Gotta get out early and beat the heat.

"Rally" 20 months old or so



Little Y drill work....(should have had a mat out to send her back to)

Impressive. Question. Is it the style now with retriever trainers to not put your hand over the head to give the dog a line? It looks like you just got the dog squared up on heel in the direction you wanted him to go and then sent him.

nice

Most still put their hand down. However, the hand over the head should not be used to give a direction. It's only a cue to the dog that it's lined up correctly and about to be sent.

The hand only comes down after the dog is lined up.

I first say "dead bird" as a cue it's a blind retrieve.

I use "here" with tap on the leg to pull right, right knee out and "no" to push left. This is pretty standard.

When my dog is lined up and looking in the correct direction I give the cue "good". This is a cue to the dog they are lined up and looking in the right direction and about to be sent.

The use of the hand as a cue to the dog is still widely used among most trainers.

The hand down is also used to communicate steadiness at the line for the dog and give the handler more control.
If the guns are going off, the flier is shot and hits the ground, the dog "knows" that they're not going to get to go until the hand comes down and they're release is given. So two thing have to happen for the dog to go get the bird.
if the hand is not used on the go bird, the dog is waiting only on their name. Only one thing has to happen for the dog to get the bird.
All of that is supposed to work, in theory anyway. HAHA
I use my hand down as a que on all blinds and all marks except for the short retired.

When I first got into training for tests I attended a Hillmann seminar. In that seminar he convinced me that the hand wasn't really needed except if you wanted to use it as a cue for one specific thing. His example was that he would only put the hand down if there was some type of obstacle such as a log that the dog was supposed to jump.

I'm not saying it was a accurate but was the reason I started my advanced training experience without using the hand.

What other command besides a release does the dog need two things to happen?

As a cue i get it but a verbal cue can be just as effective in communicating that the dog is lined up and ready to be sent.

We agree though that the hand is not used to line up the dog. They don't follow your hand. I see a lot of handlers waiving their hand around on top of the dogs head or out in front of their face.

The good trainers only use it as a cue and only put the hand down after the dog is lined and ready to be sent.

The best handlers will also use the hand for influence.
Robby

[/quote]


When I first got into training for tests I attended a Hillmann seminar. In that seminar he convinced me that the hand wasn't really needed except if you wanted to use it as a cue for one specific thing. His example was that he would only put the hand down if there was some type of obstacle such as a log that the dog was supposed to jump.

I'm not saying it was a accurate but was the reason I started my advanced training experience without using the hand.

What other command besides a release does the dog need two things to happen?

As a cue i get it but a verbal cue can be just as effective in communicating that the dog is lined up and ready to be sent.

We agree though that the hand is not used to line up the dog. They don't follow your hand. I see a lot of handlers waiving their hand around on top of the dogs head or out in front of their face.

The good trainers only use it as a cue and only put the hand down after the dog is lined and ready to be sent. [/quote]

I was told by someone who trained directly under Rex Carr that the hand was introduced to handling for control/steadiness on the line.
The use of it for lining purpose followed suit shortly after. True or not, I don't know for sure, but it makes sense that's how it started and evolved into something else.

To your point, verbal que's are very effective and always used, on every mark and blind. If one que is good, why not use 2 ques to solidify communication with the dog?

The way that I use the hand for steadiness on the go bird is...
When the go bird hit's the ground, the hand goes down and is the que that the dog is about to be sent, like on a blind, then the dogs name is said and the dog is realeased to go get the bird.

If they're conditioned to sit until a hand comes AND their name is called, theorically, they'll be more steady and the handler have more control. Again, an extra tool or form of communication to influence the dog to sit/be steady on the go bird.
In training many times, especially with a young dog, the bird will hit the ground and I'll put my hand in and hold it down there for 5, 7, 10 seconds making them focus and bear down, stay steady.

For me and my dogs, no hand down is the que for my short retired.
No hand down, "easy, easy, easy" and a really really soft send means its not very far away, be sure and check up.


The more tools I can have in my bag, the more info I can transfer to the dog and use in training, especially if i'm familiar with them and know how to use them.

I was told by someone who trained directly under Rex Carr that the hand was introduced to handling for control/steadiness on the line.
The use of it for lining purpose followed suit shortly after. True or not, I don't know for sure, but it makes sense that's how it started and evolved into something else.

To your point, verbal que's are very effective and always used, on every mark and blind. If one que is good, why not use 2 ques to solidify communication with the dog?

The way that I use the hand for steadiness on the go bird is...
When the go bird hit's the ground, the hand goes down and is the que that the dog is about to be sent, like on a blind, then the dogs name is said and the dog is realeased to go get the bird.

If they're conditioned to sit until a hand comes AND their name is called, theorically, they'll be more steady and the handler have more control. Again, an extra tool or form of communication to influence the dog to sit/be steady on the go bird.
In training many times, especially with a young dog, the bird will hit the ground and I'll put my hand in and hold it down there for 5, 7, 10 seconds making them focus and bear down, stay steady.

For me and my dogs, no hand down is the que for my short retired.
No hand down, "easy, easy, easy" and a really really soft send means its not very far away, be sure and check up.


The more tools I can have in my bag, the more info I can transfer to the dog and use in training, especially if i'm familiar with them and know how to use them.


[/quote]


I can’t concentrate long enough to read this post. I’m cooking pork chops. But I’ll bet that mutt will fetch a dead bird. GREAT JOB.

is it a clip or mag