We have been through a lot of pressure with “Jessie”.  It’s now time to advance onto some fun and more advanced teaching.  We will begin with “Sight Blinds”.  Sight blinds are just that, you want to make sure the dog knows where to go even though they don’t see anything thrown.  Put down one bumper with a white post or post with a white bag tied to the top about 4 feet behind the bumper.  Go to a position so the dog can see the bumper and the post behind it.  Say “Fetch”.  He knows that drill.  After he retrieves it, flip it back to its original position and substitute the word “Back”.  If successful walk 20 or 30 feet further from the bumper.  Use the command “Back” when he is locked and loaded.  If successful, place a number of bumpers at the site and walk back another 20 feet.  Start using more verbal cues such as “Dead Bird” or “Way Back” before sending the dog so they anticipate your next command.  Send the dog to the pile.  Female dogs will invariably start shopping, that is picking up one bumper, dropping it, and picking up another.  Don’t let this become a habit.  Use your come in whistle, and or voice returning to a command she knows well “Here!”  If all goes well keep backing up.  As in all our lessons, if you encounter a problem go back to the point you had success and begin again.  We insist on straight lines.  A dog may run to the pile but may swing out to the right or left to do so.  Do not allow this.  Straight lines.  Also work on the return.  Rex use to say “You teach the dog how to go out on the return”.  The dog wants to come back to you so you may use more pressure on the return.  Blinds are run in two directions, going out and coming back.

Depending on the dog you may be completing blinds of 150 yards in one day.  There is no formula for time.  Take all the time you need to achieve perfect blind sight retrieves.  If possible come out the next day and run the blind again. After your dog can do sight blinds perfectly, replace the white stake with one that does not stand out.  In time this may become a permanent blind, a blind the dog knows by heart and can be used to bolster his confidence.  It can be used to dry off a dog after a water blind.  Your training will progress quicker if you have permanent blinds at each area you train. 

Now that the dog has this blind down pat, starting adding factors to the blind.  Start by putting a chair out about 15 feet off the line to the blind.  If that does not bother the dog, put a person in the chair, later have the person fire a blank pistol and run the blind.  Keep adding factors into the blind.  As you progress, go to a new area where you can teach a permanent blind that has many elements. These elements may include such factors as long distances, changes in terrain, cover, water, multiple entries until you can build up to an average year 2070 Senior Hunt Test Blind.  The following photograph shows such a permanent blind that has been taught over a number of days.

The red B is the location of the permanent blind.  The next photograph shows the same blind but in a foreshortened view to better see the factors in this permanent blind.

Happy Training

John Schulte DVM

Time really does fly by. “Jessie” is almost a year old and we have advanced to the fourth level of the Training Pyramid.  At this level we will teach beginning handling.  It will be obvious that all the lower levels were necessary to learn in order to advance.

We will teach “Jessie” Baseball.  Imagine a baseball diamond with a pitcher, catcher and the three bases as places we will teach the dog to go.  Always start with the “Back” command.  In hunting and in Field Trials and Hunt Tests, most of our commands will be “Back”.  Place a pile of bumpers at second base.  Go to the pitcher’s mound, line the dog facing second base.  When he is anticipating the command say “Back”.  He knows this drill from running Sight Blinds.  Now we advance to true handling.  Have the dog “Sit” on the pitcher’s mound and position yourself halfway between home plate and the pitchers’ mound with the dog facing you.  Slowly raise you right hand straight up while simultaneously giving the “Back” command.  If he turns and runs to second base wonderful.  If he doesn’t, simplify.  Move yourself closer to second base and have him run a few blinds from your side. Then give him the “Back” command when he is facing you.  In time he will come to understand that “Back” means turn around and run back to the pile.  “Back” is the command you will give the most, so in many drills, give the “Back” command frequently.  Repeat this drill for several days, it is a very important concept for him to really learn.

The next step is the “Right Over” command.  Sit the dog on the pitcher’s mound, place a pile of bumpers at first base making sure there are no bumpers at second base to confuse the issue.  Toss a bumper to first base while the dog is sitting.  Extend your right hand out and simultaneously give the command “Over”.  You can assist the dog by moving to the right while giving this command.  If he goes to second base where he has been trained to go, do not correct him with an e-collar.  Just say a quiet “No” and put him back on the pitchers’ mound.  You can also move him closer to first base and toss another bumper.  Give the “Over” command again.  Repeat this process until he is taking perfect casts to first base.  Now remove all the bumpers from first base and put them on second base.  Reinforce the “Back” command.  He will receive many more “Back” commands in tests than “Overs”.

The third step is the left cast.  Repeat the process you did to teach him to go the first base but this time place the bumpers at third base.  The dog will be facing you from the pitchers’ mound, you will be in front of home plate, give him an “Over” while slowly extending your left hand.  Repeat this command until he is taking perfect “Left Overs” and by that I don’t mean looking for scraps of food.

Virtually all handlers give “Backs” and “Overs” too quickly.  Make sure the dog is looking at you and is truly focused on you.  Extend you hand slowly, not like you are trying to throw the dog back with your arm motion.  Dogs take time to see and process the command, if you slow down your movements, your success will skyrocket.

Once he has mastered all of the commands of baseball on an individual basis it is time to complicate the process.  Put bumpers out at every base.  Give a “Back” command and then a “Right Over”.  Your next command will always be “Back”.  The “Back” command is the most important so we keep giving it to him.  Now give him a “Left Over”.  If he makes a mistake do not use collar correction, just that gentle “No”.   Say it as you would to a child implying everything is OK but you are going in the wrong direction.  Remember you are teaching a difficult drill, if you start to pressure him too much, he may shut down and give you a “No go”.

  So now he knows baseball.  He will respond perfectly to the “Back” or “Over” command.  All dogs are more proficient at going either to the left or right.  If he has problems taking the “Left Over” cast, do the “Left Over” twice as much as the “Right Over”.

Now let’s get fancy.  Place the dog on the pitcher’s mound and you are near home plate.  Throw a bumper towards second base but perhaps 5 feet to the right of second base.  Slowly raise your right arm and give the “Back” command.  The dog must turn to his left, your right, and retrieve the bumper.  Keep throwing bumpers closer and closer to second base until he does 10 perfectly when you raise your right arm.

Perhaps wait a day and we will teach him to take a “Left Back” by repeating the process on the left side.  Sit the dog on the pitchers’ mound and throw a bumper to second base but to the left of second base by about 5 feet.  Slowly raise your left arm and say “Back”.  Keep moving the bumper closer and closer to second base.  If he gets confused, SIMPLIFY.  In time you will be able to mix it up so he will take either a Left or Right Back.

The last command in baseball is often overlooked.  It is teaching “The Come in Command”.  Place the dog on the pitchers’ mound and drop a bumper just a few feet in front of you at home plate.  Give the come in whistle while dropping your arms down to your side move your arms like you are pulling the dog to you. After he has mastered the “Come in Command” you can refine it by placing a bumper off to your right and have him “Come in” while you have you right arm moving downward and outward.  Repeat the same process with the left side.  You have now taught the dog to come in on the whistle while you move your right or left arm so the dog will come in but favor the side you desire.

“Jessie” is a little over a year old and move than ready to run a Junior Hunt Test or perhaps a Derby in a Field Trail.  She has a very good foundation to advance into Big Dog Work.

The following is an example of what “Jessie” will be able to do in time.

Happy Training

John Schulte DVM

In my experience work on water is about five times harder than work on land.  Even if you have a very high powered dog that loves to leap and play in water, there are drills we must do to ensure good water work.  This first of these drills is called the Bank Running Drill.  I don’t use this term because every dog I have encountered is adept at running the bank.  This is a natural penchant for the dog.  He can get to a mark thrown down the shoreline far faster by running down the bank than by swimming.  Again the dog is not defying you, he is doing the retrieve in most efficient manner.  Dogs are devotees of “Occam’s Razor” which stipulates that among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected.  In other words, in the dogs mind it makes perfect sense to bank run.

There are many variations on teaching the dog to correctly enter the water and return along the same line.  First let’s change the name of the drill from Bank Running to Water Seeking Drill.  After all that is what we hope to accomplish.  Five minutes of working with a dog you have never seen will tell where he is in this process.  We will test a dog who is running in Master Hunt Tests or in Qualifying Stakes.  Place a bumper out in some tules so the true line to the bumper demands the dog take an angle into the water.  Set your line so you are about 20 – 30 feet back from the shoreline.   A dog who is untrained on water will run down the shore instead of entering.  A dog who has had some training but needs refinement will go to the shore and enter the water too soon.  That dog knows if he gets in the water life will be more pleasant.  The well trained dog will take a fine diagonal line into the water and go straight to the bumper.

Now how do we begin the Water Seeking Drill?  As in all our drills, we must a good foundation of our Training Pyramid.  The dog is so good at the Baseball Drill, the San Francisco Giants have been scouting him.  Stand right next to the water and throw a bumper straight out into open water about 20 feet in front of you.  Send the dog.  Give him the “Come in Whistle”.  Make sure he is looking at you and comes directly back to you, exits the water and “Sits” at your side.  Let’s imagine the area in front of you is like the face of a clock.  Your first throw was to 12 o’clock. Throw the bumper again but this time throw it to the 1 o’clock position about 20 feet out.  As soon as the dog grabs the bumper, whistle and put your left arm out in the left over position.  Do not let the dog swim directly back to shore, he must come to you.  To assist him in this endeavor move to your left while blowing on your whistle and saying “Here”.  Keeping moving to your left so the dog exits the water to the left of where he entered it.

Return to your original position next to the shore and throw the bumper to the 1:30 o’clock position.  When the dog grabs the bumper immediately begin to move to your left while blowing the “Come in Whistle” and saying “Here”.  Be enthusiastic.  Really make him come to you.  By now you are about 20 feet to the left of where you started and the dog has angled through the water to you.  Remember it is far easier to the train on dog on what to do when he is coming in rather than when he is going out.  He wants to come to you. 

Return to the original position and throw the bumper to the 2:00 o’clock position.  When he grabs the bumper start moving to your left, whistling, giving the left over command both visually and verbally.  By now a trainable dog is starting to get the idea.  You know you are really getting the point across when you have moved to your left some distance and you can stand there and by giving the left over command he swims by you to your left.  Keep saying “Over” as long as he is staying in the water.  Then say “OK” and let him come to shore.

As in all our drills, if he fails, go back to where you had success and start again.  SIMPLIFY.  A dog who has learned the drill is easy to tell.  Go to your original position, throw the bumper to the right so it lands just in the water.  A trained dog will seize the bumper turn back towards the water and swim along the shoreline and keep swimming past you until you give him the command to come to land.  This is sometimes called the “Swim by Drill”.  You are teaching the dog to enter the water at an angle by working on his return.

Once you have the dog doing a perfect swim by to the left, it is time to teach him to go to his right.  Just reverse the process.  This drill should take half the time the first one did because your dog will understand what is expected of him.

Happy Training

John Schulte DVM

“Jessie” knows Baseball and is doing beginning handling in the water by learning the “Seeking Water” drill.  It’s time to go back to land to learn advanced handling.  In order to start we must go back to more forcing.  We will teach her to be forced to a pile.  Place 18 bumpers about 25 feet in front of you in the open.  Line her up and give her the “Back” command.  She should have no problem with this.  Now over the course of the next 17 retrieves nick her about 5 times.  Make sure she is running to the pile and when she is part way there, nick her while repeating the “Back” command.

Some trainers will have the dog retrieve about 6 bumpers and call it good.  No, you truly have not forced the dog.  This drill should be repeated over the course of a number of days.  Why do we force a dog to do something he naturally does?  The reason is when he is under pressure later in his training, he will not quit.  He knows he has to go.  Let’s define some terms.  The first is Direct Pressure.  You are putting pressure on the dog directly to get him to accomplish a task.  Pinching his ear is a form of direct pressure.  What is Indirect Pressure?  Indirect Pressure is when you apply pressure to get him to do one thing while you are actually getting to do something else. What is an example of Indirect Pressure?  Let’s take the example of a dog barking his head off in his crate while he is watching other dogs retrieve a flyer.  Indirect Pressure occurs when you take the dog out of his crate and put him on a mat about 25 feet from the line.  You give the command “Kennel” or whatever command you choose and make him lie down on the mat.  He must not leave the mat.  Shoot a flyer.  He will be concentrating on the flyer and the Indirect Pressure of staying on the mat.  You have given him a job to do.  The barking will cease.  You have applied pressure to obey one command while you are really getting him to do something else.

Now that he has been forced to a pile on land, let’s go to water forcing.  Select a wide channel and place 10 bumpers at the end.  Make the pile visible to him.  Send him on the Sight Blind he knows so well.  He also has completed the “Seeking Water Drill” so he will stay in the water both going and coming.

Try and make the dog go down the middle of the channel going out and coming back.  Do not seek perfection at this stage.  Remember what Rex would say.  “If you seek momentum you will achieve perfection.  If you seek perfection you will lose momentum”.  The dog will probably do OK for the first 4 or 5 retrieves.  When he starts to get tired and seeks the shore this is when true forcing occurs.  He must not get out of the water and must go down and back at least 10 times.

Now let’s go back to land and teach another command.  The “Sit” command when the dog is being sent to the force pile. When the dog is really digging in and driving for the pile, it is time to use the long line that she has been dragging.  This is the same line we used to teach her to come in.  Make sure the material in your long line will not cut your hands.  I always use gloves for our next step.  I find it helpful to review the “Sit on a Whistle” command by first walking with your dog at heel and making them sit while blowing the whistle.  Then blow the whistle when the dog is some distance from you. We are demanding a quick Sit on whistle at any distance.

Send your dog to the pile, let him get part way there, blow the “Sit” whistle and pull him to a stop using the long line.  Now give him a “Back” to the pile. Send him again.  This time let him go all the way and pick up a bumper.  There are 18 bumpers out there.  Alternate not only blowing the whistle, but vary the spot where you make him sit.  As a rule let him get the bumper 12 out of 18 times without giving the “Whistle Sit”.  Again this is a Gotta Do command.  They must “Sit” instantly on land perfectly before you can advance to water.

Happy Training

John Schulte DVM

“Jessie” has reached the fifth level of the Training Pyramid.  Now we have a solid foundation to teach handling after all the drills we have completed.  Go to a large field with light cover and establish a Sight Blind or Back Pile that is 150 yards long.  Once the dog really knows this blind we can add in other factors.  Our dog knows how to run past other gun stations.  Our set up will look somewhat like the Baseball Drill.  Please see the diagram below.

                                                                  Sight  Blind

                                                                Or Back Pile

Left Over Blind                                          X                                     Right Over Blind

                                                             Whistle Point

                                                                        Line

Run the Sight Blind.  Make sure you start close enough so the 2 Over Blinds are not an influence.  Run the Sight Blind several times.  Now send your dog from the line but give the Whistle Sit at X.  Just as you did in the Baseball Drill give a Right Over while moving to your Right.  The dog may well start to go back to the Sight Blind.  This does not call for a correction.  Stop the dog and move closer to him.  Continue to give the Right Over Command until the retrieve is completed.  Move back to the Line and run the Sight Blind again. A good rule of thumb is to run 3 Sight Blinds for every Over command.

In time your dog will be sitting on the whistle and taking perfect Right Overs.  Once you have accomplished this, move on to the Left Over using the same process.  This Drill is called the “T Drill” and it is the most important drill in handling for the dog to learn perfectly.

Once “Jessie” has accomplished the “T Drill”, the next obvious step is to complicate the situation.  We add in 2 more stations to the drill to create the “Double T Drill” shown below

                                                     Back Pile

Left Over Blind                    Whistle Sit 2                     Right Over Blind   

(Long)                                                                                          (Long)

Left Over Blind                    Whistle  Sit 1                    Right Over Blind

  (Short)                                                                                     (Short)

                                                            Line

The first step as always is to run to the Back Pile.  “Jessie” knows this pile because she learned the Single T Drill at this location.  Now send her and stop her at the Whistle Sit 1.  Give her a Right Over.  The next blind will always be to the Back Pile.  Send her again and stop her at Whistle Sit 2.  Give her a Left Over.  Run the Back pile again.  Alternate your Overs between Left and Right, Long and Short, always running to the Back Pile on alternate blinds.

Happy Training

John Schulte DVM

“Jessie” has now advanced to the sixth level of the Training Pyramid.  We are now venturing into advanced marking, blinds, and drills.  One drill that I repeat with my dog before a Hunt Test or Field Trial is the 5 Legged Casting Drill.  It is useful for young dogs to clean up their handling and an excellent refresher drill for advanced dogs.  Please see below for a photograph of the drill as well as how to run it.

This is how the drill is done.  Give your dog the “Back” command without using your arm.  He should turn to his right or left and retrieve the 12:00 o’clock bumper (the back pile).  Dogs, like people, are right or left handed.  When given a “No Hands Back” command they invariably will turn the same way.  That’s fine.  Just be aware of which way your dog turns on a “Back” command as well as which way they turn when you give a “Whistle Sit” when the dog is running to a blind or mark.

So if your dog turned to HIS left to the back pile, the next command should be a “Left Over”.  You will start to alternate sides always going to the back pile.  If he went to his right to the back pile, your next command should be a “Left Back”, next command a 45 degree “Right Back” finishing up with a “Left Back”.  You always alternate which side the dog is going.

Give a “Right Back”, next command is a 45 degree “Left Back”, followed by a “Right Back”.  I do not use an e-collar to teach this advanced drill.  Just a quiet “no” if they make a mistake.  As in all drills, if you get into trouble SIMPLIFY.  Move on to the next command give “Left Back” followed by a 45 degree “Right Back”, then another “Left Back”.  Next command is a “Right Back” then “Left Over” and a “Right Back”.  Before reading any more figure out what your next command will be.

That’s right it will be a “Left Back”, then a “Right Over” and another “Left Back”.  Continue on “Right Back”, “Left Over” “Right Back”.

If you can figure this out after reading it just once you are a smarter person than I am.

Before we start covering the next concept which is the Wagon Wheel let’s consider how to run a blind.  Come up to the line and really examine it.  Find the best spot on the line from which to run the blind, then pick a spot out about 10 yards that you want your dog to hit on the way out.  Continue to break down the blind into parts.  Forget looking where the blind is, if you can keep your dog on your predetermined spots, you will line the blind.  Here are some examples.

Happy Training

John Schulte DVM

One of the best drills we can do with “Jessie” now that we are approaching the top of the Training Pyramid is the Wagon Wheel Drill on land and water.  There are many variations of this drill.  The basis of the drill is to teach the dog to line on a different series of blinds each of which have different factors or challenges to negotiate.  Let’s give a few examples.

I was not able to photograph all the stations in the above example but it will do to explain the basis of the Wagon Wheel Drill.  Place a number of white stakes in the field.  In this example we are using the west end of T 9 at Denverton.  We are running from the parking lot of T 2.  We have placed out 10 bumpers for “Jessie”.  Five of the bumpers are long and five are short.  We first have her pick up the long bumpers.  She has been taught in prior drills to run past shorter gun stations.  Do not go from right to left or left to right.  Alternate sides so you don’t fall into a pattern.  In the above photograph we pick up long stations 1, 2, and 5 first.  After she has retrieved all the long stations, pick up the short ones with the order being 6, 8, and 10.  As you can see you have taught he to do many things with this drill. Swim or run by short blinds, take channels, go through cover, run down a road and then go back into cover.  Try to incorporate as many factors as you can in each drill.  Here is another example.

Again start with the long bumpers always alternating from one side to the other.  After all the long ones have been retrieved, pick up the short ones.  How many different concepts do you see?

Let’s go back to marking. “Jessie” has been taught to do multiples.  She has learned to do them by putting a series of singles together.  Never start out with a young dog on multiples so you can show off your star pupil to your training group.  You are there to teach, not to brag.

There are numerous drills to teach a dog to learn how to mark multiples.  One requires a number of people at different stations.  Each person throws a mark.  Each mark is different, one may be a 45 back, another a flat throw, still another an in throw. Each throw will alternate from one station to another. Here is an example.  Just follow the numbers as they represent the order of the marks.  The first station throws mark 1, the middle station throws mark 2, station 3 throws mark 3, station 1 throws mark 4, station 3 throws mark 5, and station 3 throws the final mark 6.

The most common multiple is a long bird (Memory Bird) up the middle with 2 shorter birds on each side of the long bird.  She can do this because we have taught her to run past marks that she has already picked up.  Remember we always start with singles.

I start with the long bird first (M) as a single and them come back and do M1.  I finish up with the Flyer M2.  Put the dog up while everyone else runs their dog.  Now come back and depending on the level of your dog, run the short double and then the long bird or run it as a triple.

Here are some more examples of multiples that can be run as singles or multiples.

Happy Training

John Schulte DVM

“Jessie” is now one level from the top of our Training Pyramid.  We will now cover Cold Land Blinds and Cold Water Blinds.  To achieve this level all our prior teaching must be solid, if not it will be apparent instantly to a good professional.  I once watched Billy Sargenti observe an amateur run his dog on a long water blind.  Billy instantly could see all the holes in the amateurs’ program.  The outcome was an abysmal failure.

When we talk about cold land blinds we mean a blind the dog has never run before.  I try not to do a steady diet of cold land blinds but will go back to permanent blinds and wagon wheel drills to keep up the confidence of the dog.  If your dog fails a cold blind what do you do?  That’s right SIMPLIFY!  Move up, don’t expect the dog to run a perfect line the first time.  Give him a large corridor in which to run.  If you are constantly on the whistle when the dog is 8 feet away from you, you will love momentum and we all know about that.  Gradually narrow the corridor until you can hold up 2 fingers in front of you and you will never see the dog because he is in that tight corridor.  Amateurs frequently asks judges what they expect in a blind.  Professionals don’t ask, they know.  Straight lines, never avoiding any obstacles or refusing to get into heavy cover.

Here is an example of a cold land blind.

Notice the log the dog must jump over to get to the blind.

What do we mean when we use the term Cold Water Blind.  We do NOT mean cold water.  Gary and Mary Algren employ the 100 formula.  If the temperature of the water and air temperature do not reach 100, they will not do water.  If you want to insure a dog fails later in life force him into really cold water when he is a pup.  As we covered in Introduction to Water do it on a warm day, with warm water, and a firm bottom to the pond.  A Cold Water Blind is one the dog has not seen before.  Throw a few short marks to get his juices flowing go the line and give your oral cue he knows so well.  “Way Back”, “Water”, or “Way Back Water”.  Wait until he really is locked in and leaning forward.  Give “Back” as a command not a request.  He must go.  Here are some examples of Cold Water Blinds.

Happy Training

John Schulte DVM

There is one more concept we must teach “Jessie” it is about Poison Birds.  As in all our drills we start with something she knows.  A Poison Bird is one that may not be picked up until another has been retrieved.  Go to a Permanent Blind she knows.  Have her run the permanent blind, now put a thrower off the line to the blind and have them throw a mark.  Use the term “Leave it” turn her to the permanent blind and send her.  If she starts to go the mark, either move up and send her again or if she is advanced enough in her handling handle her to the blind.  In time she will learn the term “Leave it” start looking out where the blind could be.  I do not use the term “No” to call them off a Poison Bird because you get a picky judge that will call “No” intimidation and drop you from the test.

Once she really understands the concept of “Leave It”, here are some examples of drill to teach the Poison Bird concept.

Poison Bird Drill

1. Run Blind (B)

2. Fire Diversion Shot - Run Blind

3. Throw Bird to Mark 1. Send dog to Mark, let dog get close to Mark,    handle to Blind.

4. Have dog pick up Mark 1.

5. Throw Bird to Mark 2. Send dog to Mark, let dog get close to Mark, handle to Blind.

6. Have dog pick up Mark 2.

7. Throw Bird to Mark 2.

8. Tell dog "Leave it" and run Blind.

9. Pick up Mark 2.

Here is another example of a Poison Bird Drill.

In each instance you are teaching the dog “Leave It”, then run the blind.  You will know when you have arrived when the mark is thrown and you turn to the left blind and the dog immediately turns with you to line up for the blind.

Happy training

John Schulte DVM

“Jessie” is now a finished retriever.  She has completed all step in the Training Pyramid and she now doing complex marks and blinds.  These are some examples of what she can do.

This is a check down drill.

Next are several examples of Poison Bird Tests.

Several things to remember when you train.  Have fun and make it fun for your dog.  This not about life or death, this is our hobby.  Surround yourself with people who share your passion and program.  Don’t jump from one program to another.  “Jessie” and I are just driving home from the Master National Hunt Test where she qualified.  We are on are way to the National Amateur Field Trial.  I have to pull over now because “Jessie” has seen a McDonald’s ahead and if I don’t stop and give her a hamburger patty, no salt, she will bite me on the leg.

Happy Training

John Schulte