by Robert Tawton » Fri 08 Apr 2005 8:28 pm
Hi Kerry,
I teach my dogs the “Poison” command primarily as a lifesaving command should they ever be attracted to a 1080 bait etc or to carry and/or eat any other unwanted material. The command means both to spit out anything the dog has in its mouth or alternatively do not to touch the object it was about to pick-up. It is initially taught as a food refusal exercise starting when they are 10 to 12 weeks of age. The command is useful in a Trial situation should a dog stray too close to a “poison” bird. Given the constraints of the new In Line Rule and the Rule covering use of Diversionary Game, handlers with a semblance of control should not experience any real difficulties.
Drills that are useful include establishing two concentric circles with large white dummies, pigeons and/or rabbits forming the inner circle and orange dummies (partially invisible to a dog) as the objects forming the outer circle. For the purpose of explanation; white dummies, pigeons and/or rabbits are placed at 12 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 6 and 9 o’clock. Orange dummies are placed at 1.30, 4.30, 7.30 and 10.30. The object of the Drill is to be able to line your dog to the orange dummies and to have the dog ignore the objects forming the inner circle. After picking up all the orange dummies I regularly then pick up the objects forming the inner circle so as to teach the dog that it should only retrieve objects for which it is sent.
A second and more advanced Drill involves using both a thrower and the wind. Imagine a clock face with the wind blowing from 9.00 to 3.00. With the handler and dog located at 6.00. Now locate the thrower at 10.00 throwing towards 2.00 and at a distance of 75 metres. Establish three blinds each at a distance of 120 metres and on lines passing through 9.00 (Blind A – left of the line to the thrower), 12.00 (Blind B – under the arc of the throw) and 3.00 (Blind C – right of the land point for the throw).
As a set of three;
1. Run Blind A
2. Run Blind B and
3. Run Blind C.
Now as a set of four:
1. Throw the Mark and pick it up.
2. Throw the Mark – I use a soft verbal cue “NOBIRD” –meaning not for the moment. Like Doug I do not care for the “Leave It” command. Realign the dog, cue “Dead Bird”, Run Blind A, and then pick up the Mark.
3. Throw the Mark, cue “NOBIRD”, realign the dog, cue “Dead Bird”, Run Blind B and then pick up the Mark.
4. Throw the Mark, cue “NOBIRD”, realign the dog, cue “Dead Bird”, Run Blind C and then pick up the Mark.
Best of luck, regards, RWT