I've spent the spring teaching Storm the fundamentals of blind
retrieves: the dog is sent for a bird it didn't see fall.

We have to teach the dog to run like the wind (or, I suppose, swim like
a fish) in the direction it has been pointed and sent. Go in a straight
line. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200, and *definitely* don't go
around that inconvenient-looking obstacle. Straight. Line.

We have to teach the dog to stop instantly on a whistle and look back
for directions, and we have to teach them to run/swim in the direction
indicated by the handler after the stop.

It's a big faith-and-trust game. The dog has to learn that, if it
follows directions, I *promise* that it will find a bumper or a bird.
That's the only way to get the dog really excited about going out.

The introductory work has been very long for us. The field-trial-lab
Gods write books with comments like, "This (new step) should take a day
or two..." With a rookie handler and a Flat-Coat, I've started
multiplying that kind of estimate by seven. We build in baby steps,
baby steps.

Last weekend, Storm passed her WC (singles, with the dog on lead at the
line.) This coming weekend, she's entered in back-to-back WCI
(Intermediate) trials. This is doubles, with the dog off lead and an
honor (sit and behave while someone else's dog works nearby). If she
passes the I (and she should), she can move straight up to the WCX the
next day. Off lead doubles, a "walk-up," (walk up to an invisible line
with your dog. When we cross the line, the birds start flying, the dog
sits on whistle and then gets sent for the birds.), and (Dear God) 40-
yard land and water blinds.

They're baby blinds, but they're cold. Most of the teaching phase
involves sending a dog for a bumper that is somewhere the dog has been
before. (building trust). I figured I should find out whether or not we
should even enter the "X". So, with great trepidation, I took Storm out
of her drills and pattern blinds the other day and planted a few 40-yard
land and water blinds on our training ground.

"Dead Bird. There. BACK!"

And she got them! she got them! she got them! She ran out like a dog
who knew what to do! She sat! She took (most of) my casts!

Who knows what will happen this weekend. We have lots and lots of work
to do, and I'm not kidding myself that we're anything like done with
handling (especially in the water). Lord knows her marking (watching
birds fall a long way away and finding them quickly) has gone down the
tubes while we've been focusing on blinds. Still, it's like magic to
see that Storm is synthesizing all that information we've been building
on and clearly Gets It.

Oh, happy day. Oh, happy dog. Oh, happy me. We're doing something
that looked utterly impossible six months ago, even if it's just the
kindergarten version. Even if the test this weekend is a huge
schmozzle, I'm glad so see all that hard work paying off.

--
Kate
and Storm who thought that cheeseburger on the way home from the Ponds
tasted simply marvelous

"KWBrown" wrote in message
. 4...
Oh, happy day. Oh, happy dog. Oh, happy me. We're doing something
that looked utterly impossible six months ago, even if it's just the
kindergarten version. Even if the test this weekend is a huge
schmozzle, I'm glad so see all that hard work paying off.

:-) Very, very cool.


I'm still hoping for that moment...with the dumbell. sigh
And, again with The Perfect Outrun in herding. That will
come with time and practice.

The dumbell I'm just not so sure about...


--
Kate
and Storm who thought that cheeseburger on the way home from the Ponds
tasted simply marvelous

Bodhi agrees that a cheeseburger (from none other than Burgerville,
pretty exclusive to Washington & Oregon state) always tastes best after
a hard day's work.
Shelly & The Boys

"KWBrown" wrote in message
. 4...
Oh, happy day. Oh, happy dog. Oh, happy me. We're doing something
that looked utterly impossible six months ago, even if it's just the
kindergarten version. Even if the test this weekend is a huge
schmozzle, I'm glad so see all that hard work paying off.

:-) Very, very cool.


I'm still hoping for that moment...with the dumbell. sigh
And, again with The Perfect Outrun in herding. That will
come with time and practice.

The dumbell I'm just not so sure about...


--
Kate
and Storm who thought that cheeseburger on the way home from the Ponds
tasted simply marvelous

Bodhi agrees that a cheeseburger (from none other than Burgerville,
pretty exclusive to Washington & Oregon state) always tastes best after
a hard day's work.
Shelly & The Boys

"KWBrown" wrote in message
. 4...
Oh, happy day. Oh, happy dog. Oh, happy me. We're doing something
that looked utterly impossible six months ago, even if it's just the
kindergarten version. Even if the test this weekend is a huge
schmozzle, I'm glad so see all that hard work paying off.

:-) Very, very cool.


I'm still hoping for that moment...with the dumbell. sigh
And, again with The Perfect Outrun in herding. That will
come with time and practice.

The dumbell I'm just not so sure about...


--
Kate
and Storm who thought that cheeseburger on the way home from the Ponds
tasted simply marvelous

Bodhi agrees that a cheeseburger (from none other than Burgerville,
pretty exclusive to Washington & Oregon state) always tastes best after
a hard day's work.
Shelly & The Boys

"KWBrown" wrote in message
. 4...
Oh, happy day. Oh, happy dog. Oh, happy me. We're doing something
that looked utterly impossible six months ago, even if it's just the
kindergarten version. Even if the test this weekend is a huge
schmozzle, I'm glad so see all that hard work paying off.

:-) Very, very cool.


I'm still hoping for that moment...with the dumbell. sigh
And, again with The Perfect Outrun in herding. That will
come with time and practice.

The dumbell I'm just not so sure about...


--
Kate
and Storm who thought that cheeseburger on the way home from the Ponds
tasted simply marvelous

Bodhi agrees that a cheeseburger (from none other than Burgerville,
pretty exclusive to Washington & Oregon state) always tastes best after
a hard day's work.
Shelly & The Boys

"Shelly & The Boys" wrote in
:


I'm still hoping for that moment...with the dumbell. sigh
And, again with The Perfect Outrun in herding. That will
come with time and practice.

The dumbell I'm just not so sure about...

I can only barely hang on when you guys start talking about herding.

An outrun is when you send the dog to a bunch of sheep and have it come in,
pushing the sheep toward you?

Just came back from the field, had a much less successful session tonight.
Two steps forward, one step back.

I'm tapering down for the rest of the week, aiming for lots of success and
positive attitude.

--
Kate
and Storm, who didn't get no cheeseburger tonight :-(

"Shelly & The Boys" wrote in
:


I'm still hoping for that moment...with the dumbell. sigh
And, again with The Perfect Outrun in herding. That will
come with time and practice.

The dumbell I'm just not so sure about...

I can only barely hang on when you guys start talking about herding.

An outrun is when you send the dog to a bunch of sheep and have it come in,
pushing the sheep toward you?

Just came back from the field, had a much less successful session tonight.
Two steps forward, one step back.

I'm tapering down for the rest of the week, aiming for lots of success and
positive attitude.

--
Kate
and Storm, who didn't get no cheeseburger tonight :-(

"Shelly & The Boys" wrote in
:


I'm still hoping for that moment...with the dumbell. sigh
And, again with The Perfect Outrun in herding. That will
come with time and practice.

The dumbell I'm just not so sure about...

I can only barely hang on when you guys start talking about herding.

An outrun is when you send the dog to a bunch of sheep and have it come in,
pushing the sheep toward you?

Just came back from the field, had a much less successful session tonight.
Two steps forward, one step back.

I'm tapering down for the rest of the week, aiming for lots of success and
positive attitude.

--
Kate
and Storm, who didn't get no cheeseburger tonight :-(

"Shelly & The Boys" wrote in
:


I'm still hoping for that moment...with the dumbell. sigh
And, again with The Perfect Outrun in herding. That will
come with time and practice.

The dumbell I'm just not so sure about...

I can only barely hang on when you guys start talking about herding.

An outrun is when you send the dog to a bunch of sheep and have it come in,
pushing the sheep toward you?

Just came back from the field, had a much less successful session tonight.
Two steps forward, one step back.

I'm tapering down for the rest of the week, aiming for lots of success and
positive attitude.

--
Kate
and Storm, who didn't get no cheeseburger tonight :-(

"KWBrown" wrote in message
. 4...
I've spent the spring teaching Storm the fundamentals of blind
retrieves: the dog is sent for a bird it didn't see fall.

And she got them! she got them! she got them! She ran out like a dog
who knew what to do! She sat! She took (most of) my casts!

Oh, happy day. Oh, happy dog. Oh, happy me. We're doing something
that looked utterly impossible six months ago

Wow! I am so impressed!

The dedication it takes to reach even this level is extremely impressive!
I'm guessing there were days when it was not two steps forward and one back
but the reverse and yet you stayed with it. And did it.

I was smiling at your story all the way through!
--
~~Judy
Spenser - Carbor Talk of the Town, NA
Sassy - Can CH Carbor Back Talk