Amping it up

With a Hunt Test in Wisconsin at the end of July, it's time to start amping up Larsen's training.

In his basement table drills, I've brought out a thawed bird. I place it on the floor, about 6 feet away, and have him fetch it up. During the first few days, he would nose the bird, pick it up, and start to trot away from me. I'd give him a command and bring him in.

I've repositioned the fetch so that his best strategy now is to take it right past me rather than away from me. I'm working on my own performance as well. When he comes up, I do not snatch the bird right away. I wait. Then I say give, and he drops the bird, to some quiet attaboys from me.

I let him heel with me around the basement perimeter with the bird in his mouth. Then I hupped him, stood in front of him about six feet away and called him in.

I'm trying to get my own muscle memory and trust factor going for letting him handle and deliver the bird. I hope it carries over into the field.

Rally 3

I signed Larsen up for Rally. He's now entering into Rally Excellent. The requirements include a bit more polish and also some advanced things like a moving halt. A moving halt begins with the dog walking at heel. You command "halt" while you maintain your pace. The dog stops and you keep walking.

Another more advanced item, which is a bit gimmacky, is walking backwards. I will teach that to Larsen since that is part of the requirements, but it is not high on our obedience list.

The main purpose for the additional rally classes is simply to keep the discipline of our training going during the hot summer months.

Big muddy

Larsen, not the river to the west of us. Aki's Memorial Day week drive from Atlanta to Chicago, and then on to Cleveland, was in a downpour of cold rain that turned the rich black topsoil of the Great Lakes area into quagmires of mud. Some of the older hardwoods (whose taproots admittedly were gone) had simply toppled over in the muck, producing gaping holes filled with milk-chocolate water.

Larsen loves the driving cold rain. He hit the swamp and immediately began tracking deer, whose tracks were three inches deep in the mud. On a run, he fell into a bole-hole- - completely disappearing under the muddy water before bobbing up and then scrambling out to resume his chase. Need I mention that the little dog had the time of his life?

Larsen looks toward to his next run at Bradley Park in Westlake, Ohio.

Frank appears to be having second thoughts about inviting a muddy spaniel into his Evanston apartment.

Memorial Day, 2011

Or Decoration Day, as it once was called. A day to honor and decorate the graves of the fallen. It dates back to our own Civil War. One involved a tribute by African Americans in Charleston South Carolina to the fallen Union troops, but other cities and areas independently honored the dead from that war as well. Memorial Day now honors all of our military men and women who have died for our nation.


We honor all who have served.

The weather thickens (updated)

The plot remains the same. Aki and Larsen are driving from Atlanta to Chicago. They decamped from southern Indiana early in the morning and are north of Lafayette, Indiana now. The weather continues to deteriorate in Chicago, and strong storms will be moving in. You can see on the radar image that her route, which is up Interstate 65 is in a crease of clear weather until the Indiana/Illinois border at Gary. She will run into commuting traffic, weather, and a complex set of interchange maneuvers at that point.




Aki and Larsen drive into the pincers at Gary, Indiana, but manage to avoid the worst of the storm to the south that is now over Lafayette.

Road trip

Against anyone's better judgment, Aki loaded up the car with Larsen and took off for the Windy City. A road trip with Aki and Larsen promises to be an adventure. The duo crossed the Appalachians this afternoon on the way toward Louisville tonight.

Larsen catches a breather at a lovely rest stop near Nashville, Tennessee

Hot

Training on a hot day requires special precautions, including a lot of water. We started early, but since we were training in eastern Alabama, that's not materially different from Easter time, which was not so early. The sun was up and the dew was gone from the grass in no time.

I sent Larsen off for a hunt dead. He rummaged around inside the tree line. I couldn't tell what he was doing and didn't want to start blowing on the whistle for no reason. I asked Cathy to see if she could see what was happening. "He's sitting in the creek with the bird in his mouth."

Ok, even I can take a hint. We stopped and headed to the pond to give the dogs a fun, cooling swim.

Taking a breather

Larsen knew just what I needed after a long week: a walk in the piny woods.

We drove north to the Pine Mountain Recreation Area in Cartersville. The PMRA is immediately off Exit 290 on I-75. You get off exit, turn right and the road comes to a complete dead-end. Curve around onto the gravel road that goes toward the Komatsu plant. Go 100 yards on the gravel road, and you will see the parking area and trail head to the left.

The hike is steep with a lot of switchbacks. Larsen, of course, runs across the switchbacks and then waits patiently on the higher part of the trail as I walk down one end, turn, and come back toward him on the other.

At the top, where the East and West Loop trails intersect is an overlook to the Allatoona Marina. You can also see Georgia Power's Plant Bowen -- a huge 3.2 GW coal fired generating plant -- off to the west, and Kennesaw Mountain to the southwest. On a clear day, you can see the buildings in the Perimeter Area, Midtown, and Downtown, and Stone Mountain to the southeast.

On a clear day, that is. We went on cool and overcast day, figuring to squeeze one more hike out of the area before the weather made it too hot to enjoy.

Larsen poses on the West Loop trail on the way back to the car.

Excellent!

Statesman's Tiz Now Tiz Then CGC RN RA and now RE, or Rally Excellent.

MaryAnne and Chance (the aforementioned TNT) went to Myrtle Beach, SC for this one. The duo joined up with Jamie and Archer, who also added a Rally Advanced leg under his belt.

Rally Excellent is off-lead, of course. The dog zig-zags with the handler through at least 15 stations. The handler can give verbal commands but may not pat his or her leg or clap or give non-oral encouragement.

The course will have two jumps (broad jump, high jump, or bar jump), which is not a challenge but a treat for a Welshie, and the dog has to "honor" another dog that has been placed inside the course for that very purpose. The dog must also serve as an honor dog and stay in the down position while another dog runs the course.

Chance is a happy, smart, and biddable dog and MaryAnne has paid her dues with him as well. MaryAnne said that Chance is a more interested in agility and the field than in Rally, but that being as kind-hearted as he is, he knows that MaryAnne likes Rally and he does his best.

Congratulations to our new RE, TNT Chance.




This is my new ribbon.





So what if it is a rainbow?



Me and MaryAnne got this together and it's ours.

Statesman's Silver Lining (Gabel), 11/20/08 - 5/3/11

Little Gable visited at 10 weeks. He was a sweet and surprisingly talkative little imp. We will miss him. Our condolences to Rieses and Bassels at Statesman Welsh Springer Spaniels.


Gabel pays a visit.








Gabel grunts & oinks his way through some chow as Duke looks on.




Play time.








Gabel roughs up Larsen.









Aki and Gabel visit the Uffizi.








A tired little puppy.








Is there anything sweeter?


Gabel is packed up and heads for home.

Let 'em hunt?

The question posed was whether hunting with a springer involves quartering accompanied by active handling and whistle pips, or just letting the dog hunt. The respondent is a successful springer trainer and has also judged for our Dogwood WSSCA tests. I'm reproducing the response in full for all of our enjoyment and knowledge.

I would say that at times, I am on the whistle with the dog but most of the time, I am just letting the dog hunt.

Quartering is all about searching for game. A dog that does not quarter well will miss game. This is not to be confused with a dog quartering in a methodical windshield wiper pattern over unproductive ground just because the pattern looks nice.

The quartering pattern should also have different "looks" depending on the wind. I am sure this is covered in most training books. I have learned that if I will not whistle, the dog will utilize the wind to its advantage to find birds. This shouldn't be a "taught" skill ... well.. the handler has to be "taught" what to expect and then stay out of the dogs way.

If one of my dogs breaks out of its search routine, then there is a reason it isn't turning or coming back across and it usually means get ready for a bird to flush.

When hunting my woodcock thickets, a nice wiper pattern is not going to be expected. Too many obstacles in the way. However, the dog should cover ground on either side of me. I will walk slower and make sure all the cover has been checked out based on the wind direction and scenting conditions. I want to make sure they at least pass cover on the downwind side. I hunt my dog towards objectives making sure we check out all the likely spots game might be hanging out.

I don't think it is any different than what one should expect from a hunting dog from a pointing breed. I would hope the pointing dog would be covering ground farther away from me than my spaniels. They should search and use the wind in a similar manner.

I would say that most spaniels are natural at quartering (ie covering ground on either side of the handler). There are drills that will help refine the skill but that is just another training drill.

Sometimes it is just this easy.

Fortune smiles

Larsen's guardian angels did not get Easter weekend off as they saved the little mutt from harm at Lake Allatoona last Saturday.

Aki and I were at the lake just off Exit 283 of I-75. A pathway at the lakeside park is an old railbed from the Chattanooga-to-Atlanta rail line that had been the site of some long-ago Civil War action.

We were walking along the pathway that had been cut from the hills. Larsen was at 20 feet above us, on top of the cut, exploring. A jogger and dog came along and we chatted. Larsen decided to join, and unhappily also decided to to take a short-cut that involved a headlong plunge over the side.

Larsen hit the ground and flipped. I scooped him up on the flip and grabbed him to me. Miraculously, he was uninjured. He didn't vocalize a sound when he hit. He seemed unfazed and did not make any yips or cries when I poked and prodded his gut, ribs, and joints.

I can only think that he hit and skidded on the leaves and debris that had piled up at an angle in the berm at the bottom of the cliff. This angled berm produced a sliding glancing landing, rather than the brutal impact that would have occurred with perpendicular ground. Either that or someone was looking out for the little dog.



Larsen invents a new way to give Frank a heart attack.

Jeanne and Millie grab some orange ribbons

Training partner Jeanne G. and her eight-year-old American Cocker Millie grabbed two orange Junior Hunter ribbons this past weekend at the Clumber Spaniel Nationals in Orlando. That's two for the home team. Congratulations Jeanne and Millie.


Jeanne and Millie show that an old(er) dog can learn new tricks as 8-year-old Millie earns two Junior Hunter legs.

Mary and Adara

Mary T. and her Welshie, Adara hit it big this weekend in Orlando with two qualifying legs on Adara's Junior Hunter title. Congratulations to dog and handler.



Adara is in the catbird seat after her two JH legs this Easter weekend at the Clumber Spaniel Nationals in Orlando, Fl.

Zelda's big day

Zelda earned a Master Hunter leg on Friday at the Clumber Spaniel Nationals. Congratulations, Zelda.


Cathy and Zelda are pleased with Zelda's water blind at practice last weekend.

Clumbers afield

Back, Humphrey.

I said "Back", Humphrey.

(I knew I would find it.)

The season ends

Cathy V, with Humphrey and Zelda, and I, with Larsen, went to Danny's Circle W farm for one last spring practice before the Clumber Spaniel Nationals in Orlando next weekend.

It's spring in Alabama. Danny is out of quail and has given his fields their summer cuts. The fields have no more cover than you would see on your nicely manicured suburban lawn. The only areas with any cover at all seemed to be under water left behind by last Thursday's storms.

I got to the field early to run Larsen. Larsen and I finally found an area with some cover that was relatively dry, or at least not under water. The small area had a profusion of green spring grass and some old cane and many thorns. A nasty site to be sure, but one that might be similar to the Hunt Test grounds in Florida.

Cathy's goal on Sunday was to have a little simple fun with Humphrey and Zelda in this last run before the Clumber Nationals. No e-collars, no real challenges. Just run through the traps in short, fun installments. My goal for Larsen was to continue to work on the to-the-hand retrieve. Both of us were successful, and it put a great end to the season for Larsen and me.

Cathy fretted that Humphrey did not take a straight line in the Hunt Dead, and we both agreed that Humphrey would not take a straight line to his dog bowl. He seems to forget what he was after about half-way out, and then shifts from sight to nose and tracks down the bird. There is no doubt about his finding the bird, and it is not a pig & acorn thing. Humphrey being Humphrey, he believes his nose, and not his lyin' eyes. Who knows what Humphrey will do this weekend. Miss Zelda performed flawlessly and we hope she will add a Master leg to her trophy case.

Larsen and I continued to work the Joe DeMarkis method to get Larsen to crisply bring the bird to hand. (See post at Friday, April 8, 2011.) We made progress, with Larsen bringing the bird to a perfect Junior-level distance and putting the bird down. Finally, when running hunt deads at about 60 yards, Larsen twice brought the bird precisely to hand in a good Senior/Masters delivery.




Larsen finds a good spot for training.


A perfect Hunt Dead.



The promise of an open field.

Logan's run

Friend and WSS-owner Donna W.had the heart-stopping feeling of losing her dog, Logan, during the storm that swept through Pennsylvania last Saturday night during the WSS nationals.

The storm knocked out power at the hotel just as the annual WSSCA dinner was being served. The strong rain caused the river to breach its bank and flood the nearby Harrisburg Kennel facility and show rings. The river also flooded the lots where the RVs were parked. People left the darkened hotel in the rain to move their motor coaches and rescue their dogs from the flooding Kennel. In the mayhem, Donna's red and white took the opportunity for a personal reconnaissance.

Donna said that people turned out from everywhere in the pitch darkness to help her find her Logan. She said that people in the hotel with no dogs at all were grabbing flashlights and umbrellas and heading out into the woods, as was hotel staff.

The saga had a happy ending as the wet and muddy dog was found wandering about, enjoying the fuss.


Logan, safe & sound in the hotel room.

WSSCA Nationals

The report from nationals can be summarized in a single world: water. Or two words: rain and water.

The storms that hit Alabama on Thursday and Georgia on Friday swept across Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on Saturday and wiped out the show. The hotel lost power Saturday evening during the WSSCA banquet, after only two tables had been served.

The Harrisburg Kennel Club asked WSSCA members to pick up their dogs, but leave behind crates and equipment. There were dogs lost and then found, a lot of confusion. There was a lot of help and camaraderie as members helped others find their misplaced dogs, and, later, helped one another break down crates and tables and corral towels and tools to move things to a safe place. On Sunday, under sunny skies, a swap meet ensued to sort everything out. The Sunday show was canceled, and WSSCA members left with tales to tell.


The Harrisburg Kennel Club took on water at the 2011 washout. (photo by Crystal N.)

Beam me up

Stufield's Captain of the Enterprise ("Archer") earned his Champion ("CH") and Rally Advance ("RA") titles on Sunday, April 11.

Archer earned a yellow ribbon by placing 3rd in his RA, which is a fine accomplishment. In Rally Advance, exercises are performed off-leash; there are 12-17 stations with no more than seven stationary exercises; and there is a jump and calling your dog to the front (rather than to the traditional heel position).

Archer won his ribbon by demonstrating off-lead obedience and control. He also demonstrated "a sense of teamwork between the dog and handler both during the numbered exercises and between the exercise signs." (AKC 2011)

In earning his Champion conformation designation, and over his career, Archer has won two "Major" events (which are determined by the number of dogs that he beats in the show ring) and accumulated at least 15 points (also determined by the number of dogs that he beats, even if he himself ultimately finishes behind some other dog in the breed).

Larsen and Archer are 1/2 brothers, with Mazie (Idlewild's Mazie Morning Dew) as the dam for both dogs. Archer's sire is Bentcroft Statesman's Emblem ("Felix").

Jamie handled Archer in the Rally ring. Congratulations to the team.

Archer focuses on Jamie during his third-place run for his Rally Advanced title.