Practice notes

Last Sunday, I had Larsen on the long cord.  I successfully sat him to the flush and shot.  His second bird was a nick, and I mistakenly sent him for a dead bird instead of walking up and hunting it.  The generally unharmed bird took flight and Larsen broke.  I can get a steady only in extremely controlled circumstances.  Still, it is a start.

Larsen and I later went to work on water, and while I was there I tossed the bird and pipped him to sit.  He enjoyed that game and on a turn or two sat before the whistle.

Meanwhile, my efforts with Zelda were a little clumsy.  She self-hunted for a while and I had to pull her in (using the whistle) and recast her a few times.  However, both Tim and Cathy have remarked that my own efforts with both Zelda and Larsen are looking better.  Quieter and more authoritative.  That is a tribute to working with an exceptional dog and being able to focus on one's own actions.

Percolator

Someone asked me about a percolator.  I know that some campers still use them, but that's about all I know about them anymore.

I recall having bought a Revere Ware percolator for my college apartment and thinking it was just the best.  I visited home some time later and saw that my own mom had bought this new-fangled contraption called a Mr. Coffee.  It was years before I got a Mr. Coffee of my own.

I wonder if percolator coffee would taste any good today?

Graham

Tricket comforts his pop, Graham.  

Winter's last blow

This is about the time for winter's last blow of the season.  Here's hoping that it does not flatten the grass in the fields.

Valentine's day

Training ideas

Larsen broke at the flush on his first real bird.  Ultimately Tim and I reset the field and I whistled Larsen to a sit in a nicely choreographed setting:

• The bird flushed over my head
• Larsen was only a few feet from me and looking into my eyes as I whistled
• He sat.  Tim swung and hit the bird as it disappeared into the treeline.

We hunted and recovered the quail in the tree line, as Larsen nosed out the creature.  Tim gave me the following thoughts on our field training:

1. When on long lead, get Larsen patterning.  Keep him close but don't honk on the whistle.  Quiet commands.  If he is not paying attention, page him with the e-collar.
2. Hit the sit whistle a few times to be sure he's in control. 
3. While he is patterning, toss a few deads and have him sit.
4. Pick the deads up myself.
5. On occassion, put down a clip or an actual bird when you pick up the dead.
6. Re-quarter Larsen, and let him flush up the bird.  Make sure the long lead is tight in hand.

Tim thought that this would be more useful than the simple drill.  Tim also thought that it was important to go back to the beginning with Larsen, insofar as he seems to have forgotten or otherwise chosen to ignore what he knows about steady.  

Live practice

Aki's trips around the ring netted her a couple of best-of-breed ribbons in a field of a single, champion dog.  The real benefit of this competition is the invitation to go into the sporting dog "group" ring.  Thus, for a single payment, Aki and Larsen get two trips around the ring in live action.  Larsen loops the ring with aplomb, and Aki gains the practice.

Aki shows off Larsen's best-of-breed ribbon at the Cherokee Rose dog show in Jonesboro, Ga.

The blondes are back in town

These golden retrievers, Conelly and Aubrey, born a few days apart but of separate litters, and still puppies, really, came by for a visit during the latter part of January and lifted everyone's hearts during a trying time in the Welsh Springer Spaniel world.