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Subject: Steadiness Drill

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TC
Apple Valley, Minnesota

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09/11/2006 11:57 PM	Alert
After reading about Stu's drill (which I really liked), and reading about Rob's issues, I thought I'd share a steadiness drill that I saw at a seminar this spring. It requires at least one helper (preferably 2 or 3), but no other dogs, and it's very simple to set up. A very experienced and knowledgeable handler had a dog that was always trying to creep just a bit. He had been trying to correct it for quite a while, with no luck. Sometimes the dog would just pick her rear-end up off the ground a couple of inches, which the handler couldn't even see. So the pro giving the seminar set up this drill: Two people were sent about 50 yards away to be throwers. The field was wide open with almost no cover. The pro sat behind the dog and handler to call either "dog" or "creep", depending on the dog's behavior. The handler didn't even have to watch his dog. A duck was thrown after a duck call and a shotgun shot. The dog slowly stood up, so "creep" was called which resulted in - nick, "SIT!". The dog sat down, and the thrower walked out to pick up the bird while the dog watched. Next, a duck was thrown after a call and a pistol shot (a little less noise, so a little less excitement). The dog again tried to creep - nick, "SIT!". The dog sat down and the thrower walked out to pick up the bird. Next a bumper was thrown (less excitement than a duck), again with a duck call and a pistol shot. This time the dog was steady, so "dog" was called, and the dog was rewarded with the retrieve. Every time the dog tried to creep, the result was nick, "SIT!", and the dog hated watching the thrower walk out to pick up the bird. The throw following a creep was always with slightly less excitement. You could get all the way down to a "soft" throw of a bumper with no duck call and no shot. Every time the dog was perfectly steady, it was rewarded with the retrieve, and the next throw was with slightly more excitement. Within 15 minutes, this dog was rock-steady with two duck calls, a duck, and multiple shotgun blasts. Everyone was amazed at how simple it was and how fast it worked! With just a few variables (throw, duck call(s), shot(s), bumper/duck), you can create a pretty wide range of excitement. The key is that the dog has to be PERFECT before it's sent for a retrieve. There's no such thing as "that's good enough". As in Stu's drill, you allow the dog's desire to retrieve to work against the behavior issue. Troy

Rob G
Cedaredge, CO

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09/12/2006 4:36 AM	Alert
Thanks Troy. I can't wait to give that drill a try. Rob

Home of: CPR Bearpoint's Top Gun "Maverick" PRG's Hunter's Lullaby "Cricket" CPR Sam's Jumpin Jack Flash "Jack"

Rob G
Cedaredge, CO

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09/12/2006 4:39 AM	Alert
By the way, how do you guys view movement of the front feet when sitting at the line. My dog likes to reposition his front feet toward the last bumper/duck that was thrown, sometimes ending up with his body angled away from his original heel position. Should this be viewed as "cheating" or should I be more focused on his butt?

Home of: CPR Bearpoint's Top Gun "Maverick" PRG's Hunter's Lullaby "Cricket" CPR Sam's Jumpin Jack Flash "Jack"

Doc_E
N.E. WA state

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09/12/2006 7:42 AM	Alert
Kind of depends on the "spread" of the marks. If there is a lot of spread (180 degrees or more), it is definitely easier for the dogs to mark if they reposition their front end instead of just moving their heads. Here is a pic of Casey repositioning on a very wide triple mark. He is looking at the third bird down.

Doc E and Cujo Casey boy.

TC
Apple Valley, Minnesota

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09/12/2006 1:47 PM	Alert
My dog pivots on multiple marks, especially when the second mark is to the right (he heels on my left). I interpret it as him saying "I got it", and I like his head and spine to be lined up for the mark, so I don't see it as creeping. Breaking doesn't even cross his mind (as far as I know ). I love the picture of Casey - maybe dogs can't talk, but they sure can tell you a lot with their body language.

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