area and resend him. Our goal here is to
establish a blind drill that the spaniel will remember and eventually
run without having a visual sight of the dead bird. Later on,
when you attempt to run this drill blind, you may wish to shorten
the length of the initial line and extend it only when the dog
gains in confidence.
The progression of this drill will eventually show. The spaniel
will have the capability to run several permanent sight blinds
in one training session. This specific drill is designed to teach
our spaniel to take and maintain an initial line to a specific
lock on landmark into the find area. This is a crucial point
in blind retrieve training, which will assist the spaniel in
running for a blind with intent and confidence.
Once this concept has been taught, we will choose some areas
to run some "Marked Blind" drills for our spaniels.
Again, mark the beginning and end of your blind initial line.
It will help if you can bring a friend along to do this drill.
Have your friend stand out at the find area with a dead bird
in hand. Get your spaniel and walk to the starting point of the
line. Have your friend throw a bird up into the air when they
see the spaniel looking in their direction. You should give your
dog a "queue" by saying "dead bird" as it
disappears into the ground cover. Now remove your spaniel from
the area for several minutes to start. Eventually you will build
up to removing him for a few hours. Return to the starting point
of the line and send them for the dead bird. Should he veer off
the initial line, stop him and handle the spaniel into the fall
area. While this is a casting drill, you should try to keep your
"over" casts as close to a 90-degree angle as possible.
Once again we shall build up to doing several of these drills
in one training session.
Once the spaniel is taking a strong line and is running with
confidence both pupil and teacher are ready to move on. Now we
are ready to run some "cold blind" drills. I always
will run three cold blind drills in one session: never just one.
For the first few blinds, keep them fairly easy for your spaniel.
Make them more difficult as time and experiences are gained.
You should be setting thing up so that if the proper line is
taken they will find the dead bird. Too much handling will cause
them to slow down and eventually will lead to "popping".
Popping, or looking to the handler for reaffirmation, is a negative
learned behavior and is severely punished in field events.
Once you have run your first few cold blinds, you should review
what your dog's weak points were during the exercise. For example,
if the issue is handling, |
then go back to the permanent marked blind drill to
work on handling.
I will tend to run 12 permanent blind drills to every 3 cold
blinds that we do. We are always working on the spaniel's weak
points while performing that specific series of cold blinds.
Naturally, the cold blinds will become more complex as we progress.
However always remember that each time you send your spaniel
on a blind retrieve, he must always be successful and find the
bird.
With practice, you will be able to run a land blind retrieve
whether out in the field while upland bird hunting or at an AKC
Hunting test. Keep the training going and next month we will
use these drills to introduce the water blind. The water blind
is our end goal, and why we needed the handling drill in the
first place. See you next month and good training!
About the Author: David Krassler is a native New Englander, who
resides in the Berkshire Mountain Range of western Massachusetts.
David and his wife Marcia have owned operated Citari Kennel since
1985. Together David and Marcia offer clients an impressive 35
years of professional breeding and training experience. As a
professional trainer, active seminarist, and a member of the
New England Outdoor Writers Association David consistently strives
to take the mystery out of the training and breeding top performing
field dogs. For more information on Citari Kennel visit www.citarikennel.com.
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