At the lake

Larsen explores the carriage path as a January fog begins to lift.

Sunday's notes

Warm up. Let Larsen hunt for just a few turns. Pipped him to a halt. Tossed bumpers, then walked and picked them up myself.

First run. Clip-wing in my pocket. I started Larsen and quartered him. His quartering looked crisp. Twice I pipped him to a halt right in front of me, and then told him to go on. After a bit, I put the clip-wing down and let him find it for a "yippee" find. He found it and brought it in. After a quick pat, I pipped him to stay still and stepped away from him and tossed the bird. I then walked and picked it up. I tossed it a second and third time. Then I let him fetch it. Larsen was nice and steady. Good boy.

Second run. In this run, I tried to implement the steady-to-wing drill. I sat Larsen and walked 20 yards away. Cathy showed him the bird and dropped it about 18 yards from Larsen. I gave him a quiet pip. After a wait, I commanded "Larsen" and he took off toward me to get the bird. He got a nice flush, and I hit the whistle and stood by him and he sat. More soft pips, and a pat. (I forgot to give him a treat.) Then I called him to me. Good boy.

On the second turn on this run, Kathy P. said don't be surprised if things are different since he now knows the game. Sure enough, I said "Larsen!" and the little dog simply sat there. Finally, I said "fetch!" and he sauntered over near me as if not to get into trouble again. The scent of the bird finally made him turn in and he scared it up. This time, he took off after the bird. Cathy pulled him in as gently as possible. I gave him a pat and then let him go over a dead bird, which turned out not to be dead at all and flew off, with Larsen on the chase. He found the bird and returned it trailing the check cord. Good boy, I guess!

On the third turn on this run, more hilarity ensued, with a dropped check cord, a flying dead bird, and general chaos that only a spaniel would love.

Last time, the dog did very nicely. By error, I once again tossed out a live dead bird for him to retrieve and the bird took off to the tree line. Larsen, bless his heart, stayed hupped. A great time to end.

At the hardware store

In the sign aisle: Wet Paint, For Sale, Beware of Dog.

Game plan for practice

We'll practice this Sunday at the Circle W Game Preserve. With Joe's help, I've got an approach for Larsen.

1. Start by quartering Larsen with no game on the ground. Let him find himself and create a pattern. After a short romp, hup him and toss a bumper for him to retrieve after steady. Try tossing / stopping him a few more times without sending him for the retrieve.
2. Set up about 20 yards in front of a tree line (the goal line). Larsen is at the 20. I'm at the 10. The bird is at the 12 yard line. Someone holds the check cord. I call Larsen to me. He finds & flushes, and I sit him (and stand between him and wherever the bird flew off to). No shot fired.* Move away from him, stop and then call him to me. Make sure Larsen flushes through the bird before trying to stop him. Don’t forget to “tap” the stop whistle as I move toward him. The person holding the cord should never yank on it. Only hold it tightly. Throw a distraction retrieve for him.
3. Repeat #2 if Larsen gets another turn.
4. Chorus line (pass-shooting) with one or more dogs.

* No shots fired until Larsen is steady at the flush. Then we'll move to being steady to the gun.

This is our new game

Larsen and I took our first steps toward steadying. Joe DeMarkis said that I should not approach this like Crime & Punishment where I'm forever correcting Larsen when he breaks. After all, he's had almost five years of joyful chase, and we are reining that in.

Instead, my goal is to enlist Larsen into a new game that we are now playing, and teach him how it works. In this new game, Larsen will feel some mental pressure as he learns, and so there have to be periodic releases - - controlled, but yet free finds of clip wings that get re-kindle the excitement of the chase.

I'll explain how the exercises work, and, hopefully, will have a photo or two to illustrate.

Burge Plantation weekend

Larsen and I attended Novice I (Obedience). We did sits, comes, and some more sits. The purpose of this is to develop a heightened degree of communications between us. This weekend, we will meet with Joe DeMarkis (Shogun Spaniels) to begin the final ascent to the summit. Friend, and Clumber Spaniel afficienado Amy T arranged to have Joe train with a handful of spaniel enthusiasts at beautiful and exclusive Burge Plantation.

Larsen and I will begin the "steadying" process, wherein Larsen sits upon flushing the bird and stays hupped until he is dismissed in pursuit of a downed bird. This is the gating factor between Larsen's Senior and Master Hunter. Everything now is focused on obedience and communication.

Resolution

Grilled fish? Check. Broccolini? Check. New Year's resolutions? Double check.

On the waterfront

Be a contender.