Blue (and white) ribbon

Aki and Larsen took a twirl around the ring and earned a "select" ribbon.  Although the two did not win, the  designation indicates that the judge liked what he saw.

Larsen's back is loosening up and he has more spring in his step.  Aki is growing more confident about her handling and can start to think about Larsen's presentation instead of her own movements.

Cover of Starter Barks

It's not Rolling Stone.

Larsen is in the pictures on the top row.

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.

Looking back and forth

There remains an afterglow of Larsen's accomplishment earlier this month.  The backdrop for this accomplishment is the months of healing from Larsen's iliopsoas strain, and the consequential, but in hindsight mistaken, exploratory surgery.  The veterinary claim is that after 6 weeks, the healing is done with.  However, as with  humans, it seems that age reveals again all manner of injuries that in youth were healed and done with.  So I keep an eye on him and coddle him a bit by lifting him in and out of the car, for example.

I've had some successful outings with quail.  I'll try him on chukar, with the e-collar as a reminder that sitting is an absolute precondition to being released for a fetch.  

February provides for the ESS and Bokin tests.   Joe has said that it's not until the 2nd master leg that the dog can be said to be hunting at the master level.  Let's see if we can move in that direction.     

Why this picture is worth looking at again

This photo is beautiful in its own right, reminiscent of an oil painting.  Aki took the picture in early December in middle Georgia during the waning afternoon hours of a hunt test.

Larsen has come ashore after a water retrieve, the last event of the day.  The broom straw and pine provide a soft, abstract background.  Water from the wet dog glitters in the afternoon's light.  A catchlight in Larsen's eye brings him to life and attracts you to the warm, loving look on face, despite being partly obscured by the bird.  It's not unusual for a spaniel to let the bird's wing cover his nose.   He gets bird scent with every breath.  Larsen's eyes and tilt of his head show that he is retrieving because he loves me.  The wing over his nose tells him that the bird is his.  Larsen's face has a touch of grey.  He will be 8 in March.  This is a dog that knows what he is doing.  There is a confident set in his body that belies the soft look in his face.  Larsen's tail is up and cocked slightly to his right, in keeping with his trot, like a metronome.  The confident gait is shown in the backward sweep of his left forefoot. His eyes may be loving, but that tail and stride displays his feeling of pride in his work.

In the upland dog world, a hunt test is a singular activity.  The finding and capture of game calls forth centuries of breed characteristics.  You can look at this picture and go back a 100 or more years and see another Welsh Springer in another place and time bringing a perfect end to a perfect day.

Master Hunter leg

On Sunday, Larsen and I earned our first Master Hunter leg.  I've seen some photos that prove that our land work wasn't pretty, but in the end, Larsen sat for the birds - - a fly-off, and a retrieve - - and I stayed out of the way, and that was that.

Larsen had some trouble finding the bird on the hunt dead.  It may have been in a hole, since he seemed to pass over it a few times.  On the water blind, it took some coaxing to get him focused on the far shore, but once he made up his mind, he found the bird and brought it back.  On the water retrieve, he swam right to the bird, but decided to take the land route back.  Aki's photo shows him rounding third and heading for home, bird in mouth, and a soft look in his eyes.  He knew he was at work and loved every minute.

Three important takeaways from Joe's seminar, and one important pointer from Susan:

1. I healed Larsen to the line with the english lead up high on his head.  I noticed that he did not tug or fool around;
2. On his fly-away, Larsen challenged me twice (as Joe said he would) to break off the hunt and dash for the bird.  I was ready, and pipped him back to the task at hand just as those wayward thoughts formed in his head;
3. I forced myself to focus and not daydream.  When Larsen got birdy, I moved right up on him and was positioned to give him a pip.
4. On the water, I did not let Larsen veer even a degree from straight to the opposite shore.  Susan had warned me that Larsen, like his mom Mazie, would start to circle or swim somewhere pointless if given even a slight deviation.  

Time to exhale

Larsen's lameness brought about an X-ray that showed a dark spot on the left rear leg.  Possible cancer.  The dog underwent a biopsy to scrape away some bone for lab analysis.  That procedure alone left Larsen sore and dazed.  The biopsy came back negative or perhaps inconclusive, which gave us all a chance to exhale.

The vet said that she was able to scrape only a small bit of bone for lab analysis.  The good news is that his bones are rock-hard and did not display the coral-like crenelations that typify bone cancer.  The inconclusiveness is a result of the small sample.

Next steps are to keep Larsen on leash-only walks for 3 weeks and possibly start some physical therapy.

One of the therapies requires a general anesthetic along with some strong ultrasounds.  I will think long and hard about another general, insofar as that is manifestly hard on these little dogs.

For today, we are giving thanks that the thoughts and prayers of our close friends have worked.

  Larsen models his clear plastic cone after his biopsy.

The more comfortable inflatable collar was easily defeated by a determined spaniel. 

WSS registrations

WSS registrations at the AKC are down to levels not seen since the 1970s.  Only 207 were registered in 2013.  Total welshies in the U.S. depends on the proportion of total dogs born that are registered and, of course, average lifespan.

Lifespan is 12-15 years, so say 13.5 years.

Registrations are trickier.  Not every owner (or breeder) registers his or her dog.  Let's say that 50% are registered.  Then a run-rate of 200 dogs every year would imply an equilibrium of 5,400 total Welsh Springer Spaniels in the U.S.  

Notes on the new era

Tim and I talked about the need for building on a succession of small successes.  We walked Larsen in the field.  Tim said he did not get wound up when Larsen dawdled a bit, and that the dog would soon enough return to the front, which he did.  We toured the yard and periodically Tim threw out a pigeon.

Larsen sat at the fluttering bird, which on some tosses was beating its wings directly into the dog's face.  I did not whistle to sit.  Larsen knew that he was to sit, and he did.  I reinforced with a pip.

Understand, please, that pigeon are not gamebirds and that the dog's reaction to pigeon is not as amped.  However, successful sits to the flush build that sight picture in Larsen, and help him see that I am pleased and happy at his sit.

We later switched to chukar and had a good success with a sucker bird.  Larsen sat at my command, even though the bird was really his.

Some of our work was a bit ragged, with me early or late with the whistle.  But we kept the work very low key, and very simple and earned our successes.

Larsen had a nice hunt-dead on a long-flying shot bird.  The bird got up on its own accord.  I hupped Larsen and Tim shot the bird, which continued to the tree line.  Larsen marked it and hunted it down.

The day was hot, so there was a lot of time in between as we cooled Larsen down.  Lots of ice and misty spray, and, finally, some water work to get him cool down to his skin.

Learning, but slowly

Learning slowly: I'm talking about myself here.  My newly evolving personal mantra is to make sure that Larsen is 100% successful on every contact with a bird, no matter how contrived the exercise has to be.

Here is Springerdude (a/k/a Tim B.) making that point (bolding is mine):

In reference to Josh's comment about bringing dog back and then sending for the retrieve after a break, I guess the process works by teaching the dog that you will send for the retrieve and that it is OK to wait for the command.

I like the suggestion to only set the dog up to be successful.  If you think or know that a problem could occur with particular situation, then don't do the drill in that manner.  

What I have learned in the last two years is to keep things easy and fun with lots of repetition doing things the right way.  Make it easy for the dog to react the correct way.  If the dog does not react the way you would like, then make the drill easier.    Lots of repetitions doesn't mean "many times each day".  It means a few times many days.

Most of my training is in Urban America.  Bumpers mostly, dead birds some, clip wings minimal, flyer's sporatically.   With the right dog, this has worked.   I had one dog that it didn't work with. 

Some comments of my own:

• Let Larsen know that he will get the bird.  Be fair.  If he sits, he gets the bird.  Don't walk up and pat his head or call him to you.  That's more advanced work.  Right now, hup = bird.
• Be successful.  Larsen loves showing off.  He wants to do the right thing.  If he does, he gets the reward.  There is no sense in setting him up with 50:50 chance of getting it right.  Get it right every time and them move to a new challenge.
• Practice doesn't make perfect: Perfect practice makes perfect.  Lots of repetition doing things the right way.  Make it easy for the dog to react the correct way.  If he doesn't react the correct way, make it easier.   

Something for everyone

The rain held off long enough for our practice on Sunday.  The temperature was an atypical mid-50s at the warmest.  The field was fresh and the dogs were friendly.  Ready for their turns.

• Aubrey began to learn how to hunt.  She moved downwind and then worked her way up.  The beautiful golden may think she is a spaniel!
• Sunny tracked down a nicked chukar, reflushed the bird, kept on it, and brought it back to hand.  A perfect next-hemisphere retrieve.
• Zelda worked for Frank.  Checking for instruction, coming in when called, and then casting in an intelligent direction.  
• Humphrey set aside his own thoughts and ideas long enough to obey Cathy.  Or maybe Humphrey decided that Cathy finally was on the right wavelength.  Either way, the outing was a delight to watch.
• Larsen brought one bird in Humphrey-style: A wing positioned over nose and one eye.  Larsen showed what he could do when he understood the game.  A hunt dead, water blind, and water retrieve ended our fine day.   

Larsen earned his roll in the grass on a rare day when all of the dogs did well.

Training notes

It's been a long while since Larsen and I have had any successes.  Today we had three.  Sunny, Zelda, Aubrey, and even the thinker himself, Humphrey, showed snap, crackle, and pop in the field.  We looked at each other to wonder what had gotten into the dogs, as each seemed to outdo the other.

I told Cathy and Shoni that I needed a success with Larsen.  We set up the simple drill where the bird is practically at your feet and you call your dog toward you for a flush and a sit.  In this case, the bird on its own accord elected to make a break, flying perpendicular to the line.  I asked Shoni to shoot, and she did.  Larsen had not moved an inch, so I told him to get the bird, which he did.  Cathy later confessed that the whole episode happened so quickly she barely understood what had just happened.  The keys in  my mind were:

• I hit a timely stay whistle;
• Shoni was ready and shot as soon as she had a safe shot picture;
• I sent Larsen with all dispatch and did not fool with him.  Fair, firm, fun.  He sat, and he was awarded.  This is fair in his mind.

We had two more turns - - contrived to be sure, but what counts right now is (1) success; and (2) fairness.  Larsen sat and he was sent.  If A then B.  

How grows your field?

Danny bush-hogged his fields in mid-April.  The hog cuts anything smaller than a sapling.  This includes thorns and briers.  Now, a month later, the tender grasses are growing.  The grasses will mature this fall into amber broom straw.

Zelda poses in a spray of daisies that show off the tender fields.

Summertime

At the Publix.  Get on your mark, get set, ahhh!

He's still got it

Larsen took off after a cat at Keswick Park and paid the price.

Off went that dog despite my whistle.  Up into the dense forest.  I tracked him up the vine- and deadfall-covered bank trying to hunt him down.  Larsen doubled back to pick up the cat's trail.  About 10 or 15 yards out, on a crossing pattern, I threw one of the two fetch-dummies I had and popped him in his rear end.  He yelped, I whistled, he sat.

I walked to him, clipped him up and we continued our walk as though nothing at all had happened.  Good dog!

On the way back, I unclipped Larsen and told him to "fetch".  Off he went, into the dark leafy hillside.  Back he came with my missing fetch dummy.

Making lemonade out of lemon, I would say, and our friend Marilyn, with her water bottle, might agree.

Larsen returns with the fetch dummy.

Good dog going bad and then back to good

Here's how a good retrieving dog goes bad and what we did to make it good.

Larsen has become a pretty good retriever, but on his own terms and not yours.  He is not above setting a bird down a foot in front of you rather than bringing it to your side and to your hand.  This is a never-ending issue with Larsen, who either improves or deteriorates but never stands still.

We did a little yard work to overcome this resistance.

We played some fun fetch with a squeaky toy.  Larsen eagerly retrieved, but did not want to give it up. Look at the photos.  You will see that Larsen looks everywhere except eye-to-eye with me.  He loved the chase.  He loved the retrieve.  But he was conflicted on the fetch & give because he wanted to keep the toy for himself.  He sidled up to me, but would not look at me and offer me the gift.  

So we sat there and enjoyed one another's company.  Me breathing in the spring air, and Larsen being a pistol.  At some point he looked up at me; possibly out of sheer curiosity.  I gently said "good boy - - give" and took the squeaky toy.

I didn't tug at the squeaky toy.  I didn't blow at Larsen's nose, or pinch his cheek.  These actions may all have their places in establishing a nice fetch, but sometimes playing a calming mind game with a spaniel can teach a dog a new trick.  

Field spaniel

It's not your fault if you've never run into a field spaniel.  The AKC rates them as the 140th most popular dog in America.  That's right behind the Xoloitzcuintli at 139.  (Welsh Springer Spaniels are at 124, about where they have been for a while.)

I've now met two in the past two weeks.  They are good looking dogs.  Compact with some substance. Both had beautiful heads and dark brown almond eyes.  Long ears (moreso than the WSS).  Nice sized mitts for a swimming dog.  I can't recall if their tails are docked.  And, like any spaniel, a sweet, quiet disposition.

I look forward to seeing at least one of them in the field.

At the beach

Beachcombing takes on a different meaning when one of the drifters is a red & white dog. 

Replace azure skies with a leaden dome.  Drop the temp from 70 to 50.  Let the wind stiffen the flag and ring the grommets against the pole.  

Now you have a beachcoming day for a spaniel.

 

No fun for Larsen

I drove to Bowman on Saturday to pick up a crate full of birds.  There was nothing to the trip, really: a drive up and a drive back.  Larsen stayed at home, possibly believing that I was off by myself to have fun and chase birds and that I had inadvertently left him behind.

Larsen evaluates the empty crates.

Nothing in here, either!

Lonely dog.  

Washington mud slide

This welsh springer spaniel is serving as a search dog at that mudslide in Washington.  I don’t know this little dog,  but I know her breeder and she is understandably proud of the girl.