The Retriever club I am a member of had there monthly training day today. They pretty much set things up like a hunt test. You can run your dog with or without a collar, with a collar you don't get a score. Anyhow Max has been doing so well with our training sessions, I have been doing more single marks than doubles the last week and a half as he was doing the head swing and not really catching the first bird. His blinds 30-110 yards land and water have been great, with very little whistles, no creeping. His upland work has been OK (the last couple times he caught a bird on each outing) but I am working on that as I can.
 
This brings us up to today. I sign him up for Master and Senior stakes. At master he does real well coming to the line, then first bird goes, he creeps, second bird he creeps, third bird he creeps, (He hasn't crept in I don't know how long) call him back to heel and send him. picks up go bird, and second bird, but forgot where the first bird was. Had to handle him. at Honor, he crept again, Put the collar on him (should have left it on him, but I didn't) and made him honor again, perfect.

Go to senior, first bird, he creps a little, second bird, creeps alittle more, but nothing like on Master, I do reheel him. He goes and picks up go bird nicely, and get him lined up for the memory bird, his look is I know were it is, and he is drilling a hole in the right direction. yea right. I had to handle him to that bird.

The Senior land blind, about 65 yards, he lined it, no whistle no nothing. the Senior water blind. no linning on that, he did not want to stay in the water. and I have been doing down the shore blinds with him not 6 feet from the bank and he has been doing wonderful.  The master water and land blinds were OK, not stellar but OK.

Max's agenda today was to do everything his way even if it was wrong and he new it. I should expect the work I have been getting out of him with our sessions, and the last two I did not use the collar and he did great. But as they say, dogs will be dogs.
I just worked a little with him when I got home. he tried to creep and got knicked, last time he did that.

One question though, In his creeping and me reheeling him, will that act as a memory eraser for one of the birds?

Posted By Maximillion on 17 Jul 2010 01:00 PM

One question though, In his creeping and me reheeling him, will that act as a memory eraser for one of the birds?

Usually, yes.

.

Definately.

Try not relying on the collar so much for corrections, especially for basic obediance violations, here, sit come.

Are you doing OB at least once a week?

Go back to your check chord, heeling stick and chocke chain, work obediance, getting him not violating sit. Throw a mark, no sit, no fetch.

I work basic obediance in the yard at least once a week and at least once a month Ill go back without the collar and use rope and stick pressure as opposed to collar pressure.

Thanks Doc,
Edward, Obediance is worked darn near every day. That is why it surprised me he started to creep like he did yesterday, and good point on the check cord and such.

It has been a month took Edwards suggestion, I have been working with Max in his creeping and I think it is pretty much nipped, but Max is a dog and you know what dogs do. Anyhow, he did very well actaully worked more on his creeping with one of the ducks, He kept his butt planted yesterday. The land series they set up was hard, and no I am not going to say what they did, I don't want to give any judges any ideas. all the dogs had issues on this series. I had to handle on the memory bird, as did the others. On the water series, Max nailed it.