Re: Merla's training log I loved reading this. It's definately something I would love to do at some stage.
Re: Merla's training log Oh, it sounds absolutely fabulous! Yet again, I'm jealous of the variety of doggy training activities you have over there!
Re: Merla's training log Well I can't believe we're at session 4 already! Off to East Dorset this time to another location - a plantation where we had pathways through conifer woods. A bit more wind last night than we'd had before too - good for the dogs! We started this week's session with an obedience exercise on 'stays'. We could do a sit or down stay, and we were in a bit of a minority being used to doing 'stay' exercises. I think there was about three of us who had dogs that were used to this, the others were pretty much starting from scratch. It's funny, at Gundog sessions I tend to feel like the naughty kid, bottom of the class, as dear Merla has a tendency to be....err.... 'creative' at the wrong time ;D But at Search Dogs I feel almost competent from a general handling perspective After that it was off to searches, quickly building up to quite long (100m) and deep (about 25m off the path) searches. We were also building up the amount of time before sending our dog, so we'd send our 'body' to run out with the toy, then they'd radio in when they were hidden, then we'd wait up to another 2 minutes before sending the dog. Lovely seeing them work. It's good fun being a 'body' too, at least in summer weather! You lie there looking up at the trees and sky until you hear panting and crashing and a little furry face appears above you! Good job from Merla- not fooled by any of the devious hiding places! I love seeing her little face when she's found her body and comes back to get me ('Come ON you slow, incompetent human!'). Our homework for this week is trying some searches on the 'hard' side of the path, with the body downwind of the path. We need to encourage the dog into the cover on that side of the path so they can pick things up there, and further upwind on the 'easy' side. I'm becoming a wind direction and air flow nerd ;D ;D Only one more training session until the assessment - eek!
Re: Merla's training log Just catching up Kath, sounds fantastic, what a clever girl she is, be proud
Re: Merla's training log I would love to do this and so would my dogs. Your descriptions are great and Merla sounds like a complete star. Lochan in particular would love to try the Circle of Sausage....
Re: Merla's training log [quote author=Lochan link=topic=9558.msg161137#msg161137 date=1430763131] Lochan in particular would love to try the Circle of Sausage.... [/quote] ;D ;D Yes, from what I've read Lochan and Merla have quite a bit in common........ ;D ;D ;D Tried a bit of a 'wrong side hide' this evening - she was not fooled. My only problem is, they are meant to hunt up the upwind side of the path. She may well start doing this when she hasn't seen the person run out, but on seen run-outs she's just off like a rocket until she catches their scent. She was finding my daughter today, and was therefore approaching Mach 1 at times ;D In other news, I returned very happy from our walk this morning as M managed to get her 'concentrating in spite of spaniel distractions' badge, which has so far evaded us ;D ;D I do set myself up for disaster by leaving retrieve articles on the path. Turned round today to send her, to find a springer approaching at pace :. M ran out a bit then lay down apologetically and practically said to the spaniel 'no, no, that's fine, have my toy!' : : I repeated a 'get on' and made some other encouraging sounds, and much to my surprise she got up, elbowed past the spaniel, grabbed the toy and raced back to me. Yeay! Later on, she was hunting in the heather for a hidden dummy and THREE cockers came round the corner. One ran right up to her, and she civilly sniffed and wagged for a microsecond before turning away to get on with the job in hand. Could not be more chuffed
Re: Merla's training log [quote author=Merla link=topic=9558.msg161146#msg161146 date=1430765182] M managed to get her 'concentrating in spite of spaniel distractions' badge [/quote] Charlie will never, ever, never, never get this! ;D ;D ;D Well done Merla!
Re: Merla's training log Well, I'm reasonbly sure I'll be eating my words within a week, but for now I'm savouring the moment! Also, chances of translating this into a Gundog training group class....err......zero ;D ;D ;D
Re: Merla's training log Last training night of the course this week at another different location. No starter exercise this week, just straight into the search exercises. I had some more lovely dogs in my team- a very lovely fluffy Border Collie boy, and a rather fabulous Black Russian Terrier. (Give them a 'Google' - very interesting, they're not terriers although they are black and Russian!) Merla is getting a little bit of a name for herself on account of her rocket-like speed : The trainer we had this week is also a lab owner and is very kind to us. He's kind to everyone actually, but he is very much a Labrador fan. LOTS of wind for a change (it was Tuesday night when it was pretty brisk!) although as it was SOOO windy it was hard to identify a clear wind direction, and it was very gusty so must have been hard for the dogs. Merla had a lovely time. We did one short starter run and then a longer one where our 'body' ran down the path, then turned left at a crossroads, ran a little way further and hid on the right side of the path. Merla picked up the scent from such a long way back she never got to the crossroads - she cut right across the corner and bulldozed through fallen trees, brambles and other thick cover, getting to the body while I was still trotting around wondering where she was! Another really long run next, at least 100m (blooming long way for me to sprint after her!) She zoomed off and then caught the scent cone, first following it downwind then getting her bearings and quartering back upwind. Another couple of medium length ones after that. She's getting really good at coming to get me after she's found her body- just as well as I'm always....err... some considerable way behind ;D ;D The assessment is a week on Saturday. The instructors reckon she'll have no problems, but I don't want to mess it up for her by blundering around messing up the scent. Both the dog and handler have a list of competencies that need to be passed. Not that they'll make it really scary - they're very, very nice to us all, but obviously one wants to do a good job. Need to get in a few more practices before then.
Re: Merla's training log Kath, this sounds amazing, Merla is doing a great job and I'm sure she will pass with flying colours - Good Luck!! You must be fit as a butchers dog yourself!! ;D xx
Re: Merla's training log It's been so interesting hearing about your course and I'm sure you'll pass easily. it sounds as if the handlers have to be pretty fit as well as the dogs. Do you envisage doing real life rescues eventually?
Re: Merla's training log [quote author=Joy link=topic=9558.msg161697#msg161697 date=1431030151] Do you envisage doing real life rescues eventually? [/quote] Hard to say- there's a whole lot of training between where we are now and there. You have to pass nationally standardised tests and there's a lot that could go amiss in the meanwhile. I think I'd like to keep going for as long as we're keeping up. The next stage is an intermediate course, but I think they do them over the autumn/ winter when it's properly dark and cold, which I guess really sorts the sheep from the goats ;D I think we'd need to keep practicing in the meanwhile and also I'd need to volunteer to be a 'body' for the advanced teams too, so lots to think about.
Re: Merla's training log This is really fascinating and great stuff Kath. It obviously suits Merla down to the ground! One of my training partners does both dummy work and search & rescue; the combination seems to work well for little Nellie. So if you do want to do some gun dog training as well, the two are not incompatible.
Re: Merla's training log That's useful to know, Karen. I often feel that the Gundog stuff we've done previously gives her a definite edge, both with control and with communication between dog and handler- we're used to the idea of 'talking' to each other with looks and gestures, which is a huge bonus and I'm sure accounts for the way Merla intuitively started coming back to get me once she's found her 'body' (apparently some dogs never really get this, they just stick like glue to the body and try to mug him or her for the toy ;D ).
Well, lots to catch up on. We took and passed our Beginners Search Dog assessment- yeay! I nearly screwed up on the last search by being convinced she'd gone too far and missed the person and therefore dawdling around rather than following her, but she sorted me out eventually!! We've started another gundog course now- very pleased with my little girl. There's lots more variation and demand on the retrieves and she loves it- particularly the obstacles and water work There's lots of changes of activities and she's definitely not bored and in consequence it's much easier to keep her attention on me. Last time she was even off-lead while other dogs were retrieving (I tend to sit her in front of me rather than focusing on the other dogs, but I figure that's definitely a good start if she can maintain concentration on me when there's dogs whizzing out from the sides). And we did some off-lead heelwork while another dog was retrieving from the water- who'd have thought? She turned two this week - wow, where has the time gone? In her first birthday I was kind of resigned to her being nutty forever, but she's definitely so much more manageable now, particularly in the 'other dogs' department, which in turn means we can have more fun as I'm not always twitching that she might charge off Her birthday present from me was a lovely Orvis dog bed to go next to our chairs in the living room. Sometimes it had seemed there wasn't quite enough room on the sofa for a tired Labrador who needed a stretch and she'd head upstairs to lie on our bed. Which was sad as I couldn't see her or stroke her! The dog bed has the seal of approval though and sits between me and OH and has solved he problem !
Many congratulations on passing your test Merla and Kath, what an achievement Good luck with the new gundog training, Merla sounds like a complete star and I am very envious you must be so very proud of her and of yourself. So sorry we all missed your Birthday Merla, so from me, Hattie and Charlie Belated Happy Birthday wishes to you xx What a beautiful bed and glad you are enjoying it and the sofa is now free!!! xxx
Many congratulations Merla Search Dog! And happy birthday. Charlie has an Orvis bed between chairs too.
