Business Travel

A slice of pizza and a beer at 10:30 pm.  That's one picture of business travel today.  Another, and I recall this from several years back, was a pair or maybe three people sitting on the floor in their business attire at O'Hare airport on a Friday afternoon tapping away at their laptops.  Probably doing expense reports.

 

The New York pizza was very good for a by-the-slice place.  Great crust.

Second outing on the new field

Bill was there, as was Cathy with Humphrey and Zelda.  It was a glorious and surprisingly cool August morning, with temperatures in the mid- or high-50s.  Low, smoke-like clouds ringed the field.  The field itself was wet and heavy, and the grass was cut low, but it was still a fine sight overall and a good day to be out with hunting spaniels.

I quartered Larsen and stopped him to the whistle.  His stops were pretty good considering I had been gone all week and that was the first whistle work he'd heard since the prior Sunday.  He quartered some more, I tossed a dead and Bill gave it a shot.  Larsen sat.  I may have had to correct him a foot or so to make it more perfect.

Then we set up the drill.  I walked 40-50 yards away and planted a bird in full sight of Larsen.  Then I pipped him to me and to the bird.  He found it, flushed it, and sat to wing & shot.  It wasn't pretty, I hit the whistle hard and he started to break but then sat.  Bill shot the bird and we all stood around until Larsen calmed.  I pipped him to me and set him up for a "dead".  His return was messy, off by about two feet.  I grabbed him by the collar and pipped him to me and picked up the bird.

Larsen had a couple more drills and did well.  He broke on one low flyer that Bill could not shoot.  He trapped the bird and brought him in.  Still, 2 for 3 or 3 for 4 (I forget how many we ran) with a steady dog was a pretty good morning's work.

New York Public Library

The sidewalk to the library along 41st Street has embedded in it bronze plaques with pull quotes from authors famous and obscure.  My casual inspection turned up nothing regarding dogs generally and bird dogs in particular.

The Lions in repose at the New York Public Library at 41st Street and 5th Avenue.

NY, NY

Chrysler building from 40th and Madison.

New York

The streets are always busy, but the sidewalks don't fill up until well past 8:00 in the morning.  Let's go people, get up and get going!

Chrysler Building from Lexington and 42nd.

Grand Central Station

Around 8:30 am, commuters pour from the station.

MH collars

Orvis shot collars for Humphrey and Zelda, Master Hunters.

Shot collars make a fashion statement in the field. 

All wrapped up.

New fields

Danny at Circle W has done some land swaps.  The result is a mix of good and bad news.

Gone are the fields that we've used for practice and Hunt Tests.  The hedgerows around the old "junior" and "master" fields have been being torn up.  The new owner hopes to grow corn.  Danny does not think he will be successful.  The Circle W is a Hunting Preserve and not a farm because, for whatever reason, crops won't grow in that river valley.

Danny also gave up the two fields off River Road.  We used the front field for pre-Hunt Test practice.  Larsen and I did our first real hunt together on that back field.  We went after a dozen birds that Danny set out in a not-too-challenging configuration.  It gave Larsen a chance to go after bird after bird after bird- - precisely what Allen W. said that dog needed.  Allen was right, and that hunt largely developed Larsen from a junior  dog to a senior dog.

That  far back field also has three enormous walnut trees.  According to Danny, the walnut trees will be cut down and the lumber sold off  as the new owner tries to pay the loan.  I told Danny that I had envisioned that I'd always assumed that one of those trees would provide a shotgun stock for his grandson or great grandson.

The new fields look promising.  They are wide and provide gunners with plenty of room for a shot.  The front field is across from Danny's sporting clays course and is easy to find.  The back fields are another mile down River Road.  These fields are picturesque and ringed with trees, and the the Tallapoosa River is just beyond the tree line.  Under Danny's management, the fields should be ready for the November WSSCA Hunt Test.

 The first new field is on Perryman Bridge Road across from sporting clay field. 

The new field is wide and long, with some interesting doglegs.

Cathy and Jeanne pull out of the new fields after a good day of practice on Danny's new fields.

Fading summer

2012 has been a long and hot summer in the midwest and everywhere else it seems.  This morning's deep clouds, pounding surf, and cool breeze over Lake Michigan is the first indication that summer is fading into  fall.

The Olympic spirit

Nothing exemplifies the true Olympic spirit more than the celebration of gold metal discuss thrower Robert Harting of Germany.

According to the London Telegraph, after winning the discuss toss, Harting ripped off his shirt, grabbed a German flag, and ran a lap around the track in celebration.  He ran the 400 meter high hurdles, which had been set up on the track in anticipation of the women's event, with the flag tied around his waist.  He then ran to the torch and attempted to grab a fiery tong, but was unsuccessful.  That night, he lit up London, wound up sleeping aboard some train, was robbed, and ultimately found his way back to the Olympic village, where he had to wait for daylight business hours to be let in, since he had lost his credentials during the course of the evening.

Photo courtesy of London Telegraph

Steps 1 and 3

We ran Larsen, Humphrey, Zelda, and Sunny on a relatively cool, but very humid morning at Circle W.

We put Larsen on chukar and tried to ride herd on him, but I was far too slow on the uptake and as a result, he was able to break and capture two birds.  This is definitely moving us backward at a time when we need to show progress.

Before we even put Larsen in the field, we sat him and tossed birds about him - - right, left, and right overhead.  He sat, tail wagging, understanding this fundamental game completely.  Larsen understood step 1.  It was step 3 - - birds in the field - - that was coming apart.

Later, and on a call that evening, Cathy determined that we had forgotten step 2.

In an earlier step 2, with pigeons, Cathy planted a pigeon right on the dirt road.  Then we sent Larsen for the flush.  Larsen would flush, and I'd hit the whistle and tell him to sit.  Cathy, right at the flush, would act as the enforcer to get between the dog and the flushed bird, if need be.  If Larsen broke, he would get a pull either on a check cord or e-collar.

We did not do step 2 with chukar.  We had tried step 3 and then determined we would have to go back to step 1, which we did.  But then we skipped over step 2, much to Larsen and my detriment.

 

Puppy stakes

Some photos from a long-ago time when Larsen won his first conformation match in puppy stakes.  Aki guided Larsen to his win over contemporaries Palmer and J-Clarke.

Aki and Larsen get ready to rumble.

Penny/Palmer, Mary/J-Clarke, and Aki/Larsen give it a go.

Say "ahh"!

"Larsen, we won!"

A junior moment

Sunday featured Shoni's Sunny and my Larsen on the practice field at Circle W.

Larsen was steady to wing and shot for his first two pigeons.  The third bird was a chukar, and Larsen broke, pursued the chukar to the ends of the earth despite my chasing him down and correcting him from afar electronically.  He bounded in with the bird in his mouth, his eyes closed with rapturous happiness, and his nose snorting like a pig as he inhaled gamey chukar scent.  This is where I would have liked Cathy to be there to figure out what next.  What correction would have been appropriate?  Brain him or just take the bird?  I did the latter.  I quietly looped him up and took him to the car for a drink and kenneling.  No more birds in the field.

Shoni called the break Larsen's "junior moment," since he'd been pretty good that morning and in weekends before, and this time he acted as excited as any junior puppy.

On thinking about it, I concluded that I should have been more careful about re-introducing Larsen to chukar.  Larsen has been getting steady to wing & shot with pigeon, which we have practiced with for the last few weeks.  Evidently, he has not transferred that approach to chukar.  I can now see that this will be a particularly ticklish transfer because chukar flush just out of the reach of snapping jaws, and stay relatively low and enticingly close for the longest while.  I saw that in Larsen's break, where the bird seemed inches from his frothing mouth for the longest time.  Moreover, Larsen had gone through the entire junior and senior with chukar without being steady and now I am asking him to override those habits and be steady.

After his water work, I re-started the steady program.  I hupped Larsen and took a (dead) chukar and just tossed it about while he watched.  I interspersed this with a few hunt deads, just to give Larsen the chance to get his mouth on a bird.  We played the new games until we were both hot and then we sat under a tree to cool off.

I'm back to square 1 with the chukar and steadying Larsen.  I'll make sure I do some tosses to a steady dog, and I'll be doubly sure to have any chukar flushes under very controlled conditions.

Humphrey's Master Hunter title

Humphrey earned two qualifying legs last weekend at the Cocker Spaniel National in St. Louis to give him five total and a Master Hunter title.  Cathy was pleased.  Humphrey joins his clumber mate Zelda in the Vinzant household as the second Master Hunter.

Every MH finish seems to have its all-star moment.  Cathy described hers, which is a perfect, all-star blend of communication between dog and handler.  It went down like this.

Humphrey quartered, flushed a bird, and hupped.  The gunners took several shots and in the confusion, Humphrey lost track of the bird and did not mark it.  Cathy could see that Humphrey believed that the bird had fallen behind a berm and into a small valley on the left.  Cathy knew that the bird had fallen in the tall grasses to the right.  The judge tapped her on the shoulder and told Cathy to send her dog.

But where?  Humphrey is a smart and opinionated dog.  Cathy concluded that Humphrey would break to the      left.  She would have to handle him to the right.  This was a recipe for over-handling, disobedience, and disaster.  Cathy sent Humphrey to the left.  The dog took off and disappeared over the berm.  Cathy waited.  After some time, Humphrey came up, having concluded that the bird was no where to be found.  Now he could be handled.  Cathy pipped him "over" and to the right.  The agreeable dog took off, found the bird, and brought it to hand.


Cathy's decision to send Humphrey to the left was made in a pounding heart-beat.  Afterward, the judges agreed that the counter-intuitive action was probably the only thing she could have done.  Who among us would have that confidence?  Cathy knows Humphrey, and in fact, we all do.  Humphrey is smart, opinionated, and sensitive.  A spaniel.  And now, a Master Hunter as well.

Humphrey, Cathy, and Zelda flaunt their orange Master Hunter ribbons.  (phto from 2011 Mazomanie Hunt Test.)

Fun at JL Lester

Larsen's training at JL Lester was short and sweet.  We also had quite a bit of fun that morning with Celine, Lissen, and puppy Freckles.

It was Freckles' first experience with birds, a big clip-wing pigeon, and first swim in the muddy farm pond at the old Lester farm.  She also got to soak in the sights and sounds of a dog in the field with the gunfire of a short .22 from a blank pistol.  What a morning!

  Freckles charges into the field on a hot summer morning.

Freckles gets a noseful of feathers from the clip-wing pigeon.

 Freckles is in hot pursuit of the pigeon.

Freckles tracks the pigeon into the tall grass.

Everybody into the pool!  Larsen whispers sweet nothings into Lissen's ear as Susan tries to extricate herself from the muck.

Soaking wet, and covered with pond muck, Sue declares the outing a complete success.

Outing at JL Lester

I met Sue and Gary R. at JL Lester on Sunday morning to steady Larsen a few times and to help Sue birdie up her puppy, Freckles.

We had to manage with only two pigeon.  With the first, I quartered Larsen and let him flush the bird.  The pigeon flew off,  Sue shot the blank pistol, and I hupped Larsen.  Larsen's quartering and flushes are not particularly pretty, but people have told me that that is to be expected while Larsen continues to figure out the new game.  What's probably more important is that Larsen sat and did not give chase to the bird.  I pipped him to me, sat him, and then quartered him again.

Once or twice, Sue shot the blank pistol and I pipped Larsen to a sit, which he did.  Larsen did not cheat much and I did not have to make too many corrections to his positioning, but his sits need to be a little quicker.

I tossed a clip wing pigeon here and there and Larsen sat or stayed sitting depending on the scenario.  I decided he was a little bored, so we quit and went in.

As Vicky D. has done, I dropped the pigeon behind me as Larsen and I walked toward the cars.  At about 40 yards, I halted him, turned him, and did an impromptu hunt dead.  Larsen took the "back" direction well and returned with the bird.

A good outing.  Larsen and I will continue seeing fly-offs until he starts to treat them as routine.  I also will start working with Larsen on directions.  He can do the "back" command.  He now needs to understand the "over" commands.

Other Sunday notes

Freckles (3 mo old) and Lissen (about 2 yo) came to the field to watch the practice.  Freckles is growing into a dog, but is still a wobbly puppy.  Lissen is the dog who visited as a little pup and to whom Larsen provided big-brother protection when she was lonely and whimpering.  Both are Statesman dogs, and Susan R. was along for the ride.  I was roundly criticized for taking no photos of these sweet little dogs.

Shoni's Sunny took to the field for the first time since her return from training in Michigan.  What a fine little dog!  Sunny hunted with vigor.  She returned readily to the whistle on fly-offs.  Sunny fetched the downed pigeon and retrieved to hand.  Sunny has always been a fine hunter, and now the training has channeled that talent to form a good little hunting dog.

Cathy's Humphrey and Zelda got tune-ups in the field.  Zelda ran about and earned some words from Cathy.  Zelda knows better and after a little chastisement became the good hunter she is, although to watch her mosey back from the Hunt Dead was so puzzling that we could only scratch our own heads.

Zelda's nose has really developed in the past year and she is finding birds otherwise passed.

Humphrey was out briefly for a flush, sit, shoot, and fetch.  He handled it like the Master he will soon become.

The day was not terribly hot, considering the practice was in Alabama in July, but it is still plenty hot for the dogs.  Our water work was limited to a couple of retrieves.  None of us were willing to troop to the snaky end of the pond to practice water blinds.

Sunday practice notes (v1)

Larsen's practice had two very good events, one on land and one on water.  

On land, Larsen flushed the pigeon and sat.  Shoni and Al took turns shooting at the pigeon, whose  feather sheathing is a protective armor.  The fourth shot brought the pigeon down.  Larsen sat throughout the fusillade.  I pipped him to me and sat him.  Then I sent him on a hunt-dead.  He came to me and, with a deep-voiced correction, delivered the bird to hand.  The delivery was a bit ragged, but overall, his turn in the field was very good.  Throughout, he did not break.  Larsen quartered at my shoetops, but Cathy and I decided that this was part of the learning process with being steady and the fact that we had in past weeks rolled out numerous birds very close to me.

At water, I steadied Larsen and Cathy tossed the bird while firing a blank pistol.  I had covered my ears and as I brought my hands down, Larsen took that as a signal to go.  He thus anticipated my voice by a fraction of a second.  However, Larsen stopped at the water's edge and milled about.  Maybe he knew he had broken?  At any rate, and at Cathy's suggestion, I took the opportunity to pip Larsen back in and recast him.  He came in, sat, and I sent him again.  Not often do you get a chance to make a correction like that.

Larsen came in, and I gave him a firm, but higher-pitched and sweetly-voiced "here".  He came without shaking or putting the bird down and sat with the bird.  I patted and cooed over this good dog and his nice retrieve.

Cathy reminded me that there will be many practices where nothing will go right but that this was one to remember as one where you could see that however uncoordinated, the pieces were falling into place.

Training made easy

Here is the big secret about training gun dogs: We do not train them to hunt; we train them to be under our control.

The three most important things about training gun dogs are control, control, control. There are few problems you and pup cannot overcome if you can control him.

Aaron Decker, "Be Repetitive, Fair & Consistent When Starting Your Training" Gundog Magazine, May 26, 2011.

Barbi & Ken

Just Ken in the picture (along with Aki) because I've been told that under no circumstances may I name a dog "Barbi."

Aki poses with Ken under the lamplight during her trip to Germany.

Tatum

Susan W.'s Tatum had a litter of 8: 4 male, 4 female.  The little dog and the pups have settled in.  The adventures begin for the little dogs in a welcoming household.

 Tatum comforts two of her pups.  (photo courtesy of Susan Willingham.)