Curious

[Prue Winkfield]

Please can someone advise on how length of runs are measured. Is it as the crow flies -ie using the gadget (forgot what it is called) to measure between points or is it the distance on land that a person or dog would cover if going straight? In hilly country they are not the same.

[Kerry Webster]

Hi Prue,

I asked this same question once, as my logic could see that a straight line from the eye to the bird could be 150 metres, but the terrain in between could amount to 200 metres. My query must be way back somewhere here under the General index.

Unless it is stepped out, I cannot see how a distance, especially one close to maximum distance, can be determined. In my experience at trials, there are mistakes made by judges in estimating distances, some really not having any idea of how far 100 metres, or 150 metres, really is. I actually measured out 150 metres in my paddocks and the driveway, so now I have a pretty fair idea of how this distance actually looks. On hilly, undulating land, where the dog is following the lay of the land to a pickup, the metres add up much more quickly, and all of that should be taken into account when assessing the distance of a retrieve.

Kerry

[Gareth Tawton]

Prue,

Like Kerry I am sure there is something on this very subject back on the bulletin board somewhere.

I think a good thing to remember is why have a distance limit at all. Probably the most important reason is to be realistic about what we expect our dogs to accurately mark. In Australia we use a realtively small pidgeon when compared to a large duck or pheasant. Therefore our marks should be shorter than say the USA which has large live game to mark in trials. So on that basis I would say line of site to the mark is all that matters. A pdgeon in the air at 150m all though often hard to mark is not unrealistic for a dog. Obviously in all marks the background , daylight and colour of birds will also be an issue.

The same could be said of a blind. How far away from us do we expect our dogs to handle? From the dogs perspective looking back he can certainly see you clearly at 100 meters even if he is the other side of a deep gully which means he has ran 160 meters. So once again my leaning would be to line of site.


Gareth

[Jason Ferris]

Hi all

The previous thread on this topic is called The Question of Length of Runs. Click on the name to view it.

Personally I agree with Gareth - distance is about how far we expect the dogs to be able to see (and mark) not how far we expect them to run.

Cheers, Jason.

[Prue Winkfield]

Thanks everyone - if I ever get serious about AA will have to get one of the gadgets! Even have to pace out distances and could never go by 'eye'.