Notes from Burge

From last December:

1. Only allow Larsen to retrieve when I invite him to.
2. Always go to him.  Make him accept my head pat.
3. Stay on my line when handling.  Make him understand that I won't follow him around.  We are hunting together.
4. Control his ground.
5. Command only once.
• Do not plead with the whistle.
• If not obeyed, go to a different method of enforcement.
6. Mix up training or play.
• Sometimes call him away, then hunt him away.
• Perhaps send for the dead.
• Invite him to retrieve.
7. One out of every 5 can I send him on a shot burd.
8. Any time there is a hup, walk up to him and pat him.  Then recast him or whatever.
9. Keep a clip-wing with me.  Toss it out when he's moving and tell him to leave it.
• That's my fall-back.
10. Challenge him on his retrieves.  Don't let him go onto his retrieves.  He knows this part.