RETRIEVING AUSTRALIA FORUM

Hi All

I'm looking for hints and tips on starting training for blinds, ie. do you use flags, white dummies, how far away from the dummies do you start, do you do pile work first, etc.

Thanks
Leanne

Leanne,

My tip for the day is don't start teaching blinds until you have taught the dog to handle in the yard. A blind is about learning to run straight and a dog can't be taught to run straight if he can't be handled to stay on the straight line.

Gareth

Hi Gareth

Thanks for the reply. I have been teaching him to handle in the yard and he is reasonably reliable at a short distance (small yard), although not 100%. Would you wait until he is 100% reliable at a fairly large distance before starting any lining drills?

Thanks
Leanne

Leanne,

Is a dog ever 100% reliable? I would say in the yard at short distances he should be pretty close, then on the double T pattern be be pretty good. Dogs are rarely perfect on the Double T that is why it is such a good pattern. You are always working on something. Provided he is OK here I would then start memory blinds.

I was watching a Mike Lardy video the other day and he said that there is no point going over and over the double T once it has been taught. Eventually you have to bite the bullet and move on.

Gareth

Hi Gareth

Thanks again for your response.

When starting a dog on blinds, taking into consideration that they are reasonably good at taking direction, would you line them towards white dummies, perhaps have a flag out, always send them to the same spot? Do you teach them the wagon wheel drill perhaps to get them started on going out to a blind? How do you actually begin the teaching phase of going out to a blind?

Thanks
Leanne

Leanne,

The wagon wheel is a must before plan I think. It starts the dog in understanding the sending process of a blind. Heel sit line send.

I start the dogs on the oval with white dummies and build a 3 leg blind. The oval allows you to extend the distance quickly which also ancourages the dog to run greater distances with confidence. I try to end up at 200 plus meters. Dogs get very fit quickly doing this!!!

Once they have learnt this you can progressively move to other locations.

I come back to the oval to add all thos other concepts like markd, two bird, double falls etc. By teaching these on the oval you remove all the nasty factors that evil All Age judges like me add in at a trial, like distance entry to the water, heavy cover , cross winds gullies etc etc.

Gareth

Thanks Gareth

Just one last question. Do you put more than one dummy out at a time or just one and replace it when it's been picked up? If you have more than one dummy do you try to stop a dog from shopping? If so, how?

Leanne

Leanne,

Monty came back with 2 dummies on friday It is the first time he has bought back 2. I try and call with a young dog just before they pick up the dummy to remind them to come straight back without learning to shop. At the same time I don't worry to much about shopping as in the trial environment and later on they soon learn not to bother. A rope on a young dog in pile work will also help prevent shopping as you can pull them in straight away.

gareth