Field practice

Shoni B. came to the field on Sunday to shoot and help manage the process.  Shoni's Welsh Springer Spaniel, Sunny, is in Michigan for a few months getting some initial obedience training in the field, so Shoni was kind enough to swing by to offer shooting and other assistance.

We ran Larsen, Humphrey, and Zelda.

I quartered Larsen and, periodically, Cathy tossed a clip-wing pigeon.  Larsen's steadiness is in an inertial state: he will remain sitting if we toss birds about him, but it is hard to stop him and sit him if he is actively flushing a bird.

We practiced with Larsen with the popper, with tossed clip-wings, and with Shoni giving an occasional salute to a tossed bird.  Larsen stayed sitting.  I had Larsen on the ecollar, which helped bring him in when he began self-hunting.  Several of his retrieves were very good.  On balance, an improvement from the prior week.  (See also yesterday's post.)

The next hurdle, really, is to get Larsen to flush birds and sit.  He seems to know that he must do this, but he sometimes gets caught up in the moment.

On his hunt deads, I will continue to reinforce the fact that a bird is out in the field.  His directions are not particularly good, although he responds reasonably well to "other way!".

Humphrey's first turn was perfection itself.  He found, flushed, and retrieved two birds to hand before the dew had burned off the grass.  Cathy gave him a few more tosses and a hunt dead or two.  Zelda broke on a tough bird that had been lightly hit and flown off but that she could not get out of her mind.