out into a large pond about fifteen yards
or so. Retrieve your spaniel, and hup her on the shore line so
that the floating blind is in plain sight. Once she is locked
onto the white dummy, go through the sequence of commands and
send her back for the retrieve. Your spaniel should leap into
the pond and make the retrieve!
Should for some reason the dog refuse to enter the water, simply
toss another white dummy into the water next to the other one,
give the dead bird queue, and send your dog. Once the dummy is
retrieved, attempt to send him back for the remaining floating
dummy. Continue this drill, progressively moving the floating
blind out further and further extending the length of his initial
line as he gains in confidence. Sixty yards is a fair goal.
Now let's move to another area of the pond. Find a location that
will give you access to the other shore bank and will give your
spaniel approximately the sixty-plus yards to swim before reaching
the opposite bank. This location will become a permanent pattern
blind area for |
you. Set your find area so that your spaniel
will be able to get out onto the shoreline. Additionally, the
area should allow your spaniel the room to take a left or right
hand cast once she are on the shoreline in the find area.
Bring along a helper for the introduction to this drill. Set
a pile of white dummies just on the water's edge on the pond's
bank. Have your assistant hide in some cover ten yards or so
away from the dummy pile along the line the spaniel will travel.
Retrieve your spaniel, line her and send her to the back pile.
Should the dog start to slow down or fade off her initial line,
have your assistant throw a dummy to the pile on the bank. This
will straighten out the dog's line and facilitate the retrieve.
Additionally, this is a good time to remind you to keep your
spaniel honest on its return. Should she pick up a dummy, and
not come right back into the water, hit the hup whistle. Once
the dog is hupped and facing you, recall her back into the water.
We want our dogs to take the |
straightest route back to us for the delivery.
That route is the route that they travel to get to the back pile!
Once they are lining to the pile, retrieving several dummies,
and returning with honesty, we are ready for a new drill. Load
the pile with one white dummy and several colored dummies. Now
send your spaniel. He should take the white dummy first. Should
he choose a colored one instead, have your assistant remove the
white one while the dog is swimming back to you. Send your dog
again for a few of the colored dummies on the shoreline. This
will help develop a mental picture in his mind. Again, if he
fades off line or starts to slow down, have your assistant throw
a white dummy to the pile. Eventually the spaniel will be retrieving
only colored dummies that you have put out at the pile on the
shoreline.
Next step let's move the pile a few more yards up the bank and
into cover. Send your spaniel. Once he reaches the other side,
hup and cast him back to the pile. This will teach him to get
out of the water and travel further back to find a blind bird
up in the bank's cover.
The next progression is to move the pile around as you continue
this drill. Work on your casting (left and right hand overs)
as well as back casting drills. Keep in mind however that we
only want to set out one pile in one location for each individual
training session. This will allow you to work only on one cast
at a time. Additionally, run the drill at least twice before
ending your training session for the day. By running the blind
twice, you will help develop a mental picture for your spaniel.
The final result is that your spaniel will confidently swim to
the opposite bank and handle to the pile. You can return to this
drill anytime you need to smooth out your water blind handling
throughout your dog's field career. |
