Weekend results

Backward we go.

Tim reported that Larsen had a good, steady week at Tim's farm.  However, when I ran Larsen, the dog readily broke.  What this tells me is that handler error is at the base of this.

On Saturday, Larsen flushed a low bird, and in my anxiety, I blew the whistle hard enough that only the sound of air came through.  Larsen glanced my way, but hearing no whistle, continued on his merry way.

Sunday's events were far worse, but fixable.  Larsen stopped quartering to relieve himself.  I called him in by his name,and he went out and continued to hunt, which I did not stop.  Larsen found and flushed a bird, which went up for a nice shot by Shoni, but he never hesitated or sat.  Now why was that?

Judge Venee suggested that Larsen's name in the field is his instruction to get out.  I use his name when I want him to fetch something.  His instruction to come in is "here" or, better, trilling the whistle.  Tim told me that whenever something unusual happens in the field, I should pip Larsen to a sit, call him in, and recast him in order to keep that contact.  As it was, my dismissal (using his name) broke the contact we had, let him self-hunt, and then allowed him to break to the bird.