Some drills you like to run your retriever through

[SouthBryanLabs]

Just wanted to start a thread to get back to discussing retriever training.

If you could please share some drills that you like to run your retriever through to address specific skills ( blinds, marking, obedience, etc.)

One that I like to run through is a wagon wheel drill to work on lining skills. I place white stakes (available at Lowes garden center) at points in a circle (12 , 3, 6 , 9 ) with piles of white bumpers at these stakes. At alternating half way points ( 1:30 , 4:30 , 7:30 , 10:30 ) put a pile of Orange bumpers. The distance from the center to the outer points is typically 20 to 30 yards. The dog typically will focus on the white poles and running those on the "dead bird,,, back" command is pretty easy. It is when you shift over to running the orange piles with more refined lining of the body of the dog, and "No'ing" off of the white piles becomes a little more tricky. Me personally, I tend to rush the lining of blinds and I need this drill as much as the dog to settle down and make sure he is focused on where I want him to go. Just ran this again this evening, and all three of us benefited in different ways. The high roller got settled in to listening more, and the younger one got a little more confident as we went through the piles. The fat boy with the whistle slowed down and got a better picture of watching where the dog was lined up from the start.


Okay, so what are some drills you like to run?

[TealTapper]

I'm looking forward to reading this thread.

Tru's rocking and rolling. Only drills we do are as many bumpers as I can throw for her in as many different situations I can find, i.e. throwing bumpers into cover, across water, out of the boat, etc...

[BIGGCOUNTRY2]

good,deal i me and bigcountry1 have been doing the baseball drill and also we got a john boat set up with a decoy spread that we work the dog's out of. we sit in the boat with our dog just like a real hunting situation call and shoot just like we would on the water, this has really helped my dog on breaking,and marking,we hunt with 2 dogs and it teachs him that he won't get every downed bird,

[Fish]

I like to do swim by and bank cheating drills in the summer time. It only makes sense since it's 95 degrees.

[Tha Dick]

2 down the shore works right well also.

[SouthBryanLabs]

So far so good. But here is what I also hoped we could do is explain exactly how YOU run your drills so that new guys can understand what the drill is exactly. I know this might take a few more minutes but it will probably be a big help to someone, and possibly each one of us understand the reasoning behind why we do what we do. Thanks again for the participation.

[TealTapper]

Hear, hear, southbryan!

So, what's a bank cheating drill? Or a swim by?

[Riggs]

good,deal i me and bigcountry1 have been doing the baseball drill and also we got a john boat set up with a decoy spread that we work the dog's out of. we sit in the boat with our dog just like a real hunting situation call and shoot just like we would on the water, this has really helped my dog on breaking,and marking,we hunt with 2 dogs and it teachs him that he won't get every downed bird,

That my friend will pay big dividends come hunt day!

[waterdogs]

i need advice on thing i need to work on to get my dog ready to run finish level in the spring. she has her seasond title, and now its time to work on the next level. any advise will help, even would like to come to some training days.

[Flatcoat77]

We've been working on a shore line handling drill which came, I think, from Julie Cairns' Hunt Test Know How magazine.

Relatively rectangular pond. Identified pile at the far end (line to pile runs 5-8 yards off the shore. 2 identified piles on the shore, maybe 5 yards in from the water, each about 1/3 of the way to the end.

1. Send to far pile
2. Send straight, over to short pile.
3. Send straight, over towards short pile, stop and send to 2nd pile.
4. Send straight, over to 2nd pile
5. Send straight, over towards 1st pile, stop, back in the water and send to end.
6. Send straight, over to 1st pile, back to 2nd with bumper in mouth
7. Send straight, over to 2nd pile, come-in to first

All returns are via water - handle to get in and correct for cast refusals. Sort of the TT on water but really helps with that cast off a point and back into the water

I may not have the sequence exactly right, but I think you get the point.

Joe

[wcrites307]

steady up a dog.

The secret to a steady dog is not to get predictable for your dog. Throw one and send him. them throw one and you go get it while he sits and watches. Throw one and then heal him away from the mark 10 yards, turn and then send him for retrieve. keep changing things up and he will be more focused on what you might want and less on what he wants.

[SouthBryanLabs]

Okay, Professor, FarmBoy, LabsWillDo, et al... please share some drills you use regularly. And thank you to the ones who have posted so far, it is greatly appreciated.

[WALLY]

MAT DRILL:
The purpose of this drill is to help your dog learn the concept of sitting and being steady in one spot.
Take a door mat, approximately 24" x 24" (cut if you have to) and place it in the yard. Your dog should already obey heel and sit to some degree. Walk up to the mat so that it is just to your side that you heel your dog on. Sit him on the mat. Repeat this until he learns that the mat is the place you want him to sit. If he moves off the mat at all, "No" him and re-sit him on the mat. Once he has learned the concept of sitting on the mat you can use this mat to move into other more advanced situations. For example, if you want to teach your dog to heal and sit on either side you can alternate sides with the mat. You can place the mat in the jon boat exactly where you want the dog to sit and be steady. You can use the mat for picture taking. Once the dogs has the concept down pat you can gradually remove this passifier until it is no longer needed. This will help the creeping, squirming Hunt Test dog and it will help the duck dog in the blind, in the boat or on a stump.