Avon Tyrrell woodland training day

As I made my way to the URC woodland training day the ominous grey clouds covered the sky and released a sudden heavy April shower. It was going to be an interesting day! As I entered the Avon Tyrrell Estate the sun filtered through the clouds, signalling the end of the rain...for a while!

 

Following a warm welcome and a quick cuppa we filtered into our groups for the day. I was pleased to see a mixture of black, yellow, golden and flat coat retrievers in our group. Our trainer started the session with an introduction to the dummy launcher using a tennis ball attachment. I learnt that by using this tool it covers the tennis ball in shot scent when fired and it is excellent for firing a ball along the ground,  specially into cover to help a dog take a line. This was the first experience for Ivy and myself using a tennis ball attachment. The noise level was fairly high but Ivy seemed ok with the 'cracking' sound. Thankfully Ivy loves tennis balls so her first experience of the launcher was a positive one as she was very keen to mark and retrieve the balls. It was also a good steadying exercise for the group.

 

As the morning progressed our trainer took us through various exercises which were extremely useful and effective. From a novice perspective there were many things I liked about this training session today. I enjoyed  the trainer's style of teaching. He used calm, positive methods to acquire success for both dog and handler.  It seems gun dog trainers style can vary from one trainer to another. Is there a wrong and a right way to teach? What are the factors that make  a successful gun dog trainer? I don't have the answers but I'm sure each trainer's style is based  on a solid foundation of knowledge and experience. I'm not attempting to label a trainer as many may alter their style depending on the situation, handler and dog. Perhaps  the art of training is knowing which style to use and when? An intuitive trainer can skilfully change from one training style to another. The training style and intensity that works best may depend on the individual dog's character/temperament, age and stage.

 

Something different happened today which I've not experienced before in a group situation. The trainer offered a demonstration of how something happens or how something is done using his own dog! He explained clearly what he was going to demonstrate, he would then carry out the exercise and encourage you to watch his dog. Following the exercise he would feedback to the group and reflect on the dog's actions and behaviour. This style of training was extremely useful for me as a novice. I could obtain clarity and understanding of each exercise through seeing his dog complete the task. Additionally the trainer was helping us develop our confidence, building on the essential tools needed for us to succeed as a team. He also used a young keen dog in the morning  and a slightly older more experienced dog in the afternoon. Both were different in character and experience. It was a pleasure to see the strong bond between trainer and dog. 

I came away with so much from the woodland training day. The diverse range of retrievers was a benefit for me to see. I enjoyed watching the elegant and fast flat coat who was keen and biddable. The two golden retriever's gentle temperament shone through and were impeccable with their performance.  A pretty young agile yellow retriever caught my eye. She was so keen to go out! I met several new handlers who were happy to offer words of encouragement and support and all the handlers in my group were enthusiastic and friendly. Avon Tyrrell offered a  fabulous woodland setting which created the ideal environment for our training day. Far from the madding crowd and able to switch off from the daily hustle and bustle of life...perfect!

 

 

 

 

Training at Rockstead Farm

As the gravel grey clouds  dissolved and a soft ray of sunshine fell upon Rockstead Farm I felt our training session was going to be a dry and constructive one! 
We started the evening with a marked retrieve using the fence as a natural line to encourage the dogs to keep straight. I sent Ivy out and she seemed hesitate even though she had marked the dummy. I used the 'back' command to encourage her to continue and pick the dummy which she delivered back to hand nicely.  I then did the same exercise again but this time a blind retrieve in the same area. Ivy went out slowly and stopped looking back for guidance/reassurance. I used the 'back' command and then the whistle to ask her to hunt which helped her to find the dummy and deliver back to hand. After a couple more marked retrieves through cover and across the field our final challenge of the evening was a marked split retrieve. One dummy thrown to the right hand corner of the field and the second to the left hand corner of the field. I decided to send Ivy out to the left hand corner of the field which was the last dummy thrown. Again she was slow and hesitate to go out but once I gave her the back command several times she continued to the area of the dummy and delivered back to hand. When I sent her out for the 2^nd retrieve I decided to push her far right so she ran alongside the edge of the cover and headed for the correct area. Once I gave the hunt whistle she found the dummy and retrieved to hand nicely. As the evening progressed I observed a distinct lack of drive or desire with Ivy. I'm not sure why and I don't have the experience to offer a reason for this behaviour but I do realize a dog's drive is vulnerable and can be easily damaged so it is important to nurture and protect her desire to retrieve.  I will put the dummies away for a few days and try again at the weekend.

Lessons learnt and reflection:

• Ivy went out in a straight line but on several retrieves she didn’t return in a straight line. She found the easy route to return rather than returning through cover in a straight line. Does it matter if Ivy picks her own retrieving path, particularly on the return?  I believe it could cost points  if a  dog fails to hold a straight line in a working test. There are also safety issues which could arise if the dog chooses their own route. Out trainer made a useful suggestion that in the early days, particularly with a young dog it's important to walk the route (with your dog) to where you want your dog to go out in a straight line, place the dummy down and walk your dog back in a straight line so the dog knows this is the route it needs to take. If I allow Ivy to choose her return route it may become a learned behaviour which could lead to further problems down the line.

• On several occasions Ivy showed a lack of confidence in going out on a straight marked and blind retrieve. 50 yards after being sent out she stopped, turned and looked at me for guidance/reassurance. Instead of using the ‘back’ command to encourage her to continue  a suggestion was made to call her back in and send her out again. I need to make sure my physical and verbal commands are consistent, keep the task simple and set her up to succeed.

As the last of the sun cast its slanted beams of light across the field I enjoyed watching the other handlers in the group work their dogs. Observing the bond growing between dog and handler. I’m in no doubt that a strong bond forms the foundation of my  relationship with my dogs. Gun dog training is part of my commitment to nurturing a positive relationship with them. The process is on going and sometimes I feel like it’s two steps forward and one step back but knowing I’m making progress is rewarding in itself. This was an enjoyable training session with a group who are keen and supportive and most of all display a positive passion for this pursuit.

Twistmount Gun Dog Weekend

A vibrant mixture of gun dog enthusiasts came from as far as Austria to participate in a gun dog weekend which was aimed at raising funds for Help For Heroes and ABF (The Soldiers Charity). Twistmount Gun Dog weekend was held in the beautiful location of Moorwood Farm, by kind permission of Mr & Mrs Drinkall. The stunning farmhouse and grounds were the perfect setting for this unique event and offered  all the ingredients for various challenging  tests and scurries. The event seemed like just a glimmer in Neil Varney's eye last year and after  months of hard work and dedication it was transformed into reality.  For my husband and I it was an invitation to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life and immerse ourselves in the beautiful Somerset countryside, raise money for a worthwhile cause and enjoy watching some of the top gun dogs in the country.

The early morning mist was beginning to clear in the fields as we arrived in Bruton.  A thin layer of silver mist cloaked around the huge oak trees in the field as we parked up.

The grey sky was overcast and there was a light breeze.  Neil's team were on standby at the entrance and directed us towards the farmhouse. We had an optimistic feeling that the last dregs of our wet weather were behind us...just  for today. The aromas of coffee and bacon sarnies emanating from the catering van wafted down the drive.  The competitors for the AV/KC novice tests were registering  at the check in desk and we could feel a sense of excited and anticipation of the day ahead. A mixture of gundogs and handlers gathered together. Neil had also organised fun tests and scurries for the public to have a try. Chris Walton had been invited to judge the fun working test. She said "This fun test gives handlers and dogs an opportunity to gain an insight to the working test  environment and have a go at various tests aimed at spaniels and retrievers. It's a great day out and something for everyone."

It was clear that Neil and his team had been inspired to create something they were passionate about and make their chosen idea more than just an event. It was a unique opportunity to raise money for ABF/HFH and invite the gun dog community to come together and enjoy their passion and interests.

I had entered Ivy into the AV KC Novice Retriever  class and I was a little nervous as it was my first official AV working test. For me handling is about enjoying the tests and  I believed as a team we were ready for the day ahead.  Once all competitors had registered we headed off in groups towards the first retrieve.

Test 1: Two blind retrieves in a fir plantation.

 Gilly Nickols was our first judge and explained we had a tricky start with a double blind. The test was challenging and Gilly was extremely supportive. I managed to stay calm, focus and think about my  commands as I sent Ivy out. She successfully retrieved the first blind with little encouragement from me.  On the second  retrieve I needed  to stop her several times and send her back further which enabled her to pick up the dummy and deliver nicely to hand.

Test 2: Seen retrieve off to the left into undergrowth. Another shot fired  and blind retrieve straight ahead.

No problems with the first retrieve and Ivy delivered nicely to hand.   The challenge for me was the second retrieve. I sent Ivy out to the right but due to handler error I pushed her too far to the right. With some handling I managed to get her back and she winded the dummy and retrieved it nicely to hand. This was a challenging test and  fully tested some of the dogs as well as the handlers.

Test 3: Long seen retrieve with shot in open woodland followed by a blind with shot in the same area.

Ivy marked the first retrieve and went out clean with very little commands from me she delivered perfectly to hand. The second retrieve took some time! I managed to get her in the right area but she just couldn't wind the dummy. I persevered and with lots of verbal handling she eventually winded the dummy.  The judge was patient, supportive and encouraging!

Test4: Split seen retrieve marked by 2 shots into water.  Handler had to indicate which dummy was going to be picked first.

As I took Ivy's lead off I had a feeling she wasn't steady. Being a young dog and her love of water made me think I had a challenge here with her steadiness. Did she pick up on my concern? Within two seconds of the second shot being fired Ivy had ran in. Keith Broomfield who was the judge suggested I let her retrieve the dummy. Once she delivered it back to hand I sent her out for the second dummy. The judge was very supportive and encouraging with his feedback. My lack of training in this area was evident and something I need to work on.

The retriever  judges  were all very approachable following the prize giving and offered some valuable feedback. In the afternoon  I asked the judges for some general feedback.  Keith Broomfield said  "I've seen lots of good dogs on my water test today but just need more training to be able to get it right. They were all keen and enthusiastic and there wasn't one that didn't want to do the water retrieve. There were a few which had a couple of problems like dropping the dummy, a few ran in, some went for the wrong dummy but with a bit of work in training they'll all make good dogs."

Keith added " I gave a lot of zeros today but it wasn't because they were bad dogs. It's just a lack of training. There were some novice handlers that haven't done a lot of training yet to get the dogs right. In a year's time I imagine they will be different dogs. I enjoyed watching them today and there were plenty of dogs with potential."

The judge for test 2 said "There were a good range of standards in my test ..some dogs getting 20 and others getting 0 and a few in between."

One particular handler who certainly caught the judges eye was  Toby Boatswain with Aquacadisns Irvin. His outstanding performance gained him 1st place for the KC Novice Retriever Test.

 

Beaming from ear to ear Toby said " We got on well today. There has been a good atmosphere throughout the day. The tests might have seemed simple but they  were challenging for the dog and handler. "

Toby added " I need to work on blinds. There's always room for improvement!"

Hilary Hardman with Willow Creek Flint of Luvixolbeck silver snow drop of luvixolbeckWillowcreek Flint of LuvixolbeckWillowcreek Flint of LuvixolbeckWillow Creek  was awarded 2nd place and was delighted with the result. Both worked hard as a team and stayed focused throughout the morning. I was able to observe Hilary work her dog in the water retrieve and I admired  her quiet and confident handling. I also saw this with Ben Thompson. I was fortunate to watch Ben in most of the tests and his handling was calm and focused. Both a pleasure to watch!

Participating in Twistmount tests gave the opportunity to demonstrate the dog's abilities and the skill of the handler. It has highlighted areas I need to work on and I have seen Ivy's progress and identified her strengths. I left Twistmount with a  sense of personal achievement. I was so proud of Ivy and it felt wonderful to be part of a HFH charitable event. It was a thoroughly enjoyable  and fun day. Working tests are  part of my  gun dog journey. I'm observing and learning  fundamental skills  from the judges,  handlers and dogs which I hope to embed in the future.  My blog with Ivy continues...  

Retrieve and Reflect..

Retrieve and Reflect...

Ivy's success depends as much on me as it does on her. The breed and her working line allows her to do many things naturally within the gun dog  environment. This is not the case for the handler! Following Sunday's training session with Corbinsbere at Bloxworth  I reflected on the various exercises and realised that I need to spend as much time learning how to be a great handler as I do learning to apply the principles of effective and positive gun dog training.

Relaxing or reflecting after a training session!

What constitutes being a 'great handler'? Without years of gun dog experience and knowledge I can't offer a definitive answer but I'm keen to explore this area.  I am constantly evaluating what I'm doing and when I am doing it whilst training. When I start a training exercise I occasionally modify what I am doing depending on the response I get from Ivy. When something untoward does happen during an exercise I try to reflect on what's going on in the midst of the exercise itself. The result is known as 'reflection-in-action' Schön (1983)  - I'm thinking and reflecting about what I'm doing as a handler during the exercise and this helps me as I complete the task. Reflection-in-action focuses on practising critically.

A perfect example of this process occurred on Sunday as our experienced trainer led a group of four retrievers and handlers through a double retrieve. During the exercise the trainer is making decisions about the suitability of this particular task, which exercise to do next by assessing the success of each exercise at the same time as we are conducting the task.  The trainer also observes the handler's actions and behaviour and offers guidance during and following  the exercise.  This reflective process is vital and so beneficial in working towards becoming a 'great handler'.  

As I work on my double retrieves this week with Ivy I will try to focus on my reflect-in-action as part of the learning process and find out what is different and how I can change my thinking during the exercise.

Reference

Schön, D. A. (1987).  Teaching artistry through reflection-in-action.  In Educating the reflective practitioner (pp. 22-40).  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. 

 

Spring Training!

Training Sunday 9th March 2014 10am

As I walked down to Stape Hill fields this morning I didn't have to look far for Mother Nature's first clues that Spring is on the way. I was surrounded by clusters of bright yellow daffodils, bluebells blooming, the odd queen bee buzzing and brimstone butterflies fluttering around the green fields. The sun was shining  and the sky was blissful... beautiful, clear and blue... A perfect day for training!

Ivy and I focused on a long distance retrieve exercise today with a ditch at the far end of the retrieve. The dummy was thrown over the ditch and I sent Ivy out using her name for the command. As she approached the ditch I gave the command 'over'. The trainer asked me to remain quiet and just use the whistle to call her back once she found  the dummy.

As the sun was shining we decided to do a water retrieve and walked over to the large pond which was filled around the edges with masses of jelly-like frog spawn.  My challenge with a water retrieve is striving for a neat delivery of the dummy to hand without Ivy dropping the dummy as she gets out of the water and shaking before giving the command 'shake'.

Today I made sure I was close to the water's edge as Ivy came out of the water so that i could calmly take the dummy from her and then give the command 'shake'. Gradually I want to ease back from the water's edge so that she has the opportunity to get out of the water holding the dummy and deliver to me and then shake.

The key lesson I learnt today focuses on consistency with my commands. I should be staying with the same command and not changing it half way through a retrieve. For example I sometimes change my 'get on' command to 'back' when I should be using 'back' consistently for a retrieve exercise. My aim this week is to be aware of what word  I am using for each command and aim to be consistent with them so that I do not confuse the dog.

 

Training Wednesday 12th March 7am.

I managed to nip out this morning for an hour and catch the end of the dawn chorus whilst training. One of nature's most beautiful sounds. We found a long gravel  track in our local woods and set up several long distance retrieves using the track to keep Ivy straight as she went out for each retrieve.

There is something special about walking early in the morning in Spring time. Everything is growing and bursting into life. This morning our walk energized my body, mind and soul.  I'm sure my dogs picks up on my state of mind. Creating a truly strong bond with Ivy and Jack is not just about caring for the dog but spending time together on a one to one basis and working together as a team. What a wonderful way to start the day!

 

Training at Corbinsbere on Sunday 2nd March.

Photo taken by Sarah Smith - www.purbeckpaws.co.uk

The lab retriever training session with Tracy Corbin today focused on marked and memory retrieves. Ivy was keen today,  despite the cold wind and constant drizzle which steadily got worse as the morning progressed. Our first seen retrieve was a shot and dummy thrown over a bank of bracken. Ivy went out straight following my instruction and flew over the bank to retrieve the dummy to hand. This  A  basic exercise is a valuable reminder of the importance of these key commands – Sit and stay.  The group were asked to command their dogs to sit and stay, walk out 30 yards. Turn and face your dog and wait for a minute. The trainer  then asked all handlers to start walking in a large circle around all dogs. This exercise is simple and so effective. Especially when you are in group training. If one dog moves, it could encourage another dog to move so I never assume my dog is rock steady. I always keep one eye on  her and occasionally give her a hand signal to stay. Putting in the ground work to establish the basics will pay off later on.  Our group had a new and challenging exercise today. I was positioned at the entry of a wooded cover area, told Ivy to sit and throw the dummy behind so she could mark it. I then had to turn and walk the dog at heel through the wood until we came out the other side. I then turned Ivy, gave her the command to sit, and sent her out straight, heading back through the wood to retrieve the memory mark. The aim of this exercise was to push the dog through the whole cover of the wood and out the other side so they do not think they are restricted to the wood, there are no barriers. She is also experiencing various types of ground to retrieve the dummy. Ivy achieved this well and we will continue to use the exercise this week as I feel it develops the dog’s confidence.                             

I've noticed today Ivy is eager to watch me and ready to catch the next command. I can see her brown eyes intent on my every move, just watching and waiting for a command. I see this as a sign of focus and loyalty.

Thanks to Tracy for a challenging and enjoyable training session.

Ivy's First

The Purbeck Gun Dog School held their annual working tests on Sunday 23rd February at Staple Hill Abbey Estate. The judges were Neil Varney and  Richard Caines for the Labrador retriever tests.  The organisers for the event were Chris Walton and Sandra Blake.
The day started with refreshments in the car park. The backdrop of the Abbey and a sense of Stape Hill's peace and tranquillity was the perfect way to start the  day.  After a quick briefing by Sandra all entrants moved off in convoy to the main fields for the first puppy Labrador and Spaniel working test.  
My first test was in the Novice Labrador class with my 17 month old black Labrador, Ivy. The test involved a walk up off lead, dropping the dummy so the dog can see it and continue to walk 20 yards with the dog at a heel. The judge then asked me to sit the dog up, stay and walk 30 yards away, turn and face the dog.  I was then instructed to walk back to the dog and turn the dog to face the dummy and send her out  to retrieve the dummy. This test aimed to test the steadiness of the dog, heel work and retrieve to hand. Our test ran smoothly. Ivy's eyes were fixed on me and I was very pleased with her steadiness, response to the whistle and a clean retrieve to hand. I'm aware that silence is a virtue and in the past one of my faults has been  'noisy or inappropriate' handling so I was very relieved to complete the test with minimal voice and whistle commands.  The final test was a long  distance retrieve  which again ran smoothly with a clean retrieve to hand. 

The Open Labrador Retriever Test was enjoyable but very challenging for myself and 8 year old Labrador Jack.  The first test involved two seen long distance retrieves. The dog marked the first retrieve in the open field and then I had to turn the dog on a heel and he marked the second retrieve which was in cover  with a large ditch to cross. Jack marked the 2nd retrieve and went out straight, over the ditch and came back with the dummy to hand. The 1st retrieve which was in the open field was much more challenging. Due to handler error i sent him out slightly to the right of the dummy and he then headed for the edge of the field, hunting up and down the line.

This is where my noisy handling sprung into action and the peace and tranquillity of Stape Hill vanished. I realize this is an indication of poor control and it's usually a sign the handler is struggling, which I was! Thankfully the judges were extremely supportive and patient and offered sound advice which enabled me to complete the test with Jack.  Once I had recovered from the increased heart rate, tense facial muscle ache and shallow breathing I was able to enter the final test which was a double seen and double blind in pairs. We were requested to pick up specific dummies in turn. This was an enjoyable test with an appropriate combination of voice and whistle and the test ran smoothly for all dogs. Relieved...yes!

Although the day started overcast with a strong breeze it was clearly a great day on ground which  was superb  for both spaniels and labradors.  As the day progressed the skies  brightened up with no rain, gales, sleet or snow. What a difference a dry day makes...

Reflecting on the day my key lesson learnt is that verbal commands have a key role to play, especially in the steadiness development of the dog but I feel it's vital to maintain a balance between voice and whistle commands without increasing either to the realms of noisy handling.

Overall I was extremely pleased with the result as Ivy came 1st in the Novice Retriever Test. It's a great feeling to know the hours of training with Corbinsbere is starting to pay off. Thank you Tracy! We are fairly new to this sport and so far it's been an exciting, rewarding and challenging journey.

My aim is to have calm companions in the house and in the field. The four basic behaviours I am continually developing are control, steadiness, calm behaviour and retrieving. I will continue to blog my training/test adventures with my dogs this year as we are all on a huge learning curve and enjoying every minute!

Photos taken by Sarah Smith - www.purbeckpaws.co.uk