work and obedience training. It has been coming along quite well for the limited time I have worked with him.

Today we went to a field to see how the retrieving work had been trained. Gage did a good job but the rope kept getting hung up and he would stop. After removing the long rope he really did well.We walked the field and I am happy to say his work of the area was wonderful.

Now I need to get some birds to really get him hunting. All in all I am very happy with his actions and willingness to respond to voice and whistle commands.

Progress

Gage is really getting into fetching his bumpers and toys now. We had to stop using the frozen birds for awhile to get him interested in retrieving his dummies. I had to put wings on them at first to get his interest. Now he retrieves whatever I throw for him.

Gage is still nuts for bird sent and I need to get him out flushing some birds. Next I am building a pigeon coop to keep him flushing live birds.

Yard Work

In the past I was lazy in doing yard work with my dogs. Well my setter Rye payed the price for me being stupid. He got out and I could not get him to come back and  he got hit a mile from the house.

Gage is doing very good with his yard work. He sits on voice command or whistle. Before we are done he will be a reliable off leash walking or retrieving hunting partner. As his desire of chasing balls in the house rises his yard retrieving strengthens also. His hunting style is a quartering pattern that is very pleasing to see, at least in the yard.

First trip after deer wreck

On the 18th of February Gage and I traveled to Thomasville Georgia to see some of the best boykins in the country. Nine Boykins qualified for the BSS Spring National  competition this year. Four of them were there this day. We met some great people and better "LBD's" or little brown dogs.

I must admit I am not thinking  to get into retrieving contest in the future, but it was good to see people enjoying working their dogs and the dogs were more than ready to work. The equipment they were using to shoot the dummies/bumpers into the air was pretty neat. They had sound effects (duck, chucker,and pheasant if I remember right) that could be played before firing the bumper to help get the young dogs attention.

Gage did not travel well and looked like the worse candidate in the world for training to hunt. I had  forgotten that we had hit the deer the last time he rode in the truck. He was just exhausted from the trauma of riding again in the truck.

Phil Hinchman who owns Brandywine Creek Boykin Spaniels kennel in Indiana, whose female WC NC SM LC Big Sky's Bessie Wayne, who won the 2007 BDC Top Gun World Champion title was there. He took me and Gage over to an area and we worked with some quail. He gave me some great advice on what to work on with the pup. I was wishing that Phil could had seen Gage at his best. A nice hunting, nose to the ground and in the air pup, with lots of hustle.

Pedicure

Gage has to keep up his appearances!

 

 

Bad end to a good training day

Gage had had a very good day with some quail in a light rain chasing, hunting, and flushing. These were all new for him. What a thrill for me to watch.

Fifty miles from home I saw the deer coming from the left and it was trying to jump my truck. I hit it, he flipped upside down, crashed into the drivers windshield, wrapped around the fender and its rump crashed through the drivers window hitting me in the head. Scared the holly hell out of me and Gage. I shudder to think how close I came to that end. The rear of the deer exploded the driver-side window and hit me on the face and head. Lucky for me it also hit the back of the window frame and that threw it away from the truck.

A few people stopped and made sure we were OK. One called the accident in and Gage and I waited forever for the State Police to come. A wrecker took the truck and us to a collision center.

My insurance has rental coverage and I set up a rental car to be driven over and we waited for it for about another hour. When it arrived the women driving told me I could not take the pup in the car. By this time I had had about enough, I told her to take the @#$%^&* car back to the rental office . We were stranded 50 miles from home by the Enterprise Rental Company.

I had to have my son drive an hour to come get us. By the time I got home I was worn out and still had to clean the deer.

Using his nose

This morning I was out in the yard with the dogs. My wife's dog and Gage were playing with each other. While they were busy with each other I put a quail wing on a swing seat and stepped back to watch.

When they got to the downwind side, Gage stopped in his tracks, took a couple steps, raised up on his back legs, and then went straight to the wing. That felt good.

First trip to a field

I took Gage out to a field this afternoon for the first time. Letting him discover new things and play in the water. I also let him get out away from me then called him to me and walked the other way when he came and went on. Trying to get him into zigzag pattern while keeping in touch with me.

2nd day with dead quail

This day Gage was better about bringing the quail back. His interest was very high and is really using his nose.

Introduced to dead quail

After letting Gage fetch a wing a few times I showed him a whole quail to smell and taste. Throwing it and letting him grab and drop and grab it a few times he was bringing it back like he had done it all his life.

Emerald Coast 20 Gague

This pup Gage, my new partner, is a Boykin Spaniel. I am going to chronicle our training progress here. This picture is of him resting after a long car sick trip to meet the trainers that will train me to get the most out of him.

Greg Oyer and Laurie Williams will be working with me to accomplish my goals for my hunting partner. Greg is an instructor for the IACP and Laurie is working with him. Our first homework included walking with light finger tug corrections, hup, hand signals guiding him to cheese treats, getting him out to meet others and experience new things.