Jack, John and the Red Bull...
April/23/2009
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We'll tell you about the dogs after we tell you what happened at Stellar Retrievers today. We woke up, looked at the windows to greet the day and saw - a HUGE 2,000 pound beefmaster red bull! Where did he come from? The neighboring farmer was contacted about his magnificent bull being in Jack's training field and he came to begin to persuade his bull to go to to the right side of the fence. John and Lee had to block the bull's way to the kennel - and it was "Game On"! The bull looked at us, we looked at him, and you can guess who won the staring contest.
Meanwhile our training day started with young dog drills including poison bird no-no drills . Forest beat-out Louise! We were joined by one of Jack's & John's training friend, Bruce Bachert. Our first set-up consisted of three water marks done as singles. We had WWW (Wild Wind-Up-William) throwing the first mark consisting of a right to left flat throw @ 90 yards of water past one point of land. No cheating on the point allowed. The second mark was thrown at @ 110 yards which required the dogs to go over the point (which they were just not allowed to get on) and get out and run 50 yards through the scent of that first mark. Some dogs caved in and hunted the old fall. Young dogs were encouraged out of the old fall with hey-heys. The third mark required a sharp angle entry (which caused some to cheat) over a penensula, re-enter the water and run 120 yards to the edge of a tree line. Most dogs flared, the path was the tree line and the wind did not help them.
The blind was @ 175 yards, behind #2 thrower, through the first piece of water, over a peninsula, through a second piece of water, up al hill, and over a brush pile. Most dogs tried to cheat the brush pile or circle the tree line. Tarheels 2, Long Horns "Zero", Go-Fors 2. (You ask, who are the "Go-Fors"? These are Minnesota dogs that "Go For & Get" the bird! It's now a three way contest!)
In our second set-up. we wanted to repeat the "tree-line" test. The set-up was three marks with an indent scenario with the two long marks. One long mark being thrown parallel to a tree line and the other long mark being thrown from a tree line. The middle indent bird being thrown from a small group of trees., Depending upon the age and level of dogs running, some ran as a double with a single, some ran all singles, again, the level of dogs running, some ran two long marks and a short, or one long mark and a short and then a single long mark. Once again the Go-Fors stepped-on the tree line marks, Long Horns tried to skirt the tree line, and the Tarheels hunted the tree line. Final Score - Tarheels 2, Go-Fors 2, Long Horns (Louise) 1
So how did Lee do today? Well. she remembered the whistle (at the line) and was required to carry a gun on the marks - Blackie and Ray saved her, She was one Hell-of-a Birdgirl under the tutorlidge of John Blackbird. The test looms ahead this week-end......
-Lee Hanes-
Meanwhile our training day started with young dog drills including poison bird no-no drills . Forest beat-out Louise! We were joined by one of Jack's & John's training friend, Bruce Bachert. Our first set-up consisted of three water marks done as singles. We had WWW (Wild Wind-Up-William) throwing the first mark consisting of a right to left flat throw @ 90 yards of water past one point of land. No cheating on the point allowed. The second mark was thrown at @ 110 yards which required the dogs to go over the point (which they were just not allowed to get on) and get out and run 50 yards through the scent of that first mark. Some dogs caved in and hunted the old fall. Young dogs were encouraged out of the old fall with hey-heys. The third mark required a sharp angle entry (which caused some to cheat) over a penensula, re-enter the water and run 120 yards to the edge of a tree line. Most dogs flared, the path was the tree line and the wind did not help them.
The blind was @ 175 yards, behind #2 thrower, through the first piece of water, over a peninsula, through a second piece of water, up al hill, and over a brush pile. Most dogs tried to cheat the brush pile or circle the tree line. Tarheels 2, Long Horns "Zero", Go-Fors 2. (You ask, who are the "Go-Fors"? These are Minnesota dogs that "Go For & Get" the bird! It's now a three way contest!)
In our second set-up. we wanted to repeat the "tree-line" test. The set-up was three marks with an indent scenario with the two long marks. One long mark being thrown parallel to a tree line and the other long mark being thrown from a tree line. The middle indent bird being thrown from a small group of trees., Depending upon the age and level of dogs running, some ran as a double with a single, some ran all singles, again, the level of dogs running, some ran two long marks and a short, or one long mark and a short and then a single long mark. Once again the Go-Fors stepped-on the tree line marks, Long Horns tried to skirt the tree line, and the Tarheels hunted the tree line. Final Score - Tarheels 2, Go-Fors 2, Long Horns (Louise) 1
So how did Lee do today? Well. she remembered the whistle (at the line) and was required to carry a gun on the marks - Blackie and Ray saved her, She was one Hell-of-a Birdgirl under the tutorlidge of John Blackbird. The test looms ahead this week-end......
-Lee Hanes-