Solo training is not always the best, but sometimes it's the only option.
I'm mostly a solitary creature. But even if I weren't, finding others to train with has not been easy. Nearly everyone I know in the area who has a hunting dog has a pointing breed-and while I would like to train with them I haven't been able to make it happen yet.
I met a trainer at the last spaniel hunt test who offered to work with us but I haven't been able to get the time or $ together to do so. (Taxes coming due soon)
This leaves me right back where I was-any training that is going to happen is going to happen because I do it alone.
As noted, there is a hole in Emmie's performance that I think stems, in large part, from doing training by myself and having so many retrieves originate with me-rather than the field. Options? I need to get the dog to start looking to the field for retrieves, not to me. Dove season is a ways off so something artificial has to happen.
I can't shell out $400+ for a remote launcher. It's just not an option right now. I have played with trebuchet/catapults in my early geeky Dungeons and Dragons days. I even helped with a sculpture professor who was building a trebuchet meant to sling molten iron into the North Sea on the coast of Scotland at the turn of the millennium. So-why not build a trebuchet for slinging a bumper/bird?
I've entertained the idea, and while I really WANTED to build one I've decided I have a better solution...a .22 blank bumper launcher-similar to this:
Using the dummy launcher is great for teaching steadyness and for throwing LONG distance retrieves. I have a rounded bumper that I use to create a scent trail for the dog to follow.
The question remained-how do I shoot this launcher and have the dog looking in the right direction? Again, part of the problem is that they continue to look to ME for something to retrieve-not in the field. So the remote "marked retrieve" originating from somewhere OTHER THAN me is important.
It's interesting how my ingenuity often looks like redneck engineering at first:
Ingredients list:
Note that the trigger length string can be adjusted with small knots to take up the length very slightly and I found my launcher didn't launch reliably unless the trigger string was taught.
Now-do a good impression of a WWII commando and run a length of trigger line a distance away and prepare your dog(s) for the remotely launched retrieve:
This is a 'posed' shot. I only ran one at a time on these remote marks.
In the end I was able to get the reaction I wanted and I think the training goals were reached. I need to go back and reinforce later this week.
I'm mostly a solitary creature. But even if I weren't, finding others to train with has not been easy. Nearly everyone I know in the area who has a hunting dog has a pointing breed-and while I would like to train with them I haven't been able to make it happen yet.
I met a trainer at the last spaniel hunt test who offered to work with us but I haven't been able to get the time or $ together to do so. (Taxes coming due soon)
This leaves me right back where I was-any training that is going to happen is going to happen because I do it alone.
As noted, there is a hole in Emmie's performance that I think stems, in large part, from doing training by myself and having so many retrieves originate with me-rather than the field. Options? I need to get the dog to start looking to the field for retrieves, not to me. Dove season is a ways off so something artificial has to happen.
I can't shell out $400+ for a remote launcher. It's just not an option right now. I have played with trebuchet/catapults in my early geeky Dungeons and Dragons days. I even helped with a sculpture professor who was building a trebuchet meant to sling molten iron into the North Sea on the coast of Scotland at the turn of the millennium. So-why not build a trebuchet for slinging a bumper/bird?
I've entertained the idea, and while I really WANTED to build one I've decided I have a better solution...a .22 blank bumper launcher-similar to this:
The question remained-how do I shoot this launcher and have the dog looking in the right direction? Again, part of the problem is that they continue to look to ME for something to retrieve-not in the field. So the remote "marked retrieve" originating from somewhere OTHER THAN me is important.
It's interesting how my ingenuity often looks like redneck engineering at first:
Ingredients list:
- 1 dummy launcher
- 1 wood clamp
- 1 archery release
- 1 roll of survey line (pink is optional!)
In the end I was able to get the reaction I wanted and I think the training goals were reached. I need to go back and reinforce later this week.
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